flying into quito is supposed to be dangerous.....a two mile strip (only one...yes todd) and right in the middle of the city and right in the middle of the two mountain ranges.......i've been lucky enough to utilize the airport 4 times last week and will use it again next week! there was an iberia flight that landed in the ditch at the end of it, and also took out some radar system, so flights are irregular (depending on whether or not companies WANT to fly in or not)....and also due to visibility.....jessica's plane came in the other day only to turn back to guayaquil...i had a flight cancelled......and this morning coming in from cuenca......got to see the plane at the end of the runway! it's definitely convenient, though, this whole airport in the middle of the city thing.....but in a few years the airport will be moving to the valley below, which will make a 15 min. trip to the airport an hour or more trip.....(although they say it's very turbulent air in the valley!)

taking a bus up here in the mountains takes too long (flights are generally 30-45 min. anywhere in the country, but car trips to the same places will take 8-12 hrs!?)......and not necessarily safer either....along with the typical crosses indicating some fatal accident, you also find blue hearts painted all over the roads.....hmmm......

you can see me, mark & valeria very happy to return safely to quito!