So this will be my last blog from Quito. We pack up the truck and head out at 9.30am this morning. All ready to go, sort of.

Yesterday I checked into the tour hotel and met Lill, one of the other girls on the tour and when I mentioned I was heading out to the equator she joined me. The equator monument is quite huge but is in a complex full of tourist souvenir shops and restaurants. We took the mandatory photo and even a local jumped in with the two 'gringos' and had his photo taken with us!! This is where they decided back in the late 1700's the equator was.

We then wandered out of this complex and to another museum a few hundred metres away which claims to be the real site of the equator as it was decided 15 years ago with military GPS. Was a cute little complex and here is where they do those experiments where the water goes a different way south, north and on the equator, where your strength isn't the same and also balancing an egg on a nail. Our guide did it quite easy but neither Lill or I could manage it. They also had on display a real shrunken head, bit freaky and we got to try out one of the blow guns they use in the Amazon to kill animals. All in fun.

Headed back to Quito and a couple of hours rest and relax before our meeting. It started at 6pm and there was quite a cross selection of people. I would say the youngest would be about 25 and the oldest up to 55 or so. People from Ireland, UK, Hong Kong, Canada, Australia and even a lady from Colombia. So the first 1.5hrs was talking about the truck, what's expected of us, what the tour leader job is, etc, etc. Then he collected our paperwork and then it was time to collect our local payment. This is a payment we have to give him in US dollars and it forms part of our tour cost but is so he has money on him without relying on banks. Depending on the length of your trip depends on the amount.

Well, this was the fun part. He was quite picky with the notes as he said that other than in Ecuador the other countries won't accept notes that are torn or badly written on. So, with the majority having about $3000 this took forever. He had booked a restaurant for 8pm, then changed it to 9pm. He didn't finish the last person till after 10pm. The notes he rejected we have to try and take to a bank and change them for new notes. The banks aren't going to know what hit them when we reach Banos as there is quite a lot to change. As you can imagine, it wasn't a good start. The 5 of us that were there last to have our money checked, went to KFC around the corner for a quick meal and bed. Hopefully things will get better.