Vagabond Jim

+ Styptic pencil (nicked an artery shaving - who knew one could? - 5 hours of bleeding.  They have no idea what one is in Quito.) + Kindle (I miss reading.) + Earbuds (long sleepless flights suck.) + Crystal Lite Packets (water is dull.) + Camping utensils (Too many bad plastic utensils in market food courts.) + Better Luggage (travel backpack is a go; sling for daytime wear is better than a small backpack if sans camera gear. 3l may be OK - carrying layers and can serve as 'personal item' aboard flights.)

Quito '23 Across the street from my room.  I laugh several times a day when I look at it. The sign reads: "That which cannot be seen"  Ha!  I want to stop seeing it

I have always had a gimlet eye.  Like Marlowe and Holmes.  Don't like these observations?  Just remember they are offered only as such.  These are not commentary; they are statements of fact.   OK?

 Quito, 1430 I slept poorly last night.  On previous nights I was dead to the world by 2000.  Last night, I saw 2335 and beyond.  (One learns to NOT check the time too often as a chronic insomniac. I checked only once.) Part of it was noise.  When the sun goes down, this part of towns shuts comletely down.  The streets are absolutely empty.  The stores are all shuttered by 1800.  The place rolls up the sidewalks, the tourists disappear. (I am in the historic old town it is tourist laden by daylight as is appropriate for one of the original UNECO Heritage Sites.) It has usually stayed deserted until a few hours after sunrise (~0615 +/- 20 minutes year round.  Sunset is always ~12 hours later.)  When I wake at 0800ish the stores are just re-opening. Last night there were trucks parked outside.  Lots of conversation.  Lots of diesel engine noises.  Lots of exhaust fumes. Ear plugs and a mask helped.  But only a bit. I aw...

02Jun21, Quito (Iñaquito) See that sign in the background?  ...In case you cannot... (Come and create  incredible Selfies, Reels, Tiktoks in SELFIE WORLD...more than 15 cabins.) No!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  Fuck off "Influencer Society," just fuck off!!!   Go away!  Now!!!  Let people just be OK with themselves again, OK?   Love,  Jim P.S., Credit where credit is due: this was a nice use of "Usted" instead of "tu."

This is a pretty boring place if one doesn't speak Castilian well.  That's OK, I need a new type of boredom.  One that makes my feet sore, my heart thump, and can occasionally lead to backspasms. Quito is for wanderers.  It suits me. After writing this afternoon it was too early to retire.  And, I knew I'd need something else to eat.  I wandered.  What'd I see? Stuff like this, a gigantic convent on Plaza San Francisco.  Don't ask, I cannot remember which order  of nuns. That last shot is the best one I've taken so far, in my estimation.  It really captures the moment and place.  What I see is what I was experiencing.  That's cool.  It was not altered other than a crop.  That's the untouched colors and exposure.  So cool. Not bad for a phone camera that I do not like.  I do appreciate that it is making me think compositionally.  A lot.  Wide angle lenses are new to me.  My thoughts on photo equipme...

Day 3: - 01Jun23 Written: Quito, ~1500 First: Happy Birthday, Dad! What a day so far. I thought I'd head to the other end of town.  (No, I cannot remember if it's North or South.) The Cathedral (OK, that makes it the southern end.  I think.) side. About half way there I though a bird shit on me.  Then two guys started to try to help clean off what was more like mustard than bird poop.  I knew something was wrong.  How could it come from above only touch my hat brim above but stretch down my neck to my right leg.  Makes no sense.  It must have come from behind.  Bells and whistles started in my head. One guy started cleaning my left leg.  Which happened to have a zippered pocket on the side of my thigh.   And did not have stinky stuff on it.  Alarms, klaxons, and "hooters" (So. African for a klaxon) started SCREAMING. Full alert, this is not a drill! I looked.  The pocket was open.  I slapped a hand; my wallet fell to ...