Journal Entry: February 18th
Day 1 of Quito began after a quick rest fom yesterday's craziness. Both my roommate and I were anxious to get started as today we were headed to the legendary Otovala market. Following the oh-so-fabulous fresh juice bar, we met up with another pair of girls and borded the bus. And finally - we could se Quito in the daylight!!
The best way I can describe it, based from my limited previous travels, is like a touristy Mexican city, but without the touristy draws. Some hotels, mixed with cube-like houses, palm trees between rubble, and endless traffic. People on bikes, foot, cars, weaving in and out of traffic, most making lanes from themselves. As our 2-hour drive began, we took in the rolling city. Somehow built over massive rolling hills, Quito is patially covered by dense clouds, giving it a real feel of 'foreign land'. Car honks and merchant shouts filled the air, and the humidity could be felt within the bus cabin.
As we left the city, the "poor" became more evident... my notion that those living in the city core where poor was quickly reconstructed when I saw children, 4 or 5 years old, playing in mud on the highway side, mere steps away from speeding trucks and tourist vans. Crumbling shacks with zero signs of electricity or water supply scattered impossibly tretcherous terrain conditions. Eventually all signs of habitation dissolved and Ecaudor sprawled out in deep canyons and dense forests that ran as far as I could see. One sid eof our road was a sheer rock face, with its top invisibile beyond the clouds. On the other, vast expanses captured our view.
Our first stop was a mini-break in a "leather-town". Many botique-y shops modelled jackets, boots, and purses - it had a 'high-end market' feel to it. We capped off our break with coconut fruit pops and continued on our way.
The second time our bus stopped, I was confused - he had pulled and opened the doors in the middle of a street that was lined with questionable businesses, crumbling roads, and packed with locals. I thought that leaving the safety of the bus was a mistake until we unloaded and walked around the corner - and the expansive Otovola market lay before us!!
It must have been the size of 6 Strathcona Farmers Markets, and packed with as many stalls as possible. We were told to meet back at the bus in 2 hours - our identifying landmark was a doggie day spa (odd business, no?). The bus would wait at that stop the entire time in case we needed to come back for break. Seemed simple enough, right?
Anyways, the next couple of hours were a complete sensory overload. Earrings, necklaces, rings, cups, whistles, pipes, trinkets... The list of products for sale was unreal. And it was shockingly busy - this is a long weekend for Ecuadorians, so the added local shoppers made the environment intense. Merchants were yelling about their wares, a man was chopping coconuts with a machete to sell coconut milk (which was delish!), and kids were running around with silly-string/spray and just soaking shoppers with white paste. I was hit once, but was assured by the other ladies that it was because I looked Ecuadorian... what?! I was laughing so hard.
The market was more or less a sqaure, with the outer diameter being the most popular path for tourists. As you walked towards the center, the stalls became increasingly dense, so much so that the sun was blocked from view. After bartering (no spell check, sorry!) non-stop, I found myself
with quite the arm load of goodies very quickly. In no time at all, my shopping buddy and I realized we had lost track of time and had only 10 minutes left to get back to bus. We raced out from the market core to the diameter..... and ended up completely lost among the people. Stalls were shutting down, people were everywhere - it was impossible to tell which way was which. That is when the fun stopped for a second. Realizing you are the only two people in who understand dog-spa in English is not fun. Realizing you can't speak Spanish to save your life is really not fun. Panic crept in as we dodged haphazardly through the stalls, seeking anything familiar.
Thankfully, our look of panic drew the attention of a group of young travellers who happened to speak both English and Spanish (PTL!). One was an Ecuadorian resident herself, and so between the lot of us, we managed to find out bus - sitting ONE BLOCK away from where the two of us had originally started our search! Grateful for their assistance, we ran back to the bus, embarassed about now being 1/2 hour late, but relieved to be among familiar faces once more.
(Sorry Mom - I don't think you would like this post!)
Tomorrow is our first day at the hospital, where we screen every condidate to assess who we can help during the next week. For now, sleep is needed once again as a hugely busy and exciting week is about to begin.
Adios!
D.
