Arrived into Quito airport at about 11 pm, Sat 7 January 2012, about 24 hours after I first woke up to check in and catch the first flight out of the UK. Passed the point of being tired at that stage. Heart sank when I saw how crowded the passport and customs hall was, but managed to get through passport control, customs and X-ray screen in an hour and was met by a representative from the Spanish school.

Finally went to bed around 1 am and woke up about 7am Sunday, not being able to totally sleep due to jetlag. Had a headache all day with twinges of nausea, which I think is due to a combination of the long day and altitude sickness, which I seem to have got rather quicker than Monika, whom I'm staying with, thought I would. Mind you, don't think being woken up at 12:33 by the fire alarm at the airport hotel the night before departure helped...

Had a short look-see around the local area (specifically the nearby supermarket) between the two bouts of some heavy rain. Well, I've been told that you can 4 seasons in one day in Ecuador and it certainly proved that. It did brighten but the weather has been colder than I was expecting and I'm beginning to wonder if I have brought enough warm clothes... During the walkaround, you could see how Quito is surrounded by steep cloud-covered mountains; it can look really impressive! And ominous when you see the clouds gathering and getting greyer!

I start the Spanish school lessons tomorrow morning, between 8:30 and 12:30, with an official orientation tour by Monika in the afternoon. The Spanish lessons, though intensive, sound fun, as you also get cooking, salsa and cocktail-making lessons in the afternoon, with Friday off. When not doing those, apparently, there are lessons on the economic, cultural and political aspects of Ecuador. (BTW the photo in this isn't mine but I can't upload without one and I haven't taken any yet!)