19th - 21st Sep - Going to Quito

I realise I have three days for our journey to Quito but it did take that long - you`ll see.

19th we left Campeche and got the bus to Merida, thankfully only 3 hours and got to the Hostel we booked - starting to economise. The hostel was a bit of a laugh although the windows had mosquito nets on them the wall didn`t go all the way to the ceiling and there was a massive gap with no mosquito net! also the windows didn`t lock - very secure.

We walked back up to the main square and there was lots more dancing going on this time professionally done. Eight couples dressed in local garb, men in white trousers and shirt and the women in white dresses with brightly coloured embroidered flowers around the square neck. They first did a few numbers to the salsa beat swinging in and out of one another very in time. But then the real fun started. They were standing at the side at the end of a dance and all took hold of beer bottles - I thought I could take this up. But none of them were drinking, instead they made their way onto the dance floor with beer bottles in hand - odd I thought. Then to our surprise they balanced the bottles on their heads and started another dance swinging their pants, hips and shaking their feet, bottle firmly balanced on the head. We were sure there must be something holding it in place but just to prove us wrong a few bottles slide somewhat and were caught just in time.

The next set of dancers to put the bottle balancers to shame, not only had a bottle filled with water, but also a tray and three glasses which as you can guess they balanced on their heads and danced their little socks off water splashing everywhere. Thank god we weren`t in the front seats.

After the dramatic dancing we made our way down the Paseo de Montejo where huge colonial houses are still standing harping back to the towns past. These are beautiful building unfortunately so many have been knocked down to make way for hideous concrete and glass office blocks. We sat in a wee cafe and had cake with all the other Sunday afternoon wanderers. I stopped to get some money in one of the faceless modern buildings and then back to the hostel for a flee infested night. At last our mosquito nets came in handy.

20th we made our way to Mexico City this time staying in the trendy Zona Rosa - which has lots of wee cafes and bars and lots of good clothes shops.

We got to the hostel and it all looked very nice then I noticed I didn´t have my credit card - panic, panic more panic. The guy at the reception, and Ozzie, was very helpful and nice. I phone the Credit Card company and they cancelled the card. I realised it had not been stolen but I had left it in the cash line machine the evening before in Merida. Fortunately nobody had found it and used it so panic over. The CC company were really good and would be able to get me an emergency card out - all I needed was an address - bit of a problem there - the address - somewhere in a boat sailing around the Galapagos. So I would have to wait until I got back to Quito after the cruise.

We went out in Zona Rosa and had Italian - a change from Mexican food was soo welcome.

21st we got a really early flight from Mexico City to Miami and then onto Quito - a bit of a round about way to go but the only one our ticket would allow. We arrived in Quito at 8:30 and made our way to the Hotel (booked as part of the Cruise).

Quito at first glance was so different from Mexico, very clean, wide open streets with many high rise modern buildings. It looked really modern and nice. The hotel was amazing, the Cafe Cultura, an old colonial building beautifully decorated. None of the faceless corporate hotels here. The lobby had a roaring log fire beside a beautiful wooden staircase with murals on the wall. Our room was fab, a double bed, single bed, a couch, table and chairs all in an attic room with exposed wooden beams. The room was painted a darkish green with flowers painted in the corners. The bathroom had a massive rolltop bath. The attention to detail with little flowers, vases and giant terracotta pots gave it a really homely feel. Both of us agreed this would be a great honeymoon destination - pity we were with each other!

We were to be served a continental breakfast at 5:15 cos we were being picked up at 5:50 to go to the Galapagos. So we went straight to bed and didn´t get to explore Quito.