foot loose and fancy free

14 July 2018 | Vanuatu
16 June 2018 | Taveuni
20 May 2018 | Tahiti
14 May 2018 | Tahiti
29 April 2018 | Tahiti
15 April 2018 | Rangiroa
07 April 2018 | Fakarava
01 April 2018 | The Marquesas to The Tuamotus
25 March 2018 | Nuku Hiva
21 March 2018 | Hiva Oa
19 March 2018 | Hiva Oa - Atuona
15 March 2018 | South Pacific
12 March 2018 | South Pacific
12 March 2018 | South Pacific
08 March 2018 | South Pacific
07 March 2018 | South Pacific
04 March 2018 | South Pacific

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.
Comments
Vessel Name: Blue Pearl
Vessel Make/Model: Hylas 54
Hailing Port: Portsmith, RI, USA
Crew: Ruud, Laurie, Brita and myself
About: Define: "geem" is a word used by geeks to describe something they are excited about.
Blue Pearl's Photos - World ARC (Main)
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GEEM: the owner and crew
Footloose: slip in Rhode Island
 
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19 Photos
Created 20 May 2018
7 Photos
Created 14 May 2018
8 Photos
Created 14 May 2018
14 Photos
Created 29 April 2018
14 Photos
Created 29 April 2018
Ecuador's capitol city
10 Photos
Created 24 March 2018
12 Photos
Created 14 February 2018
11 Photos
Created 11 February 2018
10 Photos
Created 6 February 2018
pics from the visitor center and onboard
12 Photos
Created 6 February 2018
Fort San Lorenzo near the marina has some cool history, where it was attached by Sir Francis Drake and actually captured some 80 years later by the pirate Captain Morgan.
9 Photos
Created 30 January 2018
very cool walk streets
15 Photos
Created 30 January 2018
4 Photos
Created 30 January 2018
8 Photos
Created 21 January 2018
additional pics from our last two days.
6 Photos
Created 16 January 2018
Again many photos were lost with my cell phone - I'll find some from the others on the boat
6 Photos
Created 13 January 2018
Here's a few pictures from ST Lucia - lost my cell phone which had most of my pictures
7 Photos
Created 6 January 2018
boat has been relocated to St. Lucia - waiting for the crew to arrive. departure date 01/06/2018 - return date April 2019. Woohoo............
3 Photos
Created 8 December 2017