It was winter. February was unusually warm, with rain falling so lightly that it was hardly felt. Almost at midnight, we left Bishkek. The night fog, settled in the lowlands, was hiding from the morning frost.
“Is winter really over?” I wondered, looking out the night window. Surely, gathering its strength, it will return. But it will be without us. Our winter will remain here, as we are flying to South America and will return only in a month, when the slopes of the Baytik hills will be adorned with white-pink snowdrops. But that will be a while, and for now, we were surrounded by night, with rain turning into snow.
Everything went according to schedule in Almaty, except for the fact that we got lost in the city, missing the necessary turn in the fog.
The flight to Amsterdam took seven hours. Then a “layover” of 13 hours at the international airport. Unfortunately, this was the connection time for our flight to Quito, the capital of Ecuador.
The Amsterdam airport seemed to me like a huge closed city, operating under the control of computers and precisely calibrated programs located somewhere. Yes, it is the largest air harbor, where planes take off and land every 25-30 seconds. The geography of their flights encompasses the whole world. Hundreds of aircraft dock at its docks.
Out of boredom, I calculated that around 30,000 passengers are constantly at the port - by our standards, the population of an average city. There is everything here - shops, restaurants, cafes, bars, cinemas, hotels, clinics, salons, museums, galleries, playgrounds, a central square, streets, and alleys... It seemed to me that it was simply impossible to comprehend this entire metropolis at once. However, the 13 hours that fate had allotted us changed the first impression. Within a few hours, I knew every corner of this bustling air city. Now I confidently say that I know Amsterdam Airport better than any other in the world and could easily work here as a guide.
The flight to Quito is one of the last in the schedule for that day. We happily walked to the dock via familiar passages, taking the shortest route. People were gathering from all directions at our dock. About five hundred people had gathered, filling the huge airplane. The spacious cabin was filled with soft, calming music and warmth. Without hesitation, the liner soared into the night sky and set course for the west.
By this time, I had completely lost track of time. Everything had mixed together - dates, distances, geography. Deadly fatigue muddled my consciousness. It seemed that as soon as I reached my seat, I would immediately fall asleep. But no, God did not grant me the ability to switch off and switch gears so quickly depending on circumstances. Therefore, I could not sleep.
We are flying west. The flight to Quito takes 15 hours. There are two stops along the way: on the island of Bonaire, located off the northeastern coast of Venezuela, and in the city of Guayaquil in Ecuador. In short, I no longer oriented myself in numbers, I only knew one thing: that since the time we left Bishkek, the clock had counted 40 hours.
When we landed in Quito, the local time was around nine in the morning on February 12. The sun was shining outside, and bright flowers were blooming. One of the first pleasant features of Ecuador is its hospitality, expressed in the fact that no visa is required to visit this country. As a tourism specialist, this caused me absolute delight. Here is a worthy example to follow! Ecuador is open to all. It does not divide people into rich and poor, black and white, Christians, Muslims, and Buddhists, friends and enemies...
