chiliadventures

We have covered a variety of landscapes and cultures in this backpacking adventure. International travelers, indigenous mountain folks, kichwa Indians and now hippies. Montañita, is the party mecca of Ecuador popular by surfers for the breaks, young backpackers traveling through and hippies alike. The streets are lined with hippies touting henna tattoos, piercings and dreadlocks, selling artwork to earn a living. Folks beating drums and dancing around the streets, nightclubs, restaurants and ceviche stands, are all the norm here. Quite a different scene than the coastal town we just departed of Puerto Lopez. We were hesitant about visiting as we were told the streets and clubs are intense with sound from the raging partiers into the early hours of the morning. Sleep in this town would be hard to come by. If rest and relaxation is ... read more

After an amazing stay in Banos, we headed deeper south into the Amazon basin to a fairly big city, Puyo. While Puyo, didn’t have quite the charm of Banos, it was a decent place to stay so that we could enjoy an Amazon experience. After the bus dropped us off into town, we attempted to find a cab to our hotel (El Jardin). I asked several police officers at the bus station, and they were totally convinced El Jardin was about a two-hour ride up the road in a town called Tena. In fact, the cops were so convinced, for a brief moment, they convinced me. I had thought I royally messed up with my logistics and took us to the wrong city. Thankfully, there was an internet café across the street. I was able to ... read more

We just spent three nights in Chugchilián to enjoy some great hikes in the beautiful Andes mountain ranges, which are dotted with indigenous villages along the way. Many of the inhabitants of these villages have maintained their ancient heritages making this a perfect spot to do some hiking and get our dose of culture. We have taken a few days hikes. On day one, we arranged for local transportation out of Chugchilián to the volcano lake, Quilotoa. From there, we hired a 15-year old boy(our Guide) to lead us through the paths in the mountain ranges from the lake’s crater back to our town. I would highly reccomend getting the guide, our maps and directions from various posts, were not that clear and along the way, we could have gotten lost. Overall, the hike took about ... read more

Starting off our experience in this city had been more of a gringo experience than we had ever wanted. Yes, we did have our first Ecuadorian beers – Pilsener and Club. But as far as getting a native or cultural experience was concerned – that was the extent of it. No hard core diving into the “Anthony Bourdain” style of eating street foods, no listening to local musicians, dancing on tables and having pure fun in the true Ecuadorian spirit. What we did do, was got settled in our little hotel nestled in the center of the La Mariscal District, affectionately known as Gringolandia, a highly Americanized section of this culturally diverse city. We are surrounding by nightclubs, discoteques and trendy restaurants. Feels a bit like South Beach. We enjoyed a tasty Mexican dinner and passed ... read more

First of all some background info. Steve and I purchased our home in Costa Rica several years ago. We found the house on the internet and contacted a real estate sales rep. to show us around and show us the house. I must say, we are very remote. It is 7000 feet up the mountain overlooking the Central Valley of Costa Rica. You climb windy twisty roads carved in the mountains- It is next to impossible to find. But we did. Our view is breathtaking, especially at night, the city lights shimmer below. Our grounds are chiseled in the mountainside spanning nearly 3 acres with every type of flower you can imagine flourishing on our property. We love it! That being said, it is REMOTE! We usually have to drive down the mountain to get interent ... read more