Quito

The trip is coming to and end, and we had a moment of useful statistics on the bus yesterday:

Time spent on bus: 52 hours (north Peru / Ecuador)
Time spent with backpack: 280 hours (mid peru)
Time spent on bicycle: 102 hours (Bolivia / South Peru)
Time spent together: 2934 hours
Time spent away from each other: 15 hours!!!

My (Eiriks) greatest worry, prior to leaving Europa, was the intensity of each others company. During a span of 123 days, we have just spent a bit more than a half a day away from each other (that almost includes bathroom visits). It proved to be no problem at all, maybe because the time walking/cycling behind each other feels like time spent alone.

Leaving Baños was a bit sad, because it was an excellent place to relax. We had heard several things about Quito, and most of it was things we did not want to hear such as muggings, scams, and worst of all: rain! As we arrived the bus terminal, the rain started and did not end before we had found a nice hostel in the Quito Old Town. We checked in, went out to eat what they called a Caesar salad (any salad with chicken is a Ceasar salad here), and headed sleepily home to bed. After turning and tossing the whole night Eirik was, according to Anita, annoyingly awake at 0630, and could no longer tolerate that Anita was soundly asleep.

The higly recommended breakfast place did not open as early as we desired, and we therefore walked up into the New Town and the Mariscal Sucre aka. Gringolandia. Quito has proved itself worthy for a visit so far, with street entertinment at night and a good street atmosphere. Adding a talk with a bicycle company and a short trim of Eiriks beard, we are left here at this internet cafe.