We flew from Santiago to Valdivia in central coastal Chile. Quiet, marine & agricultural based community. We had an amazing Airbnb overlooking the river. Enjoyed walks along the river including the fish mongers & hungry sea lions

Then we took a boat tour to Punucapa nature preserve where we saw hundreds of black necked swans. We stopped in the preserve & a food festival was enjoyed with craft beers & empanadas. We also sampled roasted pork & lamb. A very Chilean experience- not any other gringos.

We then headed to the shore for more beautiful beaches

Santiago was not in our plans due to the protests in Santiago. Checking the news – the unrest seemed to subside and off we went…

We arrived Friday night & rendezvoused with the Smart family from Maine whom we met in .Cuenca. So fun to share travel stories & catch up!

We then proceeded to have a lazy two days in Santiago. We took the metro to Plaza de Armas Downtown- sAw the beautiful architecture& wound our way through the gauntlet of street vendors. Took the metro back & noticed one closed metro stop / probably a protest location Then we explored the area around our hotel- Chile’s tallest building anchors a chic shopping g mall. And we found a great rooftop bar with sweet city & Mountain View’s. We continue used to hike Santiago metropolitan trails and sample a sidewalk cafe in a trendy neighborhood. Santiago provided a welcome quiet retreat.

We have loved our three weeks in Ecuador- two weeks studying Spanish in Cuenca and a week exploring Quito. We found the people of Ecuador have a quick smile and a warm & sunny disposition. The most aggressive taxi driver of our trip was encountered – yikes – look out pedestrians- you were in danger. The trip to Cotopaxi was amazing. Fun group on our bus and we met all. France, Germany, & Ecuador were all represented. Our indigenous guide / Paolina was amazing and miraculously guided all but one to the glacier at over 16,500ft. So memorable

Our photo in this post shows Cotopaxi from the small lovely hacienda. The road to the hacienda was cobbled and we saw a gentleman walking g to town dressed in a suit & white shirt – finished with his dapper hat- guessing about 70 years young. our walking tour of Quito included amazing plazas, churches & government buildings.

And our stops in Cuenca & Quito included trips to the markets for fresh juices, roasted pig, fresh sea bass and a great fresh coconut juice concoction.

Peru tends to steal the accolades for food in South America and Ecuador wins our hearts for their friendly restaurants and wonderfully prepared fresh food.

From the amazing fresh juices & sea bass found at markets to amazing ceviches and yummy pasta dishes & pizza – we never went hungry. And we frequented the bakeries & local shops and loved their offerings. And then, once in awhile, lunch missed the mark – the fried fish resting on a bed of rice…😕

We lived two blocks from the botanical gardens where the stars were orchids & others. Gorgeous!

We are loving life here in Ecuador. And sometimes we just take it for granted.

The people we interact with – could not be nicer. They are kind & helpful. And they are beautiful people who are not afraid to smile.

We are talking about the people who sell us bus tickets to food servers to Uber drivers & taxi drivers to our Spanish teachers to the people who run our fav coffee shop.

That said, crime must be a huge problem. There are police officers and security people everywhere, on street corners, at our cafe & restaurants, at buildings. Honestly, while our wallets are secured in money belts- we feel rather safe. One day at Noon on the street in old town Quito – we were warned to protect our Iphone / because – someone would snatch it out of our hands. Greg was using his phone to check directions. 😕 from that point forward, I literally shielded the phone by where I stood.

So, while we love the people, we are not naive about the poverty in the country.

Ecuador is a beautiful country. The twelve volcanoes are stunning. The hillsides are green. Old town Quito is architecturally stunning. The newer suburbs have wide streets & great parks. And there are neighborhoods where poverty is very evident.

We loved our three weeks in Ecuador and have very fond memories and look forward to our return!

We booked a trip to Cotopaxi and really didn’t know what we were getting into!

It started with a bus ride through the city and a chance to see many neighborhoods. Then we progressed to the countryside & the beautiful fields and green hillsides. Breakfast was at a Hacienda in the country – yum.

Along the way – we saw 12 volcanoes 🌋 and it was a sunny day- clouds only occasionally interferred.

As we approached Cotopaxi National Park – we picked up Paolina our indigenous guide. She is amazing! We saw wild horses, llamas,cattle& deer, the wildlife was not amazing -/ the landscape is amazing! We travelled from green fields to barren rock scrabble when we reached the parking lot. And while the road is a climb – the parking lot is just the beginning. Cotopaxi is Ecuador’s second highest volcano at about 19,347ft. It is an active volcano- spewing sulfur while we were there! And it last erupted in 2016. We hiked to the bottom of the glacier at 16,400ft – whew! Who stole the oxygen! It was a climb of a little over 1000ft and it was all about the altitude! That is the highest elevation that Greg & I ever climbed. Paolina our guide brought hiking sticks & gave them to me – a lifesaver. I would not have made it to the top without them.

The first photo is Cotopaxi from our hacienda- breakfast. This is the essential Ecuadorian countryside.

The rest are on the volcano- I am a lot more oxygen deprived than the photos indicate 😁

Nothing like a gondola ride to a mountaintop to give you a good view! Riding the gondola we had fabulous views of the city and many of the volcanoes as well. We also had the luxury of hiking at altitude to prepare us for tomorrow’s journey to the glaciers of Cotopaxi. Enjoying today’s hike is the treat and the views are spectacular!

Ecuador is on the equator.

Quito means center of the world

And we were there! It was worth the hour bus ride to be at the equator

Greg found a great Airbnb in Quito- huge views of the city, two blocks from a large park, and great cafes nearby.

No matter which day of the week and hour of the day – Ecuadorians were exercising, playing games, & enjoying the sunshine. Exercising outdoors seems to be the preferred way to start their day.

We always start our stay in a major city with a walking tour, & Quito was fun & interesting. The market was lively – invigorating & puzzling all of the senses. The Old Town streets are narrow & paved with cobbles. Sidewalks are often 12-24″ wide and they are bustling with people. In South America, these areas are lined with tiny shops – all open to the street. You will find cobblers, woodworkers, hat shops, fruit stands, hawkers, mini-marts…anything you can imagine. Quito is built on hillsides and the streets are steep. The city is about 75km long & 5 km wide. And while buses are preferred transport – traffic is jammed.

There are churches, convents, & monasteries – everywhere!

There are 10 volcanoes that are visible from different points of the city. And green hillsides are omnipresent.