Quito

September 18, Wednesday Quito • Botanical Gardens • Mindalae • Cable Car

Destination: Quito

Accommodations: NH COLLECTION QUITO

This morning we were able to sleep in as we didn’t need to board our bus until 10 am.

Allan and I always sign up for alerts from the US embassy when traveling to different countries. Today we got an alert from Quito, Ecuador saying:

“The Ecuadorian government announced a series of nationwide overnight electrical outages from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m.from September 18-19. Scheduled outages may persist past the currently scheduled dates due to the ongoing nationwide energy crisis. U.S. citizens should monitor official announcements from the Government of Ecuador for changes to the power outage schedule. The Ministry of the Interior announced corresponding overnight curfews during the power outages, which limit freedom of movement with limited exceptions for essential workers and airport travel. Accommodations.S. citizens should comply with curfews, local laws, and the Department of State’s Travel Advisory for Ecuador. U.S. citizen residents and travelers should expect heavy military and police presence throughout Ecuador during these periods, which may include check points on roads. Be aware that power outages may affect traffic lights, emergency response, power in buildings (including elevators) that do not have independent generators, cellular service, and the internet. U.S. citizens should exercise caution during electrical outages, especially during periods of darkness, including taking measures to protect personal safety. We recommend planning for power outages by stocking up on essential items, such as food, water, medical supplies, and other personal items. International airports in Quito and Guayaquil will remain fully operational during the electrical outages. Travelers should monitor their flight status closely. Travel to and from the airports is permitted during curfew hours for individuals with a scheduled flight. U.S. citizens traveling to or from the airport for a scheduled flight should carry their flight itinerary and passport.”

WOW! We’re actually flying out early tomorrow morning to go to the Galapagos, so we’re hoping we won’t be affected.

Anyway, after breakfast we drove to the Botanical Gardens. Pablo narrated the tour and we saw some beautiful flowers, trees, and the highlight… orchids. So many different varieties, each one more beautiful than the last. Then we sauntered by the rose garden and savored the aromas. Ecuador grows and sends roses to every part of the world. It was a nice botanical garden and we were lucky to see many cacti in bloom as well as other plants that don’t bloom very often.

After the gardens, we visited the Mindalae Museum. This museum gives insight into the traditional culture of the Ecuadorian people. It is spread throughout six rooms in five floors, each with a unique theme: Shamanism, Andean Worldview, Clothing, Ceramics, Natural Fibers, and Amazon Worlds.

The building has an opening which has been called ‘The Eye of the Sun’. It is through this opening that for both the summer and winter solstices (June 21st and December 21st), and the equinoxes (March 20th and September 22nd), a column of light shines through each of the five floors, all the way to the bottom. These dates were key events for the ancient people of Ecuador. Since we were very close to the September equinox, we could see that the sun was almost to the window. On September 21…it would be there and would shine down through all five floors.

We saw displays showcasing the clothes of the indigenous people of Ecuador and also their musical instruments.

We had lunch at the museum, which was very good, although I did not care for the pumpkin soup.

After our tour, Pablo arranged for taxi cabs for 8 of us to ride the Telefériqo cable car which promised a dramatic ascent to over 13,000’ up the volcano. It took about 18 minutes and when we got to the top, the views were magnificent.

We returned to the hotel and began packing our small carryon for our trip early tomorrow to the Galapagos. We will leave at 5:30 am.

Sharon, Dick, Allan, and I decided to go back to the Chinese restaurant we went to the other night for dinner. We started to order and our waiter, who did not speak English very well, kept saying that the items we wanted to order were not available. Only a few appetizers were available, a few soups, and some entrees. We were so shocked and disappointed. We couldn’t get the steamed dumplings or the red bean paste dumpling. So Allan and I both ordered the wonton soup with pork, chicken, and shrimp and I ordered a spring roll. Our waiter brought our drinks and said we had to order now. We weren’t happy, and didn’t understand, but we complied. Our dinner orders arrived and we asked for another round of drinks. The waiter said he couldn’t do that. We needed to leave. We were not understanding, and then it dawned on Sharon. The electricity cut and the curfew!!!! The waiter and staff wanted to get home before the lights went out. We understood and quickly ate and went on our way.

So after dinner, we went to the hotel across the street from our hotel and had a nightcap. Hotels have generators fortunately, and our waiter told us that management was putting the staff up in rooms for the night, so they wouldn’t worry about getting home.

Then it was back to our hotel for hopefully a good night’s sleep.

This might be my last post for a while since I don’t think I will be getting cellular or WiFi while in the Galapagos. I will be writing my posts everyday and when I can, I’ll post them.