The Initial Quito Experience: Travel

So much has happened since moving to Quito on Sunday that I don't know where to begin... but how about at the beginning:

TRAVEL

If you are flying into Quito, be wary of the travel date(s). There is a baggage embargo enforced from early June to the end of August. The airlines say it is because of the Ecuadorian government; however, it is an airline "policy," due to peak travel season. I say "policy" because, apparently, you can sternly force the airline you are traveling with to override the embargo and allow you to check excess, oversized, and/or overweight baggage. This is probably more important to know if you plan on moving here, rather than mere travel.

I managed to check two bags that were just under the weight limit (49 pounds each!). My carry-on and personal bag were probably just about the same. I tried to bring as much as I needed for the time being. When my dad visits after the new year, I am going to have him bring along the third bag I packed. It has some of my more unnecessary items that I won't need immediately: soccer boots; softball mitt; extra pants; etc.

The flight(s) from Milwaukee > Atlanta > Quito were not bad at all. The time from ATL to UIO was about 5h10m. It was amazing for me as I haven't ever flown over the southern tip of Florida, Cuba, Panama, etc. I couldn't believe how beautiful it was, even during the nighttime. The lights along the coastlines painted a surreal picture of where people lived and I hope to one day experience it from the ground. It was also a little more comfortable because I got a free upgrade to economy plus, which gave me extra leg room.

One thing you may want to research is the immigration process. There are two forms for Andean Immigration to fill out: one for the family and one for each individual. If you are solo, you must fill out both. Parts of the form were simple to follow and complete; however, others were quite difficult to understand. Check out this link for more details. I would recommend trying to fill out both forms as best as possible. On the other hand, it didn't appear to be much of a deal that I left a few sections on both forms blank.  I passed through customs without any problem.

I also had no problem with getting any of my belongings in, although I didn't have any prohibited or restricted items in my baggage. TO KEEP IN MIND: you do not have to pay any kind of fees or taxes on items you carry in your baggage. For example, I sat next to a girl carrying a brand new PS4... PS3? Whatever, some kind of game system. However, if someone shipped it to her personally OR she were to order it from the USA, she would be responsible for a shipping/Import tax. I fully intend on carrying my gifts for people back home, or requiring friends or family who want to send things to deliver them with a person in their baggage. This will save tremendous amounts of money for all parties involved.

Landing at Aeropuerto Mariscal Sucre (UIO) was a lot smoother than I imagined it would be. One thing to make sure you have figured out prior to travel is how you will get into Quito proper. It ended up being an hour bus ride from the airport to our hotel destination, Hotel Finlandia, which is quite close to the highway connecting the two.  It was so late when I finished going through customs and waited for the rest of my group to notice if there was a rental car location.

So far, this has been an amazing experience, though limited in what I have seen so far. I will update more later this week with more details, including the housing process.

P.S. the food has been amazing so far. When I become more comfortable and established, I will share more of what I have been eating and drinking. Avoid the Budweiser in this country though