May 27, 2026
In order to make my wake up time for flying out of Cusco I opted to just not go to sleep last night.
Almost ended up getting in a fistfight at the end of that flight. The story behind that – arriving to check in at the airlines recommended check in time – an hour before the airport opened, caused a certain American tourist to start flinging out some travel rage. I tried to calm him down by pointing out that Cusco is a tiny airport with only 6 gates, we had the only flight that early, and South American airport security is something you can breeze through incredibly quickly. He still chose to flip his shit, so I avoided him after that, until it was time to deplane after landing. He was seated with his lady friend in the row in front of me, but had put all their carry on luggage in a bin 6 rows behind me. Meanwhile all I had was my day pack, which I was wearing. So I’m trying to get forward to get off the plane and he’s pushing his way back to get his stuff, and he made some pissy comment to me then balled his fist and raised it like he was going to slug me. Fortunately his lady friend told him to calm the fuck down. But, goddamn guy. You’re in the third world, ain’t nobody gives no fucks about your American entitlement. Having an endless tantrum ain’t gonna get you were you’re going any faster.
Also, apparently Peru built and opened a new airport in Lima sometime between when I left last May and now. I get why they did that, but I personally liked the old airport better. Was much easier to navigate in a world where domestic to international connection means leaving the airport and reentering to go through immigration and security again. This new airport you have a weirdly long walk to get out, and a weirdly long walk to get back in.
Onward journey to Quito went without a hitch. Crossed the boarder with the honey, so I’m probably home free at this point in regards to that. Also got through with some coca candy I had purchased in Peru and forgot about. Whoops.
Quito is a weird place to tourist. All that there really is to see here is churches, and I’m kind of churched out. There’s also a park straddling the equator 25km north of here, which I wanted to see until I realized the round trip taxi cost is around $50. $50 it too much money for the novelty of being able to stand in both the northern and southern hemisphere at the same time. There probably are public transit options. Quito has a metro system, but it doesn’t go that far north. So from the last station I’d have to figure out buses, and I haven’t found a lot of information on which bus to take.
Also wanted to tour the cathedral.
It’s the only gothic cathedral I’m aware of down here. Most cathedrals are baroque in style.
The official currency of Ecuador is the US dollar, but they mint their own coins, which look like US coins vaguely, but they’re not quite right. Surprised the US treasury is okay with that, but I’m guessing not many Ecuadorian coins end up being in circulation back in the US. Tho banks probably pull them out of circulation. They’re at least worth their face value in USD, so there’s that.
Also for dinner last night I decided against a tourist restaurant and went to some shady looking place with a tarp for a roof filled with shady looking locals who got a hoot out of me being there.
No idea what I ordered, but it was delicious. The bowl at the top isn’t soup, it’s a spicy yet tangy salsa for putting on your food. It’s delicious too. Total cost was $3, including a drink.
