Well, again it's been a long time. This blog is going to be covering a visit to Quito and Ibarra, and then another visit to Ibarra, seperated by about a month I think. Ibarra if you didn't already know, is my favorite place in Ecuador. The city is so beautiful, the people are so nice, the accent is so cool, the food is so good, the arts and crafts around the province are the best in Ecuador, my best friends in Ecuador live there, I have a second house there (feels like it), it's cool during the day, cold at [View Full Entry]

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El Angel has a reputation of being one of the coldest places in Ecuador. However, I found it to be sunny, warm and relaxed. For days I was the only tourist in town and enjoyed the laid back atmosphere of this little place inmidst rolling green hills. Internet was hardly ever working and there is no bank or ATM where one could get money from a VISA card. I stayed in the Hosteria El Angel which is now one of my favorite hostals in Ecuador. It is German managed, and thus clean and organised and, guess what, the hot water tub [View Full Entry]

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The Guandera Biological Station was established in 1994 and is situated in the northern inter-Andean valley of Ecuador, near the town San Gabriel. The station is managed by the Jatun Sacha Foundation and its dedicated manager, Don José. Guandera is a unique place on the globe and has been classified as a primary hotspot for conservation. Nowhere else in Ecuador live the mysterious huge Guandera trees (up to 30m) which grow roots from top to bottom. Also, Guandera is just one of two places in Ecuador where the incredible frailejones grow. And there are millions and millions and millions of them, [View Full Entry]

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With the local outdoors group Rutacero I went on a mountain bike trip high above Ibarra. We left at 4am from Quito, which was the bad thing about the trip. Everything else was great. It was fantastic landscape, with views on Imbabura and Cotacachi. The first 10 km we went up from about 3000m to 3700m which was pretty tough. Then it was a long downhill ride, followed by yet another, but shorter uphill part. And then a seemingly never ending downhill part on a cobbled road. It was really tough to hold the bike and we were completely shaken through [View Full Entry]

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Terve! Toissapaivana tulin Ecuadorin puolelle, Kolumbia jatti hyvan kuvan itsestaan. Alkaa siis vaarauskoisia kuunnelko, ei se niin paha paikka ole mita ihmiset, jotka siella eivat ole kaynneet yrittavat, kuvittelevat. Kahta hikista sukkaparia enempaa en omaisuuttani menettanyt, ihmiset loppuun asti ystavallisia ja maisemat komeita. Ja mika parasta, muita turisteja ei ole liiaksi asti. Vietin yhden viikon melkein Helsingin kokoisessa kaupungissa ja nain kaduilla tasan yhden kerran muita "monoja", kutsuvat taalla ystavallisesti vaaleaihoisia apinoiksi (mono), aluksi vahan sarahti korvaan, mutta ei ne silla mitaan pahaa tarkoittaneet. Bogotassa satoi joka paiva, ei muistella sita! Sielta matka jatkui Salentoon, muutaman tuhannen ihmisen pikkukylaan, josta lahettiin [View Full Entry]

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Twas the night before Christmas and the Islands of Boccas Del Torres were beaconing us. We were weary from travel and needest food and shelter. Many people had gathered this day for the crossing of the rickety banana bridge into the promised land of Panama. Flood waters raged and thundered below, landslides nor torrential rain didst steer us from our path. Our faithful four wheeled companion led us safely to 'O Little Town of Almirante'. We were guided by a star across choppy waters in a sturdy vessel to the promise of shelter. Despondently we trudged the sodden streets with the [View Full Entry]

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I suppose it's too late to wish everyone a happy Hallowe'en. I believe they celebrate Hallowe'en here in Ecuador, just a different way. The coastal region has vacation the whole week of Hallowe'en and celebrates with fiestas, costume parties, stuff like that. I'm not sure about trick-or-treating here, I didn't see anyone going around asking for candy. The problem is that it's too dangerous at night here for little kids to go walking around by themselves. Also, all houses that you'd go to to get candy are surrounded by walls. I doubt anyone would answer the door to hand out [View Full Entry]

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Soooo.... letztes wochenende habe ich gaaaanz viel gemacht, fuer die verhaeltnisse hier=) freitag war eine riesige parade hier in ibarra, so eine art fest das es die stadt gibt oder so nen kack:) naja, ich fands super denn so hatten wir einen grund party zu machen! Also bin ich um 2 uhr mittags aus dem haus zu einer freundin und dann haben wir da mit anderen freunden die parade angeguckt. danach bin ich mit einem freund von mir (edwin) zu einer modenschau von einem anderen freund von mir gegangen, also der andere freund von mir hat da gemodelt:P danach sind wir [View Full Entry]

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Na ihrs! Mir geht es wieder gut;) hab nur noch ein bisschen schnupfen... naja, in zwei wochen spaetestens komme ich aus dieser familie raus, deswegen scheiss ich jetzt voll drauf, was meine oma oder meine tante sagen:) Ich mach halt schon noch die sachen die ich soll, aber ich hoer ihnen nicht mehr zu. ins eine ohr rein, aus m andern raus;) heute wollten sie mir erklaren wie man zu fegen hat:D voll der witz, denn dieses haus ist ueberall so voller staub und dreckig, ich musste mir so das lachen verkneifen, dass koennt ihr euch nicht vorstellen!!! naja, gestern abend [View Full Entry]

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