QUITO

I parted ways with my friends in Vilcabamba. Heidi, Grace, Jesse, Mary and Cassie all took off for Peru, and I caught a bus up north to Quito. It's a good thing I had some cool weather clothes along with me because Quito is rather chilly. It's only fifteen miles from the equator, but at 9,300 feet above sea level it remains pretty temperate. I explored the old town and found some hills to climb where I could get a good view of the city. I wanted to take more pictures but a nice young dude warned me to be careful while walking around with my camera, so I stuck it in my bag. I guess petty theft is pretty common in Quito. It was a short stay, and now I sit in the airport waiting to catch a flight to New York. But only for a night, and then it's off to South Africa for the World Cup!