http://www.travelblog.org/Bloggers/Bonny/ Travel adventures in journals and photos from Bonny en-us Sat, 26 Jul 2008 09:26:33 BST Sat, 26 Jul 2008 09:26:33 BST Quito is a city of 2 million people. Admittedly it is in a developing country. However typically you don't realize it and there is plenty of whatever one might need. The fruit shelves are abundant with the most incredible exotic fruit you may ever have dreamt about. The supermarkets have literally everything you can buy back home. And there is beautiful artesania medicinal plants stolen camer http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Ecuador/Quito/Quito/blog-303745.html I had persuaded Edith a local friend to come along on this trek. Obviously Edith did not know that the four hours which I had been told by various guides would turn into eight hours. Well it wasn't really my fault. First one had to add one hour to get up from the Virgen to the Antennas and then we got lost twice because of the unclear signposting and the fog. And we were probably slower tha http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Ecuador/Quito/Quito/blog-302971.html As Edith preferred to relax more in Papallacta and could not be pursuaded to another hike I went to the Guacamayos trek by myself. It starts about 7 km south of Cosanga. Just about 2 hours from Papallacta the landscape here is completey different lush tropical forest versus the harsh paramo of the day before. Well as different as it was it was just as beautiful. And quite as remote. I saw a n http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Ecuador/Quito/Quito/blog-302970.html This famous trek from El Tambo near Papallacta is being described as one of the most beautiful treks in Ecuador. And I must admit it was special. And I was lucky with the weather. While on the first day it was still foggy the weather cleared when we were just in front of Antisana and it was amazing when its snowy face towering above Laguna Santa Lucia opened just when we were sitting there f http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Ecuador/Cotopaxi/blog-302951.html My first attempt to traverse from Guagua to Rucu Pichincha a few months ago had been interupted by a thunderstorm which made it too dangerous to climb over the one steep rocky part in the traverse which was then covered with hail and very wet and slippery. This time though it was easy and I did the whole traverse from peak to peak within 3.5 hours.My landlord Patricio had kindly driven me up to http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Ecuador/Quito/Quito/blog-296522.html Guaranda is a pleasant country town and known as the 'city of the 7 hills'. I stayed there one night and a morning and then went on to Salinas.Salinas is interesting as the whole town lives from the production of various goods in cooperativas. Especially famous is the cheese cooperativa and they are selling their cheese throughout the country and also export it. Furthermore they produce other http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Ecuador/Riobamba/blog-294938.html Casa Cndor is a communitybased tourism project in the village of Pulingui San Pablo at the foot of Chimborazo. About 240 indogenous inhabitants live here. They have a great system of hiking trails with sign posts along most of them as well as an excellent map to be purchased for 1 USD at Casa Cndor based on an IGM map with the GPS tracks of the senderos displayed in different colors on th http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Ecuador/Riobamba/blog-294922.html My guidebooks said it was a 35 day hike up Reventador and only the most adventorous should attempt it. They also said it iwas very rare that Reventador is not covered in clouds or rain. So after I had become accustomed to the relaxed sunny and warm life at the coast and on Galapagos I found it really hard to motivate myself to leave for Reventador.In the morning of the day I finally really neede http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Ecuador/Cayambe/blog-289742.html Misahualli is pleasantly located at the congruence of the rivers Misahualli and Napo and is a gateway to Amazonia. From this sleepy 700soul village one can go on hikes into the jungle on boat trips on the Napo river visit jungle lodges or even take a 12day boat trip down to Iquitos in Peru. If I had endless time I would be very much tempted to do it...But alas it is not so...I stayed in the http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Ecuador/Misahualli/blog-289739.html In Tena I was joined by Corinna my flatmate from Quito. We decided to go on a rafting trip. As Corinna had not done any rafting before she wanted to go on the easier Grade III tour while I was going to go on a Grade IV trip. However in the morning we were told that due to the heavy rainfall during the night the Grade III river was flooded and it was too dangerous to do the trip. The grade IV r http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Ecuador/Tena/blog-289738.html As during my last time in Baos I had not had the time to explore the majority of the walks I went back to it again. I was accompanied by Corinna for a couple of days. We did two hikes together the sendero de Sauces and the Sendero al Mirador del Volcan. The first is an easy less than two hour hike which gives a good view on Baos and probably on Tungurahua as well when its not in clouds. T http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Ecuador/Ba%F1os/blog-289737.html Ayampe is another paradise in Ecuador. I.e. if you like it quiet. Really quiet. There is no internet and the handful of tiny tiendas stores are run by some oldies who frequently can't sell to you as they forgot what the price of the goodie is that you want to buy. So rather than selling it for a few centavos too much or a few too less they prefer not to make a mistake and so not sell it at all. http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Ecuador/Ayampe/blog-283500.html Cerro del Muerto was one of the recommendations that Isabelle of the Dreamkapture hostal in Guayaquil had made. I was not too sure if this was any good hike as people in Playas seamed to be somewhat hesitant about it and said it could better be viewed from a mirador in the distance rather than going hiking on the hill itself. I was not too sure what this was all about.Cerro del Muerto Mountain http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Ecuador/Guayaquil/blog-283498.html After my somewhat unpleasant first visit to the Manglares Churute reserve I thought I should give it another try. Especially since Isabelle and Simon of the hostal had invited them to their finca which is on the other side of the reserve.So I went by bus from Guayaquil to the lsquoTres Cerritosrsquo where I was picked up by motorbike by Jos who takes care of the finca. We went on a hike up t http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Ecuador/Guayaquil/blog-283497.html Santa Cruz is where most people fly to on the Galapagos islands. With a population of over 15.000 Puerto Ayora the main town on Santa Cruz it is by far the largest place on the islands and has a good infrastructure. As a side note it also has the best bikes for rent that I have found so far in EcuadorAlthough most people leave for a cruise from here there is quite a few things to do on the is http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Ecuador/Galapagos-Islands/blog-283496.html The big event on Isabela obviously was the unexpected eruption of Volcano Cerro Azul. It was all completely safe as Puerto Villamil the only village on the island and where I stayed is 50 km away from the volcano. Some reports said that neither the giant tortoises nor humans were in danger note the order giant tortoises first JoAnnie a girl from Quebec with whom I spent most of the time on http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Ecuador/Galapagos-Islands/blog-283495.html San Cristobl is another pleasant island in the archipelago. Baquerizo Moreno its main town is relaxed and sleepy and there are a number of options for trips on and around the island. As I had only two days here I went only for the walk to Las Tijeretas a beautiful little bay with good snorkelling and to the hill above and then inland to the El Junco lagoon. This is the only freshwater lagoon http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Ecuador/Galapagos-Islands/blog-283494.html Guayaquil with 2.4 million inhabitants Ecuadors largest city was always on my backburner of things to see in Ecuador. I imagined it largely as an industrial city with little interest to me. Overall my visit to this Perla del Pacifico confirmed this impression. However I found a number of interesting places that are well worth visiting1 The Malecon The restoration of this 25 km long boardw http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Ecuador/Guayaquil/blog-274623.html I had some problems getting a hike organised in the Manglares Churute park. The place doesnt seem to be set up to receive toursits and the staff were not really helpful. After 4 hours of waiting the finally allowed me to climb Cerro de Mate a small hill next to the visitors center. However the hike turned out to be a battle with the tiger spiders. These spiders are harmless and I already knew th http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Ecuador/Guayaquil/blog-274622.html Not sure why I spent more than half a year in Ecuadors sierra mountains. Sure I love mountains and hiking happens mostly in mountains. However when arriving in Puerto Lopez just for sunset by the beach I must admit I jumped in the air for joy and wondered why it had never occurred to me to travel to the beach earlier. It is heaven here. Blue skies and sun sun sun. It is hot but not too ho http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Ecuador/Puerto-Lopez/Puerto-Lopez/Puerto-Lopez/blog-274621.html