Today, I hired a taxi for the entire day to see the sights around the PIchincha countryside. First, we went to La Midad del Mundo, or Middle of the World Monument. It is a geological monument where the equator separates the northern and southern hemispheres. My driver, Fanny and I walked all around and took pictures of the monument in the background with us straddling the equatorial line.
Next we went to Inti Ñan which is the "real" place where the equator slices through the earth. We took a great tour and the guide explained about the Quichua culture, Amazon rites with shrunken heads and many experiments to show how things are different at the equator, One such experiment was to stand a raw egg on the head of a nail and I actually saw some people do it! I, of course, you guessed it, couldn't.
Afterward, we went to TeleferiQo, which is a 15 minute cable car ride to Cruz Loma on the eastern face of the Pichincha Volcano and about 4,300 meters in an enclosed cable car. The view going up is spectacular because the city of Quito was in bright sunshine below and at the top, it is cold, rainy and cloudy. You can barely see your hand in front of your face. If you aren't careful, it is possible to get lost! As we descended, it began to rain in earnest.
We were fairly hungry, so we found a vegetarian restaurant near the hotel (Hey! I had to find one! lol) and concluded our tour, just as the rain beat down, at the Botanical Gardens of Carolina Park. This park houses a Vivarium with snakes and amphibians of all sizes, shapes and colors. It is one of the largest parks in South America. Unfortunately, you can´t walk around in it very safely at night. None the less, it was gorgeous. So many flowers and plants that you will only find in Ecuador. Even the rain didn't dampen my spirits.
As my time in Quito has come to an end, for now, I know that it is on to the Galapagos and more adventures tomorrow.
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
1 day 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
2 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.
Jennifer Howard Schroeder
3 days ago
Kevin got right on our request and had us booked within the week