We returned from the Galapagos on Saturday in the afternoon and stuck around in Quito to send my Mom of the next morning, at the unfortunate hour of 4am... this afforded us two more days in Quito, probably more than Laura wanted, as Quito is essentially closed on Sunday and we had a narrow window to negotiate our travel plans with the carriers open (there would also be no flights to our ulitimate destination until Monday). On the bright side, Laura finally found a day she liked Quito: SUNDAY! On Sunday, the main thoroughfare in Quito, that cuts through the business district and the Mariscal (where are all the restaurants, bars, gringos and actually some young locals like to hang out) closes down to cars and turns into a parade of quitenos on all forms of bicycles or out for a sunday jog. Quito Viejo, the main sightseeing area with the old colonial buildings, churces, etc. which is usually a mess of child shoe shiners and beggars, street vendors, locals, tourists all crowded around beautiful sights also closes to cars and undergoes a wonderful transition. If you head to the Galapagos, or anywhere else in Ecuador, and have any time to kill in Quito, try to include a Sunday. The only downside of course, is that conudcting any business (maybe other than getting a hair cut, which I did, for about $3) is nearly impossible.
When we finally managed to talk to ariline ticket agents we quickly surmised flying to Lima would be impossible ($500 each was standing in our way). So, we came up with a fast, but sound alternative plan: fly to Loja, southern Ecuador, home to supposedly the best spoken Spanish in all of Latin America, and from there cross the border into Peru by bus for $8. Monday, we put our plan into motion after a bit of siteseeighing amidst Laura´s very fond Quito sendoff (see first of slideshow).
Loja - five hours north of the Peruvian border, cultured city, citizens love music and to play instruments, and home to apparently some actual vegetarian restaurants in Ecuador! Worth a day and a half indeed. Laura and I checked out the town, visited a park that seemed designed by children for children, featuring miniature versions of landmarks from around the world: the Eifel Tower (see photo), Big Ben, the Kremlin, etc. We also visited a nice botanical garden run by one of the two universities in town.
Wedensday, we hopped on a bus out of Loja in the am and headed in sort of a u shape down and back up to the northern coast of Peru, to a little surftown called Mancora, blessed with great weather year round. Now in Mancora for a few days, we have managed to worn on our suntan, eat some great food, drink some great pisco sours, get to know some limeños we met by heading away from the touristy parts of town, both north and south (by tuk-tuk, combi (matatu) and foot), etc. We highly recommend visiting Mancora on a trip to Peru, but also even more highly recommend getting out of the main beach and heading north to Punta Sal and south to Las Pocitas, you will thank us later!
Tomorrow, we head to Lima to a very nice hostel that was recommended re:one of Laura´s friends... we hang there until Monday before we push on to Cuzco and the Sacred Valley of the Incas, including Mach Pichu... until then, enjoy the photos! and we hope you are all more than well...
Con un abrazo,
Esteban y Laura
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