Quito, Montanita, Ecuador February 2016
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| The hilly streets |
Between working on Mathieu's farm and doing asynchronous shifts at his restaurant in town, there wasn't much time to enjoy the sights and sounds of Quito.
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| The magnificent basilica |
But it was impossible to be in one of the best preserved colonial centers in Latin America, with architecture blending European, Moorish and indigenous styles, and not wander with mouths agape.
We enjoyed it all, from the street vendors selling everything from limes to toothbrushes, to the parade of indigenous women carrying a strange pink whipped cream concoction called espumillas (a meringue cream with fruit pulp, egg whites and sugar). While Eileen wanted to have a taste, Mike was frightened enough to dissuade her.
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| Stair master |
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| Limones, anyone? |
It was also the scene of one of several South American taxi fiascoes.This one involved ordering a taxi, getting into what we thought was the correct one, and then having to literally escape when we realized we were being taken for a ride (literally) by the wrong guy. Then again, it could have been our confusion. Never underestimate the potential for language snafus.
One of the highlights of our stay in Ecuador was flying to Guayaquil for a beach weekend near Montañita with Erica (who Eileen met in Chicago several years before on a Goldratt business trip and they bonded over shoe shopping) and her boyfriend Roberto.
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| Montañita, party spot |
Montañita is an extremely lively, alcohol-infused town. Roberto and Erica (and her little dog, Toto, too!) showed us beautiful, isolated beaches and great restaurants.
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| Our Ecuadorian friends |
At one beach, there was a sign prohibiting dogs. While Toto hid dutifully in Erica's beach bag on the way in, he was discovered as he peeped his head out on our way out. Erica, eager to avoid being chastised, simply pretended she couldn't speak Spanish. Awesome trick.
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