Two days of travel from San Diego, California to Cuenca, Ecuador
With our week long family reunion in San Diego quickly coming to a close, it was time to begin the trek down to South America for my second Spanish language study abroad program of the summer.
After breakfast, some final packing, and a few “see you laters,” my family dropped me off at the Santa Fe Depot in downtown San Diego so I could begin my journey down to Ecuador. I checked-in at the Amtrak counter, dropped my bags off, and waited outside for the train to arrive.
Amtrak Surfliner from San Diego to Los Angeles
Right around noon I boarded the Amtrak Surfliner 777 train heading up to Union Station in Los Angeles. The train was completely full for most of the trip, both because an earlier train had been canceled and the fact that it was just a busy time of day for rail transportation in California.
After applying the nationwide student discount my coach ticket only cost $30, which was cheaper than the price of gas would have been to drive between the two cities. The seats were comfortable enough for the three hour trip along Southern California’s beautiful coastline, and the pristine scenery made up for any minor travel inconveniences. I alternated between reading my new book and watching the ocean and beachside communities pass by as we rode north.
Union Station to Los Angeles International Airport (LAX)
After arriving in Los Angeles’ Union Station, I walked to the Amtrak baggage claim to retrieve my suitcases. From there I walked to the Los Angeles Metro area of the station, bought a ticket, and took a Purple D line subway train three stops to 7th Street/Metro Center. I waited about 5 minutes for a Blue A line train to arrive, and boarded heading further south into the city. This blue line loops all the way down to Long Beach, but I needed another transfer to the Green C line at the Willbrook – Rosa Parks station. The Green C line runs to the Aviation/LAX station.
I took the elevator down to the ground floor of the Aviation/LAX station once I arrived, and followed the signs to the Greenlink Bus waiting area. The Greenlink bus provides a free shuttle service to the LAX terminals for anyone with valid proof of purchase on the Metro within two hours. The route is named for the color of the line it connects to, the Metro C Green Line, but the bus is actually blue, so don’t be confused by this as you look for it arriving at the Airport Station like I was for a minute. There are clear signs where to wait however, and the bus offers ample luggage storage and seating.
Los Angeles Metro vs. LAX FlyAway
With multiple line changes, taking the metro rail to the airport can be a little confusing and stress-inducing for people unfamiliar with the area’s system, especially during busier service times.
If you just have a personal item (like a purse or backpack) or a small carry-on, then navigating the Metro stations is a breeze. I had two suitcases, one carry-on and one larger suitcase, which made it slightly more difficult to get up and down the stairs and escalators (although there are generally elevators at each station too for larger groups with luggage or people with disabilities), but not entirely impossible.
I would recommend however, considering utilizing the other transit option from Union Station to LAX, know as LAX FlyAway. The city offers a bus shuttle service directly between the train station and the airport, which is a bit more streamlined than taking the Metro.
Los Angeles to Mariscal Sucre Quito International Airport
I got off the Greenlink Bus at the B Terminal stop, and took an elevator upstairs to the check-in area. The airport was pretty crowded, but I managed to make it through security and to my gate in a pretty reasonable amount of time.
I slept most of the way from Los Angeles to Bogota, staying awake long enough to eat the in-flight meal and then wrapping up in the provided Avianca blanket. We landed the next morning at El Dorado Bogota Airport after flying over the entirety of Mexico and Central America.
When I looked at the Arrivals/Departures board in the airport, I was surprised to find that my plane was already boarding. Unfortunately however, instead of going straight to the plane, I was required to go through a security checkpoint again. So at around 6:00 in the morning, I sprinted through the terminal with my carry-on and arrived at the gate just as they were closing the doors. And although on this trip I hardly spent any time actually in Colombia, from what I could see through the rain clouds in the air it looked pretty, and I’ll have to plan a trip back one day.
A few hours later, as we descended into Quito, I was amazed at how green everything looked. It also made me really happy to see so many soccer fields dotted across the landscape. After we landed I walked to the customs area. The immigration officer asked me a few quick questions then stamped my passport with a cheerful “Bienvenidos.” I was officially in Ecuador!
Quito to Mariscal La Mar Cuenca Airport
But I wasn’t done yet. I had a super long layover before my flight to Cuenca that evening, but decided to stay at the airport and not head into Quito because of political unrest in the area. Instead, I rented a baggage locker to drop off my suitcases for a few hours, and walked right across from the terminal to the Quito Airport Center. I ate lunch and killed time for a while until it was time to check in.
My flight to Cuenca left from a D gate, which meant that after scanning our boarding passes we all had to board a bus from the main terminal. The bus took us out onto the tarmac where we boarded our plane straight from the ground, something I had never done before. New travel first!
The sky glowed a deep dark red as the sun set behind the Andes mountains while we flew south to Cuenca. Quick side note: one of my favorite things about flying to Latin American destinations is that the people on the plane clap every time we land and I love it. We exited the same way when we arrived in Cuenca too, onto the ground and into the surprisingly chilly weather.
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Finally Arriving in Cuenca
By the time I finally reached my host family’s home over a day and a half after leaving San Diego, I had traveled in almost a dozen different forms of transportation. I had driven in two cars, flown on three airplanes, ridden four separate trains, and taken two buses. As exciting as the journey was, I was just as excited to get a few hours of sleep before the first day of class the next morning.
Click here to read about my first week studying abroad in Ecuador!
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