Otavalo is a city of about 50,000 that has figured out how to balance its indigenous identities and being economically prosperous. On one side is the volcano Imbabura. About 15 km away is the town of Cotacachi with its eponymous volcano. Cotacachi is the woman, and Imbabura is the man. They split up a while ago and […]
We 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, […]
Quito 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 […]
We got the all clear, spent a few more days chilling, and then headed out. It was about 10 or 15 minutes before sunset the night before leaving. Susan had gone to Manglaralto and was meeting us for dinner in Montañita. Eric, the Quebecois plumber who lives in the casita behind the house came in and […]
The 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. […]
Olon 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, […]
Montañita 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 […]
It’s been a while, but we have great news! Ellen’s surgeon has cleared her to travel, with the proviso of regular trips to the doctor for dressing changes. We’d been discussing what to do next, but even so it took a bit of getting used to the idea of actually leaving the beach. We’re starting […]
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 we […]
H A P P Y Holidays & 2025 Ellen and Steve: (...)
H A P P Y Holidays & 2025 Ellen and Steve: (...)
What a trip you guys. If you are still in Luang Prabang (...)
I would have enjoyed this day with you! Thanks for updates (...)
You guys really are troopers! Thanks for continuing to (...)
