(Note: I will add photos to this post as soon as I can find a computer capable of reading the DVD they are stored on!)
CHACAPOYAS, PERU – “Are you sure you want to go that way?†asked the woman at the tourism office for the third time.
The fact that you keep asking me the same [...]
Category Archive for 'Ecuador'
Flowers of Ecuador
Posted in Ecuador on Dec 22nd, 2006
VILCABAMBA, ECUADOR – Ecuador is a treasure chest of plant life and has one of the most diverse ecosystems of any country in the world. In particular, the flowers here never cease to amaze me. I’m not a botanist and have absolutely no idea what most of these flowers are, so I’m going to challenge some [...]
Fiestas de Quito
Posted in Ecuador on Dec 9th, 2006
QUITO, ECUADOR ─ This holiday wouldn’t even be legal in the United States.
I’m talking about Fiestas de Quito, a city-wide festival to celebrate the founding of Quito by the Spanish on December 6, 1534. The official holiday falls on the 6th, but Fiestas de Quito kicks off on November 30, beginning a week-long period of [...]
The Nariz del Diablo
Posted in Ecuador on Sep 12th, 2006
RIOBAMBA, ECUADOR – In the early 1900’s a railway line, the Ferrocarril Transandino, was constructed from Guayaquil on the Ecuadorian coast to Quito in the mountains. The line made it to just below the town of Alausà when builders encountered an almost vertical wall of rock known as the Nariz del Diablo (the Devil’s Nose). [...]
Chimborazo: World’s Highest Volcano
Posted in Ecuador on Sep 11th, 2006
RIOBAMBA, ECUADOR – I arrived in Riobamba to find ash on the ground from the recent eruption of nearby Volcán Tungurahua. Every time a gust of wind comes along it kicks up clouds of ash, which subsequently become grit between your teeth, turns your eyes red, and generally makes things unpleasant. Many storefronts have heavy [...]
Rappelling Down Waterfalls
Posted in Ecuador on Sep 4th, 2006
Having completed my Spanish course in Quito I’m preparing for the next phase of my trip – whatever that might be. Eager to practice my Spanish skills, as well as to escape the noise and pollution of Quito, I joined some language school friends and headed for the cloud forest town of Mindo, about two [...]
Quito: Alpine to Tropics
Posted in Ecuador on Sep 1st, 2006
ONE OF THE FIRST THINGS EVERY GUIDEBOOK WARNS YOU ABOUT IN QUITO IS THE ALTITUDE. At 2850m (9350 ft) it is the second highest capital city in the world, and I expected to feel a little breathless here. To my pleasant surprise I have never noticed the thin air. Given the altitude, you might expect [...]
First Days in Ecuador
Posted in Ecuador on Aug 27th, 2006
MY FIRST DAYS I ECUADOR HAVE BEEN A ROLLER COASTER RIDE. I arrived in the middle of the night to discover that I was scheduled to begin Spanish classes at 8:00 AM the next morning! I am taking two weeks of one-on-one tutoring to brush up my very rusty Spanish skills. I’m amazed at how [...]
Quito or Bust!
Posted in Ecuador, United States on Aug 16th, 2006
I HAVE BEEN MENTALLY PREPARING TO GO OUTSIDE MY COMFORT ZONE FOR SOME TIME. I expected to feel a bit anxious at the airport today, but that didn’t happen. It’s amazing how old habits kick in sometimes, and that’s exactly what occured this morning. I have done so much business travel over the years that [...]
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