We didn’t plan to go to the Galapagos. We first chose to go to Ecuador because we were feeling a bit iffy about travel around Peru given the political situation there. Of course, as we were planning our trip, the question kept coming up, “Should we go to the Galapagos Islands?” It’s on so many people’s “bucket list,” but it […]

After our exhausting, twisty, multi-leg bus ride down from Latacunga, we finally arrived in Cuenca, a city of 300,000+ people famous for its cathedral and universities. We ended up at Pepe’s House, a small hotel named after its proprietor’s cat, Pepe. In fact, there are usually three cats living there, but it turns out that while we were visiting, there […]

After our half-day stop back in Quito, we headed down to the area around Cotopaxi, the second highest volcano in Ecuador. We stayed at the Secret Garden Cotopaxi, an outpost of a popular backpacker hostel in Quito that was located just outside the boundaries of Cotopaxi National Park. The setting was amazing. The Secret Garden is located at the foot […]