First Taste of South America - Ecuador Adventures

I left Missoula, Montana early on a Sunday morning and headed to Atlanta by way of Minneapolis, where I would meet my international flight. It's always hard to get to and from Montana by plane - getting just about anywhere requires at least two connections and a lot of patience. Wherever you might be coming from, though, you will find that almost all of the flights leaving the US for Ecuador will depart later in the day and arrive in Quito or Guayaquil between 10pm and midnight. 

It wouldn't be much of a problem, unless Quito (or Guayaquil) is a jumping-off point for your next adventure. If you are heading to the Amazon or the Galapagos, your flight will depart early in the morning. I was scheduled to head to the Amazon the next day. After getting my bags going through customs, I arrived at the Wyndham Quito Airport hotel - which offers a free shuttle, includes breakfast, and is seriously a 4-minute ride from the airport terminal - at 12:30am. I was delighted to see some beautiful desserts waiting for me! But going to bed past 1am was not my preferred way to prepare for an early morning flight or to set off for my Amazon explorations.

 
If you are using Quito as a stop along your way - think about two nights here so you can begin your main adventure better-rested and ready to hit the ground running - which you will definitely be doing once you touch down in Coca or Baltra!