http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Ecuador/Quito-and-Quilotoa-Circuit/ Travel adventures in journals and photos from South America , Ecuador , Quito and Quilotoa Circuit en-us Sat, 11 Oct 2008 08:56:02 BST Sat, 11 Oct 2008 08:56:02 BST Dutch versionVan de Galapagos direct naar Quito was wel weer ff wennen opeens weer op zoek naar een hostal weer opletten op je spullen etc. Kortom bright lights big city. Van zeeniveau naar 2.800 meter was ook niet geweldig voor mijn hoofd maar ach dat gaat vanzelf over.Maar het oude koloniale gedeelte van Quito is zeker de moeite waard. Veel kerken pleinen etc. Ik ben in deze trip al veel k http://www.travelblog.org//South-America/Ecuador/Quito-and-Quilotoa-Circuit/Mindo/blog-212581.html I have now been in Quito a long time so long in fact that the customers in the stationary shop always ask after the vecino gringuito the gringo neighbour. On that note i think that we SouthWest Londoners should incorporate Veci and Pana into our slang as they are pretty cool. Also a fit girl who is a local definitely should be called Vecinita. Before i recount more tales involving al http://www.travelblog.org//South-America/Ecuador/Quito-and-Quilotoa-Circuit/blog-204971.html I spent an hour writing this blog entry last week and lost it at the last minute needless to say I left in a huff and did not try for a second time. I have now calmed down enough to attempt the entry again.On Saturday 18th at 7 am my friends and I headed out for a weekend of adventure in Mindo Located about 2 and a half hours away from Quito into the Jungle. The scenery from the bus window was t http://www.travelblog.org//South-America/Ecuador/Quito-and-Quilotoa-Circuit/blog-196627.html I did make it into school at 7am on Thursday morning for my first ever school trip. 6 other pupils our respective teachers and myself all headed in a minibus to the local 2 hours away Farmers market i.e. Saquasili Market. I was tired and hungover at first but Im so glad I went. Saquasili market is completely off the beaten track and not designed for tourists at all which was really refresh http://www.travelblog.org//South-America/Ecuador/Quito-and-Quilotoa-Circuit/blog-195169.html I did make it into school at 7am on Thursday morning for my first ever school trip. 6 other pupils our respective teachers and myself all headed in a minibus to the local 2 hours away Farmers market i.e. Saquasili Market. I was tired and hungover at first but Im so glad I went. Saquasili market is completely off the beaten track and not designed for tourists at all which was really refresh http://www.travelblog.org//South-America/Ecuador/Quito-and-Quilotoa-Circuit/blog-195166.html I have decided that there are definitely no rules to the road out here. I am pleased to say that I have just survived the taxi Journey from hell just so that I can add an entry to this blog There are no road markings no give way signs and definitely no speed limit... I hope your all happyrant overHola every bodyOh Ive had quite a quiet week really you know... just climbed the local volc http://www.travelblog.org//South-America/Ecuador/Quito-and-Quilotoa-Circuit/blog-195161.html Feliz fiesta del sol Happy midsummer This year I finally got to celebrate midsummer as I've always felt intrigued to do. Thursday was the big midsummer festival known as Inti Raymi in Quito. Most of the festival was held in the center of the city and consisted of performances by school children in the indigenous communities crafts and music. The performances were all so great and one gir http://www.travelblog.org//South-America/Ecuador/Quito-and-Quilotoa-Circuit/Mindo/blog-173595.html ok i have like two minutes to post this before i have to disconnect. here are entries from my first few days in quito. sorry it's a lot only read if you want.June 5Hi to everyone. Well I am safe and sound here in Quito after 24 hours of travel more or less a lost debit card very very bad me and a few instances where I wanted to do serious harm to certain airport personnel. But overall it w http://www.travelblog.org//South-America/Ecuador/Quito-and-Quilotoa-Circuit/Mindo/blog-166859.html The trip is going very well. Actually it has been awesome... you know to be precise. Yesterday I spent most of the day at Casa Gabriel a mission for street kids in Quito. Great experience and also great to see people from back home. Last night I got back to the hostel around 715 and dinner was still not quite ready. Over dinner I met two guys from the UK. We talked about everything from Amer http://www.travelblog.org//South-America/Ecuador/Quito-and-Quilotoa-Circuit/blog-150972.html Well we are now on our Easter holidays until next Sunday which is very exciting So as we live so far south we decided to go up north and see some of the quieter lesser visited parts of Ecuador. Travelling up to Quito on the 9 hour night bus was a lot of fun mainly due to the fact that I remembered my fetching eye mask and ear pliugs which proved invaluable Thanks to my very comfy Mat pillo http://www.travelblog.org//South-America/Ecuador/Quito-and-Quilotoa-Circuit/blog-147612.html Well to add to the hit list of people ....uuurrggh insurance folk AAAARRRGGGHhh. I kind of thought that the point of travel insurance was to cover you for unforseen eventualities. Well we are informed that liquidation is not covered by our supposed travel insurance so all cancellation and curtailment articles are hence cancelled and they owe us nothing Thanks great. Lots of people seem http://www.travelblog.org//South-America/Ecuador/Quito-and-Quilotoa-Circuit/blog-114294.html Well to say we cheated death might be overplaying it slightly but for those convinced that I am in someway both jinxed and blessed with great fortune it will be of no suprise to hear that we narrowly survived an avalanche this week. Leaving Quito for the final time felt good as we were finally departing south towards some of the other countries we had planned to visit. Ecuador is a difficult plac http://www.travelblog.org//South-America/Ecuador/Quito-and-Quilotoa-Circuit/blog-93563.html Now where did i leave off It's been an adventurous week I arrived in Quito on the 25th of June. landed at the Secret Garden hostal more of a 4 floor concrete jungle but cool vibe and GREAT food. spent more on the food than the accomodations.Quito is a city built into the side of a mountain. gorgeous setting and perfect weather. But man Quito sprawl gives Los Angeles a serious run for it's m http://www.travelblog.org//South-America/Ecuador/Quito-and-Quilotoa-Circuit/blog-71581.html Hi sorry for the break in service but last weekend I decided to go round the 'Quilotoa loop' a circle of indigneous farming villages in the central Sierra last weekend and there isn't a lot of internet coverage there... A lot has happened in the last ten days so I'll fill you in. Last time I wrote I went back to the reserve on Saturday afternoon and when I returned I heard one of the pigs http://www.travelblog.org//South-America/Ecuador/Quito-and-Quilotoa-Circuit/blog-70936.html I got to Quito safe and sound. The flight was not too bad as I got to sit next the emergency exit. Lots of room to spread my long legs However the landing was very bumpy and after we landed the steward told me it was the second most dangerous airport in the WorldI stayed the first few nights in a hostel recommended by my cousin. Itrsquos at the edge of the old town and has a rooftop terrace wi http://www.travelblog.org//South-America/Ecuador/Quito-and-Quilotoa-Circuit/blog-20584.html well its been an eventful week and a half for all in ecuador and quito especially so why not discuss it in blog form I thought. There were sporadic demonstrations in the streets of quito the past few months but it all started to heat up a week and a half ago whilst I was asleep early ready to get up and go to visit the valley of the volcanoes as it is known 2 hours to the south of quito. Whil http://www.travelblog.org//South-America/Ecuador/Quito-and-Quilotoa-Circuit/blog-7709.html