It's hard to believe that we are in the capital of Ecuador. Frankly, before looking into a trip to the Galapagos I never really thought about spending much time in Quito.
I'm so glad that we made the decision to come a few days early and spend time exploring the capital city and the beautiful towns and countryside outside of Quito.
In fact, in hindsight, we could have added a few more; there's just so much to see.
I also would suggest (depending on your age - we're in our mid-sixties) to do more in Quito before your trip to the Galapagos. You'll have more energy, as the Galapagos can be a bit exhausting.
The airport was bustling, even at 10:00 at night. Our guide was "right there" waiting for us and ready to take us to our hotel - Casa Aliso. A little gem - a boutique hotel - a charming place to stay.
More about the hotel in tomorrow's journal. Tired now and it's time to go to bed.
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
2 days ago
Mary was so pleasant and professional. She made sure all of our questions were answered.