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Published: February 1st 2023
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Each winter in North America, millions of residents of the United States and Canada flock to warm weather locales in the southern United States—either to their second homes or rentals—in states such as Florida or Arizona. As a resident of Vermont, I too seek a brief respite from winter’s two-fisted punch of snow and cold, but I don’t want to become another clichéd “snowbird” going to a familiar place surrounded by bland condo developments and chain restaurants. I don’t want to be a captive to the familiar. I don’t want to sacrifice curiosity for comfort. I don’t want just warmth, but cultural enrichment.
My winter escape from the frigid winds that sweep through the Green Mountains of Vermont is South America, in particular the country of Ecuador, where I have visited four times. Most recently in January 2023. Trips to Ecuador (and to South America in general) for me are not just geographic excursions; they are opportunities for me to stretch my mind as well as legs. And this involves learning Spanish. I have made a personal commitment to improve my Spanish to a point where I’m now at an advanced intermediate level. On my most recent trip to Ecuador,
I felt very comfortable conversing with locals in their native language. (Note: to improve my language proficiency, I took online courses from these two schools, which I recommend:
Spanishland School and
1001 Reasons to Learn Spanish.)
On this trip to Ecuador, my wife and I rented a beautiful one-bedroom loft apartment in the fashionable La Carolina neighborhood of Quito, the country’s capital that sits at a breathless height of 9,400 feet above sea level. The apartment was in a brand-new building with all the modern amenities you could ask for, including a rooftop terrace, a gym, and 24-hr security. All this for less than $50 per night. (That price is not a misprint. Ecuador is incredibly affordable.) The goal of this trip was three-fold: 1) explore the city of Quito, 2) explore beautiful places outside of the city, and 3) relax and bask in the warm weather (it was sunny and 70F every day we were there). Here are a few highlights:
The City Parks Our apartment was nestled between two lovely parks: the 165-acre La Carolina Park and the 1,400-acre Guangüiltagua Park (which means “heavenly sacred balcony” in the Quitu tongue). As a point of comparison, NYC’s
Central Park and London’s Hampstead Heath are about 850 acres each. We would spend time strolling like local Quiteños through the parks, which are filled with families playing with their children and dogs. It was obvious that the residents of Quito love their dogs, which we observed frolicking everywhere under the Andean sun.
Pichincha Volcano A must-do activity in Quito is to take the
teleferico up towards the summit of the Pichincha volcano, which hovers over the city at nearly 16,000 feet above sea level. Once there, the hike to/from the very summit takes about six hours. The trek is not for the faint of heart or lungs. If you go, bring warm clothing, strong legs and lungs, and a good attitude. The scenery is worth it, however. On a clear day, you can see 14 other volcanoes in the distance. Ecuador has 121 volcanoes, of which 12 are currently active, including the nearby Cotopaxi volcano (19,347 feet), which is just 30 miles south of Quito and which has been spewing ash in recent weeks.
Mindo Situated northwest of Quito is the village of Mindo, which sits in the lush cloud forest.
There are many unique activities and destinations in and around this charming town, including nearby hummingbird and butterfly preserves. Ecuador boats 121 species of hummingbirds and over 4,000 species of butterflies. I find these creatures particularly beautiful and fascinating, especially when I can be surrounded by so many different types that I would not see in North America. Another fun activity in Mindo is hiking through the cloud forest to waterfalls. The hikes are steep and muddy, but the reward is worth it. And you can wash off the sweat in the fast-flowing streams. We also spotted some toucans in the forest as we hiked.
Cuicocha Crater Lake A two-hour drive north of Quito is the Cuicocha crater lake, which was left behind by a volcanic explosion over three-thousand years ago. (Cuicocha translates into “guinea pig lake,” because the indigenous people thought the islands in the center of the lake resembled guinea pigs.) The caldera sits at 10,650 feet above sea level. There is a hiking circuit of approximately nine miles around the lake. The trek takes about 4-5 hours to complete and features a one-thousand-foot elevation gain. Again, sturdy legs and lungs are required. But
the 360-degree vistas are delicious.
We plan to return to Ecuador next winter, for its delights (excellent weather, friendly people, affordable prices, and stunning scenery) continue to beckon.
Note: Numerous trips to South America have inspired my fiction: See my
South American Novels collection on Amazon.
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