Discovering Quito’s Historic Guápulo Village
One of our final items of business in Quito was to explore the neighborhood of Guapulo, not exactly an easy feet on foot from Old Town, but undoubtedly worth it.
Ecuador
Quito’s Mitad del Mundo (Equator Monument)
For some unfathomable reason, the Equator is an endless source of fascination for those of us who grew up in the northern (or southern) latitudes. We set out to discover what all the hype is about.
The President and the Panecillo in Quito
Today, we’re continuing our tour of Old Town, with a trip up to Quito’s famous (and infamous) Panecillo, but not before running into the President of Ecuador, himself.
Quito’s Basílica del Voto Nacional
The largest Neo-Gothic basilica in the Western Hemisphere, Quito’s gigantic Basílica del Voto Nacional (Basilica of the National Vow) is also definitely the coolest church I’ve ever set foot in.
Quito Old Town
Arriving in Quito was the culmination of a six week journey beginning in Lima and covering some 2,000 miles (mostly overland, with the help of a 600 mile flight from Lima to Iquitos on the edge of the Amazon rainforest).
Exploring Colorful Otavalo Market
Heading north from Lake Quilotoa, we overshot our final destination (Quito) by two hours to catch one of the largest and most famous markets in all of South America — Otavalo Market.
Hiking Around the Rim of Lake Quilotoa
We drastically underestimated hiking the rim of Lake Quilotoa. We thought, “Let’s take a walk around the rim!” Twenty minutes in, however, we already knew we were in for one heck of a challenge.
Quilotoa Village
Hiking the rim around a 12,800 foot “crater” lake was high on our list of must-do adventures in Ecuador, but we soon discovered that half the adventure was just getting there.
Exploring the Waterfall Route (Ruta de las Cascadas) in Baños
Riding a dune buggy along a narrow, winding Andean highway wasn’t something we ever planned on doing, or really even thought of during our backpacking trip along the Ecuadorian Andes. But when in Baños…
Banos: Seeing The Sights, Hiking The Hills
Sprawled out over a small, mile-high valley in the Andes, the supremely picturesque town of Baños lies in the shadow of the active Tungurahua volcano and is the gateway to the jungle in the East.
Riobamba And The Search For The Devil’s Nose
Stopping over in a surprisingly impressive city with the hope of unlocking the secret to one of the world’s most infamous railways.
Captivating Cuenca
Cuenca was our first overnight stop in Ecuador after spending a month in Peru, and we could already tell on arrival that Ecuador was going to be a whole new ballgame.
