After a long day of flying----Missoula, MT, to Salt Lake City, to Dallas, to Atlanta, to Quito, Ecuador-----we arrived at San Francisco de Quito, most often called Quito, the capital city of Ecuador in northwestern South America. Quito is located in north-central Ecuador in the Guayllabamba river basin, on the eastern slopes of Pichincha, an …

The breakfast at Casa Aliso was AMAZING. Homemade yogurt, wonderful omelets, delicious Ecuadorian coffee, fresh fruit and juice got us off on the right foot.

We took a stroll around the neighborhood and then had a short flight to Coca, which is located at the junction of the Coca and Napo rivers, where we were picked up by Sacha Lodge staffers …

Our dinner of Fillet Mignon, wonderful salads and a bevy of desserts, coupled with the sounds of the jungle, afforded a great night's sleep.

Morning came early, though, and after breakfast we headed on our first jungle hike, which lead to the canopy walk, a 940-foot-long suspension walkway 94 feet above the ground. We spent most of the morning …

This day we headed to the Yasuni Parrot Lick. The lick is located on the edge of Yasuní National Park, a short canoe trip down the Napo River. Recently, the park service has set up blinds in order to watch the parrots. We saw dozens and dozens of different parrots. The cost of $20 per person for entrance into the National Park is well worth …

One of Sacha Lodge's original attractions is the famous 135-foot kapok observation tower. Situated on a hill and constructed around a giant kapok tree for stability, this tower allows guests another opportunity to climb into and above the rain forest canopy for a magnificent view of the surrounding area.

The morning was very misty, but we still …

After an amazing few days, we headed back to Quito for our final day in Ecuador. Andres was there to greet us at the airport. He took us on an unexpected tour of the Old City. The historic center of the city dates from its founding by Francisco Pizarro in 1534 and was declared the first world heritage site by UNESCO (United Nations Educational, …