Greetings from the north and south hemisphere

Hola jolly fun seekers. I have been in Ecuador a little over a week. It is a really cool place. Quito is a really nice city. Very european, or so I`m told by the eurpeans I`ve encountered. It is the second highest city in South America only La Paz Bolivia is higher. It is about 2800 meters high. Having wandered around the city I truly believe there are no flat parts. There is high and higher. It almost seems whichever way you go you are going up. There are a lot of cool places to visit. On an interesting note I bought a replica of pre-colombian art in a store beneath a cathedral in Quito, it is a coule copulating. Yep really, imagine the Catholic church approving of such a thing. Of course one of the things you have to do if you are in Quito is go to Ciudad Mitad del Mundo-The city of the middle of the world. This is the spot where the equator goes right through Ecuador. It is pretty interesting there is an impressive monument that marks the spot that contains an ethnographic museum of Ecuador. There is also a planertarium crafts stores and restaurants. Of course there is a line with a sign that says 0.0.0 latitude and everybody stands with a foot on either side of it and has their picture taken, yours truly included. So picture this you go in the park, you walk up this long impressive wide path with busts of all the scientists who were responsible in one way or another for mapping the equator and this path leads to the monument which is probably about 60 ft. high, you go to the north-south quadrant and have your picture taken and then they tell you that with the advent of GPS technology about 25 years ago they found out that the actual line is about 200 meters north. Well, I guess, that`s life. On another note I met an interesting couple in Quito, she (her name is Narcisa) is a holistic practitioner. I am still being bothered by the accident on my bicycle in El Salvador in June. I have been to doctors, physical therapists, acupuncturists, massage therapists. I have taken a variety of pain killers and used a variety of creams and salves etc. Some of it helps a little some doesn`t help at all. As I was wandering around Quito I saw a sign for Narcisa so I went in and talked to her. She worked on my shoulder did a chiropractic adjustment all sorts of cool stuff for about 2 hours and charged me $14.00 and it actually gave me relief for a couple of days. The best result I have had so far. At any rate I asked her if she was familiar with reiki, which is a technique I know and she said she wanted to learn it. So the next day I made an appt. with her and taught her reiki and her husband came and after wards we went out drinking and karaokeing. (is karaokeing a word? I don`t know but if it wasn`t before it is now). Then the next day I left for Cotopaxi Nat`l. Park. It is only about an hour bus ride out of Quito. Cotopaxi is the 2nd largest volcano/mountain in -ecuador at 5900 meters (the largest is Chimborazo at 6300 meters) I wanted see some BIG mountains so I went. The thing about mountains that high is that they create their own weather and are often covered with clouds. So I got a room at a hostel across the street from the entrance to the park. It was a beautiful day when I left quito about 10am but by the time I got there it was raining. So I used the only option I had, I started drinking beer and waited for the weather to clear up. Know that the hostel is at a little over 3000 meters (10000 ft.) at that altitude in Colorado this time of year it is snowing, ask anyone who lives in Leadville. But no snow just overcast and rain. So what did I do, well continued drinking of course. The next day it was overcast but not raining so i made arrangements for a 4 wheel drive tour of Cotopaxi. It is only possible to drive to the 15,000 ft. altitude of Cotopaxi and then, if you want, you have to hike the last 5000 feet to the top. I`m told it requires an overnight camp. Too old for that shit! So picture this: I`m in this 4wd pickup with this local Ecuadorian dude, ostensibly a guide, and he is taking me up to 15000 ft. As we get into the park it starts raining. Having lived in the high country of Colorado for a while I know it is entirely possible to get above the clouds. This is what I am hoping for. Because right now you can`t see anything. So get this, this guy makes his living driving his truck up to 15000 feet but doesn`t have snow tires on his truck. Well several hundred meters from the parking lot which is where we are supposed to be going, he can`t get through the snow. Now several other 4wd`s go past us, a friggin`tourist bus goes past us, but as soon as he hits snow he can`t move forward. ¿Can you believe this shit? He tried for about 20 minutes but he could not move his damn truck forward. Christ what a turkey. Well after that we went back to the hostel and I continued drinking. Other than checking out Cotopaxi there truly is nothing to do at this place which is about 1 mile off the road, so today I left and I am now in Los Baños. It is a cool little burg in the valley surrounded by huge mountains. BUT it is warm and the sun shines most of the time. In case you haven`t guessed, Los Baños is famous for it`s thermal hot springs. Which is the reason I came here. So I am here for a few days to enjoy the warm weather and hot springs then I return to Quito, where most of my stuff is stored, for a couple of days and then off to Guayaquil Ecuador. Guayaquil is the coast. I really need some beach action. From there I think Peru. That`s all for now.
hasta la vista baby
The road goes on forever and the party never ends
Charlie