The fact that we are in South America still seems slightly surreal. We arrived just three days ago and have already seen so much that it is difficult to know where to start. The way the flights worked out meant that I ended up travelling alone with the three little ones, Cameron (9), Luca (2) and Niko (7 months). It could have been far worse but it was a long trip nevertheless. One baby would wake up just as the other fell asleep and Cameron seemed to need the toilet every few seconds. We left Sweden on Saturday evening at 8pm, flew first to Amsterdam and then changed planes to Quito. I had thought that we would fly direct from there to Quito but in fact we made stops in both Bon Air and in Guayacil (the second largest town in Ecuador), finally arriving in Quito at 8am on Sunday morning. Ecuador is seven hours behind Swedish time so for us it was 3 in the afternoon and we were all exhausted.
I had two immediate impressions of Quito. The first was that the airport was situated in the middle of the town and it almost felt as though the plane was going to arrive in someone's living room. Luckily we avoided that but there wasn't much in it. The second impression was the party atmosphere which greeted us as we came through customs. There must have been close to three hundred people waiting to greet friends and relatives, all equipped with flowers and balloons in every coulour of the rainbow. It was an amazing scene and we found ourselves witness to many emotional reunions. More than three million Ecuadorians have left the country in recent years in an attempt to find better paid work elsewhere. Many are only able to return every five years or so...so the airport is necessarily a scene of both heartache and joy, both for those who have left and for those who are left behind.
I asked the price of a taxi to the hotel and was told it was $6, which seemed reasonable, so we piled in without arguing. The driver then proceeded to drive as fast as a Formula One driver but I suspect with markedly less expertise. This was to be the first of many such experiences - if you value calm and considerate driving then I suggest you give Ecuador a miss.
It is my first experience in Ecuador and in fact my first in South America, having never been further than Mexico. I know little about the country apart from what I have read before coming and much of that material has been full of warnings.
We cannot drink anything other than bottled water and must never eat food that is sold in the streets.
However many precautions we take we will almost inevitably fall ill during our time here.
There is no point in hiring a car as it is a recipe for disaster.
Traffic lights have no meaning and everyone drives like a maniac.
As obvious tourists we are likely to be ripped off and have a strong chance of being robbed.
I have no idea how accurate any of this advice is, apart from the fact that I have already arrived at the conclusion that to attempt to drive here would not be a wise move. I consider myself to be a confident driver but from what I have seen so far this would be of little assistance and I will leave the driving to others. Whatever lies ahead of us, I am quite certain that it is going to be an adventure.
I had two immediate impressions of Quito. The first was that the airport was situated in the middle of the town and it almost felt as though the plane was going to arrive in someone's living room. Luckily we avoided that but there wasn't much in it. The second impression was the party atmosphere which greeted us as we came through customs. There must have been close to three hundred people waiting to greet friends and relatives, all equipped with flowers and balloons in every coulour of the rainbow. It was an amazing scene and we found ourselves witness to many emotional reunions. More than three million Ecuadorians have left the country in recent years in an attempt to find better paid work elsewhere. Many are only able to return every five years or so...so the airport is necessarily a scene of both heartache and joy, both for those who have left and for those who are left behind.
I asked the price of a taxi to the hotel and was told it was $6, which seemed reasonable, so we piled in without arguing. The driver then proceeded to drive as fast as a Formula One driver but I suspect with markedly less expertise. This was to be the first of many such experiences - if you value calm and considerate driving then I suggest you give Ecuador a miss.
It is my first experience in Ecuador and in fact my first in South America, having never been further than Mexico. I know little about the country apart from what I have read before coming and much of that material has been full of warnings.
We cannot drink anything other than bottled water and must never eat food that is sold in the streets.
However many precautions we take we will almost inevitably fall ill during our time here.
There is no point in hiring a car as it is a recipe for disaster.
Traffic lights have no meaning and everyone drives like a maniac.
As obvious tourists we are likely to be ripped off and have a strong chance of being robbed.
I have no idea how accurate any of this advice is, apart from the fact that I have already arrived at the conclusion that to attempt to drive here would not be a wise move. I consider myself to be a confident driver but from what I have seen so far this would be of little assistance and I will leave the driving to others. Whatever lies ahead of us, I am quite certain that it is going to be an adventure.
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