ClickWe went to the Mindo Mariposario, or butterfly farm. It is a butterfly research center that studies and breeds butterflies. At least half are released into the wild, but some stay back to help support the organization. It is extremely well run, and a beautiful facility. On the way in, we were able to see […]
ClickThere were moments in Mindo if I wondered if the “Cloud Forest” moniker was a PR gambit to try to put a good face on “Rain Forest.” In hindsight, it’s probably closer to the truth, even though we had more rain in our several days in Mindo, than in the rest of our two+ months […]
ClickSaturday is Market Day in Otavalo. This is the largest market in Ecuador. It is actually there everyday, but on Saturday people come from afar to buy and sell their wares. This is when the tourist hype machine also comes into action, and people from all over the world show up to see what’s going […]
ClickWe hopped on the Quito bus tour two blocks from our hotel. It is a double-decker bus that hits the main points. We went through the old town, new town, and up to the winged madonna up on the hill. We hopped off at La Ronda, a restored colonial street. This is where we ate lunch, […]
ClickQuito has a beautiful new airport that is quite a ways out north of the city. We took the $25 taxi ride, as it was only a few dollars more than the shuttle. One comes into the city along a great highway that has new businesses on the sides. Eventually, the taxi goes around a […]
ClickThe afternoon we hung out with Regina we talked about meeting up in the town where she was staying (before she moved over to Olon). We heard Ayangue. She said Ayampe. The former is between our place and the clinic in Salinas. We stopped on the way back to see her. She was not there. […]
ClickOlon is the place on the beach that we like the most. It is walkable from the house, although 3-4 miles on the beach. It is a sea of tranquility, particularly as the closest town to the north of Mantanita. There are a bunch of tiendas (small stores) located throughout, many small hostels and hotels, […]
ClickMontañita is the first beach town we landed in on the coast of Ecuador. It’s a pretty hopping place. According to Lonely Planet: An omnipresent laid-back atmosphere and good year-round surf draw a steady stream of cosmopolitan backpackers – as many South Americans as gringos – to the beachfront village of Montañita. The cheap digs […]
Click Health Update: Ellen continues to make progress, although we are still traveling to Salinas every other day. Chances are we’ll be here another 1-2 weeks. I’m not going to lie, we are getting a little antsy, even though we are in a lovely place. There is a lot of Ecuador to still see, and […]
ClickIsla de la Plata is a small island 40 km off the coast of Ecuador from Puerto Lopez. It has been called the “poor man’s Galapagos.” With a name like that, how could we resist? We arranged a tour with Susan, our B and B owner, and Natasha, our Finnish friend. The van came and […]
Look at those river prawns!! All the food looks tasty
I am finally catching up with you two. Love these posts and (...)
I'm loving these
Great photos! Don and I were in Thailand on our honeymoon (...)
It was worth the flight to Thailand! Glad you got it (...)