2017 travel

September 5th to 22nd

I arrived in Ecuador on september 5th from the north, coming from Colombia.

I took a bus to the city of Otavalo, famous for its crafts market. I stayed 3 days, the first night in a hostel and 2 more nights in a camping nearby (USD 1,25 /night, and well situated, close to a waterfall) and was able to walk around and do some good hikes. I also visited the parc of the Condor, a place that rescues birds, including 2 impressive Andean Condors.

On friday the 8th, after hiking around the lake Cuicocha, I jumped in a bus for Quito, the capital city. I couchsurfed there, and was hosted in the historical center, that I was able to visit the day after.

The next day, I went a few kilomters north of Quito in bus, and saw a village in the crater of an inactive volcano, before going to the “mitad del mundo”, the center of the world, on the ecuador line.

I left Quito on monday the 11th in the morning, and went up to the Quilotoa lake, that is in a volcano crater. I was able to hike around the crater before going down to camp by the lake.

The day after, I decided to go for a 5 hours hike to a village a few kilometers away. This hike wasn’t a loop, I hesitated because it meant I had to take my full backpack, around 18kg. I thought it would be a good test, because in the countries to come I heard aboit multiday hikes, with no loop either, so I could have to carry my full bag. The test was concluant, and I even kept hiking the day after, 6 hours to another village, from which I was able to take a bus to my next destination. In total, 2 beautiful hiking days, with gorgeous views and nice little villages.

I arrived on wednesday night in the city of Baños, a thermal city as the name implies. I met with a friend that I had met earlier in Otavalo and we rented bicycles the day after, with which we went down the waterfalls road, till the city of Puyo, 60km away. We stopped several times on the road to admire the waterfalls.

In Puyo, we visited a zoological park that rescues animals from the region.

The day after, I went around Baños, and up to an old volcanic activity measurement center, uphill, with big swings above a hill, good for some beautiful pictures.

I the tasted the “cuy”, guinea-pig, a specialty of the country. Not bad at all!

I went that night to the thermal baths of the city.

I took a bus on Sunday night to my next destination: the city of Cuenca. I couchsurfed again. On saturday I was able to visit the city and its beautiful historic center.

On sunday, after a party night with my host and friends of his, I went to some typical villages nearby, with coloured and animated sunday markets.

On monday the 18th I went to visit an archeological Inca site of the region. The first Inca site I see, quite different from the aztec, olmec and maya sites I saw in Mexico and Central America.

On tuesday the 19th I went for a 2-day hike in the beautiful Cajas national park, between 3200 and 4200 meters high, with more than 230 lakes (it’s the clear water reserve of Cuenca). I camped a night in the park, and in these moments I’m glad I carry from the beginning a good sleeping bag, warm clothes, that I didn’t use much in the hot regions I visited recently, but that I know I’ll need in the Andes.

I left Cuenca on thursday the 21st, in bus to Vilcabamba, my last ecuadorian stop. A small andean town, and I was able to hike around in the afternoon.

I only stayed a night in Vilcabamba, to leave the day after at 6am in bus to the border to the Peruvian border. I’ll tell you about it in a next post!