From Ipiales, we took a very roomy and comfy collectivo about two hours to the city of Pasto. Most backpackers, typically the ones who make it to this part of Colombia, only stay for a night here en route between Medellin and Ecuador, but we’re really glad we gave it a couple so we could visit the extraordinary Laguna La…
Balanced in the ravine of a very different ColOmbian River Gorge than the one in Oregon, one can find a sincerely stunning spectacle of god meets nature near the Colombia/Ecuador border. The Neo-Gothic Catholic church, built between 1916-1949, has a powerful legend, which led to it being built in the most dramatic setting we’ve ever seen a religious structure. It…
Folded within the lush Ecuadorian cloud forest, and only two hours by bus from Quito, one can find the sparkling jewel of Mindo Valley. It is known for being replete with natural beauty, chocolate tours, adventure activities and enough wild and bird life to fill its own Audubon book. Where we Stayed We arrived for two nights and chose Hostelería…
Widely believed to be the oldest continuously inhabited city in South America, Ecuador's capital (population 2 million) sits high in the Andean foothills at an altitude of 2,850 meters (9350 feet) and was constructed on the site of an ancient Incan city. It is well-known for its preserved colonial center, which was designated an UNESCO Cultural Heritage City in 1978…(along…
Day One: Sigchos to Isinlivi For those who have been following awhile, you may remember our disastrous and slippery sludge down Peru’s Salkantay Trail last March. This is when Mandy began a six-month war with her right foot. As of May 2023, we’re quite happy to say that she completed her first multi-day trek since of 36 kilometers and although…
Appropriately in a tourist town named after a…bath (or bathroom)…in Baños, you. will. get. wet. With a generally rainy climate (at least in mid-May), steamy thermal waters and pummeling waterfalls and rivers by the dozens, this village of 15,000 residents is legendary for being the adventure and hot springs capital of Ecuador. This we absolutely love. We would also like…
At an elevation of 8500 feet (2560 meters), the historic colonial and cultural center of Cuenca is the cobblestone on the cake to what is already a gorgeous and livable city. Like nearby areas in Colombia, Cuenca is tucked into a cool Andean valley and known for its eternal spring temperatures. For this, and so many other reasons, it inched into…
Although many people head to Ecuador solely for an excursion to the Galápagos Islands, we knew that it wasn’t in the wallet cards for us…this time. Thus, we happily settled for Isla de la Plata which is known on the backpacker circuit as “Poor Man’s Galapagos.” The tour agencies say, “Here you can see a small (more like teacup-sized) sampling of…
