There are always people going places and Airports are a major way for people to go somewhere. Monday mornings is no exception, and when you arrive at the airport at “stupid-o’clock”, it’s amazing how many people are going somewhere. Even though I had an economy ticket, I did have “priority access” which meant no line-ups or waiting.
I knew that LJ was going to be a bag of toys when I had to go through and check into customs, and it was all I could do to not be the same. We had discussed this moment ever since I was offered the position in Quito and I had hopped that by talking about it, it would lessen the emotions. WRONG! There is nothing that pulls at your heart string more than your son in a full on cry saying “don’t go, I don’t want you to go…” even though he knows you have to. Luckily I had to start thinking about customs, how to carry 4 bags and a set of golf clubs and get all the bags through inspection and customs. Totally none eventful and regardless of why they are doing this now I remember the days when there was someone behind the ticket counter who put your bags on the conveyer for you. Security be dammed I think the ticket takers are just lazy.
I love flying and it had been awhile since I had flown last so I was excited about that. I love the take offs, landings, the tight turns on approach, all of it. It didn’t help this time that my younger brother said to me “if a problem develops in the first 60 seconds of a flight, it is usually game over.” I checked my watch. I flew into Miami for a plane switch before continuing onto Quito and I hooked up with the President of my company and the Project Manager of the project, along with his wife who lives with him on the job, and they took me into the Admirals Club lounge for the 3.5hour wait until the next flight. Got to know all of them a little better and I learned a lot about the project.
There was a thunderstorm that passed over Miami airport just before we were to depart and that delayed us by ½ an hour. The flight was none eventful, and yes I checked my watch, but the first thing that grabbed my attention was how early it got dark. At the equator you only have 12 hours of dark, and 12 hours of light. Makes sense, but still did not expect it. Once we landed in Quito we were met by QuiPort staff and whisked through customs and immigration. Made me feel like a VIP! I was expecting to be out of breath given the altitude, but that never happened, yet. What really amazed me was that my bags beat me to the carousel! Three of them, all arrived intact, unopened and I was out of the airport in less than 20 minutes!
The companies’ driver met us and I was taken to my new apartment. It was more than what I expected, bigger than the condo my brother has back home, but modest. Everything is here, dish washer, microwave (with Spanish instructions but the buttons are in the same place) stove, fridge (which was stocked with a carton of eggs, cheese and some milk and juice) dishes, sugar and salt. I poured my self a scotch and sat back and relaxed. I don’t have Internet yet but that will be for another days mission.
Morning came and the view is beautiful. I got a ride out to the site with another man who lives in the same building and if all goes well, as it has so far on this trip, I should have a vehicle today and hopefully Internet shortly.
Culturally, Ecuador is made of indigenous peoples who are descendants of the Incas, and Spanish who settled here after conquering the Incas. There are also people who are descendants of Jamaican slaves brought here by the Spanish. Lately there has been in influx of other foreign nationals who have moved here under similar pretenses to myself and have stayed on past their assignments. It is a beautiful country, at least what I have seen, and is diverse in every aspect of nature and humanity. As I arrived at night the view from the airplane was no different from coming into any city in the world. What was different was that since we are at the equator, our arrival time of 8pm had us landing in full darkness and not twilight as I was used to.
Representatives of the Quiport authority, people who work for the airport, met me at the door of the aircraft and they whisked me through customs and immigration. I was concerned about this as my ticket was only one way and I did not have a Visa, but apparently that did not make a difference. It took about 25 minutes to de-plane and get through to the baggage carousel, by-passing the regular line up for customs and immigration, and my bags were waiting for me! All in all, it took no more than 45 minutes from the time the plane touched down until I was on my way to my apartment! First impression at this point was not of a third world country but one that was efficient and definitely in the modern world.
My driver Pablo, who works for the consortium building the new airport, spoke English and gave me a bit of a tour on our way to Cumbaya from the airport. The old Quito airport is at an elevation of 9000 ft. but still in a valley. Mountains surround the airport, as they do the whole city of Quito. Cumbaya is a suburb of Quito and is 2000 ft. below Quito where it is warmer and considered a better place to live. North Quito is where the old airport is and the Hotel district; it is also “new Quito”. To the south is old Quito or the colonial part of the city. It is suggested that you do not visit this area at night, or alone…EVER. Robbery, muggings, pickpockets and other types of activity are more prevalent here as this is the less fortunate part of Quito and is no different from any other emerging city anywhere else in the world.
My first apartment, I have already moved once with in the complex and will be again on the 15th of this month, was a one bedroom “Junior Suite” consisting of a full kitchen/dinning room/living room, a bed room with a Queen sized bed, and an on suite bathroom, all in all about 550 sq. ft.
Arrangements had been made the night before for a “neighbor” who lived across the hall from me, to drive me into work and so at 7:30 off I went to the job site. The new airport is 1500 ft. lower than the old one and for this reason larger planes, more cargo and planes fully fueled can leave Quito towards there destinations with out have to re-fuel at an airport at a lower elevation. The runway is also 4km long!
My day started with meeting people and there were a lot. Susan is the ex-pat coordinator and became my new best friend. She had everything ready for me, including the apartment, and the process of starting a new job was well under way thanks to her efforts. Around 10:30 I was shown the Passenger Terminal Building, PTB for short, by the Buildings Project Manager Walter, and the Assistant Buildings Project Manager Mirek, both of who work for Aecon. The building is very similar to Terminal 1 at Pearson and I believe it is the same architect.
There is a main compound where all the sub trades have offices, the construction consortium has their office (this is who I work for) and the owners and architects have their offices. The site consists of the PTB, the tarmac and runway, cargo building, a hangar (both still under construction) the tower and other support buildings in various stages of construction. I will be tasked with the PTB to start.
I hit the ground running on this project and by my second day on site I as dealing with some issues that have been plaguing the site for some time. Due to the lack of skilled workers here, certain elements of construction are not present and even though the workers want to work, they do not show the initiative that North American workers do. The language issue is also a bit of a roadblock but there are a number of coordinators and foreman who do speak Spanish and English quite well. This airport is being built to North American standards as well as standards used in Earth Quake areas, and this is proving to be a teaching and learning experience for all. I will be responsible for all finishes in the PTB and to start I am looking after the drywall, both framing and boarding. The plastering part of this is well under control as there are skilled plasterers who can transfer this skill to tapping, but the framing and boarding needs attention.
In addition, the drywall contractor is also responsible for installing doorframes, and the doors. Due to coordination issues, as well as an election in 2009, the openings for the doors was built prior to the frames being on site and as such frames are not installed correctly, with large gaps all around the frames. This is proving to be a challenge and a direction has been chosen and all will be fine in the end. Coordination, communication and direction are what are needed on this job and my superiors are impressed with what they have seen of my efforts this week, and are giving me encouragement to proceed as I am.
On my third day in Cumbaya I had to move apartments. The suite that I am supposed to have will not be ready until the middle of the month and I was in someone else’s and had to move when they arrived on Thursday. My final suite will be a two bedroom on the West side of the condo which was built as a Seniors building but the owner could not sell all the units to people over 50 and has such there is a somewhat younger group of people living here. A number of people from the site are here as well. As I will have room I invite anyone to come down and visit.
The drive to work from my apartment takes me through what can only be described as a 20km long home depot. All along the highway are small shops building concrete block, carpenters and lumber yards, tile and terra-cotta manufactures, steel yards, brick yards, concrete pipe manufacturers, as well as some stores and street markets. Driving is an experience and it is said that as a driver in Ecuador you will hit about three dogs a year with your car, and at least one person. (Although the person will live.) Traffic lights are for the most part just a suggestion, and speed limits are a make work project for sign painters. Might has right on the roads and if the other vehicle is bigger than you, give way. Everyone cuts each other off and you can tell the tourist, as they are the courteous drivers. Signaling to change lanes does no good at all. My car at present is a Hyundai Tuzon and a five speed since automatics have not been invented in Ecuador yet. If you really want to make money here your would open a transmission and brake shop. Some of the hills are so steep I have to use first gear to go up them! The altitude plays a part with combustion but the cars are mostly tuned for this. My first few days of driving have taken me around part of the city and today I am going into the old part of Quito with a friend from the site that has been here since 2009. Wish me luck!
Over all I am very happy with where and what I am doing here. The job is a challenge but after I have completed my work here I will be more knowledgeable and marketable in my field and better opportunities will be available to me. The people I have met are all very friendly and more than willing to help with what ever they can. My co-workers and the workers I am responsible are all great people. I am obviously a foreigner in this country but I have not been made to feel that way. Of course I miss home and everything about it but I know that after this adventure I will be more enlightened and be a better person as a result.
