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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).
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Jeremy Curl2006-08-28 12:41:47
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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). This is now my third consecutive country capital in the past week (San
José, Panama City, and Quito). I am almost citied out. Quito is a hub for setting up adventure and tourist excursions throughout the country. So, the first thing I did after checking in at El Centro del Mundo Hostel, was walk across the street to the nearest travel agency. I looked into two different trip options - Galapagos Islands tour (5-8 days) or the Amazon River tour (4-5 days). The package prices were outrageous (ex. Galapagos tour: $1000-$1500). I made my way to several other agencies and compared prices; all carried similar packages. I explained to the agencies that I wasn't looking for your usual tourist babysitting tour with English speaking guides and high dollar accommodations. I told them that I would rough it, bring my own food, work on a boat, whatever. Only one of the agencies showed some promise;
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Ecuador Gallery
