Letter
Dear Birthgivers,
First of all, I am super-excited that you guys are visiting me in Ecuador, but I wanted to send you an email of things to expect before your plane touches ground. On your flight from Panama City to Quito you will receive a little sheet of paper from customs asking you to fill out information. It is in English as well, so no need to worry about that, but you will have to put down the address and number of the hotel you are staying at, so you should get on finalizing that as soon as possible. *cough*DAD*cough* When you go through customs, please be patient, as some customs officials can speak English while others can kinda speak English.
[anecdote: When mine saw that I am from the U.S. he conducted everything in English, pointing at the customs sheet and saying “number 4.”
I had already filled out number four on the customs sheet so I was really confused, but filled out a little more information on number five, thinking maybe he got his numbers mixed up. That just made him upset; he continued to point at the sheet, increasingly more exasperated as he demanded, “number 4.”
Finally I said to him in Spanish, “Sir, I’ve already filled out number four.” At which he started to hear me speak passable Spanish and stammered, “Oh, I need your telephone number here.”
Ah, “number FOR,” as in “number for to call.”]
Also, as you know, countries everywhere are being cautious of the H1N1 Influenza A, so you will have to pass through an infra-red screening where they will look at your body temperature to see if you are sick. If you are sick *cough*DAD*cough* I suggest you get un-sick as quickly as possible, or learn to fake body temperature. But even if they do see something they don’t like the U.S. Embassy has said, “There are currently no health restrictions on travel to and from the United States. However, travelers arriving in Ecuador with flu-like symptoms may be asked to undergo a medical checkup at the airport. Those suspected of having 2009-H1N1 Influenza A will receive treatment at the Hospital Eugenio Espejo in Quito.” So they will let you into the country, you’ll just be spending your time in a hospital.
Unfortunately I likely will not be able to meet you at the airport unless I suddenly develop a teleport device, even in which case I will probably be too busy with the patent to meet you at the airport, so you will need to take a taxi by yourselves. I know you guys are grown-ups now and can take taxis even in another language, but there are a few things to look for in a taxi to make sure that it is legit and that the driver isn’t going to rob or cheat you. First of all, the taxi should be yellow, second, make sure there is a 4-digit number on both the side-door of cab and on the front windshield, and third, it should have an orange license plate. I believe that outside of the customs exit in the airport, to the right, there is a window where you can purchase a taxi fare. If you choose not to use this, make sure to ask your driver to use his meter, pronounced “taxEEmetro.” It is illegal for them not to use it, but they count on gringos not knowing this and sometimes charge as much as five times what a ride would usually cost.
Finally (is this too long yet?), on September 30, President Correa declared a state of exception for Quito, Guayaquil, and Manta. It is to last sixty days, so it will coincide with your trip. Here is what the U.S. Embassy has to say about it, “[the state of exception] will allow the Ecuadorian Armed Forces to collaborate and support the Ecuadorian National Police in operations to combat crime and in operations to control weapons and vehicles. The ‘state of exception’ is a response to the rising incidents of crimes within Quito, Guayaquil, and Manta.”
Now, this really shouldn’t affect us too much since we won’t be driving ourselves, and mostly there have just been a bunch of check-points for cars, but I did want to warn you before you got here. In the time since this was declared, I have noted a marked increase in police presence, complete with LARGE firearms, in a few areas, mainly touristy or busy places such as the Plaza Foch, so you should be aware, and you should also always carry a copy of your passport with you in case they ask for identification.
Alright, that’s about it. I love you guys and I’m really happy I get to see you in less than five days (can you believe it?).
Love, love, love,
Tessa
First of all, I am super-excited that you guys are visiting me in Ecuador, but I wanted to send you an email of things to expect before your plane touches ground. On your flight from Panama City to Quito you will receive a little sheet of paper from customs asking you to fill out information. It is in English as well, so no need to worry about that, but you will have to put down the address and number of the hotel you are staying at, so you should get on finalizing that as soon as possible. *cough*DAD*cough* When you go through customs, please be patient, as some customs officials can speak English while others can kinda speak English.
[anecdote: When mine saw that I am from the U.S. he conducted everything in English, pointing at the customs sheet and saying “number 4.”
I had already filled out number four on the customs sheet so I was really confused, but filled out a little more information on number five, thinking maybe he got his numbers mixed up. That just made him upset; he continued to point at the sheet, increasingly more exasperated as he demanded, “number 4.”
Finally I said to him in Spanish, “Sir, I’ve already filled out number four.” At which he started to hear me speak passable Spanish and stammered, “Oh, I need your telephone number here.”
Ah, “number FOR,” as in “number for to call.”]
Also, as you know, countries everywhere are being cautious of the H1N1 Influenza A, so you will have to pass through an infra-red screening where they will look at your body temperature to see if you are sick. If you are sick *cough*DAD*cough* I suggest you get un-sick as quickly as possible, or learn to fake body temperature. But even if they do see something they don’t like the U.S. Embassy has said, “There are currently no health restrictions on travel to and from the United States. However, travelers arriving in Ecuador with flu-like symptoms may be asked to undergo a medical checkup at the airport. Those suspected of having 2009-H1N1 Influenza A will receive treatment at the Hospital Eugenio Espejo in Quito.” So they will let you into the country, you’ll just be spending your time in a hospital.
Unfortunately I likely will not be able to meet you at the airport unless I suddenly develop a teleport device, even in which case I will probably be too busy with the patent to meet you at the airport, so you will need to take a taxi by yourselves. I know you guys are grown-ups now and can take taxis even in another language, but there are a few things to look for in a taxi to make sure that it is legit and that the driver isn’t going to rob or cheat you. First of all, the taxi should be yellow, second, make sure there is a 4-digit number on both the side-door of cab and on the front windshield, and third, it should have an orange license plate. I believe that outside of the customs exit in the airport, to the right, there is a window where you can purchase a taxi fare. If you choose not to use this, make sure to ask your driver to use his meter, pronounced “taxEEmetro.” It is illegal for them not to use it, but they count on gringos not knowing this and sometimes charge as much as five times what a ride would usually cost.
Finally (is this too long yet?), on September 30, President Correa declared a state of exception for Quito, Guayaquil, and Manta. It is to last sixty days, so it will coincide with your trip. Here is what the U.S. Embassy has to say about it, “[the state of exception] will allow the Ecuadorian Armed Forces to collaborate and support the Ecuadorian National Police in operations to combat crime and in operations to control weapons and vehicles. The ‘state of exception’ is a response to the rising incidents of crimes within Quito, Guayaquil, and Manta.”
Now, this really shouldn’t affect us too much since we won’t be driving ourselves, and mostly there have just been a bunch of check-points for cars, but I did want to warn you before you got here. In the time since this was declared, I have noted a marked increase in police presence, complete with LARGE firearms, in a few areas, mainly touristy or busy places such as the Plaza Foch, so you should be aware, and you should also always carry a copy of your passport with you in case they ask for identification.
Alright, that’s about it. I love you guys and I’m really happy I get to see you in less than five days (can you believe it?).
Love, love, love,
Tessa