More Quito

Ive been having a great laugh the last few days. I met up with the gang Ive been traveling with for ages after a short break apart. They have headed off to Colombia but I should meet up with them again along the way. Quito has loads of backpackers which makes a nice change from a lot of the places Ive been in Ecuador. Im spending most of my time with a funny Ozzie bloke that I met originally in Banos. I feel like Ive known him for years so we are having great craic together.

Ive been to loads of museums and churches, the best was an art museum showing an Andy Worhol exhibition which was really interesting. Also climbed the church tower which gives a great view of the old city.

We went to the Equator which was really underwhelming. Basically just a line and a monument. Definitely missable. And then we went to the real equator which was just down the road. Apparantly they didn´t have GPS when they drew the first line. So we paid again into the real line which was quite funny as you can balance an egg on a nail head and you can watch the water fall straight through a plug hole without it swirling.

Went to a Turkish baths today which wasn´t great cause the sauna and the steam rooms weren´t very hot which kind of defeats the purpose.

The best thing Ive done since I got here was go to visit the womens prison. We went to visit an Irish girl but it turns out she had already been released so we just chatted to the other foreigners who were all in for drug trafficking. It was very surreal but an incredible experience. We got to mingle with all the prisoners in the yard and their common room and we even got a tour of their bedrooms. The conditions were awful. The prison is doubly oversubscribed and overrun with children who are allowed live with their criminal mothers. Can you imagine growing up in a prison? The food looked terrible and the place was awash with inmates wandering around like zombies on drugs. Most of the foreigners are in there for 8 years minimum. They were all in fairly good spirits as we brought a load of chocolate, cigarettes, fresh veg etc and we all gave them money as well.

Apart from that Ive just been going out. The bars and clubs are amazing here. So are the shops. Ive bought a load of clothes which Ive no space for in my bag but Im just so sick of all the stuff Ive been wearing non-stop for the last 5 is it? months.

Im prob going to head to Colombia myself tomorrow if I can get my act together.