One of the things that has made the biggest impression on us this adventure to Ecuador has been the children — Ecuador's sweet, beautiful children. If children reflect the soul of a country, then Ecuador's soul is both gentle and kind. Again and again, we have witnessed happy children playing, brothers and sisters showing genuine care and affection for their smaller siblings, and a sweetness of spirit that permeates all. The Ecuadorian children we've observed live in cities, towns, and villages. Many times, they are working along side their parents, or playing patiently while their parents toil nearby at their job or business. The children we've witnessed are not rich in toys, but they are wealthy in spirit and imagination. There's nothing more beautiful than the sound of a child's laughter, and we've heard a lot ... read more

Baños is Ecuador's “adventure central,” and part of that adventure is due to its location, location, location. The famed town is cuddled on the lap of a 16,480-foot volcano called Tungurahua. This Ecuadorian bad boy has been spilling his fiery guts off and on for hundreds of years but — like an exhausted giant, Tungurahua is napping peacefully — for now anyway. "Dormiando," one of the friendly locals explained. If that takes some of the thrill out of our visit, it also takes out some of the uncertainty. Baños, 6,000 feet, is routinely closed off to visitors when Tungurahua awakens. Jack and I first tried to visit last year, but were told "lo siento, pero Baños es cerrado." A few days later, the volcano erupted, shooting ash six miles into the air. An even more significant ... read more

Yes, Cuenca has some great nightlife. Unfortunately, most of it has passed us by... We missed a jazz concert and haven't heard or read about any symphonic performances. We were also prevented from enjoying a six-play theater festival due to our language handicap. That kind of cultural involvement, requiring a fluent understanding of the language, is light years away. Right now, we'd be happy just to be able to communicate better with the cab drivers, business people, and the terrific locals we run into every day. There were also a few pop music concerts with Latin American performers we didn't know, and a standup comic who was supposed to be very funny. Not in this lifetime! One thing that is almost impossible — even if you are semi-fluent in your new tongue — is topical humor ... read more

Cuenca's a great town to get lost in. That's just what we did the other day when we played "let's hop on a bus and see where it goes," aka "bus roulette." Buses cost 25-cents and go almost everywhere, so it's a great way to see places you'd never see otherwise. On this junket, we passed through the industrial section, around town, and up into the mountains. Since we had no idea where we were or how to get back on our own, we rode the bus to the end of the line, up, up, up the hills on the north side of the city, on roads where "no bus had dared to go before"—or at least shouldn't dare to go—up narrow streets and to-the-sky heights. The bus started out as "standing room only" in town, ... read more

Hey, people walk a lot faster in Cuenca than they do in Vilcabamba! And they wear suits and ties and 4-inch heels. Funny the things you notice fresh "off the bus." With our village stroll and our gringo jeans and running shoes, we felt like the alien creatures we are in this sophisticated city of half a million. But it hasn't taken long for us to appreciate this Andean treasure, named a World Cultural Heritage Site by UNESCO. Downtown is charming, with lovely colonial style buildings that have a definite European feel to them. Four rivers meander through the valley floor and add a soothing ambiance to the city, providing parks and grassy, tree-lined walkways—not to mention the clothes washing option. Last year, on our first visit to Cuenca, Jack and I were staying at a ... read more