sebbo on tour - around the world

Not only did we experience a significant drop in temperature (from tropical 35°C Galapagos down to around 20°C) in Quito, but the entire scenery altered drastically when we arrived in  the world’s highest capital  which resides on an impressive 2,800m amidst a multitude of volcanoes. This make for a lot of micro climates and viewpoints around the city that allow a great perspective of the enormous North-South stretch of Quito.  After the safe and protected island life we certainly had to adapt to big city life, especially in a place where currently public life stops after dark and streets are deserted as deemed dangerous. Apparently, there isn‘t much political stability right now, fights of drug cartels and the planned introduction of new (private) weapon laws have locals as well as tourists worried big time.  On a tour through the historic centre of Quito, a picturesque UNESCO world heritage site, we learned that politics in Ecuador have been quite entertaining sinc...

Before embarking to the Galápagos islands I had one night in Guayaquil, Ecuador‘s second largest city and gateway to the islands. I stayed close to the airport, stocked up on   insect repellent and sunscreen and tried to mentally prepare myself (=calm myself down) for my upcoming first ever dive aboard experience. The next morning, despite arriving at the airport with plenty of time, I almost missed my flight as the procedures at the Guayaquil airport are extremely  inefficient;  I had to argue my way through skipping  both horrendous lines at the tourist card desk as well as the baggage drop after taking forever at the faulty self-check-in terminals.. Phew, my diving boat would not have waited ! After a thorough baggage check by the K9 dog unit at Baltra airport I was picked up by the boat crew and met the rest of the divers: a group of 6 Americans, a French couple, 2 Spaniards living in Panama and another American who I shared my cabin with as we were the only solo...