2019 - January

We re-started our international travel with a 3 week trip to Ecuador and the Galapagos Islands.  After focusing on RVing for the past 7 years it was time to continue working on our international bucket list as we are not getting any younger. 

We flew from Phoenix to Miami to Quito, the capital of Ecuador.  Our first night was in Quito was at Posada Mirolindo by the airport.  A very unique boutique hotel.

The next day we joined our Celebrity Cruise group at the Marriott Hotel in Quito, a beautiful place.  We spent 2 nights in Quito exploring this amazing city. 

From Quito we flew to Baltra in the Galapagos Islands to board the Celebrity Exploration.  It was a 16 passenger ship with only 13 passengers aboard.  We had a wonderful 7 days cruise doing the southern loop of the Galapagos Islands.  Everyday was an adventure, hiking, kayaking, snorkeling or beach time.  It definitely took a lot of energy but the wildlife we saw was worth it.

After the 7 day Galapagos Cruise we flew back to Quito for a farewell dinner and a day of rest before starting our 7 day Ecuador Tour.  We traveled through the avenue of the volcanoes from the north to the south, Ecuador has 75 volcanoes.  The agriculture and flower farming was a sight to see.

Our first day on the Ecuador Tour was at the Papallacta Hot Springs.  It was a nice relaxing day after our adventures in the Galapagos.

The next day we drove to the Otavalo Market, one of the biggest indigenous markets in Latin America.  We visited the sacred lake of Cuicocha and a visit to the town of Cotacachi, a town dedicated to the leather industry. 

The next day we headed south to the Cotopaxi National Park, one of the highest active volcanoes in the world, 19, 347 feet.  We traveled from there to Banos to spend the night. 

The next morning we visited the Palon del Diablo waterfall, what a beautiful sight.  After lunch we headed to Riobamba. 

 From Riobamba we headed to the small town of Alausi where we boarded the train to Sibambe passing the stretch known to the locals as the Devil’s Nose Train.  It was quite a ride with bug bites at the famous stop after the awesome engineering switch backs.  After the train ride we headed to Cuenca.

 Cuenca is a wonderful town still full of so much history.  We toured the Panama Hat Factory.  Cuenca is truly one of the most beautiful cities in Ecuador.  The architecture was an awesome site.  The Los Balcones Hotel was a wonderful historic piece of architecture.  We would highly recommend a stay here.

 After 2 nights in Cuenca we traveled to Guayaquil to the coast.  The costal area is very different from the volcanic highlands.  Lots of cocoa and other fruit products.  We enjoyed the waterfront area that included a Ferris wheel ride that gave us a great view of the city. 

At the end of our Ecuador Tour we flew back to Quito and spent the night at the Wyndham Hotel by the Quito Airport before flying home the next day. 

Our stay in Ecuador and the Galapagos was an amazing time, we enjoyed the wildlife along with all of the agricultural surprises along the way.  The best fruit and fruit juices we have experienced anywhere in the world.