Today we arrived in Quito and stayed overnight at Hotel Eugenia. The hotel was lovely, and there was an armed guard outside to keep the scary people out, although we always felt safe walking the streets. The hotel and rooms were very nice. After we settled in a bit, we went out for a drink.

It was quite amusing that although it was in the 70s, …

Today we left Quito and took a bus up into the mountains to bike the Pichincha Volcano. The ride up windy mountain roads offered a grand view of Quito far below, and offered a glimpse of life in the small villages surrounding it.

We acquired our bikes in a small town at the top of the volcano, and it was all downhill from there. And I mean …

Woke up feeling good. It must be the mountain air! Steve was quite confused, poured yogurt into his bowl of cereal, then got grossed out because he mistook it for curdled milk.

Went on a really cool waterfall hike today. Started up the road, went on a windy trail to another road, then down into a valley. The views from above were splendid. On …

After breakfast we bid farewell to the cloud forest and continued on to the Rio Toachi for some whitewater action. We drove down a mountain with nice views, through tropical fruit farms, and into the middle of nowhere.

The river was mostly fast moving and surrounded by forest and farms. I'd say it was a Class 3 river. Lots of fun whitewater, …

Had breakfast then headed out for our Cayambe-Coca Trek. We arrived at an ecological reserve high up in the Andes which I'm not quite sure was really Caymbe-Coca, as our itinerary differed from the planned one. Rather than hiking to multiple camp sites over several days we just stayed at one site and did circuit hikes. If anything, it was less …

Woke up to another day of perfect weather! Arturo made us breakfast then Felipe and his trusty husky too us on a trek up the montain. We went through fields of vibrant purple flowers. Also saw a waterfall in the distance.

We stopped at a place with great views of a lake and a mountain range that I believe had a formation called the Sphinx. We …

Awoke to cows sniffing around outside my tent. The cows were not timid. One stuck its head completely into my tent. Well good morning to you too, Sir.

After breakfast we hiked up another part of the mountain. It was a shorter hike, but still challenging due to all the knobby grass humps. We explored a cliff area with some cool overhangs and …

Snuck in a morning soak after breakfast then headed back to Quito. Had lunch at a restaurant near our hotel with our travel guides, then ventured into the city's old quarter.

Wandered around many narrow streets with cool old buildings. Saw giant angel statue high up on the hills overlooking the town. Donated to local street performers playing …

In an attempt to keep our hangovers at bay, decided to get a fast food breakfast at the joint next to our hotel... Burger King. Yes, I know. What a crime. I'm ashamed.

Returned to old town Quito for some more exploration. Checked out a big cathedral with the strangest collection of gargoyles I have ever seen. Turtles, monkeys, lizards, …