My Apartment in Old Quito

I am in my apartment a few blocks from Plaza Grande. It is spacious, basic, a bit noisy, but I have adapted. My first night here I was invited by my neighbor Lorraine to accompany Marcela (owner) and she to a art exhibit opening for Farhana Khan Matthies in a beautiful old building a few blocks away. Nice food, people, wine etc. A very pleasant evening. There are a few other people staying in my building from France, Germany and Britain. I was invited by the Germans to go to Mindo for the day today but passed. If I go there I have to birdwatch. I am still waiting for Luis to get a trip set for me. I may have to hire an extra guide but I am hesitant becuase good ones are hard to find. There is a small village called Lloa up by the Pichincha summit. I may head up there for a night and explore the páramo. Cold up there. Pichincha has been rumbling according to scientists. I am waiting for all the dogs to start barking. We are also coming into a bad El Nino year. There should be bad floods here this November to March.
The sky has been so clear and blue in the mornings that I have been twice to Itchimbia. The view is spectacular. I can seee so many volcanoes and mountain tops. The birds are not numerous but I have been posting to eBird my lists. After all my efforts to keep concise lists, I have failed. It is a pain in the ass to use spread sheets so I entered all my birds into eBird data. This after removing duplicates from Excel sheets leaves me at 983 birds. There were almost 30 duplicates and some birds which have not been split. I am sticking with my eBird list. Even Avibase is off by 3 birds at 980. Yesterday I enetered my Itchimbia list to eBird and found that one of the very first birds I saw in Ecuador last year was not on my list! Cinereous conebill. Don´t know how I missed it. How many more are not accounted for I am not sure. Can´t be but a couple.
I have been making fruit smoothies with fresh fruit, yogurt, honey and water in a blender. So delicious. There are many bread shops and bakery shops near by. I am shocked sometimes how cheap food is. A bag of strawberries for $1. Gas is still $1.48 a gallon. There are many markets near here and I am amazed at the amount of produce, meat, seafood available. Three pineapples $1.
The water here is very hard. Almost grimey. I need to buy fabric softener. It´s laundry day and for the first time that I ever remember I have to hang clothes on a line to dry. The humidity is around 55% and clothes dry fast in the breeze. My lips are chapped and I asked for something for labias instead of labios. I got a curious smile.
It is also Quito Pub day and I will go see my new friend Andriss this afternoon. La Ronda is an alley of restaurants and bars here in the historic district. A 10 minute walk. I like Plaza Foch better. I had a 3 hour conversation with one of the owners of a La Ronda establishment and she was quite taken with me. I met nearly her whole family. They always ask if I am married with kids. No, my wife died I tell them. Otherwise they look at me with a curious frown.
I should stay home tonight. I think Ben Hur is on TV.
Hasta próximo!

I'm Back!

My flight was quick and easy. The Pacific coast of Colombia is very desolate. There is only one city on the entire coast. It isn't easy to get to either. I was nervous about entering Ecuador because I have technically been here more than 90 days in a calendar year. They wisked me right through immigration and stamped my passport with a smile. The taxi driver was very courteous and knew where my hotel was. I had a very nice suite at Stubel Suites overlooking Guapulo. The view of Cayambe volcano is fantastic. I had drinks on the top floor of Hotel Quito. They kept asking if I was staying there. Nope, I'll have another. The old US embassy is next door on a beautiful piece of property. They built a new one north of town.
I walk everywhere for the most part. I walked to Plaza Foch and was hoping to see my old bartenders.  Tito works next door to the bar he used to work at, Quito Pub, and he greeted me warmly. Then I heard my name called. Another old bartender friend. I know bartenders in so many places. Not sure what that says about me but it sure is nice being welcomed again. I have moved to a hotel I stayed at before, Vieja Cuba, and was immediately hugged by Maria. So sweet. Now I have a new bartender friend named Andriss from Venezuela at Quito Pub and he and I went bar hoping last night. D'Vinci bar. Again the bartender remembered me. She even remembered what I drank. Damn.

So I dodged all the traffic like a matador and walked 2 miles to the Plaza Grande in front of the presidential palace. Police everywhere. I stopped to see an apartment for rent in an old colonial building. $400 for a 2 bedroom all unilitites included, furnished. I move on Thursday. Very kind older woman told me she didn't need a deposit. She said how could anyone not trust a bird watcher!  The view from the roof deck is amazing. I have been told to be careful at night in Old Quito. I am always careful and vigilant. So I walk back to the plaza and the guards are all in dress uniforms and horses everywhere. They were also giving awards to police officers so I watched that ceremony at another palaza in front of the old church. Pomp and marching bands and then the President, Rafael Correa comes out on the balcony. I clapped and he looked right over at me and smiled. I think he really likes me. Last year I saw him duck into his car. I don't know how he knew I was in town to welcome me like that. Such a swell fellow! Geeez, parades too!

My keyboard got zapped by the x-ray machine at Fort Lauderdale airport so I went to the mall here to get a new one. Then got my phone turned on here. You go to a ATM-like machine, tell it what you want-Sim card please- feed it $7 and it gives you change and a sim card. Got my phone number and off I went. The first person to call me was Luis offering a birding trip to Milpe and Tandayapa. Count me in buddy. Then it got canceled the night before because the girl that boooked it had diarrhea. I got pills for that. I was so dissapointed. I'm waiting for Luis to call with another trip offering. He works for http://www.sanjorgeecolodges.com. Beautiful lodges in beautiful settings.
I will be taking short trips to Otavalo and Mindo by bus. Stay a few days and come back to my apartment. Then in mid June I think I will move to Cuenca. I need to go to the coast sometime in July to watch the whales and see friends. I will give my paper work to the attorny in Cuenca and see what she says about staying in Ecuador. So many just cross the boarder every 3 months and get a new stamp. Hmmm.
Plaza Foch is the Little 5 Points of Quito. A little expensive for Ecuador. There is a huge TV screen overlooking the plaza and two Beagle dogs that play on the balcony below it. They are there everyday. I know because I am too!
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