Contact and Other Information

Here's the contact information for the hotel where we'll be staying in Quito:

Hotel San Francisco de Quito
(“En el centro histórico”)
Sucre y Guayaquil
011 593 2 228 7758

Our hotel in Mindo, the "Gallo de la Pena", where we'll be on the 17th and the 18th:

011 593 2 390 0429

(Mindo is so small that street addresses are superfluous.)

It can't be guaranteed that the person answering the telephone will speak English. If you can't make yourself understood, just try to get my name across ("Joseph Johnson, de Estados Unidos"). If you combine that with an email to me (jjohnson@lenoxps.org), I should be able to get back to you relatively quickly.

Here's a copy of the packing list:

•Tee shirts, underwear, socks
•A warm fleece or lightweight fall jacket
•A watch, preferably with an alarm (if it has none, bring an alarm clock as well)
•A sweater or two – warm and thin is best
•Casual pants that fit well. That is to say: They should not be falling down as you walk; nor should they be form-fitting. The pants are important for everyone – if they draw unnecessary attention, or aren’t otherwise appropriate, I’ll ask you to change. Check that – I’ll tell you to change.
•A rain jacket or poncho – the thinner and more collapsible, the better.
•A collapsible travel umbrella
•A hat against the sun – broad brims are good; collapsible and pocket-stuffable is best
•A “nice” outfit for concerts, Catholic Mass, etc. Collared shirt with/without a sweater and black shoes over Chinos is fine, for both genders; skirts of an appropriate length would of course also be great, but might not be worth bringing if a pair of nice pants will double as everyday pants. (The shoes are important, though; tennis shoes at a concert are bad form.)
•Hiking / walking shoes. These should be shoes you’d be comfortable in walking for 5 miles on pavement, or three over cobblestones.
•Tennis shoes
•Shower flip-flops
•A padlock with a key
•Sunglasses
•Sunblock
•Swimwear (modest is best)
•Baby wipes
•Extra glasses / contact lenses
•A journal for writing down your experiences and impressions, as well as names and addresses of new friends
•Camera, as well as the necessary gear