Adjusting to altitude
Nine thousand three hundred and fifty feet above
the level of the sea which is pretty darned close to zero
for me in ManchVegas which is a far cry from
Quito (that’s in Ecuador you know) where
we spent the day exploring the Mercato
at El Ejido park in New Town which is rather overwhelming
with stalls of colorfully clad Otovalos hawking
hats, shirts, shawls, stones, trinkets, leather, lacy camisetas,
blackberry ice cream and chocolate and where
we occupied a table at a pretty little cafe
on Reina Victoria and sipped coconut juice and
partook of a chocolate corn cake steamed in a
banana leaf and we were quite satisfied.
Haggled for a stylish Montecristi Panama hat
(you knew that Panama Hats are really made in Ecuador?)
though I didn’t haggle well, still
it’s a very nice hat and only set me back
twenty five bucks and I like hats.
Dinner in a few hours with the remainder of
the chocolate-making gang before we head down
the presumably winding highway to Mindo where
We’ll begin our chocolate making excursion.
This is Rich reporting live from Quito, Ecuador.
Good night and savor your chocolate slowly.