Craig is on his way back to the States. He joked that when he gets to the office he’s going to hand someone $3 and ask them to get him some lunch… with soup, a steak, rice, fresh-squeezed juice, and dessert. I just splurged on a $4 lunch that...
Quito
Cotopaxi
My favorite hostel in the entire world is The Secret Garden hostel at the Cotopaxi Volcano about two hours from Quito, Ecuador. There is a Secret Garden in Quito as well, and transport between the two is the most direct and affordable way to get to Cotopaxi. Just call the...
Otavalo Market & Peguche Waterfall
The town of Otavalo sits about two hours north of Quito. It’s a Kichwa (local indigenous native) community, famous for handcrafts like weaving, sculpture and embroidery. People come from all over for the market, especially on Saturdays. There’s also some great hiking in the area, including volcanos, lakes —...
Rare Birds and Austrian Chicks
Guest post by Craig Smith It’s not everyday that you get to climb an active volcano, unless you live in Quito Ecuador. Just to the west of the city is Pichincha which last erupted in 1999 covering the city in 2cm (about an inch) of volcanic dust. Here is what...
Quick Contest!
Craig and I stopped by the little bodega at the bottom of the hill for a few supplies for tomorrow’s hike. Can you guess the total we paid for the items pictured? Two large bottles of water, two bananas, four mandarin oranges, and six eggs. If your guess...
Touch the sky
People of Quito
Quito’s historic district is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, nestled in the mountains of Ecuador. But the true treasure of Quito is the people. Wildly entrepreneurial, they operate a thousand tiny mom-and-pop (or often mom-and-kids) shops and restaurants in every corner of the city. Can’t afford a tiny storefront?...
Monday morning in Quito
On Mondays, at 11am, President Rafael Correa steps onto the balcony of the Presidential Palace to watch over the ceremonial Changing of the Palace Guard in the Grand Plaza. We caught a bit of the pomp this morning, and I shot these photos of the action: As usual, my...
Sunday afternoon in Quito
Every Sunday in the Historic Center of Quito, the streets are closed to traffic and opened to bicyclists instead. The plaza and surrounding streets are filled with artists, musicians, food vendors, dancers, clowns, mimes and living statues. We enjoyed all this, plus two art exhibits at the Centro Cultural,...