2-17-01 Quito
Angela is commenting on how fun it is to have to think to understand what people are saying. And indeed, the signs are all in Spanish but are almost understandable. What's incongruous is that the currency is the U. S. Dollar. Karen has been working on her Spanish for months and enjoys trying to speak it. But I never took Spanish and don't feel confident enough to try very much - I keep wanting to speak French.
Breakfast has made me feel almost human - I think the altitude has been getting to me - as I've had a headache since the flight yesterday. Coffee helps.
We visit the Basilica - which I'm sure has a longer name. We're in "Old Town" - which has cobbled streets and buildings pretty much cheek to jowl. It's about 11:30 - and the clouds
begin to roll in. The best word I can think of to describe this building is ''Catholic.'' It's old, ornate, and run down. Electric wiring runs randomly here and there in ways that I'm sure American building inspectors would not approve. Random pieces of plastic mend stained glass windows where the leaded glass panes have broken. In the high altitude, I puff a bit as I climb to the towers and stand on platforms that don't feel very stable.
Except I discover from the guidebook that it isn't very old. Construction started in 1929 and is not complete. The bell/clock tower was remodeled in 1992. A small electric motor drives the clock instead of the earlier wind-up/pendulum movement of which a remnant remains. Unfortunately, the tour does not include the church interior.
We wander the streets of the old town for a while, decide than none of the eating establishments looks safe, and take a taxi to a restaurant listed in the guidebook. Taxis are cheap - it was a dollar to get to dinner. The food is cheaper than the U. S. - but not a lot. Galan and I go back to the room and take naps. Karen and Angela shop. Karen buys a CD. Angela buys a Pan Flute and comes back to the room and plays it for us.
We visit the Basilica - which I'm sure has a longer name. We're in "Old Town" - which has cobbled streets and buildings pretty much cheek to jowl. It's about 11:30 - and the clouds
begin to roll in. The best word I can think of to describe this building is ''Catholic.'' It's old, ornate, and run down. Electric wiring runs randomly here and there in ways that I'm sure American building inspectors would not approve. Random pieces of plastic mend stained glass windows where the leaded glass panes have broken. In the high altitude, I puff a bit as I climb to the towers and stand on platforms that don't feel very stable.