Arriving back in Quito has proven to be less than terrible. Our first full day back, we set off on a half day tour of the Mitad del Mundo, or the middle of the world. As it turns out, Ecuador translates to “equator”, and the equator or middle of the world runs right through the country. The equator crosses through over 15 countries in the world; however, Ecuador is considered the middle of the world because it is the highest point that the equator crosses through. [Read more…] about Mitad del Mundo & Cotopaxi National Park
travel
Colonial Cuenca
We spent one more morning ocean-side, watching the pelicans fish and the sea lions laze around before we were whisked across Santa Cruz and back over to the desert island of Baltra to catch our flight out of the Galapagos. We had a quick flight to Guayaquil, where we touched down without leaving the plane, before heading onwards to Quito. In Quito, we changed planes to go onwards to Cuenca. If you were to look at a map, this travel route would make very little sense, but apparently that’s how they do it here. [Read more…] about Colonial Cuenca
My 25
Back in September I read an inspiring blog post by another 20-something about her “25”; I thought I would do something similar for my 25th birthday. [Read more…] about My 25
The Galápagos Islands Part 2
Before I dive into the details of the final 3 days spent in the Galapagos, I must back up and tell you about the group that we spent our time with while there. It was made up of the 4 of us, a lovely newly engaged Canadian couple from Toronto, and 2 Russian couples. We first met the Russians while enjoying our ocean-side lunch within the first hour of arriving. I was rudely disrupted from my chips and guacamole by a clapping sound, followed by an angry bark that was coming from the sea lion resting area. As it turns out, one of the Russian men was disrupting the sea lions from their nap by clapping in their faces, hoping to get a good photo of them. [Read more…] about The Galápagos Islands Part 2
The Galápagos Islands: Giant Tortoises, Sea Kayaking & Snorkeling
Stepping off the plane on Isla Baltra in the Galápagos Islands, the wind immediately accosted my hair, whipping it in every direction. Upon getting my tangled hair under control, I took a moment to look around. I was surprised to find myself on a flat, desert-like island, that was both windy and unbearably hot. This was definitely not how I had envisioned myself hanging out with tortoises and finches! [Read more…] about The Galápagos Islands: Giant Tortoises, Sea Kayaking & Snorkeling
Ecuador: Mis padres estan aqui!!
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!!