Pechuador

My attempt to capture this trip to Ecuador! Been fascinated with South America in general and Ecuador in particular for some time. Have been doing research, on line and in hard copy reading, for a couple of years now, and after being challenged by my wife Ann and my son Sam and daughter Emily to put up or shut up, I'm putting up for 10 or 11 days.

CHAPTER 1

Departed ATL Thursday evening, after a surprising final few days of apprehension over this trip. It's been almost 25 years since I've traveled alone internationally. Lots of out of U.S. voyaging personally with family and friends and professionally with business colleagues, but being on one's own in his fifties is a little different than in his thirties. What about ...loneliness...strange sights, places and people...deciding where to go next...scary bus )rides more on that later) Uneventful flight save for the sudden descent into Quito's basin from high altitude and a fast braking on a short runway, which I was thankfully prepared for after reading the guides.

Airport not scary, even at 10pm, my ride was waiting for me and after a 15 minute drive through some pretty gritty nabes, arrive at my hotel, as advertised on a tree lined street and life is good my first hour in Quito. Hotel room TV seems to be stuck on a 24 hour slasher movie channel, but it's not phasing me. I'm in South America, at long last.