Attractions in and around Quito and the Quilitoa region

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I needed the last few weeks in Ecuador to further improve my Spanish skills and to make the excursions in and around Quito that I had not done so far. Additionally, I still wanted to go hiking in the Quilitoa region, one of the highlights of Ecuador !

In Quito, I went to the Museo de la Ciudad, the Panecillo, the Teleférico, the Basílica. I enjoyed the Basílica the most, because the view over the city was very beautiful. Not needed to go up to the Teleférico to see the city from the sky ! At the Teleférico, I took the opportunity to inhale oxygen (I think this used to be a hype in Asia). It felt a little bit like being tipsy in the beginning, but without the unpleasant side effects. The region around Quito is also interesting. Everybody goes to Mitad del Mundo to take a picture at the middle of the world, but personally I enjoyed my trip to Molinuco much more. This is a nature reserve that is not known very well to tourists and that is not mentioned in the guidebooks. A lot of nice waterfalls, nice hikes and only few people because it is quite a hassle to get there.

I had heard a lot of great things about Quilitoa and I was far from disapointed. Many people just do a day trip to the laguna Quilitoa, but that is a pity. Everybody should spend at least 3 to 4 days in this region, because the hikes are extraordinary ! The adventure usually starts when trying to reach the starting point of the trip, which was Isinlivi for me. I left Quito in the morning and went by buses/pickup to Isinlivi were I arrived only late in the afternoon. There is really nothing to do in this village, but it was clear from the start the the views would be amazing ! My guidebook only mentioned one (expensive) hostal in this town called "Llullu Llama", but there are cheap alternatives. Few houses away from the hostal, there is a shop were I would learn later that they also rented rooms at 1/5th of the price I was paying in the hostal. Fortunately, the food in Llullu Llama was very good and the views were very beautiful (esp. from the bathroom), but nevertheless I will not make this mistake again.
From there I went on foot to another small town called Chugchilán. I arrived after a 5-hours hike while enjoying some of the most amazing sceneries I had every seen. Chugchilán was slightly more popular with tourists than Isinlivi and finding good accommodation was easier. The next day, I went on foot from Chugchilán to Quilitoa. The sceneries were nice as well, but unfortunately a large part of the way goes via the road and I prefer not to be overtaken by cars while walking. Many people do this hike in the reverse direction, because they prefer walking downhill and maybe I should have done this as well. The hike was rather tough, esp. considering that I was carrying my luggage including food and drinks. The most difficult part was not the 6-hours hike itself, but was not knowing when I would arrive. Every time I asked locals, I got different answers. In some cases, I was told that I was at less than an hour from my destination, while few minutes later others would tell me 3 to 4 hours. It was a relief to get there few hours before dark. The next morning, I could enjoy the sunrise at the laguna Quilitoa and hiked down to the laguna and up again on foot. Many people go back by horse because it is a tough hike through sand that takes 1h30. At least that is what they told me, but I did this in 30min and arrived at the top more quickly than some people taking horses. Sounds like a tourist trap to me. Before going back, I enjoyed a typical dish called Chucchacaras in Latacunga for lunch. This includes various parts of porc, probably more than what we are used to eat ;-) I needed it after 3 days of hiking.

Afterwards, it was time to prepare my backpack to travel to Colombia. Looking back, I have had a wonderful time in Ecuador. I am now fluent in Spanish and I have seen a lot of beautiful parts of the country. The Quilitoa region in particular was amazing ! Nevertheless, there are still many parts of the country I have not discovered. Maybe I should come back later?

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Comments

[Karel]

Bert, eerste deel zag er echt al veelbelovend uit!! En nu je perfect spaans kunt zal het vervolg nog interessanter worden qua lokale contacten! Amuseer je nog daar, groeten!