ecuador!

As an agency, we are seeing increased interest in South America.  In fact, by the time you read this, Geoff and I will have just visited a two locations in Columbia - Cartagena and Santa Marta.
Jana spent some time in Ecuador this past Autumn.  She was part of a tourism group which allows Travel Agents to view accommodations and experience the area from a culinary, natural and cultural standpoint.  
We will feature an abbreviated trip report from Jana's experience in this newsletter.  It should be noted that although Jana's intention was to go the the Galapagos Islands as well,  travel issues due to a major hurricane in the Caribbean prevented that.
 
. “This trip was being hosted by the Art Hotels group in Ecuador, so all the accommodations would be at their hotels. Hotel Mama Cuchara in Quito was absolutely stunning. This 30 room property was a hacienda that was converted into this boutique hotel. The founders’ philosophy behind creating the Art Hotels brand is to invest in Ecuadorian communities to keep a focus on everything local. He believes that when you can give back to the community and enrich the fabric of the original culture and people, everybody wins. So the Art Hotels only hire local people to work there, only work with local artisans and local farmers to source activities and food for their amazing beverage and food menus”.
 
 
- Cindy -​

destination of the week
ecuador, south america

Jana's trip journal continues:

"We started the tour in Otavalo.  Upon arrival at Hotel Otavalo, it was clear that this city was going to welcome new visitors with open arms. Home to one of the largest Saturday markets in South America, Otavalo recently elected its first female mayor who we were fortunate enough to meet and hear about her goals for the city. She wants to place a renewed emphasis on bringing tourism and new visitors to her city, and wants to enrich the lives of her citizens by attracting new types of commerce from the television and movie industries.

I heard through the grapevine that Otavalo was home to a beautiful waterfall called the Peguche Waterfall. I had my concierge call me a cab, and I hopped in and took a very quick ride to the edge of a national park that houses the waterfall. 

Day Two brought us the visit to a local weaving family. We watched them weave traditional patterns using local wool that they sheared, processed, and dyed to make the materials needed to create belts, ponchos, blankets, shirts and wall coverings. Weaving will not be in my future in any sort of meaningful way. I don’t believe all the practice in the world will help my lack of skill. Later in the day we met the mayor of Otavalo.

Day Three brought the world's coldest boat ride on Lake San Pedro. This was where we got to see/ experience the seagrass up close and personal. Locals did a “gratitude ceremony” on the lake where they expressed their appreciation for everything the lake and the land give them each day. After boating, we were whisked off to a local farm where the owner grows 46 different varieties of roses, has restored an old mill that is part of his process to make his local craft beer, and conducts mass on Sundays in a chapel on his property from the 1400’s. The owner also has a hacienda on his property that he has converted into a Bed and Breakfast that was the site of the old stable/ barn.

Day Four brought us back to Quito, and to the center of the earth, to the equator. It was amazing to see that you could in fact stand an egg on end on the head of a nail, and struggled to walk in a straight line on the equator when you closed your eyes. Inti the llama greeted us upon arrival, and roamed the parking lot freely for quite awhile.Lunch at Lavid in old town Quito was absolutely delicious. Then I took Stephanie our tour director out to  dinner at Cire Capital. Chef Erick Dreyer now has 2 restaurants in Quito, and has been name the city’s best chef for ten years running. Excellent, excellent food.

Day Five ushered in tours of monasteries, the main cathedral in old town Quito, and several other local churches. We drove up to see “the virgin” that was gifted to Quito by France in the same year France gave the United States the Statue of Liberty. Smaller in size than the statue of Liberty, “the virgin” stands watch at the top of one end of the valley that Quito sits in.

One major observation about Quito is that it’s surrounded by 3 quasi-active volcanos. It’s truly a city in a long, skinny valley, and really has no where else to grow. This city of 3.5 million people is culturally rich, with terrible traffic and working on getting their metro line up and running. We were told they were on the “home stretch” with this, and are hoping that public transit will help with the traffic. The city tried limiting traffic and how many people were driving by restricting the days of the week you could drive by what number/ letter your license plate ended in. People just ended up getting another car so they could drive everyday by requesting the opposite lettering/numbering on their second vehicle’s license plate. 

Day Six started with a tour of another monastery and a cooking class. We made ceviche. Then I met up with an artist I met earlier in the week for lunch and a self guided tour of old town.  I was hastily making plans to try to leave the group to get to the Galapagos, but with another hurricane approaching Miami, I needed to re-think my date of departure and my route back to the U.S".

​Alas!  Jana had to return early to avoid yet another hurricane!  

travel tip of the week
ecuador -fast facts

​1. Ecuador is more than just the Galápagos Islands
Although many consider continental Ecuador a stopover on the way to the Galápagos Islands, visiting the country is well worth your time. For adroit travelers, staying in Ecuador for seven to 10 days will allow them to explore its main attractions. 
2. Be aware of altitude sickness
Sitting at 2850m (9350ft) above sea level, the Ecuadorian capital Quito, is the second-highest capital city in the world. This means travelers are prone to altitude sickness upon arrival.
3. Despite popular belief, Ecuador is not a tropical country
Perhaps fueled by the moniker of “the country in the middle of the world,” many travelers wrongfully believe Ecuador is a tropical country and that they’ll encounter oppressively hot weather.
Though the climate will largely depend on the region you stay at, you can expect moderate temperatures.. 
4. Make sunscreen your best friend
You may believe sunscreen is not a priority while visiting the Andean highlands or strolling down a colonial city, but due to its geographical location (standing on the equatorial line), sun rays shine perpendicularly in Ecuador.
5. Tipping is a courtesy and not mandatory
Generally, service is included in the bill (you’ll see a disclaimer on menus), so tipping is not mandatory. But if you’re feeling generous, leaving a tip is always a courtesy to show appreciation for the good service.
7. Don’t drink the tap water
Most urban cities in Ecuador have reliable potable water systems, so using tap water to cook and wash is considered safe.
Ecuadorians, however, will never drink tap water unless it has been purified and will mostly stick to boiling it before drinking. In rural areas, water is not necessarily potable, so opt out of drinking tap water entirely and favor boiled or bottled water.

virtual vacation of the week

​Here are the best places to visit & top things to do in Ecuador
Video found on YouTube by Before You Go

what's next on your bucket list?

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