Ecuador
There are [0] photos and [15] stories about Ecuador
Wednesday, 14 Nov 2007 | Views [1167]
We decide to take the bus back to Guayaquil tonight, to be sure we have no issues making our flight out the next day. We would have had to leave the beach on the 5:00 a.m. bus if we were to leave tomorrow, as there are only two busses that go direct, ... Read more >
Tags: On the Road
Tuesday, 13 Nov 2007 | Views [1170]
We've spent several days just relaxing here in Punta Ayampe in "June gloom" weather. Windy conditions have given way to glassy morning surf sessions, yoga and meditation on the ocean view deck, and just chillin', taking the chance to catch ... Read more >
Tags: Beaches & sunshine
Monday, 12 Nov 2007 | Views [1413]
To my dear surfer friends who have been religiously following our blog, we have a special gift for you. Punta Ayampe here in Ecuador is like Costa Rica 16 years ago. We have the whole beach break to ourselves, not just one peak, but kilometers of ... Read more >
Tags: Beaches & sunshine
Saturday, 10 Nov 2007 | Views [2325]
You never think it will happen to you. Despite being overly paranoid and conscientious about the way we travel, we can never truly be safe, especially in South America. We've read the horror stories of others having been robbed, mugged and physically ... Read more >
Tags: scams & robberies
Friday, 9 Nov 2007 | Views [1068]
We opt to kick it one more night in Baños, to allow my antibiotics some additional time to kick in. With limited days before our flight to Peru, we decide we don't have enough time for Cuenca and the beach. Given that Ecuador is probably the last spot ... Read more >
Tags: Food & eating
Thursday, 8 Nov 2007 | Views [925]
The surrounding roadways into Baños are still in a state of disrepair from the late August 2006 eruption of Volcán Tungurahua, which destroyed some of the local villages and closed the road going south from Baños to Riobamba, causing people in Baños to ... Read more >
Tags: The Great Outdoors
Wednesday, 7 Nov 2007 | Views [1189]
We have three busses/connections to make today, to get ourselves to Baños, our next destination (no, not bathrooms, the city of Baños!). The challenge of the Quilatola loop is getting there and back, as there are only a couple busses a day, and we're ... Read more >
Tags: On the Road
Tuesday, 6 Nov 2007 | Views [1190]
We froze last night, despite having 6 wool blankets on our bed and having worn wool long johns, socks, hat and gloves to bed. It reminds us of Nepal here; beautiful mountain villages, gorgeous farming communities full of rugged, weathered locals working ... Read more >
Tags: Adventures
Monday, 5 Nov 2007 | Views [1219]
I had been corresponding with a guy (Hemal) on Lonely Planet Thorn Tree, a great resource and networking internet site for travelers. He and his wife are also interested in doing a trek in the Quilotoa Loop. We decided to try to meet up at the bus station ... Read more >
Tags: People
Sunday, 4 Nov 2007 | Views [1063]
The next leg of our journey south takes us from Otavalo to the small town of Latacunga, en-route to the Central Highlands. We were hoping for the skies to clear and to catch a glimpse of the snow capped cones of Volcán Cotopaxi (5897M) and Volcán Chimborazo ... Read more >
Tags: On the Road
Saturday, 3 Nov 2007 | Views [1193]
The Saturday market in Otavalo is one of the biggest handicraft markets in all of South America. Beautifully dressed indigenous locals stream into this small town early Saturday morning to set up their colorful stalls. There are a ton of foreigners ... Read more >
Tags: Markets
Friday, 2 Nov 2007 | Views [3846]
We intentionally wanted to spend November 2, Dia de los Difuntos (Day of the Dead), in a more rural area where we could experience what this family tradition is all about. We figured we would head to the town cemetery to see the festivities in action.... Read more >
Tags: Culture
Thursday, 1 Nov 2007 | Views [1314]
We make our way with our huge packs through historic old Quito, to the bus terminal. Again, we approach the station with caution and vigilance, as everything we've read and been told about this bus station is not good. Bag slashing, strap cutting, ... Read more >
Tags: On the Road
Wednesday, 31 Oct 2007 | Views [4497]
We learned from the hotel manager today that the President of Ecuador doesn't want people celebrating Halloween, so while there used to be big festivities in the city, they've now been banned. The "New Town" part of the city has been famous ... Read more >
Tags: Sightseeing
Tuesday, 30 Oct 2007 | Views [934]
We awake to a clear, crisp spring day. Quito is surrounded by mountains, volcanic slopes and rolling hills. Quito's Old Town is classified as a World Heritage site, and walking the streets we can understand why; beautifully maintained and restored ... Read more >
Tags: Sightseeing