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A Trip to the Middle of the World, Ecuador and the Galapagos!

The bridge over Pailon del Diablo (Devil's Cauldron)
The bridge over Pailon del Diablo (Devil's Cauldron)
We spent two full weeks flying, biking, swimming, hiking, driving and kayaking our way through Ecuador and the Galapagos. Our trip was one of extremes. We went from the huge capital city, Quito, to the barely inhabited Galapagos Islands. From sea level to nearly 19,000 feet above it. From snorkeling with sharks to relaxing in the natural hot spring pools of Baños. We crammed as much as we could into our time in country, and enjoyed every moment of it!

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Agave plant with a view of the surrounding mountains.
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Overlooking the Otavalo valley.
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Volcanic lake, Cuichoca.
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Plaza San Francisco, Quito.
Highlights of Quito: Stained Glass & Shrunken Heads
One of my favorite parts of visiting a new place is the moment the plane beings to descend. I will inevitably press my face to the airplane window like a child and try to take it all in. It was dark in Quito when we landed, but I could immediately tell the topography from the way the lit up roads curved around like snakes, it was obviously very …
Mountain views near Baños.
Banos: Baths, Beers & Bungee Jumping
Banos is considered the gateway to the Amazon. It is located in the cloud forest and the surrounding lush, densely forested, steep mountains immediately reminded me of Aguas Calientes, also known as the town of Machu Picchu. I couldn’t believe how different it looked than where we had woken up that morning in Cotopaxi! Banos means …
The Darwin Center.
Puerto Ayora: Sea Legs & Lonesome George
When we disembarked from our cruise the last morning, we loaded our luggage onto the pangas and headed for Puerto Ayora, one of the Galapagos’ more populated towns. We dropped our bags at our hotel and then headed out for the day. We had be warned that we would be tired after our cruise, but little did we know how exhausting cruising can be! …
Kate, Alejandro and I after our horseback ride.
El Porvenir: Home Away from Home
We spent two nights at the traditional and working Hacienda el Porvenir. It is hard to choose a highlight from our trip, because everything was truly incredible, but if I was forced to pick this might just be it! I’m a sucker for mountainous backdrops and doing anything on horseback. We were greeted with empanadas and hot tea. It felt like …
The empanadas we made!
Hands-on Highland Cuisine
After eating at the delicious restaurant at Hacienda el Porvenir, Kate and I were excited to learn they offered a cooking class. This was a great option for a less "active" activity after our day of riding horses and mountain bikes. The menu at the Hacienda was diverse and everything sounded amazing, so we knew we were in good hands. The …
The famous Pinnacle Rock.
Active Cruising: The Galapagos
When people hear "cruise" they usually envision 1000s of people and lounging on deck chairs with an artificially colored drink topped with a paper umbrella in their hand. If you are considering cruising in the Galapagos, erase those images from your head. While on any of the ships I’m sure you’d be more than welcomed to …
Our beautiful breakfast spread at Patio Andaluz.
Eating Like the Locals: Bizchocos & Mystery Fruit
Kate and I, both being self proclaimed "foodies" welcomed as much of our trip revolving around food as possible. We became accustomed to snacking between meals and looked forward to the pick-me-up of trying new and unique flavors between our excursions. I’m fairly adventurous when it comes to new food and live by the “gotta …
Posing with a napping sea lion on South Plaza Island.
Galapagos Wildlife: Flippers & Fins
The reason people are drawn to the Galapagos is undoubtedly the wildlife. Since the whole archipelago is part of a Galapagos National Park it makes for a unique conservation and wildlife focused vacation. Our cruise itinerary had us visiting the southeastern islands of the archipelago, which meant we got to visit San Cristobal, North Seymour, …
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Old town teems with Colonial architecture, such as this plaza visited on an Ecuador tour
Quito
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Haceinda El Porvenir
Hacienda El Porvenir
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Frigatebird in the Galapagos Islands
Galapagos

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