Hola!

My sister Cameron and I are in an internet cafe in cuenca, ecuador. Dîdn´t figure on the keyboard being international and the commands being in Spanish!  Just phoned my husband Jim through Skype and he could see me on the video thru the webcam - totally cool. 

All is going smoothly so far - so many of you wrote about praying for our safe journey that the snow storm on Tuesday night when we departed cleared up and we took off!  The best thing about Colombian airlines, Avianca, is that going through security they don´t make you take off your shoes. We could stretch out over 3 seats for the red eye and got about 5 hours sleep. W e stopped over in Bogota for heuvos (eggs) and coffee at 6 am today. 

Got into Quito at 9 am and the views from the air were of a landscape I'd never seen.  GREEN MOUNTAINS.  Craggy, like patchwork.  The city reminds me of San Francisco ' white buildings, Spanish style, set in hills. Helpful personnel, willing to smile.  The guards though were armed with automatic weapons.   Getting by w our few words in Spanish.   Professional people travelling, everyone polite.  Funny - I was told to "blend in", so, thinking people here dressed colorfully, which I love, I wore a bright turquoise turthlenecck and and a multicolored jacket. The business people we are travelling with are almost sombre, wearing the NY black I left behind. Rather than blend in, my clothing made me stand out even more, in addition to being blond and blue-eyed and not speaking English or knowing where I'm going. 

People respect the siesta ' time off from about 1 pm to 3 pm or so.  Tried to buy something at a shopping mall but the store was CLOSED.  Finishing lunch was more important than doing business ' what a thought.

The time is the same ' Eastern Standard time.  The electricity is the same for charging.  AND the currency is the dollar.  Cameron and I just had an absolutely delicious dinner with a pitcher of wine ' for only $11 with tip - typical Ecuadorian "house fish" and vegetables with white rice.  Everything is white ' bread, pasta, rice, muffins.  Everyone is thin though.  We are in main square which beautiful with many churches that show the Spanish colonial influence, reminding me of cities in Spain we visited decades ago. 

Back to Hotel Maconda, an old colonial house with an open courtyard.  Buenos Noches!