Travel
Ecuador travel
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13 Postcard Photos From Ecuador 911 Surveillance Cameras
Taking an image, freezing a moment, reveals how rich reality truly is. –Ansel Adams You want great postcard-like photos of Ecuador but do not have time to travel the country to take the photos yourself? You can search blogs and social media or you can search Twitter for the hashtag #PostalECU911. Ecuador 911 is the national emergency response system. Their Twitter accounts are a great follow for anyone visiting or living in Ecuador. Several locations have Twitter feeds, often named after each province capital. They are a great source of information on road conditions, volcanic activity, and other emergencies around the country. The photos in this post are all from…
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Pig Road (Avenida Don Bosco), Cuenca, Ecuador
I have eyes like those of a dead pig. — Marlon Brando We lived around the corner from Pig Road in Cuenca, Ecuador. Actually we were around the corner from Avenida Don Bosco but it may as well have been named Pig Road. If you are looking for pork in Cuenca, this is the place to go. When asked where we lived, the conversation often went something like this: New friend: Where do you live? Us: Near Don Bosco and Francisco de Orellena. NF: Is that near Pig Road? Us: Yes, Don Bosco IS Pig Road! Restaurants on Pig Road A long section of Don Bosco is known for…
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The Legend about El Panecillo in Quito, Ecuador
“Leer, es otra forma de vivir; en realidad, una hermosa forma de vivir muchas vidas en una.” “Reading is another way of living; actually, a beautiful way to live many lives in one.” — Édgar Allen García, Ecuadorian author who writes about this legend Hill shaped like Spanish bread This is a legend about El Panecillo, a famous hill in Quito, Ecuador. It apparently got its name because the shape reminded the Spanish conquistadors of the bread baked in Andalusia, Spain. El Panecillo from Old Town Quito, Ecuador El Panecillo in Inca times Before the conquistadors arrived, the hill was known as Yavirac. The Incas celebrated Inti Raymi,…
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Calle La Ronda in Quito’s Historic Old Town
“Before, tourist operators wouldn’t bring travelers into the Old Town and tourists wouldn’t come here on their own either.” — Andrea Swigilsky, general manager of the upscale boutique hotel Patio Andaluz, in a 2008 article in the New York Daily News. Calle La Ronda (La Ronda Street) is a quaint cobblestone street in Quito’s Historic Old Town, the first city to be declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1978. Take a stroll down La Ronda and see centuries-old houses, artisan shops and bohemian cafes. Calle La Ronda, Old Town Quito, Ecuador History Calle La Ronda’s history begins in the 1400s as an Inca trail. In the 1500s,…
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Puerto Lopez Boat Maintenance
Spring tides result in high waters that are higher than average, low waters that are lower than average, ‘slack water’ time that is shorter than average, and stronger tidal currents than average. — Wikipedia Disclaimer I am not a boater nor do play one on TV. My father lives on a boat in California’s San Francisco Bay. When I lived there, he wanted to teach me boating but I was never interested in more than riding along. To any boaters reading this, please bear with me as I may use terms incorrectly. Perhaps you will get a nice laugh while you read how a layperson writes about boats. Puerto…
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River Laundry in Cuenca, Ecuador
It turns out that a husband who does the laundry, it’s very romantic when you’re older. And it’s hard to believe when you’re younger. But it’s absolutely true. — Sheryl Sandberg Machine or River Do you wash your laundry in a machine or a nearby river? If I were a betting woman, I would bet you use a washing machine. I do, too, as do most people in Ecuador. Some, though, wash laundry the old fashioned way – in a river. Washing laundry in the Tomebamba River Cuenca, Ecuador Whiter Whites Someone once observed that people who wash their laundry in the river seemed to have whiter whites…
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A Drive Up the Andes – Guayaquil to Cuenca, Ecuador
“I can speak to my soul only when the two of us are off exploring deserts or cities or mountains or roads.” — Paulo Coelho Driving through dense fog is a stressful challenge. Breaking through that fog and getting above it can make for a relaxing drive, especially in the Andes mountains. These mountains are gorgeous. Taking the Andes road less traveled The route Scott and I take from the coastal city of Guayaquil to the Andes mountain city of Cuenca is generally less foggy with fewer cars than the shorter and more popular route through El Cajas National Park. Our drive goes from sea level to 3400 meters before…
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Community Theater in Cuenca
“You Know You’ve Worked in Community Theatre if… …your living room sofa spends more time on stage than you do. …you have your own secret family recipe for stage blood. …you’ve ever appeared on stage wearing your own clothes.” — Golden Bear Drama The majority of my time in Ecuador has been in small coastal towns with no movie theaters. My husband and I decided to spend the first half of 2017 in the Andes mountains. We chose the city of Cuenca, Ecuador’s third largest city. We were looking forward to going to a movie or two while in the big city. We found something that we…
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Six Hours in Quito: Layover Tour
Planning I recently had a twelve hour layover in Quito, Ecuador’s capital and second largest city. My initial plans were to read while at the Quito airport and not much else. My imagination had this layover seeming to last a very long twelve hours. Instead of staying at the airport, I decided to go on a six hour tour with Tours Around Quito. With my flight arriving around Noon, the tour would take me right up to a few minutes before the 6:30 sunset. Quito Airport Arrival Gustavo Tupiza, who owns Tours Around Quito with his wife, Elizabeth, picked me up from the airport and we headed straight to the historic…
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Cuenca’s Seven Acre Market – Feria Libre
“Wherever possible, I like to use home-grown or locally produced ingredients.” — Mary Berry Cuenca is a UNESCO World Heritage Trust Site known for its beautiful historic buildings. Ecuador’s third largest city, Cuenca is 2500 meters (8200 feet) high in the Andes mountains. With tourists focused on architecture, it is easy for them to miss what could be a highlight of their trip. In my opinion, the Feria Libre seven acre market is a must see. People travel from miles around to buy and sell goods. It even has it’s own bus terminal! Buyers know this is where they will find the lowest prices. Entrepreneurs rent space knowing good products will…
