Arrivals

I woke to see,against the pailing sky, the silouhettes of volcanoes jutting through the clouds. Standing there, on the shoulder of Cotopaxi one would see the world as I did, blanketed in cloud and still sleeping. We decended through the haze and between the time we landed and entered the airport, the sun had risen and began to burn through the fog.

We arrived in Quito with little hastle and took a cab to our hostel, where Belen waited for us. The hostel is clean with fresh paint, wooden floors, and a center atrium that pours light into our interior room.

At 2850m (aprox 9000 ft) even a walk through the city can be taxing. So we wandered down Avenue Amazones to Parque El Ejido, pausing along the way in plazas and on street corners to watch cars and busses, street vendors and sparrows.

At Parque El Ejido, a crowd drew us to a volley ball game, just getting underway. After stretching, six men took the concrete court and commenced a game of Equavolley. In this Ecuadoran version, the net sits about 9´ off the pavement and the players suspend the ball in the midst of their volley. On-lookers ringed the court, two or three people deep in the shady sections.

Extending one end of the court, a row of cement benches held card players. Men in suits straddled the benches and faced men in tee-shirts or ragged clothes. While we watched both games, two men clasped hands, crouched to blow the dust from the bench and took their seat to deal a hand. We ambled on.