I bought a ticket yesterday for the Mindo Canopy Adventure the zip line through the tops of the trees. I did this after a bit of research, first on the company website, second asking a seasoned friend for advice, and lastly, chatting with the saleswoman in the office in the center of town. I paid my $10 when my
Barbara and I started the day at the Butterfly place in Mindo. The tour (in English) included an explanation of the life cycle of the butterflies. There were a lot of butterflies and I got a couple of GREAT photos. The butterflies will easily sit on your finger, especially if you put a dab of banana mush on the end.
Barbara and I visited Museo del Banco Central in the afternoon. The museum, archaeological site, and botanical gardens are included in this museo. The museum was constructed over the ruins of an Inca palace, Pumapungo. One room of the museo included the history of the Incas in Cuenca and artifacts found in the area. Afterwards, we walked behind the museum
Panama hats are made in Ecuador, specifically Cuenca and the surrounding areas. In the 19th and early 20th century, South American goods were shipped around the world via Panama, and they got the name Panama Hats. Many famous people have worn Panama hats including President Theodore Roosevelt, Napoleon, Edward VII, Jason Mraz, Sean Connery, and Anthony Hopkins. And, they are
Were staying at La Cigale in the old part of Cuenca. The streets are cobblestone, the sidewalks narrow, and the hostal is basic with hardwood floors in the room and a fabulous restaurant! The other thing that we really like about Cigale is the main guy at reception. Hes been great with directions and suggestions, honest and forthright. The downside
I think it was a the best birthday ever. Barbara Wilson, chocolate maker and Mindo hostal owner, and I went to Piedra de Agua, a spa in Banos a short bus ride from Cuenca. We bought a package, which allowed us to take advantage of all the things at the spa: Turkish bath, mud bath, mineral bath and all the
The first hot shower with good water pressure in three weeks was this morning at the hostal in Otavalo. What a treat! Buses run from Otavalo to Cotacachi every 15 minutes or so. The ride is quick and just vente cinco centavos. The rest of the group planned to do a 4-6 hour hike around a lake nearby. They got
Happy Birthday to my mom!
Six of us from escuela espanol Vida Verde met around 7:30 AM Saturday morning for a weekend trek to Otavalo and Cotacachi. We took a taxi to the north station in Quito ($5) and then caught the bus to Otavalo ($2 for a two hour ride). The bus ride north of Quito was quite bonita. The mountainsides are green with
Although my sense of smell is assaulted by the exhaust in Quito, it hasnt been attacked by cigarette smoke. There just arent a lot of smokers. In my guidebook I read that internet cafés were plentiful but often smoke-filled. That hasnt been the case. I was in an internet place today and it was smoke free. For 30 minutes online