Falklands to Quito, the city and vochos, 5th - 8th November

It was a long haul to get from the Falklands to Quito. I flew LATAM (the result of a merger between LAN Chile and TAM Brazil) from Stanley leaving 3pm on 5th November for the two hour flight to Punta Arenas in Chile for immigration then four hours to Santiago.Then a midnight flight to Buenos Aires, which looking at a map is flying virtually due east whereas Quito is north...a bit of a dog's leg of a journey.

I flew over the Andes which was mostly cloud except this volcano...probably the same one that I took a photo of on the way to The Falklands!

After three hours in BA and unable to change any money and no ATMs in the transit lounge, there was a four hour flight to Lima and a two hour wait before the two hour hop to the new and just recently opened Quito International airport. I arrived at the hotel 28 hours after leaving my hotel in Stanley with my body clock not sure what time of day or night it was.

On the way to the airport I finally got a good picture of The Falklands flag with its coat of arms featuring a sheep.

 Three of the four Islanders flown by FIGAS neatly lined up at Mount Pleasant.

After some recuperation and a lot of sleep, I did do a little sight seeing around Quito but my heart wasn't in it. Quito lies virtually on the equator (technically the city boundaries stop 1km short of the actual equator) but at an elevation of 2,850m, the air is a bit thin, the nights are cold but the days warm up substantially but I am acclimatising. Some photos of the main plaza and old town of Quito.

 A grand hotel but regrettably not mine...I have a cheap, old, falling apart place in the suburbs.

Police on patrol on their Segways.

And for those of you who followed my blog through Mexico and my collection of vochos, here are a few more in Quito to add to the collection.

 One that nearly got away with a unique colour as I was not fast enough with the camera.

And a reminder of the Falklands, a Land Rover in Quito.