In Quito, I met up with Mark and Matt for a reunion. I decided to use some Starwood points so we could stay at the Sheraton Quito. It was great to be back at that wonderful hotel again (even though I didn’t get upgraded to a suite this time ;)). We decide to take full […]
Ecuador: Venturing Up the Northern Coast
It’s quite the mission to explore the Northern coast of Ecuador. Buses don’t exist for advance purchase and planning purposes. You stand on the side of the road and flag a bus down heading the direction you’re going. Sometimes you get on and there aren’t any seats and you stand in the aisle with 20 […]
An unexpected walk to Ecuador
After a few nights in Lima post-Huaraz retreat, I was heading back up to Ecuador. I took an Excluciva Super Cama bus (the ONLY way to travel long distances in Peru!) to Tumbes and then planned to take a CIFA bus to Montanita. However, upon arriving in Tumbes I was greeted by a very eager […]
Colonial Cuenca
Cuenca is a beautiful historic colonial city in Ecuador and the third largest city, behind Guayaquil and Quito. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and known as the city of gardens. The city, which is located in Southern Ecuador, is set in a valley surrounded by the Andes. The architecture of Cuenca dates back […]
Spas & Waterfalls in Baños
Baños is a central Ecuadorian town in the Tungurahua Providence which is nestled in the foothills of Volcan Tungurahua. Baños is considered a gateway to the Amazon and is best known for waterfalls and thermal baths. A perfect spot to visit for a little R&R after climbing Chimborazo. Which is exactly what I did. I arrived […]
Charging Chimborazo: A Non-Mountain Climber’s Tale
This story begins on a train. Sitting on the train on the way back from Machu Picchu, I got to chatting with the guy next to me about Ecuador tips. He said he & his girlfriend climbed Cotopaxi and it was the most miserable thing ever. Then, on one of the Travel Talk on Twitter […]
Quito
I flew from the Galapagos to Quito where I planned to spend a few days before making the trek to Chimborazo. Quito, the capital of Ecuador, is the second highest capital city in the world at 2,800m above sea level (La Paz, Bolivia being the highest at 3,650m). Quito is the actually the highest capital […]
Swimming with Sharks: Diving in the Galapagos
One of the main reasons I wanted to go to the Galapagos was for the diving. Initially, I had planned to do a liveaboard boat, but unfortunately, I couldn’t find a good last minute deal and the ones I did find were slightly out of my price range. I ended up settling on two day […]
An 8 day mission to the Galapagos
Just call me Chuck. I spent eight fantastic days exploring the land and sea of the Galapagos islands. I had absolutely no idea just how much I would love that fabulous place but it is incredible. I don’t recall learning that much about the Galapagos in school, and most of what I knew previously was […]
I’m off to the Galapagos!
I booked a trip to the Galapagos! YAY! The Galapagos is one of those places that I know a bit about, most of my knowledge learned from Alex Trebec and the Jeopardy team when they have a dedicated Galapagos category, but a place that, despite not knowing a ton, I always wanted to visit and […]