A point of technicality

Dear followers,

1) I have added a new feature to the blog (courtesy of David's input) : "FOLLOW BY EMAIL".
I have placed it in the top right corner just above the list of followers. You should be able to fill in your email address and submit.

You will then be notified of updates and new posts. Let me know if it works.

2) I have created a new stand alone page called "Contact Us and Follow Us" placed at the top just next to the "Home" tab.

On this page you will find practical details such as our email addresses, mobile phone numbers in the countries we're visiting and the full set of daily pictures as well as special themes (such as Food and Sunrises and Sunsets) on Picasa.  I'm thinking about a new theme called "Scenes of Every Day Life".

Anyway in a couple of hours we're off to the Galapagos Islands for 5 days ... should be amazing. If we do not have internet access there, you'll read and see all about it when we're back.

Day 12-14 (27-29 Aug) - Cuenca

The "Old" Cathedral

Cuenca is the most beautiful and charming city we've visited so far. It's quaint squares, beautiful cobbled stone streets, magnificent cathedral, friendly locals and illustrious past make of Cuenca a must visit.

The "New" Cathedral

It has been assertained that humans lived around Cuenca as early as 8000 BC ! There were pre-Columbian cultures and a lot of artifacts has been found dating mainly from 5000 BC onwards.


The people who were living here were absorbed by the Incas in the 15th century during their invasion from Peru. They gave this city an enormous importance, only second to Cusco their grand capital in Peru. Today Inca vestiges may be visited in the city although the most impressive ones lie on its outskirts.

Scenes of everyday life

Today there is an air of serene tranquility in this city. During the day the population goes about their usual business and at night the younger generation takes the city's bars and restaurants by storm.

Panama Hat making and photo shooting

 For more pictures of Cuenca follow the link : Cuenca

On one of the many bridges on river

Street names written on a tile arrangement

Banana chips, apple in sugar and other goodies

Street vendor

Roxana's compositon : "The staring man and the idle girl"

San Blas Church

Day 11 (26 Aug) : Baños

One of the many waterfalls along the way

We met Susan again in Baños after the trip to the Amazon Basin. We went down to the bike rental people, got ourselves three bikes and set off to see the nice waterfalls.

It was a 20km ride, mostly downhill, so nothing to write back home about ... plus we stopped a lot on the way ...

Roxana ready to go

We did some zip lining, saw some people jump off a bridge tied to a rope (Puenting, not bungee jumping).

Taken from behind the waterfall

We finally got to the Pialon del Diablo and we were just taken aback by the power and deafening sound of this waterfall. I can't start to imagine how it will be in Iguazu (we'll find out in January 2012).

The return trip was always going to be a pain, so we paid to have our bikes (and us) put at the back of a truck for the ride back home.

A superb viewpoint to rest at

Pig for dinner ? J'ai un petit creux ...

BBQ'd "Cuy" a.k.a. Guinea Pigs

Coming back to Baños, we went to a massage place (this town is reknowned for it's hot springs, thermal baths, spas and massages). At the massage joint I even asked for a facial but they laughed at me (how dare they!), so I got an extra leg and calf rub instead! 

A perfect end to a perfect day ... 

After the relaxing full body massage we enjoyed a meal in a truly charming restaurant. What a great day that was !

For more pictures, follow this link : Baños

Parque de la Basilica in Baños

Day 10 (25 Aug) - Quilotoa

Alpacas and sheep loaded at the back of a truck

Today we visit Quilotoa. It is a volcano at 3800m altitude with a lake inside the crater. Pending on weather conditions, we will manage to climb down to the lake. 

Pig's head and crispy skin

But first we stop at a traditional Quechua market. The colours, the smells and the sounds are all there to remind us that we are in no ordinary market. Pigs are displayed and cattle is changing hands. Chicken heart, pig ears and cow intestines are sizzling on improvised BBQ sets.

Bananas - 3kg for 50 cents

The fruit market is great too. 1 dollar buys you 40 mid size oranges (about 6 kilos!), a huge amount of raspberries or a big watermelon.

Green bananas being unloaded - eaten grilled or in a sauce

I am trying my luck with everything : watermelon, maize bread, grilled pig's skin ... all good ! 

Roxana playing with the Lamas

Beautiful handmade shawls

Roxana posing in front of the 3km diameter caldera

From the markets we head out to Quilotoa. This magnificent crater lake is one of the great attractions of the region. It has last erupted in 1793 and has been considered "extinct" for a long time. Of course now vulcanologists almost always prefer the term "dormant". And rightly so considering the bubbles rising to the surface of the 250m deep lake.

The climbing down was relatively easy ... but the return journey proves to be tough. It's a 300 meters ascent in a very short distance.

The slopes get steeper

For more pictures, follow this link : Quilotoa

Day 9 (24 Aug) : Cotopaxi

Cotopaxi volcano 

Today we go to Cotopaxi. Some of you might have heard about this almighty volcano. It towers at 5897m and it's near perfect conic shape makes it (with Mount Fuji, Japan) one of the most beautiful volcanoes in the world. It has a white top and may be seen from Quito.   

Ecuador has 75 volcanoes, of which 8 are active. The last time Cotopaxi erupted was in 1904. The locals say it erupts every 100 years ... I suddenly realise that we are past the due date ... My only hope is that it does not erupt today ! 

The 4x4 brings us to a high car park from where we continue the climb on foot. The air is thin and the sun hits you like a hammer at this altitude. No signs of altitude sickness as yet but the day is still long. 

The summit is another 6 hours ascent

After climbing for about two hours to 4902m (that's higher than the Mont Blanc by the way), we are exhausted and decide to go no further. We head back to the refuge at 4810m where we enjoy a hot bowl of Quinoa Soup (More info on Quinoa).

It's cold and the sun hits hard

Some crazy idea to bike down the volcano!

We then climb back down to the car park where mountain bikes are waiting for us. The descent is actually very technical, I don't know if we'll get down in one piece. The "road" is more a mountain trail - big holes, trenches, small gravels that make the bikes skid all the time.

We biked down for 1hr ! My top speed was 47,92 km/h !!! Scary and freezing ! 

We go back to Quito, it has been an long day but it was really worth it.  

For more pictures follow the link : Cotopaxi

Awe inspiring view !

The Amazon!

Our first BIG adventure. The Amazon rain forest. We set off from Quito on a night bus. It's supposed to take 8 hours to get to Lago Agrio. Instead, we get there 2 hours early thanks to some reckless (bordering suicidal) driving. We meet Siggi, Susan and Devon in the hotel's restaurant with whom we will spend a very cosy 4 days in the forest.

José-Luis our guide on the first day

Another hour in a bus and we get to the Cuyabeno National Reserve ($2 entry fee) where we are welcomed by José-Luis. We take a 2 hour boat trip to our lodge (yes one has to earn the Amazon experience) and at last we are in the thick of it. In the meantime our Catalan friends Jordi and Anabel join the group. 

Ferns and orchids growing on branches of big trees

We check into our lodges: summary but comfortable and we immediately head out to explore the surroundings. First impression : AMAZING ! We're actually there ! José-Luis explains the ins and outs of the flora and fauna before our bewildered eyes. 

A day walk - 100% humidity and 36°C

A river swim

We have our first swim. The water in the "laguna" is warm, yet refreshing. There is a slight current but I'm more worried about the electric stinging fish. If you step on one that's pretty much it. 

Trees fall across the river after heavy rainfall

Then the sunset, one of the most beautiful and peaceful I've seen in my life. Simply magic.

A cayman's head sticks out 

We climb back into the boat and go looking for caymans in the dark. There are white and black caymans. The latter can reach a length of 4m and are definitely the most aggressive. So in case you are wondering, to spot a crocodilian in complete darkness you must flash your lights until you see a pair of glowing red eyes staring back at you. We spot a few and José-Luis tries to grab one by the tail but it swims away... it wasn't to be.

We head back to the lodge, all lights out, and no-one says a word. We are surrounded by hundreds of kilometres of dark forests, and there is no light pollution here, so the sky is stunning. Rarely one can see the stars so bright and so many of them. And because we are so close to the equator we can actually see the constellations of both hemispheres ! 

A ritual painting in a Quechua village

Night fauna is difficult to spot - here a nocturnal locust

A "red belly" piranha - the most aggressive of the 3 species

The rest of the 4 days are simply going to be fantastic ... long jungle walks, night explorations, sweating, visiting an authentic Quechua village, swimming in the river, more sweating, smoking hallucinogenic sticks, fishing piranhas, more sunsets ...

To see all pictures follow this link : The Amazon!

Shamans smoke this stick to "see beyond" 

Big birds flying to their nests

 More Sunset pictures

Day 3 (18 Aug) : Quito

Quito ... I must admit I was wrong about the city. Not that it suddenly turned into a clean, super safe, bustling metropolis. Quito remains Quito. But given enough time, one starts to like this city. It is a charming South American city where some of the old trades that have disappeared in the "old world" still remain.

"Limpia Botas" - shoe shiners

Good old fashion barber shops

 Quito has a lot to offer. Several art expos going on (2012 South America's culture capital). 

Local Artist displaying his work

Photos of African servitude in Ecuador

The presidential palace, the basilica, several parks and an array of small cafés and restaurants that cater for all tastes and budgets.

Presidential Palace in the background

One of many gifts to current president Rafael Correa

The Mariscal area is a favourite amongst tourists ... drinks are expensive, sports cafés show live European football and all bar tenders speak English. 

Many travel agencies (Agencia Tourismo) have set quarters there and offer every kind of day trips and tours imaginable. We've booked our trip to the Amazon rain forest there. 

Getting from there to our neighbourhood is a $3 taxi ride or if you feel more adventurous a whopping 25cts bus extravaganza. I've had my pant pockets inspected by all manner of pickpockets, I must say (having seen a lady pickpocket in action) : they are impressive ! 

Anyway last item on the menu : food! I love it. There are obviously the European/American stuff like pizzas and hamburgers but we have been (over)indulging in the cheap, high saturated fat high cholesterol diet ... rice, beans and fried chicken - miam miam or fried pork, boiled potatoes and boiled maize cobs ... and freshly pressed fruit juices with an indecent amount of sugar added to it - it's PARADISE. 

Ecuadorian version of "La Soupe Boulette Poisson" 

This is a special "dédicasse" to Mishana who asked if it were possible to post some pictures of the local food

(dear little sister look away now), there you go :

If you would like to see more pictures of Quito, follow this link : 

More pictures of Quito