Only in Quito
I’ve been here long enough to have stories to tell, even if I may be a bit of a recluse.
I feel extremely privileged to be living in an equivalent of a nice condominium, with modest facilities, security guards and a nice view from my window, at only a couple hundred a month. This is quite an expense in Quito, where lunch is $2 and is almost half my salary here.
In the morning, I usually see one or two fancy cars with chauffeurs and assistants waiting in tidy suits, on their feet, ready to open the doors. When I cross the intersection, where cars have right of way not pedestrians, I look both sides and no matter how stressed or grumpy I might be, the sight of mountains in the distance is always an awe-inspiring and calming sight.
It’s a five minute walk to the bus stop, which is very efficient and comes every few minutes, but is still packed to the gills during peak hour. Sometimes you’re pressed in on all sides. Got to watch your bag because robbers and pickpockets are very stealthy. And 15 minutes later, I am at work. If I’m the first one in, it takes 10 minutes to open all the locks to reach my third floor office – all 6 or 7 of them. Yes, tight security. For a good reason.
During lunch today, one driver of a lorry actually stopped at a cross-section for a minute to honk and make eyes at me while I was waiting to cross the road. Yes, his light was green, and cars were honking at him. Went off to my favourite lunch – encebollado, which actually means onions but is a red soup of fish or other seafood. Comes served with popcorn and banana fries. Popcorn is not an uncommon lunch time side dish here. Yummy!
This week I am lucky and get off work on time, home to a run at the gorgeous park nearby, before some R&R and time with friends online at night. I’ve been invited out and we are having a problem about booze. 21 people just died because of alcohol poisoning from drinking homemade alcohol (common here), so there is a 72 hour ban on drinking and selling all types of alcohol.
And that’s all for now, folks!
