( Do you know where you're going? What's your polestar?) (Old sailors love their sextants.) (Closed until at least August. The home of the dissolved Assembly.) (Aristotle weeps) (No, no fucking way.) (Wow, just wow. And, this elevation sucked a lot less than it would have last week. 4,000m+ Still left me winded. And, awestruck.) (Doors seem to pull me in.) (Contra the advice of Lyle Lovett, do NOT 'step inside this house.' 'The House of Grief') ($5, including the first, and best, beer in memory) (I turned the corner and just stopped. This picture fails to capture the moment. Nonetheless,..) (It feels to me as this captures my experiences here quite well. Don't ask; I could never explain. It just does._
+ Styptic pencil (nicked an artery shaving - who knew one could? - 5 hours of bleeding. They have no idea what one is in Quito.) + Kindle (I miss reading.) + Earbuds (long sleepless flights suck.) + Crystal Lite Packets (water is dull.) + Camping utensils (Too many bad plastic utensils in market food courts.) + Better Luggage (travel backpack is a go; sling for daytime wear is better than a small backpack if sans camera gear. 3l may be OK - carrying layers and can serve as 'personal item' aboard flights.)
Quito, 1430 I slept poorly last night. On previous nights I was dead to the world by 2000. Last night, I saw 2335 and beyond. (One learns to NOT check the time too often as a chronic insomniac. I checked only once.) Part of it was noise. When the sun goes down, this part of towns shuts comletely down. The streets are absolutely empty. The stores are all shuttered by 1800. The place rolls up the sidewalks, the tourists disappear. (I am in the historic old town it is tourist laden by daylight as is appropriate for one of the original UNECO Heritage Sites.) It has usually stayed deserted until a few hours after sunrise (~0615 +/- 20 minutes year round. Sunset is always ~12 hours later.) When I wake at 0800ish the stores are just re-opening. Last night there were trucks parked outside. Lots of conversation. Lots of diesel engine noises. Lots of exhaust fumes. Ear plugs and a mask helped. But only a bit. I awoke tired. And I still feel so. Here's the street when I woke up
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