Thu 17 May 2012 In daytime, the city is quite impressive, surrounded as it is by what seem like perpetually misty mountains. The old town is especially hilly and walking around it is quite an exercise. It takes some serious energy to be able to explore it on foot. Quito appears as relatively clean and with pothole-free roads; traffic can be a bit chaotic for someone used to cars driving in their own lanes, and the sight of a truck with 5-7 people crammed
“What shall I do this week? Oh well, I think I’ll just jet off to Ecuador!” This may not be a very common decision, and yet this is exactly what I am doing. And while sitting in the airport, facing a day of flying, I realise there is a certain logic behind my choice: it is my third trip to Latin America, and after enjoying Caribbean island life with mojitos and merengue nights in the Dominican Republic, a gorgeous bay,
You probably have to travel and decide for yourself, but here is my take. Bucharest itself is quite frankly an ugly city; a mix of Istanbul, wannabe Paris, and Soviet Realism. Winters can be grim and the summers will be hot. It is home to more than two million people and it is a crowded and busy city. If you want to work in Romania, this may be your only realistic choice as most major/international
As a foreigner travelling or living in Romania, there are a few other things you should know:
The infrastructureIt’s poor, crumbling, and being replaced only slowly. The streets will have potholes and as a driver you will share them with jaywalkers, stray dogs, chicken, perhaps even ox-driven carts. The roads in the cities are sinewy and winding, making driving a stressful experience. The intercity roads pass through villages, which will slow you down considerably.
Electricity can be unreliable and so can the
Queueing up for Quito – Part Three
I have a latte at Plaza de las Americas – a modern mall with restaurants, cinemas, and coffee shops near Av. 10 de Agosto, not far from my hotel. This complex offers free wireless Internet; other places for Internet access include Papaya.Net, which has a number of modern shops in different parts of town, including Old Quito – there, I do hear two ladies speaking in British-accented English. I did try a naranjilla juice there; I had no idea there
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