Arrivals-Quito, Ecuador

Patience, steady, observe, swirlswirlswirl

A little bit of what has gone on in my mind since arrival. Our flight was delayed coming out of JFK and we spent a night in Atlanta. I think it was a blessing actually because it allowed us time to relax and even for a serendipitous meeting with Mim Easton, a friend from back in New England.
When we finally arrived, a day later than expected, I was relieved that the customs and baggage situation were better than I expected. I was thoroughly prepared for lost bags (since we hadn't seem them in two days), a full search of all of my luggage and being bombarded as soon as I stepped in to the airport with culture shock. Luckily, none of these things happened.
I have heard from more than a few people that adventure begins when everything goes wrong. If I keep my expectations low, or better yet, not set many, I hope to keep the adventure flowing without getting too upset. I mean, what are these people wishing on me?? ;) Honestly, as long as both of us are in good health, we don't have a right or wrong idea of how things are supposed to go. Our agenda is loose and changes daily. We decide what to do based on how we are feeling when we wake up....however, this is only day two (remember that my friends and family who are already anxious for a blog posting. We are only just settled in).
We spent our first two nights in a far too expensive hotel, Rio Amazonas. It was convenient because we didn't get there until midnight and they were safe, secure, and accommodating. The showers were hot, the beds fairly comfortable, and it allowed us time to adjust to the area. We were right by Mariscal, which is a very lively, very touristy neighborhood. Since neither of us were in the mood for clubbing, the night life didn't really suit us, but the wide variety of over-priced food was nice.
We met up with Noelani, Mary, and Gabriel yesterday. They are staying with a family and taking Spanish classes for a month in Quito. They have activities with teachers from the school in the afternoons. Yesterday, Mary and Gabriel were opting out of the afternoon activity to ensure they were fresh for their expedition this morning to Cotopaxi, a volcano an hour or so outside of the city. Noelani invited Ameen and I to go on the afternoon tour to Old Town. It was great, especially because Noelani's teacher, Patty, acted as our tour guide. The Spanish is coming to me slowly, and we are both looking forward to being in a more structured class. Also coming slowly to me is my sense of direction. I expect I will get my bearings as soon as we are ready to leave. While in Old Town, we discovered The Secret Garden hostal. It is owned and operated by Australian-French-Ecuadorians. The vibe is laid back, backpackerish, with comfortable rooms, colorful murals on the walls, and friendly staff. The rooftop terrace/ veranda is easily my favorite, and seems to be popular among hostals in South America.
A few photos below. The first is a photo of the first restaurant we found that serves almuerzas, the smarter, more economical way to eat for around $3 or less/ person. The main meal is lunch and it consists typically of a stew or soup, a main course, and a small dessert. The second photo was our main course that day: roasted chicken with rice and pickled beets, tomatoes, and onions. Third photo is more food: jugos (some tropical juice) is also served with every meal. Fourth photo is a view of Quito from a very high point in the city. The name of which is totally eluding me right now, but I will follow-up with it. More photos will be posted from my phone soon.