Travel to, and arrival in Quito! The Adventure begins…

Snorkels and knitting yarn: now there’s talking about strange bedfellows in a suitcase.
The adventure begins. The sun rises over Halifax airport (really early) and we have three flights ahead of us today. Susan, Karen and I are all traveling together. It is so much easier and more fun to travel in company: no gathering all the chattels to make a washroom dash.

Well we’ve made it as far as Miami! Landed just before a micro burst (a nasty looking storm), but unfortunately our departing plane was rerouted to Palm Beach. So now we wait, however it is not so bad: lots of knitting and good company. It also gave me time to explore the airport terminal on my new quest for airport art. Many airports make a significant effort to enhance their atmosphere in a variety of ways. I do wonder how many people actually notice? Kansas City had wonderful mosaics set in the floor, and today I discovered ilovely fish hung high upon the walls. The installations were made up of multiple units of three-dimensional fish arranged in a wreath style. Totally fun. I do wish that I could find some information about the artist and their inspiration.

If we wait much longer it may become Mojito time! (Oh dear, it did.)

We eventually arrived in Quito just before midnight Quito time, knitted out and feeling more than a little jaded and thirsty. The airport was bustling with host families waiting to greet their summer visitors. We had met a number of young students on their way here and it was lovely to see the warm welcome that awaited them.

After an exciting journey in a taxi driven by a maniac (other job, F1 driver?) through smaller and smaller cobbled streets, we pulled up outside a dark building in an ally. This was all rather unsettling to tired minds, but a door magically opened and admitted us to another world: the Hotel Patio Andaluz where they have horizontal beds and very friendly staff!