Sign In
Blogs from Ecuador, South America - page 11
Advertisement
December 18th 2012
Once again it has been such a long time scince I wrote, so get ready for a lot of excitment. Last tim I wrote I was sitting in Mancoura, Peru. I am now in the beautiful house of Maria Cano in Bogota, Colombia. So lets get into it! My last days and nights in Mancoura were amazing! Each day was spent sunbaking, learning some new handicrafts from the local artesian family I made freinds with. Katrijn and I went surfing again, she was having lessons so I was on the other end of a camera. Got some good photos, and after some of the other surfers thought I was a pro and asked to buy my photos LOL. Unfortunately I am too honest and just gave them the photos and took the compliment...new job hmmmm? We ... read more
December 15th 2012
The Star Princess officially entered the Southern Hemisphere at 0122 this morning, and we docked amidst a fleet of fishing and cargo vessels about 0800. Dave and Mary, American friends we have met, blew off for the Galapagos’ Islands at O’Dark thirty this morning, and we cannot wait until they re-board and tell us all about their adventures. Manta is about a four hour’s drive from Quito (Capitol of Ecuador), so we’re not sure why stopped here, as we sailed at 1800. There was one small town nearby that specializes in Panama hats (called so, because although “invented” and still made here, they were shipped by the thousands to the men building the Panama Canal in the early 1900’s. After our day in Costa Rican Rain forests and jungle rivers, this made a lot of sense. ... read more
December 13th 2012
As you know, Andy and I are going to Ecuador in 2013 to volunteer at a sanctuary for orphaned and injured monkeys that have been rescued from lab experiments and the South American pet trade. The sanctuary, El Paseo de los Monos, is located in the jungles of Puyo, Ecuador where they rehabilitate monkeys (spider, wooly, white capuchin, black capuchin, squirrel, tamarin and saki) and reintroduce those that can live on their own back into the wild. So far, our itinerary is as follows: Saturday, 2/23/13 -Arrive in Quito -Spend the night at a hotel in the historic district ("Old Town") Sunday, 2/24/13 -Explore Old Town Quito -Go see the Iglesia de la Compania de Jesus (Company of Jesus Church) which is encased in gold leaf -Take a cable car up Pinchincha volcano (dormant) -Make our ... read more
Reflecting On My Hotel Job
Published: December 15th 2012South America » Ecuador » West » Puerto López
December 12th 2012
Hola amigos! Once again I am in “recovery phase” after 2 ½ months of intense work as substitute manager at a coastal hotel. During the last few weeks of each stint accumulated fatigue hears me saying “I’m getting too old to keep up this pace” or “I’ll never put myself through this again” but as soon as the owners ask, I’m chomping at the bit to go back. I’ve accepted this replacement gig ten times in all and I’m sure I’ll be filling in again in 2013. It’s really a great job for me – lots of variety and challenge, using my languages every day in a meaningful way to help folks enjoy their vacation, meeting all kinds of fascinating people. Since it's an amazingly beautiful place with excellent service and attention, almost everyone who comes ... read more
December 6th 2012
After a surprisingly pleasant 40 hour bus journey from Cuzco to the Ecuadorian border (Oltsura bus company is highly recommended) we arrived at the border town of Tumbes (Peru) looking for a bed. Alright taxi dude, find us a hostel. No problem my friends, but you must be aware tomorrow the road to the border is blocked by protesters, unhappy at banana prices. Hmmm. For how long, we inquire.. It could be days. Hmmmm. Is that a rat? The border was some 45 mins from Tumbes, so of course he may be fishing for a fare. He took us to a reasonably priced spot quite happily, but what if... Needing to go there anyway we decided to head straight for the border, to a huge immigration complex that was practically deserted (it cost about 4 quid, ... read more
Advertisement
Festival of Quito
Published: December 9th 2012South America » Ecuador » North » Quito » Historical Center
December 5th 2012
On my last night in Quito, I walked around in the Historic District where the Festival of Quito celebrates the founding of Quito by Spanish settlers in 1534. The Centro Historic District is a UNESCO site with beautifully restored buildings. In the Festival there are music, dance, speeches, art exhibits, and performances. It is a great time to visit Quito.... read more
Restaurant in Mercado Santa Clara
Published: December 9th 2012South America » Ecuador » North » Quito
December 5th 2012
Today I took a flash drive with all the photos Vicente Uyana and I took together to Teresa and Jaime at the restaurant they own near the Mercado Santa Clara in Quito.... read more
December 2nd 2012
I only ever bunked off school once in my whole life. The reason was easy. I was learning Spanish in Otavalo, Ecuador but found the lessons tougher than I had thought they would be. Each morning I would gaze outside the classroom window at the distant shape of Volcan Imbabura while the teacher wrote on the blackboard. After a week of lessons I bunked off school and trekked to the summit. Bunking off never felt so good. At 4,680 metres, the extinct volcano is a major day hike but from the summit you have panoromaic views of the lush countryside and snowclad peaks of the Andes. Make sure you do your homework first with regards to safety and do not climb alone. Happy travels Alistair http://www.alistairmcguinness.com... read more
December 2nd 2012
The Uyana family picked me up at the hotel in the Center of old Quito. We went to visit the Basilica in the Center of Quito. Then we went to the area in the north of Quito where the family lives. It is the place where Vicente was born and grew up and married Rosario and lived all his life except for the years he lived in Arlington. When Vicente was young the area had small farms, but now it it an extended suburban part of Quito. We had lunch are then we drove around the community where they lived. This is where the Church of the Brethren had a church, a school, a community center, and a cooperative to help farmers market their farm products.... read more
December 1st 2012
Daniela was a student of mine at T. C. Williams High School in 2005. She was a dedicated student and easy to remember so when she contacted me on Facebook we because ‘friends’. She offered to show me areas near Quito that I couldn’t very well see on my own. Daniela and her mother picked me up from my hotel in their Chevrolet and we headed to the Teleferico cable chair lift which took us to the top of Pichincha volcano to look out over Quito which lies below it. Then we had a traditional Ecuadorean lunch and then went to a market for artisans of traditional products. Finally we went to Mitad del Mundo which is where the Equator crosses near Quito.... read more
