Nora and I were closing the week-long Quilotoa loop, a gorgeous hike in Ecuador around the Rio Toachi Canyon. We timed it so we would end up in Isinlivi a day or two before the Thursday animal market in Saquisili. Located off the Pan-American Highway, Saquisili is a 25-minute drive from Latacunga. Since arriving in Ecuador, I became hooked on weekly markets in towns along our way. Dynamic, […]
On a recent trip to Ecuador, Nora and I detoured from traveling down the High Andes to spend a week at the coast. We picked Puerto Lopez, a charming, small fishing town. Our beach-front lodging at the edge of town was surrounded by trees with hammocks and a tree house for guests. It was a quite and idyllic setting that lasted for three days. Early on the
On a recent trip to Ecuador, I spent time exploring communities of the Andes Mountains. Ecuador is a small country in South America, but it is also one of the most biologically diverse regions in the world. In less than a day, you can travel from the lush tropical jungles to the Andes Mountains or the Pacific Ocean coast. Prominent inhabitants of the Ecuadorian Andean
“Like every other tourist in Ecuador, we went to Otavalo. Otavalo, two hours north of Quito, nestles in a densely populated, fertile farming region of lakes and volcanoes whose slopes are parcelled up into patchworks of green fields. The town itself is famous for its market. Traders come from all over South America, peddling every conceivable tourist handicraft…”´ “Saturday was market day in Otavalo. In