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Lift off baby! Cruising 32 thousand feet in our upper atmosphere, all I could think about was getting to the nearest travel agency upon arrival. I was hungry to see what kind of adventures I could get myself into. I also couldn’t help thinking about sinking my teeth into the filet of salmon that I was just served in First Class. Yeah, that's right; First Class. I was randomly selected by the computer to be bumped up; meaning fat, fluffy seats, a gourmet lunch, moist towels, and royal treatment (life's good). I must say that I sure stuck out among the high class; dressed in my backpacker garb, unshaven scruff, and an unshowered funky aroma that I believe originated from me. The flight was short, but sweet. Seconds after crossing the equator into the Southern Hemisphere, we touched down in Ecuador's capital of Quito; which is nestled high in an Andean valley 2850m (roughly 8500ft) above sea level. The temperature was a bit chilly. I went from the usual T-shirt, shorts, and flip flops to long pants, shirt, and jacket (a beanie for my bald head at night).

Latitude 00.00º

Jeremy Curl
2006-08-28 12:41:47

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even budge me. Next we stood directly on the equator and the ladies now had their laugh as they crumpled me like weakling (no kidding). It all has something to do with the gravitational pull being less on the equator, but I can't really explain it because I didn't pay enough attention. I was too busy thinking about being overpowered by a woman. Following the demonstrations, we were taught a little about the history of the Indians that had lived here
long ago. We learned how a warrior shrunk the head of his enemy after defeating him and hung it on his house as a trophy (pretty freaky). We also shot blow guns, saw the giant gerbils they ate as food (great source of lean protein), and learned about the unique construction of their homes. I must say that I was pleasantly surprised with the informative tour we were given and now can say that I have been in both hemispheres at the same time (sweet). Following the day at the middle of the world, I joined Jonny and his wife Em for a delicious Indian food dinner. The couple had been married a year and were travelling the world together. They were full of life and super friendly. It was a pleasure to have met them.

The rest of my time in Quito was spent hopping buses all over the city and preparing for my upcoming trip. The people of Ecuador are very friendly and went out of their way on several occasions to help me. One fellow actually walked around with me for an hour helping me search out a bank that would change dollars into the Peruvian
Soles (hint). We never found one, but I got in some good Spanish practice. On another occasion, I flagged a bus down and asked if it was headed in the direction of the main bus terminal; he replied yes so I climbed on. After about four or five blocks, the locals on the bus started telling me that it really wasn't headed close to where I wanted to go and the driver just wanted my money. I thanked everyone for helping me, demanded the driver to stop right ...