Quito Day Two

Ok, you're getting two posts in a row, as I leave for Otavalo tomorrow and have no idea how easy/hard my internet access will be. 

Maybe I should call it day one since I barely made it out of the hostal (Ecuadorian for small hotel) yesterday.  I decided the meds that the Dr. gave me must have caused me to be so fatigued, because I did not take one last night or today and I feel much better.  Also drank a gallon of water in the last 24 hours.

This morning I forayed out by taxi to the panecilla - a small (big) hill at the southern end of the city with a statue of a huge winged virgin Mary, holding a chained serpent while she is standing on them....  I could see the Volcano Cotapaxi from the hill and the city sprawled out north to south between the huge mountains on either side.   I had the taxi wait for me and then take me to the old town.  I walked around there for awhile and saw some of the sights, but will need to go back and go into a few of the places I just wasn't up to today.  There were shoeshine boys. By their size I would say they were 5 or 6, but the people here are of smaller stature, so they may have been older.  A lot of people selling their wares, musicians playing, families sitting around, people shopping, etc., etc., as you would find in a public square in many countries. 

With my limited Spanish, I flagged down a taxi to go back to the hostal. It was a great ride with the taxi driver and I conversing in broken Spanish.  He told me he had learned some English many years ago in school, so we traded, "how old are you" "como te llama", etc.  I lied to him though when he asked if I had a companion - I explained I did and he was back at the hostal sleeping! 

I then walked to the Mariscal district - two blocks away - also known as Gringoland due to the high number of hotels/hostals and restarurants and travel agencies. As I sat eating my lunch and drinking a beer I remembered that I shouldn't drink alcohol for a few days because of the altitude...oh, well, I drank it anyway.

I stopped at the supermarket again.  Can't get over the prices.  I bought a gallon of water, a tomato, a papaya and two rolls, all for under $2.50.  The gallon of water didn't even cost a dollar!

Anyway, off to nap, exercise, shower, eat dinner, visit with other travelers, etc.