Quito To Otavalo

Today I decided to take the bus to Otavalo for the Saturday market. The 2 hour ride is exhilirating to say the least. I had no idea a bus could handle like that! Especially on mountain roads. I am certain the driver exercised the suspension to its maximum extent as we careened through mountain roads with rails that were either non-existant or thin wire that would not keep a bicycle from going off the edge. The bus itself is like a missile. Nothing on the road passes it and it passes everybody, including other buses that don´t wish to be passed. At one point we were literally racing another bus through the mountains, side by side, we unfortunately were in the oncoming traffic lane. But it was more fun than frightening. I was surprised to find the mountains around Quito to be arid and sandy, like mountains out west. But by the time we arrived at Otavalo (province, not city), they had become the velvety green mountains I expect of the Andes. Despite the insane turns that had everybody holding onto their seats (while those standing listed violently to the outside of the curve), the kid next to me managed to fall asleep for most of the way. He, like many others, would eventually get off the bus in the deepest of nowhere. Places where there is literally nothing. We passed a small child, a dog, and shack... that was one lady´s stop. At some stops, venders will hop on, whether the bus stops or not, and try to sell baked goods, candy, or some other product to the passengers. The first guy hoped on while we were still in Quito, made a big speech about the qualities of his chocolate, then started telling riddles. People who bothered to give the correct answers to his riddles were rewarded with one of his candies. After that he went the length of the bus giving out samples, two to each passenger, and proclaimed that additional candies could be bought for 5 cents each. A curious marketing strategy.

So I forgot to mention yesterday, and why I couldn´t get online. I walked all around the city, lost for some percentage of the time, and came across and impossible to find hotel with courtyard, private rooms with private bath, and hot water (you have to ask because most places have it but some don´t). For $7 a night, they don´t have internet access. During the day I visited all the old town features, including climbing ladders up to the belfry of a cathedral that had a great view of the city, including the Virgin on the hill. When I got to the top I was surprised to find a family there, up past the ladders, with a small girl that had been carried up the ladders by her father. She kept saying ¨I´m scared! I´m scared!¨ but at the same time seem delighted by the height and didn´t cry. Certainly an attraction like this, climb-at-your-own-risk, would never fly in the United States.

When Volcanos Attack

Apparently the volcano is kind of a big deal. Arrived about an hour ago and of the three people I´ve said more than a hello to, all of them have asked me if I knew the volcano Tungurahua was erupting. I turn on the news and the headline is "Death and Destruction". In some places its raining ash. The news footage shows city streets completely covered in ash, mud like ash raining down on cars, and giant swaths of treeless smoking earth. But none of this affects Quito. The cab driver said it is impossible to get to Banos but that Cuenca is no problem.

Sat next to some very nice French people on the plane. Sat behind Americans who were sitting behind Japanese people. So a good mix of people are visiting here. Had to explain in pictures to a Japanese lady what OCCUPIED means on the bathroom door.

First impressions of the city are very positive. The taxi driver was the nicest ever, the airport is modern, and the hotel is 100x better than I expected. It even has high speed access. The area between here and the airport looked a little sketchy but that might be just because its late at night.

Tomorrow I will figure out what there is of Quito, visit the old town, take the tram thing up to the top of the mountain, etc. For now its back to the Death and Destruction and then on to bed, maybe a shower first if I can´t stand myself (left the deodorant at home, French people didn´t seem to notice).

Test Post From Windows Live Writer

Is this thing on?

Here's a left-justified pic.

First they came...

When they came for my nail clippers,
I remained silent;
I had trimmed my nails.

When they took away my box-cutter,
I remained silent;
I was not a opening packages on the plane.

When they came for my bottled water,
I did not speak out;
I was not thirsty.

When they prohibited my ipod,
I did not speak out;
I can look out the window for 8 hours.

When they came for my carry-on luggage,
I stopped flying.

It sounds funny. That we should be upset about no longer taking liquids onto planes. No bottled water, no contact lens solution, no suntan lotion. For short flights, perhaps it is of no consequence. For long international flights, it might be a considerable inconvenience. For those of us who have, up til now, rarely checked bags on flights (and took every precaution to avoid doing so), it is a headache. I intended to take a single carry-on bag on my upcoming Quito trip. Normally this bag contains bottled water and food items for use on the flight as well as hygenic supplies such as toothbrush and toothpaste. On a long flight, these are nice-to-have, everyday items that nobody would give a second thought in bringing. Now they are *banned* on airplanes. That, to me, sounds ludicrous! However, some people think these procedures make flying safer. Like these people from a cnn.com reader response page:

I, for one, feel safer flying with a higher security level. Why to people have such a problem with adhering to new rules and regulations, even when it means making air travel safer? If the airlines work together with their passengers by providing water, juices, etc on the plane, then all will be happy. One question: why are there no security check points in train stations?
Carolyn Smith, Port Jervis, New York

It amazes me that people whine and complain about the "inconveniences" imposed by the new security rules at the airports. These are probably the same people that will scream and cry out at the government if a terrorist attack does occur and ask WHY our government did not protect them!...
Joan Lockwood, Marysville, Michigan

I'm tired of people being upset for having to throw away liquids and gels! Come on people there is a sick group out there that is trying to blow your plane up and you want to complain! Get over yourself and your designer perfumes and listen to what the government is trying to do to keep you safe. I think no carry-on luggage should be in affect as of yesterday, lets keep everyone alive and safe.
Erinn Thielman, Avon Lake, Ohio

The majority of the responses read this way, though there are some sensible responses among them as well. These people assume that the problem is the inconvenience of not taking liquids on the plane. They assume that the restrictions put in place make flying safer for everyone. They fail to consider the real cost; that in taking such drastic measures, "the terrorists" have achieved more than blowing up a plane. They have changed the daily routine of travel for "freedom-loving Americans" and "less-freedom-loving Brits" everywhere (refrain from making toothpaste joke).

We've given up everyday niceties that are enjoyed in any civilized society for the myth of increased flight safety. Nothing will stop an organized terrorist cell from blowing up another plane, train, or building. Our security methods are reactive and anticipatory. New measures are put into place based on perceived threat. Should the threat ever go undetected, methods to stop it will not be in place. We would have given up so many things to no effect.