Today was a long but fun day! We woke up at 5:20 AM and returned to the airport for our flight back to Quito. It felt way too early and we both passed out on the flight. When we arrived in Quito, we were met at the airport by Daniel and were immediately off for Otavalo. Along the way north, Daniel stopped to show us great sites and foods. Our first stop was at a fruit stand by the side of the road. We tried a new food called chirimoya. It was big, green and lumpy and you rip it apart with your hands. The inside was creamy white with giant black seeds. It had the texture of an avocado but tasted like a mix of banana, coconut and pineapple. They were so delicious that we bought a couple more to take with us!
The next stop was a little town famous for bizcochos- a type of breadstick made with bacon fat and then baked twice. Daniel took us to his favorite spot where we had bizcochos, fresh cheese and hot chocolate.
Next, we stopped at Lago San Pablo for a beautiful view. The Imbabura district was beautiful- green fields all along the hills and mountain sides- lots of farms and greenhouses for roses.
We drove through a small town where dozens of children were gathered in front of the church having just made their first communion. They looked beautiful in their white dresses and suits. Their families were all celebrating.
We continued to Otavalo and their Saturday market, one of the largest in Ecuador! Daniel led us through the local food market and then on to the more touristic market. We had to bargain for prices and Daniel stepped in a bit to help (okay...more than a bit!). Amanda and I spent a good amount of time roaming the market and ended up with some great stuff. Daniel had an amazing memory and if we mentioned something we saw earlier in the day that we liked, he took us directly to the right booth!
We stopped to visit Hacienda Pinsaqui for a quick tour. Haciendas are to Ecuador what castles are to Ireland. This one was over 300 years old and was beautiful. The rooms looked so nice, the food smelled delicious and the peacocks strutting around were fun to watch. I wish we had time to stay overnight!
We continued on to Cotacacchi where they specialize in leather. We're not really into leather, so we quickly walked the street lined with shops. If we had more time, it probably would not have taken much convincing to get me to buy one of the beautiful purses or great pairs of boots. We headed back to Quito and slept for most of the drive.
Daniel helped us check in at Hotel Eugenia and pointed out a good restaurant for dinner. We ate at Coffee Tree and then returned to Eugenia where we were met by the staff of our office in Quito. They are all so fabulous!! It was nice to finally meet all of the people I have been working with through the computer for so long! I felt like I was meeting distant family. They took us on a driving tour of the city and we went all the way up to El Panecillo for an amazing view of Quito all lit up.
We climbed up into the giant virgin of the city tower for an even better view. After getting some cotton candy from a street vendor at the bottom of the statue,
we headed to La Mariscal district which is where Eugenia is located. It is also the main touristic area of the city and we went to the center of it all to see the city really come alive! There were tons of bars and restaurants and discos and the streets were filled with people and street performers. We enjoyed coffee on the heated patio of one of the cafes and chatted for a couple of hours. It was great! As it got late, they took us back to our hotel for the night.
The response from Adventure Life to my first inquiry was prompt and promising. I worked with Jamie Broeckel, Trip Planner, via text, email, and phone calls- always extremely responsive and thorough with information and explaining the process to arrange a private tour for me to Malaysia Borneo. Within about week, the booking was complete and I made decisions because of Jamie's great customer service , friendly manner, and overall competence on behalf of the company's travel expertise. Now I have an itinerary, additional Trip Planner Assistants, several links for vital information for traveling to Maylasia, etc. Still many details for Sept. trip, but now the heavy lifting is done and I can enjoy the rest of the anticipation and research!! Thanks Jamie- you are amazing!!!!
Susan Campo
2 days ago
The trip was not only memorable for the amount of animals we saw but also for the people and accommodations at the two camps where we stayed. Our first guide, BK, was a wealth of information about the animals, landscape and down to the plants and what they were used for. Everyday out was a learning experience with him. All the people at the camps were gracious and the food was excellent.
Our second camp in the Okavanga was just as good as the first as far as the staff, accommodations, food and animals. After our experience at the first camp we amazed that the high quality remained the same. Our guide, G, made sure we were able to enjoy every experience including a rush through the bush to witness a cheetah and an ensuing hunt that he heard over his radio.
In both camps there were enough guides out that if they saw something the other guides were informed which helped in seeing as much as possible. It was also nice that the concessions were large enough that we did not have vehicles following each other throughout the day.
Normally there is always something in a trip of this length that we think could be improved upon but this is the rare case where we cannot think of anything. From the time we left the States to when we returned it was one of the most hassle free vacations we took.
Perhaps emphasizing the use of the laundry facilities at the camps would be useful because of the luggage restrictions would be the only thing I can think of as an improvement to future clients.
Kenneth Dropek
3 days ago
Mary was so pleasant and professional. She made sure all of our questions were answered.