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Maryana
and her beautiful Quito! - by Iftikhar
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Iftikhar
in front of the "Middle World" museum in Ecuador.
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I
really love Spanish language and the people of South America,
they are nice, cooperative and kind. My travel tale relates
to one of my trips when I visited Ecuador in South America.
It was a very pleasant day when I reached the capital-Quito,
I had travelled by Aero-Peru. The Immigration officer at Quito
Airport had smiled and stamped my passport for 90 days. I
found a taxi and told the driver to go to some economic hotel.
He took me to the middle of the city and then to a very strange
type of hotel. The Hotel name was Zoolia Hotel. It looked
like a horror type, I could not make a decision but went to
the reception and got a room. It was really cheap but dangerous.
I was very upset but it was done. When I reached my room I
worried more. A terrible strange bed like a death-bed lay
in front of me! There was a lifeless environment in the room.
I kept my luggage to one side and went out.
There was life outside. I walked in the Bazaar and felt better,
there were many mercados (markets) and restaurants. I found
a restaurant named King Chicken and sat down and ate food
and relaxed there for some time. Finally I left for the hotel,
but really I was afraid. When I reached near the Zoolia Hotel,
I saw some guys had drunk much and were throwing the empties
on the road. I could not sleep at all during the night.
Early in the morning I left and tried to search for a safe
and comfortable hotel. It was an International hotel where
I went. Maryana a name which I can never forget all of my
life, was the receptionist at Hotel International. She welcomed
me and already I felt that I am in my own home now. Maryana
was a great catholic girl, who was as kind as a mother. I
slept much better now because I was satisfied and when I woke
up I could picture Maryana's smiling face.
Soon we were good friends and she helped guide me to walk
to many good historical places in the city. She liked me and
desired to marry me, but I could not make it possible. She
took me to a grand religious place where i saw Hazrat Maryam's
statue (mother of Jesus). I was feeling so lucky to see such
a nice religious place and with the company of Maryana. We
went there by taxi, but back by walking because for the return
there was not any taxi. We were so tired, we had some dinner
at a restaurant as we passed by, before reaching the hotel.
I had my walkman with me, as I love to hear Indian classical
music. Maryana also liked it very much and for the whole week
while I stayed, she and the other hotel guests and employees
enjoyed that music.
One day Maryana took me to a place called 'Middle world'.
It was a good historical museum. Maryana took the picture
of mine with my story at that place. We went inside by the
elevator and returned by looking at every portion of it by
the stairs. There were so many beautiful items, agricultural
tools, arms, dresses and many old things. I will remember
in all of my life, Maryana and her beautiful Quito.
Submitted: 28 April 2002
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