Marc and I concluded that Vilcabamba is a bit like Boulder, which is probably why we like it so much. Beautiful scenery, lots of hiking, friendly people and a relaxed vibe. It sounds like more foreigners are settling in the area; even a former astronaut lives near by. Yesterday our horseback riding [...]
Posts under ‘Ecuador’
Vilcabamba, Day 1
All week I have been looking forward to horseback riding in Vilcabamba and tomorrow I get to go! It took two buses to get here – 5 hours from Cuenca to Loja and then another hour and 15 minutes to Vilcabamba – but we eventually made it. And, it was worth the bus [...]
Cuenca, Day 2
On Saturday we took in a museum, strolled around the historical city center, and did some errands. Here’s some background on Cuenca..
Cuenca is a regional and cultural capital and the third largest Ecuadorian city, after Quito and Guayaquil. The city is loaded with colonial charm, cobblestone streets, elegant plazas, and lots of churches. From 500 [...]
Cuenca, Day 1
We arrived in Cuenca on Thursday following an 8 hour bus ride from Banos via Riobamba. Other than a brief sighting of Chimborazo (Ecuador’s highest peak), the trip was uneventful. We strolled around the Parque Abdon Calderon and visited the Old Cathedral, also known as El Sagrario. Dinner turned out poorly since the [...]
Banos
Banos is nestled in a beautiful mountainous valley next to Volcan Tungurahua. It is famous for its hot mineral baths, opportunities for adventurous activity, taffy, and since 1999 – volcano watching. On the bus ride from Latacunga we were anxiously awaiting our new destination. Once settled in at our hostal we set out [...]
Cotipaxi
What do we have in common with two Italian nuns? Not much except that on Tuesday we all walked to the refugio (4800 m / 15744 ft) on Volcan Cotipaxi. Cotapaxi (5897 m / 19342 ft) is the second highest summit in Ecuador after Chimborazo (6310 m / 20696 ft), but the most popular. The [...]
Quilotoa Circuit, Day 3
Initially we planned to hike to the nearby Cheese Factory, but after ironing out the transportation schedule with Juan Carlos of the hostal, we discovered the bus back to Latacunga had left at 3am that morning and there were no more buses that day. Instead of staying another night we opted to hitch a [...]
Quilotoa Circuit, Day 2
On the second day of the Quilotoa Loop we were awakened by loads of children milling around near the market square in Zumbahua. We ate a breakfast of empanadas (fried dough) and some type of fried corn snack. After the church bell rang we noticed most of the children proceeding toward what looked [...]
Quilotoa Circuit, Day 1
Before arriving in South America, one of our biggest fears was traveling to the bus station. So far these trips in Quito and in Latacunga have been uneventful. Our biggest transportation issue to date is getting off at the correct stop. Today we started on the Quilotoa circuit and missed our [...]
Mitad del Mundo
Yesterday we headed to Mitad del Mundo – the Middle of the World. This is a monument erected on the equator which serves as an attraction for countless tourists to take their photos straddling the orange line (which we did, of course). The Mitad del Mundo complex itself is rather gimicky and we didn´t stick [...]