Nicoles Ecuadorean Travel Expedition

Ecuador is 175,780 square miles and has about 11,700,000 inhabitants. The capital of Ecuador is Quito, which has a population of 1.2 million. Major industries include: oil, bananas, shrimp, fish, and coffee and the Ecuadorian currency is the sucre. About 55% of Ecuadorians are Mestizo (mixed Indian and Spanish), 25% Indian, 10% Spanish, and 10% black. About 95% of all Ecuadorians are Catholic, with Spanish being the official language. Ecuador is divided into 3 distinct geographic and climatic areas:

Indian Markets are a popular tourist attraction. In addition to the touristy, overwhelming Otavalo Saturday market, there are other smaller markets in which you can find great deals on fine goods. The following towns and villages have the most popular markets for tourists - as there are plenty of crafts to choose from.

Monday:	Ambato
Tuesday:	Latacunga, Riobamba, Guano
Wednesday:	Otavalo (small), Pujili
Thursday:	Saquisili, Cuenca, Tulcan
Saturday:	Otavalo (main), Latacunga, Riobamba, Peguche, Cotacachi, Guano, Zumbahua
Sunday:	Tulcan, Santo Domingo, Sangolqui, Machachi

Ecuador official holidays include: January 1 (New Year’s), Good Friday (Easter), May 1 (Labor Day), August 10 (Independence Day), October 9 (Guayaquil Independence Day), November 2 (All Souls Day), November 3 (Cuenca Independence Day), and December 25 (Christmas). Ecuador non-official holidays include: Carnival Monday and Tuesday (prior to Ash Wednesday), May 24 (commemorates Battle of Pichincha), December 6 (Foundation of Quito –observed only in Quito), December 24 (Christmas Eve), December 31 (New Year’s Eve). There are also local festivities on the city’s independence or foundation anniversaries.

U.S. citizens do not need a visa for tourist or business travel to this country. Any U.S. citizen who wishes to travel to Ecuador for any purpose other than tourism or business (work, study, or stays longer than 3 months) should contact the embassy or nearest consulate.

Get your passport processed at the post office. It's much faster and convenient than passport offices. Also, get a couple of extra passport photos and take them with you in case you lose visas or passport.

Get all required immunizations. I'm from US and I got Yellow Fever and Hepatitis A shots and Typhoid and Malaria pills. Flu shot is also useful.

Make a couple photocopies of your passport/visa, immunizations, traveler's checks, plane ticket, insurance, etc. Keep copies in various locations with you in Ecuador and at home with family/friends. I usually carried a copy of my passport with me and kept copies of important papers, $25 airport exit fee, and plane ticket in the safe at SAEC.

Make sure your PIN number is only 4 numbers. There are ATMs in every major city and even on the Galapagos Islands. Banco del Pacifico branches are plentiful and take cards with CIRRUS and Mastercards/VISAs with PIN numbers. The exchange rate for ATMs is better than for traveler's checks or US dollars.

When I was in Ecuador, the exchange rate varied between 5,200 and 5,700 sucres per $1 - now it is @ 25,000 per $1. "Ecuador's Congress approved legislation making the United States dollar the country's currency. Within six months, all sucres are to be replaced by dollars at a rate of 25,000 to one." (The New York Times, March 2, 2000)
Check Current Sucre Value Now

VISA, Mastercard, and American Express are widely accepted in large cities, but you will have to pay an extra 6-10% fee. There is a Western Union office in Quito.

Read about Ecuador before you go, make a list of must-sees to help you structure your trip. Watch Lonely Planet’s Ecuador video. It's a little old but is very good and inspiring.

PACK LIGHT! I was there for 3 months and only took a medium-size, internal-frame Jansport backpack that fit in the airplane overhead bin. You can buy your toiletries when you get to Quito.

Decide on camera you will take. I'm not a photographer and just wanted pictures good enough to remember my trip - so I bought a Canon Elph with telephoto. It took pretty good pictures in 3 sizes and a couple of flash options. Best of all, it fit nicely hidden in my pocket.

Set up a Yahoo or Hotmail free email account. There are new internet cafes springing up each month and it is an easy way to keep in touch.

Buy a guidebook, Spanish phrasebook, and a Spanish dictionary. I highly recommend Moon Travel's Ecuador Handbook and Lonely Planet's Latin American Spanish Phrasebook.

Join the South American Explorers Club! I got great discounts on Spanish classes, lodging, and my Amazon tour. Annual membership is only $40 and if you spend time in Ecuador or Peru - you will save more than $40 in discounts. The trip reports and reference materials and the use of the safe and storage are also very valuable!

When budgeting for your trip - you can get by on $5-8 per night for lodging, $5-6 per day for food, $5 per day for transportation and museums, and $5 per day for miscellaneous stuff. You can always bargain to get better deals and if you are person of color - you can sometimes get domestic rates for things instead of paying high tourist rates.

Take new American dollars (or as new as possible), as some places won’t exchange really old bills.

Confirm international & domestic plane reservations 72 hours before departure (also when you leave Ecuador)!

Eat yogurt for 2 weeks prior to departure to build up friendly bacteria to help digestion.

The electric current is 110 volts/60 cycles.

What should you pack? It's difficult to list items you should pack - as it depends on where you are going and what you are doing. You can always rent specialty items (camping, climbing, and snorkeling equipment) in Quito if you don't want to lug them with you. Things you should not forget to pack include:

EMETEL is Ecuador's national phone company and has an office in almost every town. Domestic calls are easy to make, however, international calls are much more challenging. Many tourists have taken to making international calls over the computer at internet cafes - it's pretty cheap (call to US costs about 35 cents per minute) but there is a couple of seconds time delay so conversations can be tiring. Many cities/large towns have cellular phones called Porto Alo. These phones only accept calling cards, which are available in denominations of 50,000 and 20,000 sucres and are sold usually wherever the phones are found. Cheap fax and email services are also offered at Internet cafes.

There are tons of internet cafes in Quito (most located in New Town) and many are springing up in other cities in Ecuador. Prices start at $2 an hour to send/receive email and surf the web. Many offer free coffee and tea and also offer other services such as meals and laundry. Here are a few I remember in Quito - though believe me, you will run into many more:

Health & Safety

You can get good medical care in Quito and Guayaquil (as many of the bilingual doctors were trained in the US and Europe). Your countries embassy has a list of recommended doctors available. It would be worth it to get the list prior to your trip or while in Quito and keep it with you - just in case. Here are two doctors in Quito that were recommended by the US Embassy - because they are very good doctors are are fluent in English:

Pharmacies are also a good option if you get sick - as you can find them in all major cities. They carry a various over-the-counter drugs and antibiotics (many are only available by prescription in the US - such as antibiotics). Pharmacies are open during business hours and you can find a list of after-hour pharmacies in Quito's Saturday paper (I believe it is El Comercio). I know that the pharmacy near my apartment and Supermaxi is open 24-hours a day - it is on 6 de Deciembre and San Ignacio. Be careful when getting drugs from the pharmacy - many of the drugs have not been approved in the US due to side affects.

Ecuador is one of the safest countries in South America. If you are a crime victim - usually it is petty theft. However, it is a poor country and crime is on the rise. There aren't many guns in Ecuador - most crimes are committed by knifepoint, machete, or by groups of people. Obviously, you are more of a target if you stand out as a rich tourist. People of color who travel to Ecuador, usually have an easier time blending in - as I did.

As a female traveling solo, I used the same caution I do when walking around San Francisco or East Oakland. Luckily I had no problems, but I did run into some other travelers that did. I suggest the following:

Most Ecuadorian meals consist of rice, potatoes, and some kind of meat (mostly beef and chicken but also pork in Sierra and fish on the coast). You can spice it up with Aji hot sauce - mmm it’s good but hot. Patacones (fried bananas) are yummy and usually accompany your meal. You HAVE to try delicious Empanadas which are fried, hot, meat or cheese-filled pastries and Llapingachos which are potato and cheese pancakes. Choclo is grilled corn on the cob and is a good snack to buy while on the road - vendors get on buses and sell them.

Ceviche is a seafood dish marinating fish in lemon and onions and is usually served with popcorn. Ceviche can be made with fish (pescado), squid (calamari), shellfish (concha), shrimp (camarones), or a combination of seafood (mixta). Be careful, though, because if it isn’t prepared right you could get quite sick. Try to stick to restaurants, rather than street stands, when ordering ceviche.

Soups (sopas) and stews (seco) are a specialty in Ecuador and are very good - even if you can’t identify what’s in them. You should have plenty of soup if you buy a lot of set meal plates. Chupe de Pescado (fish and vegetable soup) is delicious and is found on the coast - though I did see it in larger cities in the Sierra as well. Seco de Pollo (stewed chicken, rice, avocado slices) and Seco de Chivo (stewed goat with rice) are popular also.

If you are on a budget, you should take advantage of set meal plates - offered at most restaurants in Ecuador. For lunches (almuerzo) and dinner (merienda), you usually get soup, a main course (including meat), and a dessert for $1-2. Many restaurants offer vegetarian versions of set meals also.

Bakeries (panderias) are also a good source of a cheap snack or breakfast. You can get hot fresh rolls for 10-25 cents and fancier breads and pastries including empanadas for $1.

Be careful of buying food from street stands - especially meat dishes as they may not be thoroughly cooked. Usually, if you see a lot of people (especially locals) buying from the stand it should be OK.

There are supermarket chains - Supermaxi is the largest - in the large cities. You can get anything from Coco Pebbles to Red Barron Frozen Pizza. There are also specialty shops in Quito selling English, German, Swiss, French, and Italian foods. There are a number of these shops in Quito along Juan Leon Mera.

If you miss American fast food - which after 6 weeks I'm embarrassed to admit I broke down and went to McDonald's - you'll find Taco Bell, Pizza Hut, McDonald's, Baskin Robbins, and Burger King scattered throughout the larger cities.

Ecuador is a great country in which to learn Spanish. The local Spanish accent is easy to understand and there are plenty of reputable schools to choose from throughout the country (go to my Links page for Ecuador Spanish schools on the web). Prices average from $4-7 per hour. Many schools offer other services such as prearranging your accommodations, airport transportation, email, tour agency services, and specialty classes (cooking, salsa dancing, Quechua). Family stays average between $8-10 per day and offer obvious added benefits.

It's tempting to want to pick your Spanish school before you arrive, but believe me, it is well worth it to wait until you get to Ecuador. If you want to stay with a family, check with the school to see how many other students will be living there. Some students thought they were going to have an intimate learning experience with an Ecuadorian family, only to find 5 other tourists there as well.

Don't pay for your school all at once, pay a little at a time. Before I left for Ecuador, I had every intention of taking 6 hours of classes per day for 6 weeks. Ha HA Ha that lasted about 3 days. I had the WORST headaches after 6 hours! You may want to start off with 4 hours of instruction. I also met people that were going on cool 3-4 day trips throughout Ecuador and wanted to join them - so I had to reschedule Spanish classes. I think I took about 4-5 weeks of classes in all but it wasn't consecutive. Keep in mind that many of the Spanish teachers are not paid much and count on your money for salaries. If you say you are going to take classes for 4 weeks, then the school will tell the teacher they will get paid for 4 weeks. It's a good idea to pay for classes week by week, then no one gets let down.

I attended Escuela de Simon Bolivar which was $5.50 per hour for Spanish classes which included cooking lessons, soccer games, salsa dancing, and discounted weekend trips. They were very helpful and arranged airport transportation and an apartment for me prior to my arrival. Though I found that I didn't participate much in the activities as there was so much English being spoken. Therefore, I was paying for activities that I was not using. I do recommend their week-long Study on the Coast program - where you stay at Alandaluz Resort, take Spanish lessons, and go to Isla de la Plata and Playa de los Frailes.

Ecuador is a small, relatively cheap country which allows budget travelers the option of air travel. The main domestic airlines are TAME and SAN, though there are other small airlines. There are international airports in Quito and Guayaquil and domestic airports in the following cities: Cuenca, Baltra, San Cristobal, Tulcan, Bahia de Caraquez, Manta, Loja, Machala, Lago Agrio, Coca, Macas, Tarapoa, and Esmeraldas. My flights from Quito to Coca were $50 one-way; Cuenca to Quito - $50 one-way; Quito to Manta - $40 one-way; and Quito to Guayaquill - $80 one-way.

You can go almost anywhere in Ecuador very cheaply by bus. Though there are awful road conditions due to El Niño, especially on the coast. Some buses do not finish routes - leaving you to hitchhike. There are small fast buses, Busetas, and larger slower Autobuses. You should keep your passport on you when traveling by bus, as there are lots of police checks. Whenever possible, avoid traveling by bus at night - not just due to banditos, but also due to higher percentage of bus accidents at night.

Camionetas, rancheras and taxis can be hired for long rides - but be sure to settle on a price before you leave. Rental cars are also available in major cities. NOTE: The taxi fare from the airport into new town in Quito should cost between US $4 and $6. It's even cheaper if you walk a few blocks away from the airport - or even just walk to the domestic flights area. Definitely agree on a price with the driver before getting in the taxi.

You must take the train if you travel to Ecuador! It is well worth the ride! The scenery is beautiful and it is an experience riding on the rooftop. Remember sun glasses (very dusty) and warm clothes (very breezy).

If you are lucky, you will catch a few pieces of fruit people throw to you (and at you) as you travel through the Quito markets. If you insist on standing on the roof, watch the power lines!!! A girl caught a power line in her mouth and was burned badly. Not to mention the broken live wire flapping around the roof of the train.

Quito is the capital of Ecuador and the 2nd highest capital in the world - located at 9350 feet and 14 miles south of the equator. The climate is mostly spring-like - though you can experience all seasons in just one day. Quito sits at the foot of Rucu Pachincha (15,400 feet) and was declared by UNESCO a world cultural heritage site. Quito, though, is such a big city that sometimes it didn’t feel like I'd left Bay Area. Quito has 3 distinct areas: 1) Old Town, 2) New Town, and 3) Modern Quito.

Quito's trolley system is small but convenient (1,000 sucres one-way). It only runs North to South but is good way to get to Terminal Terrestre and Old Town if you don't want to walk. Just walk over to 10 de Agosto to catch it.

I did so much in Quito, I won't even try to list it all. Once I got used to the car and bus exhaust (you'll get a big headache walking down 6 de Deciembre to the South American Explorers Club), I loved Quito. August is dedicated to the arts - on weekends parks are filled with local artists' work and in the evenings there are many cultural theater performances. During the week around December 6th, there are lively parades, concerts, and dances.

Old Town

Old Town is full of colonial churches and plazas, whitewashed houses, cobble-stone streets, and red tiled roofs. There are also lots of markets where you can buy cheap stolen goods. Supposedly, tourists get robbed quite often in Old Town - though I didn't have a problem. Just don't walk around flashing wads of money or alone at night and you should be OK.

There are 3 plazas in Old Town (Plaza Santo Domingo, Plaza San Francisco, and Plaza de la Independencia) surrounded by gorgeous old cathedrals. You can find lots of religious trinkets in the booths outside. La Compania is supposed to be the most beautiful church in North and South America with seven tons of gold in the ceiling, walls, and altars. El Panecillo is the hill where the huge statue of the Virgin of Quito sits - don't climb the hill unless you want to get robbed, better to catch cab in groups. The oldest astronomical observatory in South America (opened in 1864) is in Parque La Alameda. You can visit only for 2 hours between 9:00 and 11:00 am. Be sure to visit Quito's oldest street, La Ronda

Parque El Ejido sits between Old Town and New Town. On the weekends, there's a mini-market with lots of cool art work and plenty of Otavalino booths. There are also occasional boxing matches between 10-12 year olds and festival rides.

Next to the Parque El Ejido is the Casa de la Cultural (in a very modern rounded glass building). There are a number of museums located here including Museo de Instrumentos Musicales Museo de Arte Moderno Museo Arqueologico/Etnologia Museo Colonial y de Arte, and Museo de Traje Indigena

New Town

New Town is the tourists playground - for lack of a better term. Almost all of the budget hostels, restaurant, shops, discos, and tour agencies are located here.WARNING: At night, around Juan Leon Mera be careful for the gang of transvestite prostitutes, this is no joke as a classmate of mine was beat up.

Most of Quito's Internet Cafes are in New Town. Make sure you open an email account through Yahoo or Hotmail - before you leave for Ecuador. They charge $2-3 per hour and you may also make international phone calls via the internet for about .20 cents per minute.

Avenue de Amazonas is one of the main streets in New Town. Here you can find sidewalk cafes, shops, restaurants, and tour agency offices. At the bottom of Ave de Amazonas sits Parque de Ejido.

Confederate Books (don't like the name but..) is a good source of cheap used paperbacks. The owner, from Louisiana, sells and buys books and has a small cafe.

There's a Vivarium/Serpentarium (Reina Victoria y Santa Maria) where you'll find lots of reptiles and amphibians. It costs $1.50 and is open Tues. through Sun.

The Art Forum (Juan Leon Mera y Wilson) shows modern Ecuadorian artists and has an outdoor cafe. Across the street is Libri Mundi, a bookstore with Spanish books as well as foreign-language books in English, German, and French.

There are a lot of high-end gift shops and galleries in New Town (many are on street Juan Leon Mera) such as MCCH Coordinacion de Mujeres (Juan Leon Mera y Robles), Centro de Exposiciones y Ferias Artesanales (12 de Octubre y Madrid), Artesanias Folklore Los Pendoneros (Juan Leon Mera y Baquedano), and Simiatug (Juan Leon Mera y Carrion). They sell nice crafts and goods but you can often get better deals in small villages throughout Ecuador.

If you need a doctor, I went to Dr. John Rosenberg (Foch 476 y Almagro) for a sprained ankle. He is the doctor for the US Embassy, a general practitioner, and speaks English and German. Travel insurance should reimburse you for visits.

Supermaxi is a chain grocery store (like Safeway or Vons) and is located in New Town (6 de Deciembre y Coca) and in El Jardin mall in modern Quito. KAO Sport (Almagro y Colon) sells sporting goods and is good source for snorkeling gear for trips to the Coast or Galapagos and camping gear.

Most importantly, the South American Explorers Club is here on Jorge Washington 311 y Leonidas Plaza (Tel/Fax: 011 593-2-225-228).

Modern Quito

Museo y Taller Guayasamin is a must! Guayasamin is Ecuador's most famous artist and now has a museum of his work on site where he used to live. It costs $1 and is located at Bosmediano 543 between Egas and Carbo. It's pretty steep so if you catch a taxi, make sure catch a newer one that can make it up the hill.

Parque La Carolina is Quito's largest park (across street from El Jardin mall). On Saturdays, there is a huge aerobics class where the instructors are perched on a roof and call out commands in their microphones (check out picture of this on my Photos page). It's also a nice place to put down a blanket and read or play cards. There are vendors throughout the park selling snacks and you can always join a pickup soccer game.

El Jardin is a mall (Avenida Amazonas and Mariana de Jesus) located between New Town and Parque la Carolina. It's very modern and would be at home in Los Angeles with lots of clothing, gift, sports, and record stores. They have a Supermaxi (grocery store), American chain stores (a huge ACE hardware which is useful for buy tools!???), and fast-food restaurants(Burger King, Kentucky Fried Chicken, McDonald's, Taco Bell, Subway Sandwich, El Español Delicatessen, Cuba Libre and Donut Express) and the The Multicine Multiplex (with about 5 theaters) is located here and most movies are in English with Spanish subtitles and cost 12,000 sucres/$2.40 (on Tuesday nights it is 2 for 1). Also have a large styling salon where I got a pretty good haircut (not knowing any haircut vocabulary) for 40,000 sucres/$8. Most buses (1,000 sucres) going up Amazonas will pass the mall and taxis cost 10,000 sucres to/from New Town area.

There is a Federal Express office at Amazonas 5340 y Berlanga. It's expensive shipping things back to the states but it was nice sending gifts home - so I didn't have to keep track of them while traveling.

On Wednesdays and Fridays at 7:30, the Ballet Folklorico performs at the Teatro San Gabriel (America y Mariana de Jesus). It's a wonderfully colorful and lively performance and shouldn't be missed if you are into that kind of thing.

For the first month, I stayed in an apartment while attending Spanish classes. El Remanso apartments were located on Calle de Hernan Cortes y Almagro (near Colon). There is a single apartment and a couple of shared ones with furniture, cable TV, and full kitchens. Prices worked out to about $4.80 per night.

I stayed at El Cafecito(Cordero y Reina Victoria) for most of my nights between trips in Quito ($6 for shared room). It was a good place to meet fellow backpackers and they had a great cafe downstairs and live music on the weekends (of course don't try going to sleep early on Friday or Saturday nights!). Rooms weren't sparkling clean but it was a fun place. They were also in a great central location in New Town across the street from 3 internet cafes and a post office.

Hotel Loro Verde (Rodriguez y Amalgro) is a 3 blocks from El Cafecito and is very clean, safe, much quieter and you can get own room and bathroom for 50,000 sucres/$10. The owners are helpful in suggesting interesting (less touristy) excursions.

Hotel Vienna (Tomayo 879 y Foch) was OK but did not have windows to the outside - only to inner hallway. It was $7 for private room and bath. The owners blasted the radios late at night so not recommended if you need to study Spanish lessons!

I also stayed at Hostal Posada Maple (Juan Rodriguez y 6 de Deciembre) which had an open porch, restaurant, and TV room. Rooms and bathrooms were very clean and staff was helpful ($6.50 shared room, $12 single). As a resident you get a discount at the restaurant and an extended happy hour.

There are plenty of good, cheap restaurants in Quito. My favorites are included here.

The Magic Bean is a great restaurant/coffee house and has rooms upstairs. I bought a lot of lattes (6,300 sucres), breakfasts, and dinners here. This is one of the few places you can get a 'safe' salad.

Super Papa (Juan Leon Mera y Baquedano) serves delicious french toast for a $1 for breakfast and serves big baked potatoes with your choice of toppings for lunch.

I went to Pizza Pizza (Santa Maria y Almagro) when I wanted to watch ESPN on big screen TV - oh yeah and have some pizza. Football fans beware, ESPN down there is different than in US and appropriately focuses on soccer.

Mama Clorinda (Reina Victoria y Calama) serves yummy Ecuadorian dishes in large portions.

For good hamburgers and steaks for $3 - go to Texas Ranch (Juan Leon Mera y Calama).

El Maple is my favorite vegetarian restaurant on the corner of Calama y Juan Leon Mera. They have delicious fruit shakes (batidos), pastas, and an organic salad bar.

You can get a whole steamed crab for $1.50 at El Viejo Jose (Reina Victoria y Pinta) - they also have yummy ceviche.

There are a bunch of sidewalk cafe restaurants along Amazonas close to El Ejido Park serving Ecuadorian dishes. You can't beat yummy beer and arroz con pollo!

Casa China (Cordero y Tamayo) serves good (which is relative) Chinese food.

Day Trips

Cotopaxi National Park

Cotopaxi (19,345 feet) is 35 miles from Quito and is supposed to be the highest active volcano in the world. Cotopoxi means 'neck of the moon" in Quichua. It’s perfectly shaped snow-tipped cone makes for gorgeous pictures - though you will be lucky to catch a glimpse of it on a clear day, as it is usually smothered by low clouds. The Cotopaxi National Park surrounds the volcano and is a nice excursion if you don’t want to climb Cotopaxi. The park has many deer, wild horses, puma, Andean condors, and llamas. You can hike around the small lake (Lago Limpiopungo) that sits at 12,465 feet or visit the small museum.

Official Cotopaxi Web Site
Latest updates of climbing conditions in all of Ecuador

Pululahua Crater

About 3 miles from the equator monument along the road to Calacali is a 6 1/2 mile wide crater. The scenery is beautiful and there's usually an eerie mist covering the crater. Tours and buses leave from Mitad del Mundo's Calacali Ave. The scenery from the viewpoint is very impressive because of the effects of the mist in the Andean valleys. You can hike the rim of the crater by foot and hike down the trail to the center of the crater where there's a village and campsites. If you don't want hours of exercise, you can rent horses from the Green Horse Ranch. There is a restaurant called El Crater which is on the edge of the crater near the viewpoint - the panoramic window is better than the food.

The Green Horse Ranch (phone (593) 2 52 38 56), e-mail: ranch@accessinter.net) leads horseback riding tours to the crater. They will pick you up at your hostel/hotel in Quito and stop at the Equator Monument. Then you go to Pululahua Crater National Park, you get your horse, pick your saddle (western vs. English), and are on your way down into the crater. Supposedly, Criole (the local horse breed) is very sure-footed, amiable and has plenty of stamina. During the ride you will learn about the history of the area, the plants, and the geology. Lunch is provided and you get a multilingual guide. This is usually a full day tour and costs $50.

From Quito, I caught a bus on America Calle to Mitad del Mundo for 1,700 sucres (1 hour). The equator monument is a globe on top of a pedestal sitting on the equator with a museum inside. The equator is marked by a bright yellow painted line. Tourists on either side of the line shake hands, kiss, hug, and dance for pictures. It's pretty funny to just sit and watch the picture taking.

A ticket to the museum costs 5,000 sucres and is pretty interesting. When I was there, it wasn't open on Mondays - so plan to go Tues. through Sun. (10am to 4 or 5pm). There are guys walking around with cameras that will take your picture for a fee and there are a number of gift shops, restaurants, a post office, and EMETEL in the area. But don't count on spending the whole day here - most of the gift shops are overpriced and the restaurant isn't that good (2-3 hours is sufficient).

In the village of San Antonio de Pichincha (a couple of minutes south of the equator monument), there is a solar museum

Thermal Springs

If you aren't planning to go to Banos, you can still experience thermal baths near Quito. The Los Chillos and Tumbaco valleys are between the Ilalo volcano, and are well known for their thermal baths. It's a big attraction for Ecuadorians and tourist and is busy on the weekends.

The famous Papallacta baths (5160 feet) are located about 2 hours east of Quito halfway to Baeza in the Oriente. There are hot and cold pools and facilities including a store, changing rooms, and storage. The baths are open daily from 5am to 10pm and are $3. From Quito, catch a bus to the Amazon and tell the driver to drop you off at Los Baños Termales de Papallacta.

Fresh trout, from the nearby trout farm, is the specialty here and is in the restaurants and outdoor stands. There is a hostal nearby called La Posada Hostal de Montana which offers rooms with shared baths for $12.50.

Bellavista Reserve

The Bellavista Reserve is about 2 hours north of Quito. Here you stay in a 4-story glass geodesic dome looking out over 1,500 acres of gorgeous cloud forest. This is a birdwatchers paradise and the dome is certainly built for this purpose. You have a 360 degree view from the dome in which you can see Pichincha and Cotacachi in the distance. There are 2 single rooms, 5 double rooms with private baths and balconies, and dormitory-style accommodations with a shared bath and large balcony - also a library and a bar on the first floor. There are also cheaper campsites available.

Packages bought directly from Bellavista (including transport to/from Quito, meals, accommodation, taxes, and naturalist guided tour) cost:
- 2 days/1 night are $99 per person (4 meals, private bath)
- 2 days/1 night are $85 per person (4 meals, shared accommodation)
- 3 days/2 nights are $140 per person (7 meals, private bath)
- 3 days/2 nights are $120 per person (7 meals, shared accommodation)

Safari Tours (in Quito at Calama 380 y Juan Leon Mera) also arranges 2 day trips for $75 including transport.

The Thursday morning market in Saquilisi is much less touristy than the Otavalo market. You can get better deals and get a better sense of local market culture. This market serves as an economic center for the surrounding area. There are various indigenous crafts to choose from mixed in with commercial knockoffs - many booths were selling Los Angeles Raider hats and Nikee (misspelled) clothes. You could also buy lots of homemade shotguns if that's your fancy.

Most of the booths sell bulk goods - which is what makes this market less touristy than some others. Cotton is brought in from the coast, buckets of fruits and vegetables, pots and pans, live animals, and herbs line the streets.

You can catch a bus to Saquilisi from Latacunga

The only thing I did in Saquilisi was go to the market. I don't recall seeing hostels - most people stay in Latacunga and take bus into Saquilisi.

About a mile out of town is the animal market. You'll see llamas, apacas, cattle, pigs, sheep, and horses for sale. Smaller animals (guinea pigs and chickens) are sold in main market. Animal lovers beware! This is not an oversized pet store - and the animals are not treated as such. After about 20 minutes I had to head towards the main market - tired of the painting, yanking, throwing, and whipping. Just put it in context.

Try the Allullas at one of the many booths along the street - they are dough balls with cheese and onions inside fried in pork fat. Yeah, yeah, really they taste better than they sound!

Safari Tours, with office in Quito, offers a Thursday day tour to Saquilisi's market for $45 (lunch and snacks included). Tour (total distance is 270 kilometers) is for minimum of 2 people so grab a travel partner. The guide picks you up at your hostel in a 4x4 jeep and you are off. For this particular tour, you start in Quito and stop in Latacunga, then visit the small village of Pujili, then you arrive at the market of Saquilisi.

To eat your picnic lunch, you stop at Tilipulo, a Jesuit monastery dating back to the 17th century. To get there, you 4x4 it through a pasture. It was very fun - though our guide got a kick out of scaring the poor cows by almost running them over.

Finally, you visit Ecuador's leather capital of Cotacachi and then make a quick stop in La Cienega before returning to Quito. This tour was very informative and you have freedom to convince your guide to stop at various places along the way. You certainly could visit all the villages by bus, but it was a nice change riding in a jeep.

Latacunga is the capital of the Cotopaxi Province and is located about 155 miles from Quito (17 miles from Saquilisi). Latacunga has markets on Thursday and Saturday in the Plaza Chile near the bridges. You'll see huge bundles on yarn spread out by the river and a delicious fruit market with yummy watermelons. Molinas de Monserrat(Vela y Salcedo) is a museum built on the site of an old castle. It has lots of ceramics, paintings, and colonial artifacts. Casa de la Cultura is next store over the bridge.

From the terminal terrestre, you can catch a bus to a nearby village of Pujili. The small Andean village is known for its interesting ceramic crafts and for its colorful festivals of Carnival (pre-Easter) and Corpus Cristi (June). Pujili has markets on Sunday and Wednesday which are even less touristy than Saquilisi's. You won't find many crafts at these markets but as more tourists go, more crafts are sold.

Hotel Estanbul (Quevedo y Salcedo) is a good deal with a great view from the rooftop balcony and luggage storage ($4 with shared bath, $7 with private).

I had great fried trout at Parilladas Los Copihues (Quito y Maldanado) for $3 and a good Ecuadorian dish at the Restaurant La Borgona (Valencia y Orellana). Bonanza Coffee Bar (Quevedo y Salcedo) has good coffee and is open into the evening.

Otavalo is two to three hours north of Quito by bus (20,000 sucres) and sits between the Imbabura and Cotacachi volcanoes. Otavalo (population 25,000) is famous for its Saturday Indian market, which dates back to pre-Inca times. The Quechuan and Imbayan cultures populated scattered villages in what is today, Otavalo.

Otavaleños are very distinct-looking - the men have long braided hair and wear blue ponchos, white calf-length pants and alpargatas (sandals), while the women wear white blouses with embroidered flowers, an anaco (wrapped dress) and alpargatas (see statue photo below). Otavaleños are world-famous for their arts, crafts and textiles and you can find them in every city and town of Ecuador selling their crafts in stores and along the sidewalks. Otavaleños still use traditional backstrap looms to make their clothes and tapestries which you can observe in several villages nearby (Agato is most popular village for this).

On the way back to Quito from Otavalo, our bus driver sped through a police stop. There are only about 35 police cars in Quito so many police are on foot. The cop had to hitch a ride in the back of a pickup and was racing on the side of us telling us to pull over. The driver got off the bus with his helpers and were yelling at and pushing the cop. Everyone starting yelling, "Vamos al terminal! Vamos al terminal!" I was thinking, "Oh great, he is going to call for backup and we are going to get pepper-sprayed (because that's what would happen in Bay Area)." The few tourists all looked scared but I joined in yelling "Vamos al terminal!" After about 40 minutes and the bus driver finally accepted his ticket and the cop hitched a ride back to his post. It was entertaining!

Saturday is the main market and worth the trip - though I would wait until another day to make purchases as you can get better deals. Tourists arrive from Quito by bus at 10:00 am - sometimes you can squeeze in a couple of good deals before they arrive. There are three main plazas in which to see the market in full swing. Poncho Plaza is the main one for crafts, and you'll find lots of blankets, scarves, fajas, ponchos and tapestries. You should be able to haggle prices down about 20% - bargaining is expected. Though I have to say that the prices were so low to begin with, I felt cheap trying to bargain for a lower price and often did not.

Head west on Morales and cross the bridge and continue to the public pools to get to the animal market - on Saturday from 6-8:00 am. Follow Calle Jaramillo south to the food market where you'll find all kinds of grains, vegetables, fruit, and meat. Remember - only eat fruits you can peel!

In Otavalo, Sala de Imagen, Sonido y Arte (Calderon 409 y Bolivar) is a 2-story complex that houses a travel agency, bookstore, restaurant, and art store).

There craft, sweater, and weavings shops all over the city, but there are good specialty craft shops along Jaramillo.

If you are into lots of blood - on Saturdays cockfights are held at the Gallera Municipal (near the food market).

During the first 2 weeks of September, there is the Fiesta del Yamor. There are lots of parades, music, fireworks, beauty pageant thing, and good ole bloody cockfights

Also, there are a number of Spanish Schools in Otavalo including: Instituto Superior de Espanol (Sucre y Morales) and Mundo Andino Spanish School (13 de Octubre y Quito).

Agato is about 5 miles from Otavalo and is a small weaving village. You can visit the Tahuantinsuyo Weaving Workshop of weaver Miguel Andrango and his family. You can observe weaving using back-strap looms and buy finished products.

You can take a bus from Cooperativa Trans Otavalo back to Otavalo for 1,500 sucres (about 40 minutes) or from Transportes Unidos to Quito for about 10,500 sucres (2-3 hours). There's also an autoferro/train that goes to Otavalo a few times per day. It costs about 50 cents and takes an hour.

San Antonio de Ibarra is a small village known for its wood carvings. Carvings range from saints and crucifixes to animals to Aztec-looking abstract pieces and cost $1 to a couple of hundred dollars.

The main plaza is surrounded by the largest stores, though there are plenty of smaller stores sprinkled along the backstreets. It is also worth a trip to one of the workshops to see carvers in action. Near the main plaza is the Taller Escuela Escultural y Tallano - a carving workshop and school where you can see carvers in action.

Buses to San Antonio leave Ibarra from Guerro and Sanchez y Cifuentes in Ibarra throughout the day (about 10 cents) and takes 10 minutes.

This is definitely worth a trip as the craftsmanship is incredible! Also, if you go early in the morning, you can literally hear dozens of carvers at work

Cuenca is the third-largest city in Ecuador and many think it is Ecuador's most beautiful city. There are no skyscrapers blocking the mountainous views and from afar the red-tiled roofs give the city a pink glow.

You can see a strong Spanish influence and a more laid-back appearance. Definitely quieter than other cities around the same size. You either hate it or you love it. Those used to Quito will find Cuenca quite different. You have to search for internet access and businesses adhere to closing during almuerzo. Markets are similar to American Flea Markets - as opposed to Quito tourist-friendly crafts markets. Cuencans are more conservative than their Quito counterparts and you do attract lots of stares if you do not conform. The old center has tons of churches and cobble-stone streets.

Cuenca is about 11 hours south of Quito by bus - on some of the worst roads in the country. When I was there - El Comercio had just published an article about the number of deaths (about 110 in last 13 months) by bus accident on this stretch of roads. I left for Cuenca from Riobamba and luckily made it in one piece. Of course I can't say the same for the dog and small mule the bus ran over or for the girl behind me who was throwing up her lunch. Your other option is to fly from Quito ($50 one way) or Guayaquil.

UPDATE: Authorities finally caught the infamous Cuenca rapist and he died in jail (Thanks for update Chuck).

There are plenty of things to do in Cuenca, easily a few days worth.

There are 52 churches in Cuenca, many attached to convents.Catedral Nuevo (as seen in picture above) was originally planned to be South America's largest church, however, work was stopped in 1908 due to miscalculations leaving the towers unfinished. Definitely take a look inside to see impressive stained glass or go to a service. Quite a different experience than attending a service in Banos!

The Catedral Antigua was built the year the city was founded, in 1557.The Cathedral has cool sculptures of Sangurima (the last supper) and numerous religious paintings.

Iglesia de Santo Domingo has the statue "La Morenica," a virgin with halo measuring one meter and has sculptures by the Ecuadorian artist Velez.

To see a view of the city, go south about 5 miles from the center of Cuenca along Ave. de Solano and you'll come to Mirador Turi. Here you will really see how all of the red-tiled roofs give the city a pink glow. You can catch taxis here along the river front (about $2). There is a new restaurant here where you can cook your own food on a ceramic hotplate embedded into the tables, while enjoying the view of Cuenca (Thanks to Chuck for this tip!).

Plaza Rotary it is the main market for folkloric arts and crafts, especially large on Thursdays and Saturdays. You can find otavalino clothing and ponchos, weavings, and embroideries in the Plaza de San Francisco.

El Carmen, Mercado De Las Flores is gorgeous with all kinds of regional flowers and plants for sale.

At night, visit a local theater such as Cine 9 de Octubre (Lamar y Cueva) or Teatro Cuenca (Aguirre 10-50 y Colombia). Pick up the local newspaper (El Mercurio) for movie listings. The Eclipse Bar (Bolivar y Aguirre) has pool tables and 2 for 1 happy hour between 6 and 8:00 pm - however if you are female, usually, you can get 2 for 1 anytime. It's definitely frequented more by tourists than locals but fun nonetheless.

Casa de la Cultura is across from the Catedral Nuevo and has an art gallery, bookstore, and museum. Near the river is the Museo de Artes Populares with lots of folk art and a crafts shop, while the Museo del Banco Central has lots of pre-Colombian pottery.

You can take a half-day trip to the village of Chordeleg (about 2 hours from Cuenca), which is Ecuador's jewelry capital. Catch a bus from terminal terrestre or from corner of Espana y Benalcazar. It's a nice day trip where you'll find great jewelry to take home to your family and friends.

There are also 2 small ruins sites including Pumapungo Ruins and Todos Santos Ruins but I didn't visit them, as I was going to Ingapirca.

About 30 minutes from Cuenca, there are 200 lakes called Lagunas del Cajas. The scenery is gorgeous and you can go fishing. There is also a refuge on the Laguna Toreadora. Your hostel or travel agencies in Cuenca can give you directions - you can either take tour or take bus from terminal terrestre.

If you aren't going to make it to Banos, near Riobamba, there is also another town called Banos located about 15 minutes from Cuenca (on Pan-American Sur). It has hot and cold pools as well.

I stayed at Hotel Espana (Sangurima 1-17 y Huayna Capac) which was 5 blocks from the bus station ($9). It was very clean, had a sparkling private bath with hot water, TV/phone, and offered a good free breakfast in the inside courtyard. The only drawback was that the walls were paper thin, so your "good night's rest" really depended on your neighbors. Hotel Espana also has a restaurant and room service if you want to stay in for the night. Their arroz con pollo is good (chicken and rice). I've heard Hostal Chordeleg (Colombia y Torres) is very good and comparable to Hotel Espana in amenities.

El Pedegral Azteca (Colombia 10-33) has great Mexican food for $4-5 per plate. The restaurant is pretty sturdy as we experienced the 7.2 earthquake that hit Bahia de Caraquez here.

Raymipampa (west side of Parque Calderon) has a great view of the park and yummy crepes for about $3. Funkadelis (Vasquez y Cordero) has vegetarian dishes - great fajitas - for $1-2 daily.

Internet services are available at the Abraham Lincoln Cultural Center (Borrero 518) for $1.20 per hour and at Aguirre 1096 on the 2nd floor (8 IBMs). There are probably more - look for "Internet Here" signs.

Banco del Pacifico is on Malo 9-75 and the TAME office is at Benigno Malo 508.

There are also a few Spanish Schools here including: Centro de Estudios (Colombia 11-02), Nexus Lingua y Culturas (12 de Abril y Paucarbamba), and Centro Cultural Ecuatoriano-Norteamericano (Borrero 5-18 y Casilla).

Take a bus from the Cuenca terminal terrestre north 31 miles to the Inca fortress of Ingapirca. Of course, 31 miles doesn't mean 30 minutes - count on 2-3 hours due to windy, crumbling highways and frequent animal herd crossings.

Ingapirca is considered Ecuador's most important archeological complex. Ingapirca was built from the 10th through the 16th centuries by the Canaris and the Incas.

The site lies near the town of Ingapirca, in the province of Canar, Ecuador. The principal attraction is the Ellipse, an oval-shaped castle and shrine, 15 meters high and 37 meters wide. It is believed that the interior was used for sun-worshipping rituals.

The site consists of a museum, a small office, and a small store selling drinks and snacks. You can wander around by yourself or wait for free tour to start. Llamas stroll around the site and are tame enough to get good close-up pictures.

Admission is $5.00 (which includes a free tour and tips) and is open daily from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm.