Getting Adjusted in Quito, Ecuador

Basilica of the National Vow

Firetrucks in MIA

We said our goodbyes and headed south from Philadelphia with a stop in Miami. The two hour layover was plenty of time and we were excited while boarding for the final leg. Unfortunately, the airplane had an unforeseen issue shortly after takeoff. When the pilot informed the passengers that we would be returning to Miami, Will and I looked out the window and noticed the flaps were still down so we assumed that was the issue. The aircraft had a normal approach and landing. Right after touchdown, we were greeted by about ten firetrucks with bright flashing lights. The Captain calmed any passengers’ nerves by making announcements and ensuring the response was just extra precautions. I wouldn’t be surprised if the airport fire and rescue used the event as an excuse to drill their procedures. Upon arrival at the gate, Will and I watched as mechanics inspected the flaps with them cycling through properly on the ground. Moments later, we were told to deplane and we were sent to another gate for boarding on a different aircraft. The flight ended up leaving three hours late which meant we did not land in Quito until after 1am. After the flight, we were pleasantly surprised to receive an email from American Airlines apologizing for the delay and compensating us 3,000 bonus miles for any inconvenience.

We obtained a taxi from the airport and arrived to Hostal Capri around around 2am. Exhausted, we fell right asleep but were awoken only a few hours later when the road below became filled with the morning commute. The room seemed to be enhance the road noise rather than trying to keep it out. Overall, we were not impressed with the accommodation. At $40 a night, the loud room was basic and barely felt clean. Although, the room did have a flat screen TV with a hundred channels or so which I’m sure they thought made up for the rest.

With earplugs in place, we were able to get a few more hours of sleep and even managed to miss the hotel’s included breakfast. I woke with a headache unsure if it was due to the noise or the altitude since Quito sits at 10,000 feet. I took a few pills and then we researched a place to eat and the location of a few tourist agencies.

Lunch at Fried Bananas hit the spot. We started with a cream of avocado soup then split vegetable fried rice and grilled chicken. The place was quiet and would not have seemed inviting if we were not looking for it (the door was even locked which required an employee to personally welcome each diner). Overall it was good but the prices were standard if not a bit high for what we had expected in South America.

After lunch, we visited several tourist agencies gathering information on possible tours in the Galapagos. We eventually headed back to the hotel to do more research online before making a final decision. Throughout the day, a dull headache persisted which convinced us that I was not adjusting well to the altitude. We took it easy and limited our exploration of the city which was fine with us after three months of city hopping in Europe.

The following morning, we settled on a plan for the Galapagos. We decided to explore several islands though a live aboard cruise, then we would stay in town and explore more on our own. Sangay Touring was very helpful in securing our last minute plans. That afternoon, I was feeling more adjusted to the altitude so we set out to explore more of the city. We headed towards Bandido Brewing which was a few kilometers away near old town. The walk there felt wonderful and it gave us the opportunity to do some shopping (sunscreen, bug spray, and granola were all needed for the trip).

Bandido Brewing

Bandido Brewing was a cool spot with friendly knowledgeable staff and great music. We were there during happy hour so we enjoyed all four of the beers they had on tap. I really enjoyed their La Gua.p.a and Will favored the Rio Negro Stout. After two pints each and a few slices of pizza, we walked over to old town. The narrow streets lined with buildings and skinny sidewalks were of varying elevation with several requiring a steep climb. As soon as my heartbeat increased, the headache returned with vengeance. I guess a few beers was not the best idea! We skipped the rest of exploring and headed straight back to the hostel.

Back at the room, I nursed my headache and fell asleep around 7pm. Will enjoyed watching HBO (one of the two English channels) with Back to the Future being the main feature due to it being 10-21-15. The early night worked out just fine because we had an early taxi to the airport for our Galapagos adventure in the morning.