We had a racecar wannabe bus driver on our way to Lago Agrio. His strategy was to drive like mad until you reach a speed bump, slow quickly, bounce over the speed bump, and then floor it again. Always use both lanes to drive around corners and pass into traffic because they will slow down. By the time we arrived in Lago Agrio in a record time of only one hour and 45 minutes, I felt sick to my stomach.
Luckily I had the flight to recuperate on and by the time we got back to Quito, Valerie was waiting for us and we headed right out of Quito. We had a lot of time to see the view from the Pan American highway and learn more about Ecuador. Oil, roses, and tourism are the three big money makers in Ecuador, and there are had a lot of rose farms in this area. Limestone caves dotted the sides of the roads. People come and dig out the limestone and use it to brush on their houses. It keeps the houses fresh-looking, warm, and helps to keep out yellow fever.
We stopped at a shop that made Bizcochos, twice-baked sponge cakes that taste a little like pie crust. They were tasty warm and would be good with jam. The locals eat them with cheese. I learned that guinea pig is the most traditional food in Ecuador and think I should try it, even though I am not an adventurous eater.
We stopped in Cotacachi, a town that won a prize from Unesco because every person in the community learned to read and write. I think that is so great! Visited some stores in the leather market. Found a gorgeous purse in a store that was closed. Rats.
We arrive at white washed Hacienda Pinsaqui and are warmly greeted, Valerie is so excited when she sees what room we are put in, and when we enter, I see why. The room is two rooms and a giant bathroom with a claw foot tub. The first thing we decided to do was unpack all of our soggy clothes and hang them around the room to dry. We even unpacked those we didn’t wear, because they were soggy but at least not soaked. Heading outside, we wandered the grounds to enjoy the view and peacefulness. Heading back in we stopped for a welcome/orientation to the Hacienda and drank the most wonderful tasting hot tea made with cinnamon and anise. We are told, “This house is your house” and they really made us feel that way. At dinner I had prawns sugared in liquor – fantastic. We headed back to our room and were welcomed with a fire crackling in the fireplace, our quilt folded down, a hot water bottle with a soft flannel cover tucked in under the covers, and a chocolate on each pillow. We wondered what they thought of us, with our clothes draped all over the room looking like there had been an explosion. The hot water bottle kept our feet warm almost the whole night, and we needed it.
The agent had great response to questions and coordinated well to create an itinerary that met our expectations.
Bob Sunshine
1 day ago
Very responsive to all questions
Teresa Cardoso
2 days ago
Kelly and Rhenee were excellent to work with on planning our trip. The logistics all worked smoothly and everyone was friendly and on time. Our accommodations were very good, particularly the incredible Patagonia Camp in Torres del Paine! Our guides on every excursion were outstanding and made the hikes memorable! Overall we had a wonderful trip with incredible memories!
Scott Gibson
2 days ago
Adventure Life is definitely a first-class safari tour company, and our representative was Franny Friesz. First of all, she responded immediately after we contacted Adventure Life. We told Franny that we had never been on a safari, and she was more than eager to offer a mountain of information about the trip. She informed us fully about all the ups, downs, and all arounds! She even prepared a number of packages for us to review -- even after we made changes to the areas we wanted to explore. Friendly, helpful, professional, and extremely knowledgeable -- these words describe Franny, and what a wonderful trip she prepared! We couldn't have asked for better service than Franny of Adventure Life. We HIGHLY recommend her and her outstanding company! Bon Voyage!
Prima Burke
3 days ago
The staff at Adventure Life made planning my family's trip to the Galapagos Islands as easy as possible. They listened to what we were hoping to experience and made thoughtful suggestions about how to accomplish our vacation goals while meeting the needs of travelers ages 17-76! They patiently answered questions and follow up questions in the months leading up to the trip. They helped us trouble shoot and customize the trip in every way possible. The logistics involved in traveling from Boston to the Galapagos are innumerable. The Adventure Life staff helped us arrange every detail and the team they assembled in the Galapagos was tremendous. I have never done a trip this big before and after working with Adventure Life this time--would not hesitate one second in working with them again.