Joe, Ro + Charlie´s Blog (plus Dani): Day 33: Suiting it up

Woke early this morning. First things First, we had to book our Cotopaxi expedition. A quick all you can eat omelette breakfast up on the terrace in the bar area on the fifth floor and then it was down to the bottom floor where Paul has his tourist office set up. Paul is a really chilled out guy from the US who came to visit his mother in Quito 10 years ago and couldn’t leave so he set up his own tourist office in the basement of Secret garden called Carpadium. He soon talked us into the full 3 day trip as at least one night at altitude would be needed before the night at the base camp on the night we attempt the summit. Just then Luke the Auzzi poked his head in and we convinced him to come too because we needed a fourth to beat the US team. $220 each because there were 8 of us including the Americans doing the climb

The four of us headed into town in Pauls car to the climbing shop which ran these expeditions. A really old jeep which I´m definitely going to buy when I get to Auzz. Here we were fitted for snow boots, ice cramp-ons, fleece long Johns, Fleece jacket and balaclava, Water proof pull-ups, rain coat, head-lamp, snow mitts and oxygen mask (all is true except for oxygen mask although we could have done with a few oxygen bottles half way up the mountain). We hat to buy our own hats gloves and sky socks so we said see to tomorrow to the shop keeper and did some shopping. I bought 2 pairs of socks which I was thankful for after.

Luke had been robbed on the tram back from the "Central del Mundo" yesterday so we went with him the police station to fill out his police report for his insurance. On the packed Trole a man bumped into him knocking him into two old women. One reached into his left pocket for his wallet who he stopped but when he turned back his right pocket had been slashed with a knife and his expensive camera gone. This was a common story with the trams here.

Made it back in time to Skype the Old folks and make our second Spanish Lesson. We all have a few words know. Santi our instructor is the best there is. His favourite words are "Entanda Chicos" and "Muy Peligroso". The first one when we have our bewildered looking faces on and the second one when describing any area in Quito to us or the Cotopaxi volcano. I would hear the second one a whole lot over the next few days.

Chicken and Beef was the dinner of the day which we devoured. We met up with Luke and Chris and all agreed to have an early night which didn really happen. It was Quiz night in the hostel so we had to have a go. Chris joined another team so TEAM IRELAND bonded and called our team the Cotopaxi 4. At the half way mark we were in the lead so we won free shots of rum, which we really didn need, but took all the same. Sleep eventually came but the excitement was starting to kick in.