Who needs a passport anyway...
Hijo de puta, pinche ladron!
What an "interesting" few days this has been... Off to Riobamba we went to ride the Devil's Nose train (Erin, that was a coincidence but it does score some good metal points!) along with Anna, a lovely Aussie from our Galapagos boat. You have to show your passport to buy tickets for the train, and lo and behold: no passports to be found! Same goes for tickets, driving licenses, and a festival of other low grade important documents...
Now amazingly, considering my propensity to fly into a major flap at the least provocation, I entered a "Jungle Calm" state of mind. "Everything's fine, we can get new passports and tickets no problem, we'll just go back to Quito tomorrow, let's stay in Riobamba tonight and have a few beers!" I think it was invasion of the body snatchers...
So, an early bus back to Quito the next day. Bus company motto: "Life is Cheap!" As i knew I'd have to have a new passport photo taken I was trying to apply mascara while our fearless (drunk?) bus driver took the novel approach to hairpin bends of just dropping it into 3rd gear and saying a quick Hail Mary. Tammy Faye Bakker had nothing on me.
Once in Quito we first had to file a Police report and while in the police station i realized i had left my beloved Chaco sandals on the bus. This apparently was my tipping point. Full-on sobbing breakdown in front of 5 contemptuous officers of the law. No idea why the loss of Chacos should seem worse than NOT HAVING AN EFFING PASSPORT but what can I say, i'm a complex creature. Still sniffling, we then went to the Embassy where a lovely lady told us we could have our new passports on Friday morning as long as we gave her $350. Bargain.
After all this it was decided that a night in the Four Points would be better for the soul than a hostal full of braying 18 year old Brit travelers. Let's hear it for consultants and their bank of hotel points! It was the best Four Points ever, we even got upgraded (and obviously totally abused the Executive Club privileges...). Friday was a good day: Ecuador won their World Cup match, I sourced a new pair of Chacos, and we each got a shiny new passport. Just a shame it was in the name of "Graig". Just so you know, it only takes approx 30 minutes for an Embassy to print you a new Britsh passport.
Off to Peru tonight and to be perfectly honest i'll not be sorry to see the back of Ecuador. However I will rise on the stepping stones of my dead self to higher things. Or something equally profound. I will be very interested to investigate on the rest of my South American travels if it is Latinos in general (reference point the Mexican referee in the England game today) or just Ecuadorian gentlemen who apply hair oil/gel/pomade/axle grease with such a generous hand. I have never seen so much product used in all my life - it's fascinating!
Just for johnny (and probably every other infantile humoured bloke) here's a lovely picture of some boobies.
more pics will come soon(ish)
x
What an "interesting" few days this has been... Off to Riobamba we went to ride the Devil's Nose train (Erin, that was a coincidence but it does score some good metal points!) along with Anna, a lovely Aussie from our Galapagos boat. You have to show your passport to buy tickets for the train, and lo and behold: no passports to be found! Same goes for tickets, driving licenses, and a festival of other low grade important documents...
Now amazingly, considering my propensity to fly into a major flap at the least provocation, I entered a "Jungle Calm" state of mind. "Everything's fine, we can get new passports and tickets no problem, we'll just go back to Quito tomorrow, let's stay in Riobamba tonight and have a few beers!" I think it was invasion of the body snatchers...
So, an early bus back to Quito the next day. Bus company motto: "Life is Cheap!" As i knew I'd have to have a new passport photo taken I was trying to apply mascara while our fearless (drunk?) bus driver took the novel approach to hairpin bends of just dropping it into 3rd gear and saying a quick Hail Mary. Tammy Faye Bakker had nothing on me.
Once in Quito we first had to file a Police report and while in the police station i realized i had left my beloved Chaco sandals on the bus. This apparently was my tipping point. Full-on sobbing breakdown in front of 5 contemptuous officers of the law. No idea why the loss of Chacos should seem worse than NOT HAVING AN EFFING PASSPORT but what can I say, i'm a complex creature. Still sniffling, we then went to the Embassy where a lovely lady told us we could have our new passports on Friday morning as long as we gave her $350. Bargain.
After all this it was decided that a night in the Four Points would be better for the soul than a hostal full of braying 18 year old Brit travelers. Let's hear it for consultants and their bank of hotel points! It was the best Four Points ever, we even got upgraded (and obviously totally abused the Executive Club privileges...). Friday was a good day: Ecuador won their World Cup match, I sourced a new pair of Chacos, and we each got a shiny new passport. Just a shame it was in the name of "Graig". Just so you know, it only takes approx 30 minutes for an Embassy to print you a new Britsh passport.
Off to Peru tonight and to be perfectly honest i'll not be sorry to see the back of Ecuador. However I will rise on the stepping stones of my dead self to higher things. Or something equally profound. I will be very interested to investigate on the rest of my South American travels if it is Latinos in general (reference point the Mexican referee in the England game today) or just Ecuadorian gentlemen who apply hair oil/gel/pomade/axle grease with such a generous hand. I have never seen so much product used in all my life - it's fascinating!
Just for johnny (and probably every other infantile humoured bloke) here's a lovely picture of some boobies.
more pics will come soon(ish)
x
posted by stef at
4:41 PM
1 Comments:
I'm amazed at how calm you were when all your IDs went missing. I think I'd have a nervous breakdown!
By
mileestar, at 3:55 PM
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