January 4 – Quito to Manta
Patricio drove me to the airport this morning through the traffic of Quito. Its congested with cars and people and seems like chaos. While waiting for my flight to Manta, I spotted a gringo in the waiting area and, after a bit, got the courage to see if he indeed was an English speaking American. Wearing Levis and a long sleeved shirt over a t-shirt, Michael was waiting for the same flight I was. He was also planning to make a trip to the bus station upon arrival, his destination north of Manta, mine south. I asked if I could join him on his journey between airport and bus terminal and he said sure.
The flight to Manta was just an hour on AeroGal and included a small sandwich and beverage. The airport is barebones basic, with the plane landing on the tarmac and passengers using stairs deplane. The baggage claim just inside the door of the small building with the portal for the bags right in the outside wall.
Michael got us a cab yucking it up with the drivers and the other guys hanging out. Im not sure what the joke was something about the fare and about the car (was it worthy of a trip to town). The bus station was somewhat organized chaos. Buses and taxis manage to maneuver without incident, which seems incredible. There are Ecuadorian men who just walk around outside the terminal shouting Puerto Lopez and other destinations. Im not sure how the system works. Maybe they work for different bus companies. It just wasnt clear. One of them escorted me to the window where I bought my bus ticket. The guy hand wrote the information on a small piece of paper including bus number, destination, time of departure and the fare, which was $3. The rule of thumb for bus fare here is $1 an hour. My trip actually took just 2.5 hours and I was glad to finally get off.
The road was windy and I forgot that I get motion sick when I read, so after about an hour I wasnt feeling very well. Its hot here, and that didnt help. About 5:30 PM I checked in to Hotel Pacifico, a short walk from the bus station. Its right on the beach and the room is basic and nicer than the one in Quito for only $25 a night.