La Gringa en Quito

I've had a busy day since arriving in Quito around 1:30pm. I got a cab from the airport where I think I was ripped off with a $10 fare that should have been closer to $5, but the trip would have been closer to $20 in NYC, so oh well. As I was leaving the airport with my cabbie he said something to another guy, too quickly for me to recognize, but I thought it was about the fare and how he'd scored a gullible American girl. Little did he know, I was about to talk his ear off on the trip on the way to the hotel! I had my first panic attack about my passport - it was buried deeper in my bag than I had remembered - something my brother Will would just laugh at if he had seen me frantically searching.

I got to the Eugenia Hotel and had a Spanglish conversation to get my room keys and to explain that the other 11 in my group would be arriving much later in the evening. After settling into my room and filming a quick video in Spanish, I headed out on the town.

(Still trying to figure out how to insert the video...).

The women at the front desk gave me a map and directions to the post office, which I found without too much trouble. I took the bus (which cost $0.25 -- 1/9th of a subway trip in NYC and Chicago) to get there and the security guard saw that I didn't really know what I was doing, so he lent me his pen and helped me get envelopes to mail to the U.S. for Dad's birthday card.

I was surprised that even though it is a warm and sunny 25 degrees outside (in Celsius, roughly 77 degrees Fahrenheit), that nearly everyone had on long pants and long sleeves. I wore the same thing so as not to stand out, but was I the only one who was sweating?  My shirt was drenched when I got back to the hotel.

Eugenia Hotel welcome sign

I first wondered that when we touched down in Panama City because everyone outside (baggage handlers, etc.) had a hat and long pants/sleeves. My guess is that the proximity to the equator makes everyone much more cautious about their sun exposure. Speaking of Panama, it was absolutely breathtaking flying in there! There were skyscrapers nestled right up next to the water, making the land look extremely thin. It appeared as though the buildings were about to topple into the ocean! I snapped some really cool photos from the air as we were flying into the city.

Skyline view of Panamá City

A canal in Panama...the Panama Canal? ...wink, wink...

Ecuador was distinctly breathtaking as well.  I couldn't see the coast as we approached for the clouds, but the mainland was terrain like I have never seen before.  There were major cliffs right next to towns, winding their way along both paved and unpaved roads.  I was so busy exclaiming (yes, out loud, on a crowded airplane!), that I'm surprised I had time to snap any photos.

Flying into Quito

Estadio Olímpico (soccer stadium)

On the way back from the post office, I wanted to find an internet cafe to email Mom & Dad to ease their worries of my being alone in a foreign country.  There was a huge mall nearby, across the street from a park where boys were playing soccer, and I found an internet cafe inside.  I swear I was ripping them off when my 18 minutes of use only cost me $0.60, but then I later found out that we had free internet in our hotel the whole time, so it was just a sixty-cent adventure and Spanish lesson.

That email written, I knew it was nap time, so I headed back to the hotel on the bus (where I was the Great White Giant among a sea of young Ecuadorians just getting out of school), and crashed for two hours.  Our room is so cute, and the beds are perfectly comfortable - as evidenced by the afternoon snoozefest - but I am DYING for Davis to get here!  I love speaking Spanish and hanging out by myself in a foreign country, but let's get this party started!

I'm definitely in love with Ecuador after only one day here.  From the smiling, helpful people to the laid back lifestyle to the gorgeous weather, I could definitely see myself living here for a while.  It feels very safe (here, in the capital), which might be perceived as American naivete, but after living in New York for nearly four years, I know the difference between a safe and an unsafe situation.  Although I was the Great White Giant on the bus and received quite a few stares, I just eavesdropped on conversations and enjoyed immersing myself in another culture.  All the while, I stayed hyper aware of my surroundings.  Don't worry, Mom, I'm being smart!

Tell me, if you were alone in a foreign city for a day, what would you do?  Would you mail your dad a birthday card?!