Setting our sights higher

Quito, Ecuador

The promised mooring finally became a reality. Sine Timore is now firmly attached to one of the "single" mooring balls provided by the marina. This is possibly not as good as one their "double ended" moorings, but is all they had available.

On Friday we travelled inland to the Ecuadorian capital city of Quito, some 2900 meters above sea level. This trip was a typical marathon affair, starting with a pickup via a motor boat by a kindly marina dude at around 7AM - we couldn't use our dinghy to get to the marina dock because it is now stowed on deck until we get back. We then caught a local bus to take us across town to the bus terminal, a short trip of about 15 minutes at a cost of 25 cents each.

The bus to Quito left, on time, at 8AM from Bahia de Caraquez, arriving some 8 hours later in Quito,  a few stops at other towns along the way, for a total cost of $10 each. This was a spectacular route at times, as we climbed into the mountainous territory of inland Ecuador. In addition to the change in elevation, we also experienced a considerable drop in temperature. The city of Quito has average highs of 20 degrees, the lows 10, all year long. Actually, it felt pretty good to us.

The last part of our journey was a $10 taxi ride from the bus terminal to our hotel - I suspect we were overcharged as naive gringos usually are.

Yesterday, Saturday, we did the touristy thing and took a 3-hour double-decker bus tour of the city. This is a great way to get an overview of the city and places we may want to visit in more detail in the coming days. We ended the day browsing in some very upscale malls and walking through an immense park, where lots of people were taking advantage of the lovely weather. So far, except for some rain in the late afternoon on the day we arrived, the weather has been perfect, like a lovely spring day back in Edmonton. 

We have booked a trip to the Galápagos Islands, starting on the 29th. For the time being we will just spend our time enjoying what Quito has to offer.

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