Hola!

Here´s the first instalment of my new blog! You can either read it or just pretend you´ve read it and that way you´ll save yourself having to listen to all the stories when I get back!

So, I arrived in Madrid for my connecting flight without a problem, even had 3 seats to myself on the plane so spread right out! Then I queued for about 10 minutes in the duty free as I found some Oeros I really wanted but they didn´t accept pound coins, god damn it. Got on the plane to Quito and was sat next to a really nice guy called Jorge who was chatting away and even helped me with getting taxi to the hotel so I didn´t get ripped off. Very good start, even met his Mum and Dad at the airport!

Arrived at the hotel and dropped my bags off then quickly went to phone Mum as my phone isn´t working in Ecuador (gay). As I was in a rush I just left all my stuff in my room without even thinking. Spoke to Mum, got a bottle of water and happily wandered back to the hotel. To cut a long story short the maid was coming out of my room and had stolen $230. So I told the hotel owner whilst the maid was completely denying all of it. She did eventually give me the money back when it was just her and I and then told everyone that I had just found it in my bag. I was quite prepared to not get the police involved but the hotel owner wasn´t haveing any of it and told me she had stolen twice before but they couldn´t prove it so then I thought, sorry love you´re going down! Lol! No all joking aside wçit was horrible as she was then pleading with me not o but the hotel owner still wasn´t having any of it. Had to go to the police station for 2 hours and then some of her family where there jabbering a load of rubbish to me in Spanish which I didn´t understand, maybe just as well! The police took a statement from me which involved a translator (very Hollywood) and then wanted to take photocopies of my money, and then get this, they charged me $5 for it (very South American!)

Today, courtesy of the hotel owner I had a city tour which was very cool. Went to the Basillica Cathedral, walked all around the Old Town and then up to the Penicillo which is a massive statue of the Virgin Mary that overlooks Quito. Oh and then of course popped to the market to buy a few things, even changed the habit of a lifetime and bought earrings!

Just before I came out to write this I met a few of the guys on the trip and I assume some more will be at the hotel when I get back. We have our first meeting tomorrow morning and then leave Quito Wednesday for our next stop which is Ottovalo market...

Best go, gotta try and make some friends! Lots of love and apologies to anyone who has text but as my phone´s not working I haven´t received anything. Will write again when I have more to say X