Showing posts with label Ecuador. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Ecuador. Show all posts
June 11, 2010
Day 5: Our entire stay in Banos was marked by Volcán Tungurahua, which went off every half hour or so. Not only could you hear each eruption, some of them shook our hostel. On the clearest day, we took a taxi up to the power lines opposite the volcano for a better look. A video of one of the blasts follows the pictures and volume would help. Later in the day, we boarded a bus for Puyo, a jungle town deemed the "gateway to the Amazon." We found a monkey rescue center and spent several incredulous hours with the monkeys, who climbed and played all over us.
June 10, 2010
Day 4: This particular day was probably the most fun I've ever had in a 24-hour period while traveling. We biked the scenic Banos to Puyo route for 35 kilometers and had several stops along the way: the four of us jumped off a bridge in the first hour, hiked up behind the raging El Paílón del Diablo waterfall in the second hour, had a memorable trout lunch at a local Rio Verde cafe in the third hour and hitch-hiked back to Banos (with our bikes) in the late afternoon (on the back of a flat bed truck).
June 9, 2010
Day 3: Spent the day wandering around Banos, a beautiful mountain village in the heart of the Andes (we purchased a recycled tire flower pot from the woman pictured). We also hiked for several miles up towards the active Volcan Tungurahua and spent time in a 120 degree thermal bath later in the evening. I couldn't help but photograph the mind bending street graffiti...
June 8, 2010
Day 2: We zip lined across a valley, hiked several miles into the cloud forest near Mindo (on the equator) and spent the day climbing and swimming under waterfalls. The beautiful Dragonfly Inn was the location of our memorable 4.5 hour dinner and was one of the best hostels I've ever stayed in. On the ride from Mindo to Banos (taxi!), we caught clear views of Volcan Cotopaxi...
June 7, 2010
May 26, 2010
After dropping off Stella at her grandparents for a week, Kari and I board a plane on Thursday for South America where we'll meet the Kinds for a romp around Ecuador. Since we have such a short time, we decided to sketch a plan for what our week would look like:
Day 1: Quito, the capital [Nearing 10,000 feet in elevation, we figured we'd give ourselves a day to acclimatize. And to check out the Old Town, a Unesco World Heritage Sight]
Day 2-4: Banos to Puyo bike ride [The 30 mile bike ride will start in the town of Banos, near a volcano, and end in the Amazon near Puyo. Along the way are thermal baths, dozens of hikes, waterfalls and some treacherous tunnels]
Day 5-7: Mindo [The little village sits near the cloud forests in Northern Ecuador, where the wildlife and trails and plentiful]
Day 8: Quito
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Important things:
Day 1: Quito, the capital [Nearing 10,000 feet in elevation, we figured we'd give ourselves a day to acclimatize. And to check out the Old Town, a Unesco World Heritage Sight]
Day 2-4: Banos to Puyo bike ride [The 30 mile bike ride will start in the town of Banos, near a volcano, and end in the Amazon near Puyo. Along the way are thermal baths, dozens of hikes, waterfalls and some treacherous tunnels]
Day 5-7: Mindo [The little village sits near the cloud forests in Northern Ecuador, where the wildlife and trails and plentiful]
Day 8: Quito
_________________
Important things:
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