From Quito to the Colombian Coast

Basilica

After spending nearly three weeks in Ecuador I was back where it all started: Quito.  I only had one full day left in the city and I knew it would be a busy day seeing everything that I missed the first time around.  One of my friends from the Galapagos, Gil, flew back to Quito on the same day so it was nice to travel around the city with a fellow backpacker.  We stayed at the same hostel, Secret Garden, in the old city and it felt a little like home going back there!

We got an early start and decided to go to the Basilica which was located in historic Quito.  Unfortunately it wasn't open so we were only able to see the outside of the building.

From the Basilica we caught a bus to Mitad Del Mundo to visit the center of the world at a latitude of 0'-0'-0'.  What is confusing about Mitad Del Mundo is that there are technically two sites.  The first site is the very popular tourist attraction, which has a little souvenir village built around the monument.  Although it isn't technically 0'-0'-0' on a GPS it has still remained the nationally recognized site.  I will say though that the monument makes for a great picture!

 From this site we went to the "real" Mitad Del Mundo called Museo de Sitio Intiñan, which is a quick five minute walk from the monument.  This museum was very interesting, built like an old Ecuadorian village.  Not only did the entrance fee include a guide, but we were given history on the tribes of Ecuador before our guide took us through some demonstrations that could only take place at the real equator line.

Our guide showing the small shadows on the equator

Successfully balancing the egg on a nail on the equator

The true Mitad del Mundo mark!

The bus back to Quito took much longer than expected! On the way back from Mitad Del Mundo I was resting my feet on one of the bars of the bus and somehow when the door opened it managed to crush my ankle.  I kept screaming "Ayudame, Ayudame (help me, help me)" but it took the bus driver a minute to realize that my ankle was stuck in the door! At first I thought I broke my ankle as there was a huge dent in it but luckily I think it was just a bruised bone.  After recovering from the intial pain of it I started laughing, explaining to Gil how stuff like this always happens to me!

By the time we actually made it back to the hostel I was exhausted.  Luckily it was calzone night so I enjoyed one final meal in Ecuador on the rooftop of Secret Garden!  At 7am the next morning, I found myself saying farewell to Ecuador as my flight departed for Bogota.  After a quick stopover in Bogota my flight landed in Cartagena.  The views of the city from the flight were amazing.  I definitely felt good about my decision to opt for a flight rather than a 48 hour bus journey to Cartagena!

From the moment that I arrived in Cartagena I fell in love with the city.  You can feel the energy of the city at every turn.  The colorful buildings, vendors, crowded streets, and music bring the city to life. It is a perfect city for walking with no particular destination in mind...you just embrace getting lost in the narrow alleys.

On my first day in Colombia I met up with one of my friends from Baños, Ecuador (Carol from Brazil) to travel with up the Caribbean Coast of Colombia.    Given that Carol was in Cartagena for the past five days we decided to continue up the coast as I knew that I would return back to Cartagena to spend some time there before going to Panama. So, more to come on Cartagena!

From Cartagena we took a four hour shuttle bus to Santa Marta which is another colonial city of Colombia although it doesn't have the charm of Cartagena.  Since we had not heard great things about the city we decided to take a 15 minute cab ride to a laid back fishing village called Tagonga.  The town in itself is incredibly touristy but still has a cool beach vibe with a mellow atmosphere along with fresh fish and juices everywhere.

Tagonga

A proud local fisherman

Life as a tourist in Tagonga is a simple, but relaxing one! We wake up, have a nice breakfast, hang out at a mellow beach, then drink some Alguila (Colombia's national beer) as the sun goes down.

And where there is a laid back beach vibe there are hammocks, which is always an added bonus!

From Tagonga we spent a day at Playa Grande which is a quick 10 minute boat ride, or 30 minute walk from the town.  This was a great little beach and it was perfect for relaxation.

Playa Grande

Our time in Tagonga was uneventful, but a good time! We met other fun backpackers and fully embraced two days of complete laziness which was perfect before heading on a five day trek to Ciudad Perdida!

THE GALAPAGOS ISLANDS (Part 2)

By my fifth day in the Galapagos Islands I knew that I wanted to extend the trip in order to see more of the islands and luckily the change fee was only $1.40! After extending my stay I mapped out my final five days on the islands.

Isla Isabela
From Isla Santa Cruz I packed a day pack and left for Isla Isabela to enjoy two days on the island.  It took only 1.5 hours to get there by speedboat and then an easy 10 minute walk to get to the main town, Puerto Villamil.  It was a nice change of pace to get away from the crowds in this small laid back town.

The main beach on the island was perfect for walking...a long stretch of isolated white sand beaches!

During my time on the island I managed to see some of the nearby sites by bike as well.  From Puerto Villamil I followed a dirt path along the beach and then crossed through a red lagoon to arrive at the tortoise breeding center on the island.  I actually preferred this breeding center over the one on the main island, as it provided more backround information on the species.

Look at that face!

Red Lagoon




  





By the time I reached the path again it was boiling hot and I was dripping sweat!  All of the viewpoints were beautiful but I was startng to become exhausted!

Along the dirt path

 Although I was tempted to turn around I figured that I should see the final site before calling it a day.  After a bumpy 7km uphill ride through the slippery gravel I finally made it to Muro de Las Lagrimas (Wall of Tears).   Perhaps it was because I was so exhausted and was expecting something more but when I got there I thought to myself "are you kidding me...I biked all this way for a wall!".  Regardless, I made it to the end of the trail, took a couple pictures of this lava brick wall built by convicts in the 50s, and then went back to town as quickly as possible so I could hydrate and eat lunch!





Muro de Las Lagrimas



Later on I biked to the main port before returning the bike.  There were a ton of iguanas and sea lions out and about on this quiet afternoon.

By the time I finished my day I was exhausted and ready to take a cold shower, eat, then go to bed!  I was up bright and early the next day to catch the boat back to the main island.  Luckily I was at least rewarded with a beautiful sunrise at the port!

Overall it was great to get away and experience Isla Isabela for a couple days.  The locals were incredibly friendly, the food was delicious (and cheap!) and it was easy to get around the island.

Kicker Rock (Dive Trip)

On my first day in San Cristobal (below) I went to a local dive site called Kicker Rock.  Typically, for any diver going to the Galapagos Islands their main goal is to see hammerhead sharks.  Of course, that was my hope as well!  We left at 8am and made our way to the site arriving a couple hours later.

Kicker Rock aka Leon Dormido

After doing a test dive we went in between the rocks, along the wall for the first dive.  We saw so many sharks on both of the dives.  Its a shame I didn´t have a camera but one of the dive masters managed to capture this shot of a hammerhead as it was approaching us.

Our wonderful divemaster, Angel

During our second dive we saw more hammerheads, Galapagos Sharks, and Reef Sharks, along with plenty of fish and turtles.  While the visibility wasn´t great we certainly were able to see a nice variety of fish at the site.

On our way back we went snorkeling with sea lions at a place called Islas Lobos.  We had a lot of fun playing with the sea lions and they were very curious about us!

Overall, this was a great tour/dive site/day trip to do on the island

Isla San Cristobal

Isla San Cristobal was the last leg of my journey and pehaps my favorite island of all.  The main reason that I loved this island was because it had a nice port town, Puerto Baquerizo Moreno, that had everything you could need but wasn't nearly as developed or touristy as Puerto Ayora.  I spent my last three full days of my trip in San Cristobal. 

My favorite part of the island was the fact that there were sea lions EVERYWHERE.  During ciesta everyday there would be far more sea lions out than people.  They took over public benches, playgrounds, and the beach.  If you tried to get in their way they would bark and scoot over to scare off anyone!

  

Clearly this sea lion didn´t get the memo

Overtaking the beach



Hanging out at sunset

Scaring away the children!



Apart from my obsession with the sea lions I managed to see quite a few parts of the island as well.  The beaches near the main town were great for both swimming and snorkeling.  In the morning at low tide it felt like I was stepping into an underwater aquarium.  Less than 5 feet from the shore I was able to see a family of massive sting rays, turtles, and a wide variety of fish.

It is hard to sum up San Cristobal because I didn't do that much there.  Perhaps the best part of the island was just wandering around without a plan!

Local beach with Puerto Baquerizo Moreno in the backround

Overall, I was very happy that I decided to do the Galapagos Islands independently.  While it certainly required a little more work and planning, it was worth it, not only because I spent significantly less money, but I was able to customize the trip to cater to my interests.  The combination of day trips, exploring the islands by foot/bike independently, and diving was perfect.  All in all, my Galapagos adventure was unforgettable, unbelievable, and certainly well worth the money! I can't wait to return someday!

!Viva Ecuador!

As I got off the plane in Quito I was a little nervous.  This was really the first time in my life that I bought a one-way ticket having no clue which direction I would go! I honestly didn´t know what to expect!  After a lengthy wait in immigration I received my stamp, collected my luggage, and luckily saw someone with a ¨Secret Garden¨sign waiting for me. I got to the hostel around midnight and passed out quickly.  The next day I enjoyed breakfast on the rooftop of Secret Garden Quito.

View from Secret Garden Quito

After breakfast I walked around the city with one of the girls from my hostel.  I was definitely expecting the worst in Quito as I read how dangerous it was.  I must say that I found the old city very lovely and quite secure, especially during the day.  We listened to the police and avoided areas that were deemed unsafe.  Since it was Carnaval most of the city was shut down with just a few random shops open.  It was perfect to tour around the old city when it wasn´t very crowded. 

At 11am every Monday in Quito there is apparently a changing of the guards ceremony at the Presidents Palace.  Both locals and tourists gather to watch the 45-60 minute ceremony.  It was a very enjoyable ceremony and I was glad that I could catch it.  I particularly enjoyed the drunk Ecuadorian man behind me mumbling and yelling to the sky while crying ¨Viva Ecuador¨!

Quito is the second highest capital city in the world  and  I was starting to feel some altitude sickness so I decided to go back to the hostel to rest.  Most of the guests at the Secret Garden hang out on the rooftop and warm up with a glass of wine by the early evening and I was easily convinced to do the same! I hung out by the fire, had a glass of wine, and enjoyed pizza for dinner.  Overall it was a perfect first day in Ecuador!

The next morning I decided to take advantage of cheap transportation to Cotopaxi to stay at the Secret Garden Cotopaxi, which was off the beaten path a bit but positioned in close proximity to Cotopaxi Volcano and some other mountains.   We were greeted with a glass of spiced warm wine and a lunch with fresh lentils and rice.  All of the meals at Secret Garden Cotopaxi were included in the price of the accomodation and the food was always homemade!

Apart from fueling up with delicious food at Secret Garden I was able to take advantage of the surroundings.  One of the workers took us to a waterfall hike nearby.  It was quite a trek hopping from rock to rock (and occassionally doing a little rock climbing on the side of the river).  The view of the waterfalls was beautiful and the were a lot of interesting plants in the trees.

During my second day in Cotopaxi I decided to do the refuge volcano hike given that I had no desire to pay $200 to do an overnight hike to the summit.  The weather was pretty awful but I was hoping I would see a view upon reaching the refuge.  The hike was a straight 45 minute uphill climb with extremely poor visibility due to the weather.  I made it to the top but unfortunately saw nothing!

Back at the hostel I opted to chill on the hammock for the remainder of the day.  The highlight of the day was probably the homemade woodfired pizza and fruit crumble for dinner!

Llama at Secret Garden Cotopaxi

After 2 days of relaxation I was sad to leave the wonderful property but was ready to hit the road again!.  I took an hour ride to Machachi to catch a bus to Baños, known to be a backpacker favorite in Ecuador.  I stayed at Hostal Plantas y Blancos in Baños, which is perfect for backpackers with cheap dorm rooms, a kitchen, and a nice rooftop to hang out.

Baños by night, Hostal Plantas y Blancos

It is hard to say what it is about Baños that makes it so special but I really loved this town.  Surrounded by mountains, hot springs, waterfalls, and extreme activities makes it easy to find things to do nearby.  For me, it was the laid back vibe of the town, friendly locals, and beautiful surroundings!  We would cook family dinners every night, rotating who cooked, with 12-15 backpackers from at least 8 different countries joining in!  It is no surprise that people tend to hang around longer than expected!

Family dinner

Rooftop musica

Baños

In the town I enjoyed visiting the fresh markets and trying local cuisine .  My favorite breakfast/lunch dish was llapachingos, which is fried potato pancakes with an overeasy egg on top and accompanied by avocado, chorizo, and a salad.  I was obsessed!

Llapachingos

Cuye...I was too scared to try it!

During my stay I did manage to do a few fun activities outside the town as well!:

Hot Springs
Baños received its name due to the close proximity of several hot springs.  I went to two of the hot springs on separate occasions.  My first day I went to the closest hot spring, Las Piscinas de la Virgen, which was a 5 minute walk from the hostel.  There were 3 pools there: cold, warm, and hot.  It was very crowded but so relaxing to soak my sore muscles in the hot pool!

On a Sunday we were motivated to wake up at 4:45am to go to a hot spring outside of the town called El Salado.  Eight of us packed into a truck at 5am and went to the hot springs thinking we were so smart and would have it to ourselves! Well, about 100 locals had the same idea and they said that it was a ¨slow day¨! Regardless I found this hot springs way better than the first and it was much cleaner.  They strictly enforced the rule to wear bathing caps which looked goofy but served a good purpose! The views on the walk down were amazing and on a clear day you could see smoke coming out of the volcano.

Waterfalls
For those who are more adventurous there is the option to rent bikes for $5/day and do a 21km bike to all of the nearby waterfalls.  I opted to try this out on my second day in Baños.  While it was fun to be on bikes, the road did not feel like it was meant for both buses and bikers! Every time we were forced to go through a tunnel I would just pedal as fast as I could to get out of there! Although the views along the way were beautiful I don´t think that I was able to fully enjoy it given that I was so terrified of the oncoming traffic!  I actually ended up returning to the waterfalls a second day by doing a 4 hour bus tour for $5.  I found this more enjoyable than biking but I suppose it just depends on your comfort level!

Canopy:
On my organized waterfall tour trip I decided to do a two- way canopy (zipline) for $10.  The lines were very high up, at least a couple hundred feet if not more.  I was so scared to do the ¨superman¨style zipline but convinced myself to carry through (mainly because I already paid!).  Although I had to force myself to keep my eyes open at times it was worth it!

While my friends nearly convinced us to stay just one more day, I continued on my journey down south to Cuenca with my friend Mathilde.  Cumatively, the bus ride took 8 hours, with a stopover in Riobamba.  The ride went through the mountains and passed by breathtaking villages.  When we arrived in Cuenca it was pouring and we unfortunately had to walk through the rain for 20 minutes in search of decent accomodation.  We settled on Hostal La Escalinita which was okay, having cheap private rooms, but certainly nothing special!  The greatest benefit to the hostel was it clost proximity to restaurants, cafes, and sightseeing.

During our only full day in Cuenca we enjoyed strolling around the colonial city.  It felt very European with the architecture and cafe culture. Although it rained for most of the day we were lucky to have a few hours of sun! I particularly enjoyed the dining experience at local restaurants in Cuenca.

Cafe con pan

By the next morning Mathilde was off to Peru and I was on my way to Guayaquil to catch a flight to Galapagos! We will see how my ¨budget¨trip to the Galapagos turns out!