After our first few days in Quito, the city began to grow on me, especially once we left the Mariscal area and began to explore a little bit. We began by venturing up to the Panecillo, which is a controversial statue located at the top of a hill in the middle of the city. From there, we had a terrific view of Quito to both the north and south. This put into perspective just how massive and sprawling the city really is. We then made our way down to the Old Town and hung out in Plaza Grande, a beautiful old plaza containing a statue and a fountain, and surrounded by churches, museums, and political buildings dating back to the 1600’s. [Read more…] about Ecuador: Mis padres estan aqui!!
Quito & the Quilotoa Crater
Arriving in Quito late at night, Ryan and I were greeted by the millions of white lights sparkling across the city and up into the surrounding mountains. I truly believe that even the ugliest of cities can come alive at night, glistening like a string of Christmas lights on a tree. The same goes for Quito, and I felt optimistic for our time in the city as our driver from the airport told us how much he loved Quito, using hand actions to passionately describe the way he felt about his city. [Read more…] about Quito & the Quilotoa Crater
Quito & the Quilotoa Crater
Arriving in Quito late at night, Ryan and I were greeted by the millions of white lights sparkling across the city and up into the surrounding mountains. I truly believe that even the ugliest of cities can come alive at night, glistening like a string of Christmas lights on a tree. The same goes for Quito, and I felt optimistic for our time in the city as our driver from the airport told us how much he loved Quito, using hand actions to passionately describe the way he felt about his city. [Read more…] about Quito & the Quilotoa Crater
Colombia: My Top 10
I didn’t expect to fall in love with Colombia the way I did. Although there were some negative and unenjoyable parts, as with anywhere, the people, the food and the scenery outweighed everything else. [Read more…] about Colombia: My Top 10
Salento
Salento is a small town with a population of around 7,000 people, located in the coffee region of South America. Salento is placed on a flat section of land a top lush greenery and unique palm trees. It appears to be placed on a pedestal amongst some of the most beautiful landscapes I have ever seen. At one time, Salento was probably one of the better off the beaten path backpacker destinations; now it is quite trampled over, and has many restaurants and bars full of english speaking employees waiting to cater to the packs of tourists coming through on a daily basis. [Read more…] about Salento
Medellin to Salento: A little R&R
After a few exhausting days of sightseeing in both Cartagena and Medellin, Ryan and I decided to try out some Colombian yoga. One of my goals for my trip in South America is to attempt a yoga class in each country that I visit. When I made this goal, I hadn’t considered the fact that the yoga would most likely be in spanish. Nevertheless, a goal is a goal, and I’m sticking to it. Ryan and I were both apprehensive about how the class would go, especially after being put in the very front row. In the end, the class was great and I’ve done yoga enough times that I knew what I was doing, despite the language barrier. Namaste. [Read more…] about Medellin to Salento: A little R&R