Well here I am in the AM writing this because one observation I found is that the US Embassy is closed on Mondays. That might be true everywhere, but this is my first time having to deal with them. I thought it was kind of funny there was no line.
Another thing, before I came here I was wondering what things cost, compared to Colombia. For example:
Taxis: From my Hostal to the US Embassy is $1. That's about the same distance from Douglas on 6th Av. to Chipichape. A $2 trip is about from Crepes and Waffles on Roosevelt to Chipichape. Taxi drivers are taxi drivers. One day, I want to go to the Colombian Consulate at 955 Athaulpa (All-Tha-Wall-Paw). There are two addresses on my slip of paper, the Colombian Consulate and the US Embassy at Av. 12 de Octubre y Patria. My Spanish isn't that bad, so Itel lthe guy I want to go to the Colombian Consulate at Athaulpa (All-Tha-Wall-Paw)y Republica. "Ah yeah," the taxi driver says. So, where do we start heading? The freaking US Embassy! I put the pronunciation to show the difference between Athaulpa (All-Tha-Wall-Paw)and 12 de Octubre. My explanation I got from a buddy who has lived here for four years was, the taxi driver probably thought I didn't know wha tthe Hell I wanted so he was taking me to where HE thought I needed to go.
Lodging: There is a Windsor Hotel here. It is right on Amazonas Av. and advertises $30 a night. I would rather go with a Hostal. I have only stayed at two, but I have passed by several and they are all generally clean and well kept up. The prices range from $3 to roughly $20 a night. My room is a dorm room with 2 bunk beds. I pay $12.89 and that includes breakfast. A private room with batheroom is $14.89 a night. If you want look it up on Yahoo or something, it is called Posada del Maple. The staff is nice and it is a comfortable atmosphere.
Food: Generally, you can eat pretty well for under $5. I like this local Chinese place. You can get soup, a big plate of noodles and chop suey, the EVERYTHING UNDER THE SUN IN IT fried rice, a fried chicken wing and a bottle of Coke for about $3.85. A Shawaerma sandwich (and it is big) is $2. Plato fuerte of Shawaerma is fixings for 2 big sandwiches, is $4. An 8 inch sandwich made with ham, salami, lettuce, tomato, avocado and french bread at El Rey is $2.20. With Coke it is $3. Compared to Burger King where a Double Whopper with cheese large comboi is over $6. Then there is the logic (I don't want to ellaborate further). Breakfast at Papaya Net is $2.89. You get Juice, two eggs, little biscuits, butter, jelly, fruit salad, and coffee. One morning I order just the fruit salad. I go up to pay and it is like $3.25 for just the salad! I would not have gotten so mad, but they don't advertise the prices and maybe that is my fault, but well, I just figured it would have been under $2.89.
Beer: Pilsner is the big supplier of beer here. I large bottle of Pilsner (think twice the size of a Cristal de Oro) is $1.90 at the bar. The smaller bottle of Pilsner, about the size of a regular bottle of Cristal de Oro, is 70 cents. Club, you guessed it, is about the size of a Club Colombia, is between 75 cents and $1.09 in the bars.
Stautes: Man, this is the country of Statues! They are everywhere. I took a bus down to the border of Colombia and every little town we went through had some type of masterpiece in their center square. I don't remember what town it was, but they had this 5 meter tall statue of the Angel Gabriel slaying a dragon. It sits on a pedestal about 3 meters tall. It was great. Then you have stautes that sit on the ground and I think they are made of concrete. Some of are of nursing mothers or school kids sitting on the ground playing or studying. But, the biggest is the Virgin of Pancellio up on the hill above Quito. I don't know the exact stats on the thing, but it is huge. You can see it from just about anywhere in Quito. The guy who built it put it on top of a mountain. The winged Virgin is holding a chain the links to a collar around a dragon's neck, that she is standing on. I don't want to go to much into detail about it, here is a link to see it:
http://acasun.eckerd.edu/~wetzellr/quito.htmlJust one thing, you can't appreciate it's size until you are right under it.
Street People: They don't bug you near as much as they do in Colombia. I sat at the street level tables at Dunkin Donuts enjoying a donut and a Coke and enjoying the sites and watching the planes come in for about 30 mins.and not one person tried to sell me anything. If you have been to Cali, that is enough said.
Strippers: Yes, they have them here, don't be shocked. They are more like traditional strip clubs like back in the States. I had some time to kill, so my friend suggested I go to check this one that was close out. So, I go. $7 gets you in and you get 2 drinks. Make a long story short, don't waste your time. I'd rather be sitting at Reggae and Pop drinking a beer watching fully clothed Caleņas walk by any day of the week.
The Booty: I have noticed a funny phenomena here in Quito. I first noticed it at the Mall I like across town. Booty here is generally flat. Not like the Colombian booty that freely roams the plains of Colombia. I have a theory that it has something to do with the elevation and it does not let the booty entirely fill out. (I am writing Stephen Hawking about my theory) So, the mall is on the richer side of town and there are a lot of women with money (apparently) who go there and pretty much, without exception, the booty tended to be flat. A few days ago, I was on the poorer side of town to hustle up some chicken at Texas Chicken (think Kokoriko) and while I am waiting, I notice booty. Several actually. Then more. I mean, this is the side of town where guys piss on the sidewalks in broad daylight. The shoeshine people and beggars are hitting you up quite a bit and you watch who is watching you. And, here the booty of Quito hides out. So, I think I have my thesis for my Masters. "There is a direct correlation to economic status and the booty." I can't explain it, but I just thought it was funny when I noticed it and put it together.
Crime: Yup, some knucklehead tried to rob me last week. Midnight, I am walking back to my hostal and some black guy with a cap and bandana runs up to me and starts telling me he needs money and to give him my money. "Uh, are you talking to me?" So, he repeats to me to give him my money. "No," and I keep walking. So, he yells at me "No!?" Now that part that the Marine Corps surgically implants in your head (Yes, its true) kicked in. I turned on him and yelled at him, " Didn't I say No, M****F****?!" He started backing up and to make a long story short, he took off after a couple of attempts at feigned bravery. 2 days ago I talked to the security guard who saw the whole thing (but didn't bother to come out of his booth to help) and told me the guy had a knife but was so freaked that the crazy Gringo turned on him, he thought the guy forgot he had it. I don't think the guy had a knife, I didn't see anything in his hands, he may have had it in his belt or something, but hey that just makes the story sound better. Ever since then, I keep a better eye out who is around me and what I can use that is handy to clobber them with.
Ok, that is enough reading for you all today.
Take it easy,
K.........................................
