[12/07/04~08/08(D+343) Ecuador/Border-Quito] One month in Quito

Although I cross the Ecuadorian border, the scenery is not changed because I am still on Andes Mountain.

There are Local people who work.

Today is also beautiful scenery.

It rains a lot in the afternoon. I don’t know how much lunch is in Ecuador because today is my first day of Ecuador. I order something and I think it is so cheap that soup is only 1.75$. When I eat soup, I am surprised that she gives me also one big plant with juice. Everything is only 1.75$. WOW!!!

Pig is hung at outside.

Typical clothes of Mountain.

I stay for a few days at local people home in San Gabriel. My host name is Edison and he says he always buy fresh milk in the next town.

I walk on a park with Edison’s family.

This is Edison’s family. The left child is so friendly, but the right one is so shy boy.

I go to a local market with his wife.

It is the local market.

It is called rambutan. It is my first time to see and eat, but my Korean friend who saw this picture said he had eaten it in Korean.

When I ate haba bean in Colombia, it was hard to chew, but fried haba is very delicious like peanut.

Pigs

It is my host, Edison. Edison is my first friend in Ecuador and his family is so friendly. I shared some music with him and I learned some salsa from him. It was really good to know him.

It is amazing Andes Mountain.

It looks a nice place. The mount is back and river is front. Korean history calls it  the best place because it can be protected well from enemy.

I just find a stunning thing.

What an amazing canyon.

The Canyon is superb so that I take picture of mine.

Picture is for Congratulating of 9,000 km (5625 mi).

There is long downhill for a while.

It is an art! Fantastic!

The road I will ride.

I already reach at bottom.

It is shocking that it is not cooked yet. Local people enjoy it with salt. Flies are around the pig.
I start from the top and now I am on the bottom so that it is so hot.

They are selling piece of cigarette.

It is too hot so that I can see people selling Ice cream.

Edison’s family gave me some food for the road! Thank you!!!

Local people are working at farm of Sugar Cane. It takes only two or three minutes to take the picture.

I am bitten over 50 times on my legs during taking the picture. What the hell is going on! I’ve never had experience like it even in the Central America. I could see bleeding on my leg. I try to run away from them, but it is too hard because I am cycling to an altitude 3,000 m (9842 ft). They follow me because I am too slow so that I cycle without resting for an hour.

When an altitude is higher, I can’t see mosquitoes anymore. I am too exhausted, because I didn’t have the time to drink water to escape from mosquitoes.

It is my first time in my life to meet terrible mosquitoes. After mosquitoes, high altitude and head wind make me so hard. I am blurred with tears

There are no more mosquitoes in the town. I feel like I am in the heaven now. I can’t believe that I am so happy with nothing. My lunch is only 1.75$. Eating lunch is in the heaven!

I sleep one night in local people home.

The next day when I am heading to Quito which is capital of Ecuador, I have a problem that worker in gas station puts too much air and my tire is exploded. Rim is broken so that I can’t cycle. There is no town I can buy new rim near gas station. I am almost angry that he never apologizes to me. I try to bite my anger back, because I don’t want to lose control.

One of aboriginal people in the above the picture gives me a ride. He takes me some bike shops in the town, but I can’t find rim to fit. I hitchhike again to big city, Quito. Driver is so kind that he takes me a bike shop in Quito.

Owner said that I have to pay 30 $ for everything. I have to get some money so I leave my bike in the shop. When I am back, I pay 30$. It looks strange that my tire is going flat when I start cycling. It doesn’t make sense that I pay also for a new tube. I ask what happens. One of worker tries fixing very faster and I see that they didn’t give me a new tire but old tire which has over three patches. It means I pay for a new tube, but they put an old broken tube! I ask owner that he should apologize to me. But he lies that I didn’t pay enough money and even I bring that broken tube. There is other customer and he makes me very rude person. What the worst person I meet!!!!! They change to new tire but never apologize to me. Here is another bad luck. White guy in the picture is the worst guy

I arrive in Korean home in the late night because of bad bike shop. Korean food which Korean host cooks makes me relax. The next day I visit the middle of the world.

Middle of the world is known as latitude 0.0.0, but people think that Intinan museum which is next to Middle of the world is latitude 0.0.0.

Ecuador changed their money, Sucre to USD because their economy was going bad. After changing money, their economy got better. In my opinion, it is important to keep country money. Money is also another culture.

There are some museums in the middle of the world. Those huge bugs live in Amazon. It looks so horrible!

Long time ago, people thought like that.

Here is Intinan Museum.

There is some cute animal.

Here is known as real equator. Is it true?

I calculate it with Google earth. Middle of the world is latitude 0.0.7 and Intinan is 0.0.3. The true is that both of them are not equator. Above the picture yellow line is real equator in my opinion.

After touring the middle of the world, I go to old town.

I like the old town that it is so cute.

Is he taking shower?

I didn’t expect that old town will be beautiful because I visit too much old town so far. Old town of Quito is now one of my favorite places.

There are white buildings.

Old town

Viewing from a high place

Aboriginal people try to keep their own culture as wearing traditional dress.

It looks there is family.

The cathedral

Thanks to Korean host, I can eat delicious Korean food.

I was thinking to leave Quito after saying good bye with Korean host, but I decide to stay more at the Hostel in Quito.

I got a message from another cyclist. We go to special restaurant. This is beer of Ecuador.

The restaurant is decorated with bike.

Although he is traveling with bike, he is vegetarian so that we order different pizza for each other.

Everything is decorated with bike so it is interesting. He tells me some terrible experience that he met robbers and he was bitten by dog. Traveling is not easy, but worth to do.

He was cycling for 10 months in Latin America. Now he is in his country.

I meet other Korean who is principal of Korean language school in Quito. He invites me to music concert for the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Korea and Ecuador. It is fantastic concert for me that I hear Korean traditional musical instruments and Korean traditional music. Everyone who sings and plays are Korean, but they also shows us Ecuador music. It is so impressed that members who sing and play are the disabled and the non-disabled, but they plays well. They try to show us what hope is as playing music.

I stay at the hostel for a week and I move to Korean Principal’s office. I try to learn how to fix a bike, so I plan to stay one more week in Quito. I am sorry that on the road there are many poor aboriginal people.

This December Korea has the election for a new president (every five years). So I go to Korean embassy for absentee report. Now I can vote president on December in any country.

After embassy I go to park.

It is interesting that I can see tropical tree and permanent snow together.

Park

We go to Korean restaurant and Main Street.

We go to mount to get fish.

It is so fresh.

It is for raw fish.

I’ve seen blue heart on the road. I thought it means good for telephone. But my friend says it means people die from a car accident. My friend tells me some story about above the picture. Long time ago, one Ecuadorian who had worked in Europe came back to his country. He made much money in Europe so he went picnic with all his family to celebrate. Unfortunately they had car accident and all people died. That’s why here is lots of heart drawing.

Factory of clothes

Ecuador also starts business of renting bicycle like Mexico. I wish Korea has same thing like them.

Bus station

It is San Francisco square.

People who see street theatre

I’ve heard that Salary of Ecuador is 300$. That’s why food is cheap. I heard that actually some people in Ecuador can’t make 300$, but less than 300$. I think I can never judge that they are unhappy or happy with what they have. Just what I worry about is the inequitable distribution of wealth.

I visit the Guayasamin museum. Guayasamin was painter in Ecuador. He is one of famous painters in Ecuador.

Sunset

Park

Volleyball is the most popular sports at the park in Ecuador so that I can see their play every time.

Police officers

Aboriginal people on the road to sell something.

I print out my name card.

I buy new laptop because my netbook have had so many problems. Thanks to my Korean friend, I can buy it in the factory so that it is not much expensive like in the electronic shop. I wanted bigger screen so that I buy 14″ notebook. I was looking for 13″, but I couldn’t find it. My old netbook was 10″.

I also buy new shoes. My old shoes was with me over 9,000 km (5625 mi).

Do I buy new bike??? No, I paint it. I will write about it on next journal.

I stay in Quito for a month, but I waste much time. I wish I spend more time on what I need like studing Espanol and English, taking photos and making videos.