2. Quito
Get High: 9,350 above sea level
06.17.2022 - 06.17.2022 63 °F
Day 2, Friday, June 17, 2022
[/float]We were to have had the day to ourselves with only a Silversea evening “Tour of Quito’s historic city highlights” on our schedule. But Silversea changed that--perhaps due to the "strike" by the indigenous population--and moved the city tour to 9:45 this morning--for our safety. But first, we had a half dozen forms to fill out (COVID related but also releases of liability from snorkeling and kayaking on this excursion voyage) and then still another COVID test to take. We have been told there are only 83 guests on our cruise, 18 fewer than Silver Origin can accommodate. We met some of them in line getting our tests. We got into conversations with one couple, U.S. citizens from the UK now living in San Jose, CA, and then a family of four from Tampa, FL, and then another couple from Washington, D.C., and finally two more whose luggage was lost as they made their way from Vienna through Amsterdam to Quito. More to come on that to be sure.
Beryl has never been to Ecuador. I have—back in 2008—but without continuing onward to The Galapagos. In many ways, not much has changed in that 14-year time span. I was surprised then to discover that the United States Dollar is the official currency of this country. In 2000, Ecuador abandoned their hyper-inflated “Sucre” and now has no currency of its own in a process economists call "dollarization." (The same situation exists in Panama, El Salvador, Zimbabwe and Timor-Leste). As another example, in Peru, dollars are accepted at the check out counter at your local grocery store. Back in 2000, The New York Times reported: ''Full dollarization, if credible, eliminates devaluation risk, and, consequently, will likely result in interest rates which are both lower and less sensitive to crisis in other countries.'' The article continued, saying, "Those who advocate formal adoption of the American dollar argue that it would also benefit countries in which wage-earners are used to seeing their purchasing power eroded by high inflation and a weak currency. Indeed, some analysts even suggest that dollarization could be a tool to reduce income inequality."
If you come here, bring plenty of one, five and ten dollar U.S. banknotes and a few twenties--as they are readily acceptable; avoid large denomination bills like fifties or hundreds. As in the rest of the world, newer, unwrinkled bills are preferred.
In this country (named for its location on the equator), the export of bananas, shrimp, flowers, canned fish, oil and even gold is the country’s main source of income. But be prepared for political eccentricity as well. For example, a new law allows abortions up to 12 weeks of pregnancy—for adult women in urban areas—but up to 16 weeks for minors and adults in rural areas.That twist came after a Constitutional Court recently ruled that abortions in rape cases had to be decriminalized. President Guillermo Lasso—who defines himself as a defender of life from the time of gestation—has not as yet signed the law but earlier said he would respect the decisions of those who do not agree with him on the issue.
Last month, President Lasso, below right, no relation to Ted, imposed a state of emergency in three coastal provinces to counter drug traffic induced violence. The government blames the unrest on gangs who use this country as a transit point for narcotics destined for Europe and the United States. Quito, where we arrive, is an eight-hour drive from the provinces of Esmeraldas, Guayas and Manabi where curfews are currently being enforced by 9,000 police and soldiers. We will visit Guayas on the way home when we stop in the city of Guayaquil.
Drug activity here is blamed for a crime surge causing the deaths of well over a thousand people. Prisons here are called “a battleground” where imprisoned members of rival Mexican drug cartels and Ecuadorian gangs reportedly attack and kill each other (43 deaths in one prison riot during May and 20 more in another April riot). In just over a year, the government reports, over 350 inmates have “massacred” one another.
In the meantime, Rafael Correa, left, former president of Ecuador (2007 to 2017) was recently sentenced—in absentia—to eight years in prison for corruption. Correa currently resides in Belgium with his wife (who is a Belgian citizen) and is facing an extradition effort. He has formally requested political asylum there.
Here in Quito, a February rain storm weakened a slope below the slopes of the Rucu Pichincha volcano resulting in a landslide that killed 24 people and injured 48 more. At last report, 12 were still missing; their remains not found.
Two oil tankers, the Ardmore Sealancer and Vendome Street, had until very recently been anchored off the coast with much needed loads of Russian diesel oil that couldn’t be paid for because of U.S. imposed financial sanctions due to the ongoing war in Ukraine. Local oil spilled in February along the banks of the Coca River after heavy rains caused a boulder to fall and rupture a pipeline creating what some referred to as “an environmental disaster.” All of that exists as we visit to enjoy one of if not the most pristine environments on the planet—the Galapagos. The irony is exceeded only by the tragedy of it all.
Our tour guide was Fernando, the greeter from yesterday over whom B4 towers. She is feeling very tall here. "Old Town is closed," he told us, because of the "troubles." But all is not lost as Edison, our driver, weaves his way through the city and up a high hill to where we linger at the feet of the Virgin of Quito, an aluminum edifice stands atop the dome-shaped hill of El Panecillo. She is the "third largest statue of her kind." The first two are the Statue of Liberty in New York and Christ the Redeemer in Rio De Janeiro. B4 gets some shopping done here.
Then, back down we go winding on the narrow serpentine roadways to be told, "Good News. The demonstrators have left Old Town." The obligatory stops are the Compañía de Jesús church with its gold leaf and the Basilica of the National Vow with its stained glass, gargoyles of animals of the Andes on one side and of the Galapagos on the other and a fine garden space that is quiet and peaceful and wonderful.
But, frankly, Quito is, for me at least, just another big Latin American city (estimated population 3,000,000 with up to 1,000,000 of those being refugees from Venezuela) and I see no reason to spend much time here. Back at the hotel we get a recommendation to have lunch at "Hasta la vuelta, Señor," a restaurant three blocks from the JW. I opted for the local favorite, Loco de papa, which is a creamy potato soup with soft cheese and avocado. It was good. B4 had the ceviche and then we had main courses of Seco de chino (Lamb stew with rice) and Seco de pollo (same thing but with chicken). None of that will go down as the highlight of our trip. The most interesting thing about Hasta la vuelta, Señor, is a reference to Manuel de Almeida Capillo, a Franciscan monk who escaped the monastery for non-priestlike fun, would be asked about staying in and remaining chaste, "Until when, Father Almeida?" The answer was, "Until the return, sir," which, translated, is now the name of this eatery. The story is much longer than that but neither you nor I have the patience for it.
We have the remainder of the day and evening to relax. The good news is that arriving back from our lunch, we passed by the Silversea Cruises hospitality desk and learned this news: "Everyone tested negative."
Later, the phone rings in JW Marriott Room 936. "Because of the protesters, we are changing our plan for transport to the airport tomorrow morning. Please be in the lobby at 6:50. We will depart at 7:00 sharp." Our LATAM flight is scheduled to depart at 10:26 and it is normally an easy 45 minute--or less--trip to the airport. They're clearly worried about another burning highway that might cause all their passengers to miss the only flight that will get this full compliment of guests to the ship. Talk about stress. For them. My guess is that the ship won't leave if none of its passengers have arrived.
Nobody here is talking about it but it got quite heated the day prior to our arrival: Here is a clip: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZAQQH6NP7zc
and here is some background: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jVWornG48F0
