Greetings from Quito, Ecuador
20 February 2018
It was a couple of big travel days to get from Playa Venao to Panama City (shuttle bus 5 hours), taxi to airport area (2 hours), AirBnB over night where I was able to get a $5 hair cut and beard trim. Then a 5 am flight to Quito with a hour stopover in Bogota, then a 2 hour taxi across town to find my apartment.
Quito -
Mid 70's to low 50's with scattered clouds and rain, very hard rains at times without notice. I spent the day walking through the nicer side of town and the mall (Quicentro). There were high end shops from around the world. It's nice that both Panama and Ecuador use the US$ so you know what you're spending without using a calculator. Prices are reasonable, example I splurged for a 2 bedroom, 1 ½ bath, furnished condo. Four nights $140, plus $35 cleaning fee. That's about $20 per day more than a 6-bed dorm room. Things you start to appreciate are hot showers, ones that the water doesn't go from scolding to freezing every couple of minutes or the ones with only cold water (had a couple of these, with over 85+ degrees it can be refreshing). I've had plenty of time for some R&R and time for my bruised rib from sailing which got aggravated surfing to heal. Traveling around town has been a combination of walking, buses(.25 to .60) and taxis ($2 -$5). In Quito, the capital city, high in the Andean foothills at an altitude of 2,850 m, with a population of 2.5 mil, you feel you're amongst the numbers. I've visited Plaza Foch (night life), El Panecillo (with Virgin Mary), Mitad Del Mundo (Middle of the World at 0°00′00″ 78°27′21″W), Teleferico Quito (a cable car ride) and got lost on buses and needed to hire a taxi to bring me back. If you ever come to Quito, the best neighborhood is around the mall on Ave. Republica de El Salvador between Av. Naciones Unidas and Av. Portugal or within a block or two of this.
The biggest difference between the areas I've visited in Panama and Ecuador, is that in Quito I haven't run into many English speaking people, Where as, in Panama all the areas I visited had mostly bilingual tourist. It is sad that I've had so many years and opportunities to learn Spanish and I didn't. The people in Quito are not hurried and very polite, where as in Panama you best lead, follow or just get out of the way. Quito has an upper, middle and lower class population, with several levels at the upper and lower. You can see plenty of BMW's, Benz's and Range Rovers here and in Panama City, majority are KIA or Toyota's. Another difference in the bus system between PA City and Quito is the bus scheduling. Quito's buses are run by a clock, the driver's assistance will jump off the bus at different intervals and punch a time clock, where as in PA City the bus (at least long distance ones) will start boarding before scheduled departure, but not leave until the bus is full, maybe 20 to 30 minutes later. I found this very efficient and not a problem as long as you can slow down and enjoy Panamanian time. A new experience while riding the bus are the vendors that board for a couple of stops and walk the aisles selling anything from jewelry, kids books, candy, fruit and the often plea for donations, either for their kids or medical needs. Without knowing Spanish I have figured out that if someone is standing on the bus for 2 to 5 minutes talking without a product in their hand they are asking for money. It's encouraging to see how many bus riders will give them some of their change.
I have downloaded some Spanish learning aids, I figure its best to start now before I miss out on meeting any more people. Oh, yeah I hear they speak French where I'm headed in March.
I'll upload pictures soon.