Day 1 - Quito

 Day 1 - 5/30/23

Destination: Quito (LAX-RDU-MIA-UIO*)
Written: 35,000' above the Caribean & in Quito

$0.60 per Alleve for dozen alleve in RDU was a good investment.  The headache is gone.  The backache from lugging a backpack around hasn't.  Oh well. 

MIA was a mess.  Late arrival (WX.)  35 gates to cross (D17 - D52).  Boarding started before I deplaned from RDU.  People were being far too slow to disembarked even knowing others had tight connections.  Really annoying to watch endless cycles of "You," "No, you!"

I hustled.  Group 8 (of 9) was boarding when I got to the gate.  And, the little lady in the wheelchair made the connection before I did.  Uggh.

I'm using an old work backpack.  It's great for luigging a laptop and such.  But the bag itself weighs in at 5+ pounds.  And has too many dividers.  It was never going to be The Bag.  No it won't be a bag I use going forward.  Who needs a really good piece of kit?  Everki Atlas 32L - free to the first to ask. 

I'm not overpacked.

* 3 pr. wool boxers
* 3 very thing wool long sleeve shirts
* 3 Quick dry polyester tees

* 4 pr. pairs of wool socks (no 2 alike - different lengths aZip long sleeve breathable!) 

* 1 pr. sneakers, 1 pr sandals
* 6 year old Chromebook

* A dopp kit which might be be where I can trim a few ounces

* A patagonia polar-tec vest (spiff from a former employer.)

* My lightest Tilley sailing hat (bald + elevation = very bad sunburn, no thanks!)

Layers, layers,and layers. Everything can (and will) be hand washed.

The boxers and socks are new.  Nothing else is.  Re-use, Re-cycle, Donate is the mantra.  Buy as little as needed.  Less spent on gear = more spent on fun.

2 new leaves! Packing light and being frugal.  No longer optional.

Frugal means coach...Oh, how I forgot, how little fun that is.

Interestingly, I have not had a seatmate.  3 legs on 737s, all in 17F (second exit row, starboard side).  On the shortest leg, RDU-MIA, someone sat in 17D.  Otherwise a row to myself!  For coach, that's living well.  This is the life I am choosing.


Oooomph! I am beat.  and tomorrow will suck.  Suck bad.

I have not felt horribly winded but my body is working.  Hard.

I took the $8 bus from the "new airport" (above the city, opened this century) to the old one (in the city proper, now the convention center.)  Cushy seats.  3 people.  Pretty nice.

Then I transferred to the local buses - $0.35 per ride.  Took a connection and a bit of walking but I made it. Checked in to my room.  It's not what I expected but, then again, it's $30 a night.  And, I have stayed in far, far worse.  Dreadfully worse.  'This is the life I'm choosing.'

Walked around a bit.  There's lots to see in the area.  But I probably overdid it.  Fitbit wants me to earn 150 "Zone Minutes" a week.  You get 1 for each minute with an elevated heart rate; 2 for a work out lever pulse.  I did 102 so far today.  And, I'm toast.

Tomorrow is gonna hurt.  I think it will be a "people watch" and chill kind of day.

Dinner was a rip off.  I listened to a tout, looked at the menu and knew what I wanted - ROAST PORK.  Got seated.  Had the first course (fish and onion soup) and was informed they had no pork at all.  So I had some strips of thnly sliced andpan fried beef.  It was fine.  But it wasn't pork.  Ripped of, all $2.75 ofthe bill.  It was filling.

Walked some more.  Bought some water. 

Gonna shower and sleep.  A lot of sleep.  I hope