Diving Adventure in the Galapagos #2

April 13th – Quito, Ecuador to Lima, Peru

Awake at 0545, thrilled to be here, overjoyed to be alive and in good company. Ate breakfast in the hotel, the best pineapple I have ever eaten! Interesting coffee: the coffee is brewed and concentrated to a very strong brew, then poured into your cup in conjunction with nearly equal parts hot, rich, thick milk. Still tastes strong, but very tasty.

Quito is known as the “City of Eternal Spring” as the temperature is always delightful and similar to Colorado mountains in spring – cool to cold at night and warming during the day to nice shorts weather. Quito is a lovely city.

Before Ernesto came to pick us up for the airport at 1000, we found time to explore around the hotel. Encountered a small girl sitting against a building making hand knit caps. Her little fingers and knitting needles just FLEW. We asked permission to take her picture and she shyly consented.

The street vendors here are very unlike those in Mexico. Here they are much less aggressive, very polite and helpful. A woman from whom I bought a lapiz heart and quartz crystal promptly crossed herself and offered thanks to God for the commerce. With a brilliant smile, she explained that ours were her first sales of the day.

Departed Quito for Peru (Lima) at 1230. Learned from Ernesto, Walter’s contact here, that his Ecuadorian countrymen harbor no affection for the Peruvians. It seems they have lost large tracts of forest to Peru and have actually engaged in fierce armed conflict at the border this year.

Our flight from Quito to Lima was aboard Avianca, the Colombian airline. The in-flight service and food were far superior to anything the US lines have offered in years.

The glimpses I got through the clouds during the flight revealed a greatly changed terrain. From Quito’s crisp, clear air at 9,000′, we have dropped to sea level, the coast of Peru being dry, dusty, and devoid of any hint of green. Appeared most inhospitable.

We were met at the airport by Dino, our incredibly efficient and knowledgeable guide for our stay in Lima. He, through his company, has programmed and provided for every step of our travel needs in Peru and I’m very impressed with his efficiency. However, the total ambiance in Lima, as compared to Quito, is generally wonting. Lima is an urban sprawl coexisting rather poorly with the arid, uninviting desert. It is dry, dirty, and poor with mountains of crumbling concrete lining the streets. In general, the people are very poor, and much less friendly than the Ecuadorians. The open interest and concern for our welfare I observed in Quito is absent here.

Lima is much more reminiscent of the large tourist centers in Mexico and there is a constant concern with pickpockets and thieves here.

Stayed at the Sheraton (Paseo de la Republica, Tel: 433-3320; fax: 433-5844), an aging old matriarch across the square from the city courthouse. The hotel is old but still retains a semblance of luxury, is clean, safe and certainly more than adequate. The biggest surprise was the presence of a CASINO in the lobby of the hotel! David later made an attempt to pay for his trip at the blackjack tables. Unsuccessful, but not disastrous! The rest of us passed on the gambling and opted for bed with the knowledge that our wake up call for the flight to Cusco will come early, at 0330!

Shopping in Lima is no fun. No local products to speak of and very expensive.

The local liquor is called “pisco”, similar to tequila and very strong. Also very cheap. Welcome drinks at the hotel were pisco sours; put us all in a very mellow mood although tradition has it that pisco is a potent aphrodisiac.

We dined at a charming restaurant, La Rosa Nautica. It is situated on a pier out over the water, great ambiance, marginal food, and very expensive. A plate of spaghetti, coffee, and dessert was $25.00 US.

Lima really has little to commend it to the international traveler except that it provides a staging point to other more attractive areas.

Anyone in Lima can operate a taxi service. All he has to do is slap a sign in the window that announces “taxi” and go to work. This produces an amazing and highly varied assortment of vehicles and drivers. There can be no doubt that many of the cars here have in excess of 2-300,000 miles on them and wear their age with very little grace.

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