Sunday, June 16th, 2019.

Day 01 of Galapagos – West, Central and East islands on board of the Estrella del Mar by G-Adventures

Todays plan:

“Fly from Lima to Quito, Ecuador
Flight provided by G Adventures

Check-In Hilton Colon, Quito

Meet the G-Adventures Group for Complete Galapagos Tour at the briefing at 17:00 hrs“

It is sunday. Traffic to the airport should therefore be no catastrophy. I have packed everything flight ready yesterday evening, so I just grab my luggage and go down to the lobby to check out. At the breakfast I just get a coffee. I remember at the airport Gaston has a breakfast restaurant.

I get an Uber, from the Hotel to the Airport. A young guy with a Honda, speaks perfectly english, 34,7 PEN, less then 10 eur, a third to the hotel offer, a seventh of g adventures offer.

I drop our bags surprisingly fast and go up to Gastons Breakfast restaurant at the airport. It is still very good. I spend my last PENs.

FLIGHT 12: 16.06.2019 Avianca AV7389 Lima, Peru (LIM) 10:32 – Quito, Ecuador (UIO) 13:02; flight time 2h30m; Economy; checked luggage: 23 kg, 10 + 5 kg carry on; Seat 29D; Airbus A321; 500 star alliance bonus miles

Beautiful flight up north over the Andes. Unfortunately a little bit cloudy, but I could see the tops of huayhuash and Cordillera Blanco through. The plane is half empty, I have the middle seat free and watch the final episodes of American gods.

At the airport stands a 40 kgs girl from G Adventures to pick us up. She tries to take my 25 kgs bag, I am worried that she hurts herself and donot let go. She speaks good english and worked for g adventures, so we tell our galapagos boat damage story and that we still donot have an itinerary. She recommends to call the emergency number and drops us half an hour later at the hotel Hilton Colon. I get a standard American style hotel room. could be anywhere.

I drop my luggage and call an Uber to the shopping mall. There I go to the claro shop to top up, they recommend me tk a supermarket, it is faster due less people waiting. So I can get sun cream and fill up my toiletbag. Then I get an ice cream, take an Uber back in the heavy rain to hotel.

There I have my G adventures CEO briefing for the Galapagos trip. I get an itinerary in which i fly home to quito after nine days, stay two days in hikton colon and fly to Galapagos again. I tell the guy that I willnot do so. He is helpless. I go to call my travel agency.

Then I take an Uber to Achiote (2,25 USD). Food is top. I taken Uber home (2,40 USD). I like Uber in Ecuador.

Back in the hotel I take all the cold weather stuff out of my bag and put it together with the hiking boots into a waterproof sack to leave it in Quito tomorrow.

Accomodation: Hotel Hilton Colon, Quito, Ecuador