Today I moved to the Magic Bean Hostel in the La Mariscal area, only about 2 blocks from where Gabi lives. I left my bags and then went with Gabi and Summer to some local markets so Gabi could buy some presents to take to Bangladesh with her. I got a good idea of what things should cost so if I go back I will know what to bargain for. From there Summer went off to do her own stuff and I went with Gabi to large shopping centre for lunch. We went to a crepe and waffle place which was really nice. Gabi did a bit of shopping and I just wandered around. It was the same as any other shopping centre, though they did have great recycling bins. From there I went back to the hostel and had a sleep. At 1800 I called Gabi from one of the communication centres that are all over Quito and then walked over to her unit and she took me into the Old Town. Because it is the Day of the Dead (All Souls Day), there were a lot of people out and about around Calle de La Ronda street/area so that is where we went. Gabi was explaining to me how you can only drive on certain days of the week to try and reduce traffic congestion. So number plates ending in certain numbers can only drive on certain days. Gabi’s brand new 4x4 Grand Vitara (bought for her by her boyfriend) plates end in 6 which means she cant drive from 1630 on Wednesdays to 1200 on Thursdays, so technically she shouldn’t have been driving tonight but because it’s a holiday, its ok.
Gabi made me try many traditional foods, some ok, some not. First up was colada morada, the traditional drink that is only made and drunk on the Day of the Dead. It is meant to symbolise the grief and the blood of those who no longer accompany us. It was this thick, hot, dark purple drink which is made from a mixture of berries and cinnamon. At first I didn’t like it, but after a few mouthfuls it was ok. The texture was like paper pulp which is why it was hard to drink, it tasted fine, but its warm thick consistency meant I couldn’t finish it. They also eat guaguas de pan, this bread made in the shape of babies and brightly decorated on this day, but I passed on that. Then I tried various fried foods, all quite nice. We walked the length of the street which had street performers and loads of people walking around. I think the street is one of the oldest in Quito. We then went to a restaurant and I tried more local foods. First up was hot chocolate. I took my first mouthful and it was nice but had this weird oil slick on top and little squishy yucky bits in it. I asked Gabi what it was and she said cheese. Apparently this hot chocolate is a specialty in an area in Ecuador. I really didn’t like the soft cheese bits so tried to strain them out with my teeth (half the cup ended up being soft cheese). Next up was corn on the cob and these large beans. All completely tasteless, so you need to pile on the hot sauce they have to give it some flavour. There were also some fried things with cheese, they were ok, but again not much taste. There was a local band playing which were quite good. We continued walking along the street and reading the signs that line it explaining the history of the area and how it was the place where all the artists and authors used to live.
I got Gabi to drop me back at the hostel because I wasn’t interested in going out clubbing with her because I knew it would be a late night. When I got back to the hostel I was surprised that I had a room to myself. It was a really nice room with only three beds in it and large storage cupboard per bed. The shower was nice and hot too.
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