Garden party

Well it's been a great few days at the Secret Garden hostel in Quito. I've not stayed anywhere quite so fantastically friendly. Met some wicked people, including someone from the Audit Commission weirdly enough. Girl on the bunk below me in the dorm, I found out after a couple of days, was an auditor in Northern and London region. Such a small world but then I suppose with so many of us being made redundant the percentage of people who headed off round the world was perhaps higher than average!

Maybe people are more friendly in South America because there's safety in numbers and the language barriers, we shall have to see. Have a lot of new friends on Facebook and some people to possibly catch up with further along the line of travelling {if I get very far that is, more dosh is being eaten up at far too rapid a rate, I thought it was supposed to be cheap here!!}.

So what have I been up to since I've been here apart from partying? Went for a wander round the old town with a guy from the hostel, Darren. We'd been warned quite heavily by the staff not to wander round on our own, take taxis and not take out anything valuable. After Buenos Aires and my brush with another mugging I wasn't taking any chances. We visited a few of the old sites, went in a few churches, grabbed a locally flavoured bite to eat and did a bit of shopping round a black market shopping centre. That night everyone hung out on the rooftop terrace soaking up the views and the local booze.

A great guy Dan turned up at the hostel and kept us all entertained. We stayed up talking in the dorm and kept getting busted by the overzealous security guard. It was like being at boarding school or something. Slightly nuts but did make us laugh.

Next morning was an early start to go to the Otovalo markets a couple of hours from Quito. First we went to the animal market where all sorts of creatures were offered up by the locals. Kittens, puppies, pigs, ducks, calves, turkeys, rabbits, guinea pigs. Dread to think what was going to happen to them all. I overhead one American woman wanting to take a $15 puppy home to the US. Got some fantastic photos of some of the indigenous people though. Such amazing faces and most of them in traditional dress.

Next we went to the regular Saturday market, mostly selling souvenirs but also some food, clothes and other bits and pieces. More interesting people watching and having a laugh with Darren as he bought a luminous green cyclops woolly hat. I bought a couple of presents (ah you'll have to wait and see if you're a lucky recipient) and a little pair of earrings for myself.

Then it was time for lunch in the nearby town of Cotacachi and a visit to the Peguche waterfall. Then back to Quito for a crazy night out with a big crowd from the hostel. I managed to stay out all night and not get to bed until about 7am but it had been a mission to stay up and see the sunrise at some point on my trip. Shame the sunrise wasn't more impressive! No fabulous colours or dramatic effects, or maybe I was too tired by that point to appreciate it.

Spent most of the next day knackered and trying to recover so missed a trip to the Ecuator. Will have to see if I can fit that in before I leave Ecuador. It was a quiet day and night all round with everyone feeling the after effects of the night before. To make up for it the next day I headed out to the cable car to go up to the volcano overlooking Quito with Cath and Camilla. Quito as at a pretty high altitude so the cable car took us up to a height of 4,100 metres. Just a short walk and we were getting pretty out of breath very quickly so didn't go too far. In need of acclimatisation to climb the volcano itself. Some of the lads did it the other day stupidly with no warm clothes or supplies in a blizzard. They made it but only just!

Yesterday I checked out of the hostel and moved to a hotel across the city to start my trip to the Galapagos. There didn't seem to be anyone else staying here as it was very quiet but people have been coming and going. Nothing like the hostel though I have been enjoying my own room, TV and bathroom. Luxurious compared to what I've been used to over the last few months. I had such a great night's sleep. Today I went for a briefing about volunteering. Think I'd underestimated quite how remote and tough it was going to be. Had to go out afterwards and spend more than I'd like on supplies like wellies, sleeping bag, mosquito head net etc. I hope it's not too rustic living out in the hills on the islands. I seem to be the only person heading over there at this time so I'm hoping there's a good group to hook up with already there.

It's been a challenge so far getting by on my own without speaking any Spanish. Lots of people here are having lessons and I hope I might be able to do that after my two weeks or at least try and learn as much as I can while I'm here. I had to abandon a taxi earlier as the driver and myself just couldn't communicate with each other. A simple matter of me pronouncing something in more of a French accent than a Spanish one. I hate feeling so useless.

There's no internet at the research station that I'll be working at so this may be my last post for a little while. Over and out.