Safe and sound. Oh it feels good to be in one place. As we flew over Quito, Ecuador, it reminded me of the bananas the country is so famous for exporting. It’s a long, long city but about only 4 miles wide. All the while, the rolling hills and surrounding mountains/volcanoes popped out of the clouds like the bowl rim of a banana split. Quito is quite green these days even though the current drizzle, overcast weather is “as bad as it’s been,” at least since my folks arrived in August. As bad as it’s been was a common phrase today about the weather, mora berries which were unusually tart, and quiet on the sidewalks and streets due to the absence of vendors. I’m sure Daniel and I will get to experience all of these nuances in their full splendor. All these attributes would have paled in comparison to seeing our folks anyway, so it was fine to experience them in low light in the beginning.
Our friend Jorge picked us up from the airport though this city has as many yellow taxis as NYC. Jorge was with my parents until all hours of the night yesterday and even brought me roses and Daniel a birthday cake. I’m sorry we had to disappoint them with our late arrival but spirits were just as high when we touched down and walked through the gate. In fact, the whole plane erupted into applause when the plane landed in Quito. Relief finally.
I saw an interesting advertisement that had two cops holding the arms of a bag guy with money falling out of his pockets. It said “Dile no al lavado…” I came to understand it as a warning advertisement that the government takes money laundering seriously. I know lavado was wash so I patted myself on the back for connecting the dots. I saw Toys R Us as Mi Jugueteria! (The R is backwards in that one too!) All the while back from the airport to my parent’s casa my dad played the tour guide. And quite a job he did! I now know how to figure out north and south, so long as I can see the Pichincha (an active volcano) or take Amazonas street. I know the area where streets are named after the different Galapagos Islands. I also appreciate the beautiful flower stands along the way. I found fresh roses in both my room and bathroom because they are super cheap. 12 roses: 1 dollar!
Highlights for the day include:
* Eating fresh fruit.
* Greeting all the guards I met in Spanish and them practically jumping out of their chairs to shake my hand.
* Having waffles for dinner and then birthday cake.
* Chatting with my mom on my blow up bed.
* Resting assured that we’re all together in a good place.
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