So, like I mentioned, 02 Oct was hungover. Got up, and went to a gringo cafe. It’s always a bad sign when a place is called “The Coffee Tree”, in the middle of a spanish speaking country. But then, for a two block radius, every place here is highly geared towards gringos. I hate gringos. And I hate ron. After breakfast, we stumbled back to the hostel, and commandeered the lounge. The lounge consists of three walls of mattress-couches, and one wall with a TV and fireplace. Perfect for hungover. And I managed to find a brainless action movie. Perfect. Did I mention the DVD on the bus to Quito was a Steven Seagal collection? I should have. Seagal versus a voodoo drug ring, and then versus a computer nerd on a train. Sweet.
Anyway, hungover in Quito. After one, maybe two, movies – it’s time to venture forth again. We head towards the vivarium. They reckon they’ve got a 5 metre long cobra. And a boa you can put around your neck for a photo. But, it turns out the vivarium is further away than I thought. So, we retreat. Get some lunch and internet done on the way back to the hostel. Then, another adventure. To the market. Shopping for trinkets – and have some limited success. Ecuador hat (panama hat) – purchased. Can’t bring myself to wear it in Ecuador yet though. Lots of oversized novelty jewellry to keep Pen happy. And to convince her to return tomorrow – loaded up with cash. Dumb. Platter at “Lennon’s Bar” on the way home. (Seriously, the names of the bars around here make me think I’m in Courtenay Place or the Viaduct.) More lounging around the lounge, with some shandies, until annoying english girl turns up – and an early night becomes the obvious decision. To be fair, we were both extremely tired before the liverpom arrived – but she was certainly the final straw. A very heavy final straw to break a camel’s back.
03 Sep – a list of things to accomplish. First – an escape plan. We find a bus company around the corner with “Internacional” in it’s name. This sounds promising for a bus right through to Colombia, without the hassle of dodgy taxis from one border town to another. Very expensive, however. But – simplicity overcomes finances when there’s more than just me involved – and we take the option of a bus from Quito, right through to Bogota. 28 bloody hours. We do, however, still have to get off the bus at the Ecuador frontier town, get a taxi (provided/organised by bus company) to the Colombian border town, and then get onto another bus. Hopefuly there’ll be a bit of free time on the Colombian side before reboarding a bus too. Ben is going to love this. The current plan is for him to get from Quito to Bogota to meet me once he’s finished taking photos of blue-footed boobies.
Anyway, we got the tickets. Then – caught a bus to the Old Town. (Don’t worry hippies, it was an “Eco-Bus”. Stinkin’ hippies.) Old Town is nice. Like every other colonial city in South America. Big fancy old churches. (Which still, every single time I see one, make me wonder… “why didn’t they spend the money and effort in doing ‘christian’ things like helping the poor?” Ah – but god works in mysterious ways. The cover-all answer.) Pretty churches anyway. One dedicated towards jeebers, and had some woman offer her life to jeebers in order that less natural disasters would affect Quito. The church has since suffered three earthquakes destroying it substantially or totally, and one serious fire. Maybe she was ugly.
We had breakfast at an expensive cafe beneath the San Francisco Church/Monastery. Then – traversed several public transport systems towards the equator. Got there. Big orange line painted on the ground. Cheesy photos – ticked off the list. Although I wish I hadn’t told Pen that the line wasn’t actually the equator. Could have had at least one of us enjoying it as if it was real. Apparently, the guy who designed the tourist attraction built for the equator got his calculations a little wrong. I believe the line, and sizable concrete monument, they’re so proud of – are 7 seconds of a degree off. Still – cheesy photos are the only point to the whole thing anyway, and you can’t get them on the actual equator line – because there ain’t no line painted. After some trinket shopping at the many souvenir shops in the “City Of The Middle Of The World” – it became rather cold. Closest point to the sun – pah! Catch the bus back to Quito. Dropped off somewhere we didn’t expect. Not too sure where for a little while, and it’s raining. Turns out, however, that the market is pretty much on the way back to the hostel. So, Pen does some more trinket shopping while poor old Kruse shivers in his wet white shirt and wet white jandals. Then, back to the hostel. Investigate The Irish Pub (yes it’s called that. They’re all called that here. The Irish don’t exactly have imaginations though, do they? Potatoes as a national food? They aren’t even a native plant!) next door – but quickly decide that eating there, or even bothering to ask about rugby final coverage is not worthwhile, after seeing the price list. Opt for a hot toddy, and then run away. Try to buy Pen a new book for the long bus trip tomorrow, but store is closed. She blames me. I think because I suggested on the way that it might be closed. And now – in an internet cafe. Internet cafe packed with the hated gringos, but which also serves 2 for 1 cocktails at the moment. Bloody Mary not included, unfortunately. Mojitos, and now Caipirinhas. If that goddamn bar boy stops ignoring me.
So, no contact for a little while. Tonight we have to try and avoid the bucket of free rum and coke. 5am tomorrow, get on a bus. Hopefully arrive in Bogota at about 10am the next day. And maybe, if timings fit in – get straight onto another bus to Cartagena. Which looks to be another day in a bus. Not having much time left with Pen is a hindrance. Especially having promised to take her to Cartagena. And once I get rid of her, Ben will be back. With an even more restrictive timetable. But – now that I’m not trying to get to France in time for the rugby finals – I think I’ll spend another month or two checking out Ecuador and Colombia properly once I’m free of hindrances. And bragging to Ben about all the things he wanted to do. Sweet.