We packed up the van one last time and headed to Quito, a quick 3-hour jaunt south on a delightfully paved 3-lane highway. Along the way we stopped at the equator for a photo-op and a science experiment. Who knew the Coriolis effect actually worked?
We only spent a few days in Quito but from the limited time we did spend it was quite enjoyable. Our first 2 nights were in the Mariscal district, a gringo-ed out 5 square block corral filled with hostels, bars, and every type of western food you could imagine. Lucky for us it was 25-cent wing Wednesdays.
Aside from gorging on fowl phalanges we kept the activities to a minimum. Pete and I got haircuts, Caroline did some shopping, and we all caught up with the outside world. I was last in Quito in 1999 and one of my distinct memories as a 9-year-old was the cafe The Magic Bean. Other memories include: putting popcorn into cream of asparagus soup; seeing A Bug's Life in Spanish at a movie theater; reading about 10 Redwall books; watching the Vikings lose to the Falcons in the NFC Championship game followed by a fruitless search for a place to watch the Super Bowl; and finally, passing a communal, Big Gulp sized beer to the person next to me in the bleachers at an Ecuadorian soccer game. Needless to say, I was happy to see an old childhood landmark.
All too quickly the final morning arrived. We piled into the van for a farewell voyage through town, Pete dropped us off in the historic district, and after a misty-eyed hug it was gone (see the tribute to the van at the bottom).
Caroline and I explored the historical district of Quito the rest of the afternoon.
The highlight by far was the few hours we spent at Bandido Brewing, a micro-brewery run by 3 American guys in their mid-20s. They had previously run a hostel but got tired of the same watery Ecuadorian Pilsener every night, and with zero brewing experience taught themselves everything and opened Bandido last year. Aside from the delicious Amber, Porter, and Passionfruit Cider I sampled, it was quite inspiring to see a group of friends actually commit to something they wanted to do. I've lost count of the conversations I've had about opening bars, hostels, websites, and a random assortment of wacky ideas that died when we went to bed that night. Hats off to the Bandido Bros for making it happen.
Alright, tribute to the van time. I cannot express how happy and fortunate I am to have met Pete and ridden in that glorious grey Odyssey. We descended through the entirety of Colombia and the northern part of Ecuador together and each day was an adventure. Like in college (or at least like my college experience), while traveling you meet many pleasant people and have numerous acquaintances but only keep a few true friends; Pete will be a lifelong friend. The experience further reinforces the incredible power of spontaneity while traveling alone: I woke up that morning in Cartagena with one plan, saw another that looked more interesting, and 30 minutes later I had launched into 3-week unforgettable journey. Sometimes it's not the worst idea in the world to get into a van with a stranger.
We only spent a few days in Quito but from the limited time we did spend it was quite enjoyable. Our first 2 nights were in the Mariscal district, a gringo-ed out 5 square block corral filled with hostels, bars, and every type of western food you could imagine. Lucky for us it was 25-cent wing Wednesdays.
Aside from gorging on fowl phalanges we kept the activities to a minimum. Pete and I got haircuts, Caroline did some shopping, and we all caught up with the outside world. I was last in Quito in 1999 and one of my distinct memories as a 9-year-old was the cafe The Magic Bean. Other memories include: putting popcorn into cream of asparagus soup; seeing A Bug's Life in Spanish at a movie theater; reading about 10 Redwall books; watching the Vikings lose to the Falcons in the NFC Championship game followed by a fruitless search for a place to watch the Super Bowl; and finally, passing a communal, Big Gulp sized beer to the person next to me in the bleachers at an Ecuadorian soccer game. Needless to say, I was happy to see an old childhood landmark.
All too quickly the final morning arrived. We piled into the van for a farewell voyage through town, Pete dropped us off in the historic district, and after a misty-eyed hug it was gone (see the tribute to the van at the bottom).
Caroline and I explored the historical district of Quito the rest of the afternoon.
The highlight by far was the few hours we spent at Bandido Brewing, a micro-brewery run by 3 American guys in their mid-20s. They had previously run a hostel but got tired of the same watery Ecuadorian Pilsener every night, and with zero brewing experience taught themselves everything and opened Bandido last year. Aside from the delicious Amber, Porter, and Passionfruit Cider I sampled, it was quite inspiring to see a group of friends actually commit to something they wanted to do. I've lost count of the conversations I've had about opening bars, hostels, websites, and a random assortment of wacky ideas that died when we went to bed that night. Hats off to the Bandido Bros for making it happen.
Alright, tribute to the van time. I cannot express how happy and fortunate I am to have met Pete and ridden in that glorious grey Odyssey. We descended through the entirety of Colombia and the northern part of Ecuador together and each day was an adventure. Like in college (or at least like my college experience), while traveling you meet many pleasant people and have numerous acquaintances but only keep a few true friends; Pete will be a lifelong friend. The experience further reinforces the incredible power of spontaneity while traveling alone: I woke up that morning in Cartagena with one plan, saw another that looked more interesting, and 30 minutes later I had launched into 3-week unforgettable journey. Sometimes it's not the worst idea in the world to get into a van with a stranger.
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