I spent a couple weeks touring around Ecuador and the Galapagos with my mom! It was a wonderful experience with all the wildlife and terrain we were able to cover. We saw sea lions on the beaches and tortoise's on the islands. We hiked volcanic craters and explored cathedrals in historic Quito. I will never forget our time together in this beautiful and diverse country.
Mom and I standing on either sides of the Equator. (Kassandra Magruder)We leave the Seattle airport early in the morning today. In fact, our flight leaves so early that we stay at a hotel next door to the airport. That alarm at 3 am was not wanted, but we pull ourselves out of bed to start our journey.
Mom is flying up in first class today, while I'm back in coach. She checks in with me every so often, bringing me a drink and some headphones. Thanks, Mom!
We finally arrive in Quito late at night. I'm amazed at how much the airport has changed in the 8 years since I last visited Ecuador. Everything seems so modern and clean. I love how easy the Quito airport is to navigate. All of the signs are in English and Spanish.
We clear customs, pick up our bags without trouble and walk out the doors to the waiting throng of people outside. I nervously glance around, hoping that I'll recognize the head of our Ecuador office, Betty. She has my name on a sign and a big grin on her face. We chat as she takes us to Hotel Eugenia. Mom and I fall asleep right away in the quiet room.
Exploring Quito
Feb 17, 2010
The Cathedral of Quito (Kassandra Magruder)We rise today and begin our exploration of Quito. Our guide, Daniel, picks us up at 9 AM and we head to the old town district. He takes us to the main square in Quito, where a worker's protest is occurring. We explore the main cathedral and various fun spots in the city. He head to Betty's house and the Adventure Life Ecuador office for a special lunch (thanks, Betty!) and then we're off again, to the Middle of the World monument, where we balance eggs on the heads of nails. Finally we drove to the Pululahua Reserve where we can observed the volcanic crater of the extinct Pululahua Volcano. Today, there are indigenous families that live in the crater and farm the rich soil. I wish that we had more time to hike down to the bottom of the crater, but after the day's events, we're tired!
We return to Hotel Eugenia and explore the city of Quito on foot by ourselves. We find an overpriced, but delicious, Italian restaurant and enjoy homemade pesto and Argentinian wine. Tomorrow, we're off to the Galapagos!
Off to the Galapagos!
Feb 18, 2010
Exploring Espanola Island (Kassandra Magruder)Today, we rise at a reasonable hour and wander down to the hotel restaurant. I can't believe how cute Hotel Eugenia is. It's only 4 floors and everything is done in a colonial style. The breakfast area is bright and cheery and the coffee comes quickly, which is a must! We dine on fresh fruit and eggs and chat with the other people in our vicinity. We find out they will be on the same boat as us in the Galapagos, the Millennium. A little while later, our driver comes to pick us up and take us to the airport. We get to know each other a little better as we fly over the bright blue ocean. Upon arriving at the airport, we are hit with a blast of hot air. I'm glad that I wore shorts! We are funneled through customs, where we pay the National Park Entrance Fee. We see a woman holding a sign saying "Millennium" and go over to chat with her. She is Vicky, our naturalist. It seems like it takes forever to get our bags, but eventually the 16 of us are all ready to go. We load into the bus for a quick trip to the docks, where the Millennium awaits us. We are greeted with a welcome cocktail and a wonderful lunch. So much fresh fruit and seafood. I'm in heaven! After everyone is fed and settled in, we are allowed to go ashore on San Cristobal to explore the town. It rains on us, but we have fun looking at the thousands of sea lions laying on the beach.
Espanola
Feb 19, 2010
Snorkeling in the Galapagos (Kassandra Magruder)Today, we awake to a new location. We motored during the night and are now at Española Island. After a breakfast buffet of eggs, bacon, potatoes, cereals, and many different fruits, we gather our things and get ready to head to Española Island. We divide into two groups and are carefully loaded into the panga. I'm surprised at how easy it is for us to load and unload. There is always someone on the other side with an outstretched hand, waiting to help us on and off. On the island, we see hundreds of sea lions and marine iguanas. After about two hours on the island with our guide, we return to the Millennium. We relax a little before lunch and talk about what we've seen. After lunch, it's snorkel time! Once in the water, I immediately spot a sea turtle and begin following it. He leisurely glides through the water, untroubled by my presence. A few minutes later, I look up, only to realize that I'm VERY far from the rest of the group. I pout a little as a I swim back to the group, but my mood is lifted as I realize they are following a group of white-tipped reef sharks! Very cool! We are ravenous for dinner and are happy to see fresh shrimp, a delicious avocado salad and more food than we can possibly eat. Our bartender, Teo, serves up caipirinhas with dinner. The caipirinha is the official drink of Brazil and is made with cachaça, sugar and lime. They remind me of mojitos a little.
Floreana
Feb 20, 2010
Floreana Island (Kassandra Magruder)Today, we get to explore the island of Floreana. The best part of Floreana is its perfect white, sandy beach, where boisterous sea lions proudly show off their fur. We spend about 3-4 hours on the island today, in two different places. There is more snorkel time and more excellent food. In the afternoon, we snorkel with a big gaggle of sea lions. They come straight up to us. Vicky, our naturalist, tells us that they like it when we act like sea lions ourselves. I dive under the water and try to mimic them the best I can. As I go down to dive, one sea lion dives with me and comes up for air at the same time as me. I look over at him and can't believe the synchronicity that just occurred.
Santa Cruz
Feb 21, 2010
Charles Darwin Center (Kassandra Magruder)After motoring all night to reach Santa Cruz, we disembark early. The town of Puerto Ayora is alive with movement and sound. After a few days without seeing much human development, Puerto Ayora is a whole different ballgame. Vicky takes us to a tortoise reserve in the highlands, where we see 7 different giant tortoises. They don't seem happy to see us and hide their heads in their shells when we come near. We also explore the lava tubes nearby and go to see Los Gemelos, two identical craters that formed at the same time on either side of the road. It reminds me of the wonders of the natural world, a common occurrence when in the Galapagos! After lunch in Puerto Ayora, we head out to the Charles Darwin Research Station. It is HOT HOT HOT in Puerto Ayora and I should have brought a hat or more sunscreen for the 15 minute walk from town to the research station. At the station, we see Lonesome George and many other tortoises. Vicky tells us the difference between the species and how each species is from a different island. We also see some of the largest iguanas ever! After the afternoon's activities, we are free to explore on our own. We do some shopping and meet the rest of the group downtown later for dinner and drinks right on the water.
Time to Work!
Feb 22, 2010
This sea lion and his pelican friends were waiting their turn at the fish market, just like everyone else! (Kassandra Magruder)Today, my goal is to see as many of the yachts that we work with as possible. I spend all day going from boat to boat and am happy to get to know all the small differences between them. We spend the night at Red Mangrove Hotel tonight. The hotel is right on the water and we have a great view of the entire island from our room. Downstairs, we sample the Mangrove's great menu. They boast one of the only (and best) sushi menus in town. A sea lion wanders into the open air dining area as we eat and asks me for some fish. I tell him to go catch his own.
Finch Bay Ecohotel
Feb 23, 2010
Guayaquil - waterfront gardens (Kassandra Magruder)Today is more work, but also some play too! Mom and I spend most of the day shopping to our hearts' content. After a hard day of spending money, we head over to the Finch Bay Ecohotel for the evening. The hotel is on the other side of the harbor, a short water-taxi ride from Puerto Ayora. After a quick 5 minute walk to the hotel, we arrive to a hidden oasis. Our room remind me of a resort in the southwest. The pool looks inviting and I test it out after dinner.
Travel Day
Feb 24, 2010
Cathedral in Guayaquil (Kassandra Magruder)We leave the Galapagos today. We travel from Santa Cruz to Baltra, a 20 minute taxi/ferry ride from Puerto Ayora. The electricity in the airport is out, so we wait until it's up before we can depart. Our flight lands in Guayaquil, where our guide picks us up. We have a four hour layover in Guayaquil, which is just enough time to get to know the area. Our tour of Guayaquil takes us to the main cathedral, down the waterfront promenade and up 500 steps to a beautiful lighthouse overlooking the entire city! I'm quite impressed with the cleanliness and modernity of the city and wish we could spend more time here. We're off to Cuenca next. Our flight gets us in late, with just enough time to put our heads down on the pillow and fall asleep.
Exploring Cuenca
Feb 25, 2010
The famous Cuenca hatter (Kassandra Magruder)We have decided that today is going to be devoted to wandering around the colonial streets of Cuenca. Our goal is to get lost ... and to see a majority of the hundred or so churches in town. We dine on fresh fruit and pancakes at Hotel Crespo before venturing out. Cuenca is mostly deserted at this early hour. Even though we are in the heart of tourist district, I don't feel as if Cuenca would even be on the same scale as other "touristy" destinations. At around 9 AM, the streets fill with kids walking to school and adults walking to work. There is a distinctly business feel to the air. People seem to have a purpose to their day. We don't see much in the way for other travelers. I love it! The colonial architecture makes this the most beautiful city in Ecuador, in my mind. It reminds me of a larger, less-gringo version of Antigua, Guatemala. Cuenca is known to be the center of art in Ecuador. We visit several excellent galleries and I'm tempted to buy an especially impressive oil painting. Cuenca is also famous for its Panama hats. Strangely enough, Panama hats aren't from Panama; they're from Ecuador. The indigenous people outside of Cuenca make the hats from a local plant. They are finished in Cuenca and sold all over the world. They received the name "Panama hat" because they were initially exported through Panama and to the rest of the world. Great story, but one that must make people from Cuenca a little annoyed! I buy a few hats for myself and one for my dad. Between the shopping and the church-seeing, it has been a productive day and we return to Hotel Crespo for the night. The hotel is one of the oldest in Cuenca and still has its original architecture and old-world charm. The location downtown isn't too bad either ....
Cajas National Park
Feb 26, 2010
Beautiful Cajas National Park (Kassandra Magruder)We leave the hotel early this morning en route to Cajas National Park. My mom and I are big hikers and fans of the outdoors, so we can't wait to get on a trail. This also happens to be the one day that it rains in the Cuenca area. Of course! Cajas is a special place. It's known as the "land of the lakes." Located about 30 minutes outside of Cuenca, Cajas is home to 275 lakes. The scenery is reminiscent of the Scottish highlands, rough and rugged, with lichens and tiny flowers lining the trail. We decide to take a trail that rings one of the larger lakes in the park. The rain begins to fall as we are halfway around the lake. It occurs to me that we are hiking during the month of February. What did I expect? At the end of our hike, we're soaking wet, but tired and happy. I wish that we had several more days to explore Cajas and plan on coming back again in the future!
Back to Quito!
Feb 27, 2010
Historical Cuenca (Kassandra Magruder)Today, we are headed back to Quito to meet up with our Ecuador office and tour the hotels that we work with. We are sad to leave the beautiful city of Cuenca!
Otavalo Valley
Feb 28, 2010
Guayaquil from above! (Kassandra Magruder)This morning, our guide picks us up from the hotel and we head north toward Otavalo. Along the way, we visit a bakery that specializes in a local delicacy, little flat breads. We also visit a rose farm. I didn't know that roses were Ecuador's third largest export! The Quito and Otavalo valleys are lined with volcanoes. I can't believe how high and beautiful the snow-capped peaks are. I wish we had more time to do some mountaineering! The indigenous Otavalenos are some of the most intriguing and proud people I have had the chance to encounter. Again, reminds me of my time in Guatemala and the people I was so lucky to live with. After the day's activities, we head to our home for the next few nights: Hacienda Pinsaqui. Pinsaqui is one of the oldest haciendas in the country and the place where Simon Bolivar, the liberator of Ecuador, stayed when in the area. I feel as if I'm in another world as I sip my wine in front of the huge fireplace. Peacocks wander through the courtyard as I read my book.
Cuicocha Lake
Mar 01, 2010
Cuicocha Lake, Ecuador (Kassandra Magruder)Today is another hiking day! I have been itching to get up to Cuicocha Lake the whole time I have been in Ecuador. Cuicocha is a crater lake that lies at the foot of Cotacachi Volcano. The water of this lake is highly alkaline, lending a turquoise color to it. There are two small islands in the middle of the lake that have local deer populations. You can also climb the Cotacachi Volcano, though it's a long, arduous trip. We decide to hike around the lake instead, which takes us 6 hours. After our long hike (with spectacular views), we head back to the hacienda to relax. I wander over to the equestrian center and pet the gorgeous horses in the paddock. Wish we had time to ride! We have dinner at the hacienda and head to bed early tonight.
Otavalo Market and Home!
Mar 02, 2010
Otavalo Valley (Kassandra Magruder)Our guide picks us up early today and we head to the Otavalo Market. We visit a traditional weaver cooperative that weaves all of their wares by hand and loom. The weavers show us all of the natural dyes they use, which come from roots, nuts and other interesting sources. We buy the softest sweaters made from alpaca. We scour the market for the best deals and have fun haggling with the vendors. A very old indigenous woman is selling soft alpaca rugs, like the ones in Hacienda Pinsaqui. I talk with her for a half hour about how much work goes into making one of the rugs. When I leave with one of her rugs, she gives me a hug and tells me she has a grandson I would like. We return to our guide's truck in the afternoon and he laughs when he sees us lumbering down the street with all of our treasures. We have a late lunch at a local restaurant on the shores of the lake. I'm sad to be leaving Ecuador again. I wish our trip was not over. We head back to Quito and catch our flight back to the US. Tomorrow is back to work and reality.
The immediate response and knowledge of the tours. Jess was terrific with accessing our budget and type of tour.
Tiffani LoBue
4 hours ago
Prompt response with clarified information to questions.
Joyce Spencer
21 hours ago
Betty was extremely helpful and friendly! I have never traveled by long boat and was nervous about the options and the experience. Betty listened carefully to my wants and needs and presented exactly what my sister and I hoped for! I couldn’t have asked a more pleasant experience - I am so excited about our trip!!
Jan Struck
1 day ago
Tilly knowledgeable , quick to respond , and friendly
Raymond
1 day ago
They have very comprehensive options for the place we want to go to
Lian Choo L.C. Toh
2 days ago
The immediate response and knowledge of the tours. Jess was terrific with accessing our budget and type of tour.
Tiffani LoBue
4 hours ago
Prompt response with clarified information to questions.
Joyce Spencer
21 hours ago
Betty was extremely helpful and friendly! I have never traveled by long boat and was nervous about the options and the experience. Betty listened carefully to my wants and needs and presented exactly what my sister and I hoped for! I couldn’t have asked a more pleasant experience - I am so excited about our trip!!
Jan Struck
1 day ago
Tilly knowledgeable , quick to respond , and friendly
Raymond
1 day ago
They have very comprehensive options for the place we want to go to
Lian Choo L.C. Toh
2 days ago
The immediate response and knowledge of the tours. Jess was terrific with accessing our budget and type of tour.
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