The wrap-up

The last chapter of any effort is always the hardest, sometimes you give up and lose interest and sometime you leave for so long to complete the job that you forget what you did at the end of the project. Same with me, so I am trying to wrap-up while the time is still fresh.

Sunday - Don't ever leave town in a car on the weekend!

The traffic is terrible at the best of times, we however underestimated the problems of trying to get somewhere, a. when the destination only has two ways to get there and b. one of those roads is blocked by mudslides. The consequence was that it took six hours to reach a two hour destination and another six to get back - kinda took the edge off a nice day. At one point we were diverted onto an old railroad track the pic illustrates the problem, only the amassed dust hid the existing tracks. We did get to visit the Volcanic crater near Cotacachi ( a Town famous for its leather products) and had the best lunch for the best price in the holiday - grilled trout for five dollars. The intention was to visit the open air market at Otavalo, the largest and probably the cheapest in South America. With time running out we omitted it because we had already shopped at the market in Quito.

The reason for the long trip out was because by the time we reached the toll booth on the Pan-American Highway the road had been closed and we had to retrace our route almost back to Quito. The way back we were stuck in what might have been the longest traffic jam in Guiness's records, we hit the jam at about the thirty K mark and the traffic was at a standstill behind us. The problem was that the two roads from the North of Quito merge in a one lane road fifteen kms from our hotel.

But that was not the kicker. Arriving at the hostel at one in the morning we unlocked the outer door only to find that the inner door was locked from the inside. By this time we were all numb enough to be casual about the prospect of being homeless for the remainder of the night. The hoteliers do not arrive at the Hostel until eight am. But after pestering the security guards in the street we did get told about another hotel fifty yards away. After telling the guard that the hotel was locked he did come down and speak into an unobtrusive speaker on the wall. Inside we discovered not only a fluent English speaker, on the front desk, but that the rooms cost nearly one hundred and fifty dollars a night. WHO Cares? Spending the night in total luxury, compared to our sparse but clean quarters (ours only cost forty-five a night) with a plentiful supply of hot water. the next morning was going to be interesting at the La Ronda when we speak to Hernan and Gloria.

Monday - the last full day in Quito

Speaking to H & G, Gloria the least fluent in English, phoned Hernan and I spoke to him, explained the situation and without hesitation he agreed to pay for the night in the swanky place. Gloria however pouted all morning and presented a really crappy breakfast. Heading back to the swank after breakfast, to get our money's worth and luxuriate in hot water and cable TV, we checked out of there just before the checkout time of Noon.
Time for wine in the room before picking a restaurant for the last two-meal a day plan. having walked around the main Square that morning, still finding new places to explore we had come across a three level complex with three good looking places to eat. Settling on, what appeared to be an Argentinian eatery. Good place good food and a fitting last night. We had to be up at two am to be at the airport for a six o clock flight.

Panama - again

Saying stilted goodbyes to Hernan, he had driven the van himself, at the airport we started the last leg of the journey home. Learning that Doreen and i would be travelling with others we decided that in order to let the others see the Panama Canal we would take the seven hour layover instead of the fifty-five minute dash between gates. In a move that could only be completed via the Internet, we had started an email conversation with Mario from Panama. He runs tours for layover people. Asking him at four in the afternoon for a tour for four starting at eight the next morning, we finished negotiations at six and expected to be met at eight-thirty the next morning outside the Customs Hall in Panama. Despite being without the necessary documents for a correct immigration process ( the airline did not supply them inflight) we were outside being met by Oscar at eight forty-five.

Reaching the Canal, just in time to see a large cruise ship enter the lock, it's amazing just how these behomeths can navigate the lock and not scrape any paint off the sides of the ship. It only takes  twelve minutes to lift the ship the full height and be ready to open the gates. A trip to a comprehensive Museum completed the tour of the Locks and it was off to the Old Town and City lookaround. A meal at one of the legends of Panamanian eateries - The Balboa restaurant a quick goodbye to the annoying tour guide - he just never shut up his streams of trivia about Panama and we were back at the Airport for the three hours prior to boarding. A full plane and a slight delay brought to the Taxi stand half an hour later than planned only to find that the local taxi company had not arrived. Finally, citing a litany of woes, the driver did turn up only making us wait another thirty minutes than we had planned.

Now only the cleanup - assemble the six hundred odd pics, write this copy and generally look back to an unrushed ten days in a strange place that soon became very familiar.

Well it has been a joy to get this done and thanks to those of you who read it.