The Blue House

Recap: Yesterday morning i got to LaGuardia Airport with little difficulty, and spending just $2 on the subway. I was there early enough that they actually put me on an earlier flight so that my luggage could be sent all the way to Quito so that i wouldnt have to go to the baggage claim in Miami. So i arrived in Miami 3 hours before my flight was scheduled to leave, which ended up being good, becasue there were some difficulties getting my boarding pass. The Columbian man behind the dest of Avianca Airlines didnt speak excellent english and kept asking me for a blue envelope from american airlines with my luggage information. i told him i didnt get anything like that. as i was about to leave and go talk to american i pulled out my boarding pass from the flight down to Miami and that seemed to satisfy him. He then looked at my eticket and asked me where my return ticket was. i dont have one, because i dont know when im returning. that wasnt ok. so he sent me to go wait in a half hour line to BUY a return ticket from ecuador, just so i could enter the country. i told the woman i wasnt about to buy a ticket unless i could change the date and the location, so she printed me up information that looked like i bought a ticket, but i didnt pay for it. that also satisfied the man who spoke broken engish (despìte being an employee in an american airport). finally i got my tickets, although he said they overbooked the flight from Bogota, Columbia to Ecuador, so i should go talk to somebody at the gate. she tried to help me but couldnt, so i got ont he plane to columbia not knowing if i would be able to leave columbia, even though no matter what, my luggage was going to ecuador. so i got through immagracion in Bogota and ended up getting a seat, much to my relief.

The Blue House is my hostel. Dont ask me why its not called La Casa Azul, but the ecuadorian owners decieded to go with an english title...its beyond me. but there is free internet and good beds and free breakfast and its right near bars and restuarants, so tonight should be fun. Today i walked down to the historical distirct, or the old town, and saw some pretty amazing churches and monasteries, but of course forgot my camera so ill be going back again tomorrow. i stopped in a little hole-in-the-wall restuarant and asked for a lunch menu. 5 minutes later a woman came out with silverware and a bowl of soup. then came fresh orange juice and a plate with salad, meet, potatoes and rice. it was all delicious but i was a little worried it was going to be expensive. when i asked how much, she said $1.50. my jaw dropped. other than that, i havent found much to do here, and i think ill be heading to the coast in a few days.

Its only one o´clock but after walking around since 9am im really tired. i think its because Quito is at 10,000 feet above sea level. periodically i had to stop and sit for a few minutes. also, it was raining lightly when i left the Blue House so i was wearing my jacket. 10 minutes later it was sunny and 25 degrees celcius, which is hella hot when your wearing jeans and a coat. that made it more tiring walking around today too.