We are spending a few days in Quito, the capitol of Ecuador. We are here to not only visit one of our favorite cities, but to visit the embassies of Bolivia and Brazil in order to apply for visas so that we can visit those countries (which took several days and deserves it’s own post). Also, since it is the end of the month and we are working on our finances, we would like to take this time to share some photos of this great city and answer some of your questions. Some of our

Our host at Hostal Chasqui, Roberto, told us that the best outdoor activity in the Otavalo area was hiking around Laguna Cuicocha, a stunningly beautiful volcanic lake. He said that many tourists are duped into paying a tour company nearly $100 for a trip to the lake. He told us to do it on our own and save $100 dollars. We took Roberto’s advice and hopped on a city bus for a twenty minute ride to the town of Quiroga. The cost for the bus ride was .35 cents a person. In the t

I knew that our stay in Otavalo would be different when at check in, our host Roberto warned “If you see the Shaman he will be drunk, just take photos, don’t drink his potion or eat the “magical” egg.” I knew that the Hostal Casqui was the right place when Roberto ran out the door and grabbed our bags and gave us a warm greeting. He invited us into our new home. He gave us a wonderful tour and our choice of several rooms. We had our choice of the rooftop with a lovely courty

On our last day in the rough port city of Buenaventura we decided to venture out of the small tourist center for a meal in the one restaurant that was recommended to us. We carefully made our way a few blocks from our hotel for some local seafood. The meal did not disappoint. As we navigated back to the hotel down the gritty streets we heard someone call our names. “Oliver, Jennifer!” We didn’t know anyone in this town and no one even knew we were here. Then, we noticed a you

We said our goodbyes to Alberto and his family in Coffee Country and headed off to the Pacific coast. The whales were still off the coast but would be migrating south in another week. If we wanted to see them we had to go now. We were just four hours away. We decided to become reacquainted with the Colombia bus system as flights to the area took twice as long. It would be difficult as we had gotten used to Alberto’s wonderful hospitality in chauffeuring us half way across the

We awoke early in our hotel room in Villa de Leyva not knowing when or how we were getting to El Cocuy that day. Jennifer had made reservations but we didn’t know how to get there. We decided to pack early and walk to the bus station. We were told that busses left every fifteen minutes for the city of Tunja. We figured that if we left early enough that we could catch an early bus from Tunja to El Cocuy, although no one could tell us when that bus might be leaving. We were to

After two weeks enjoying the fast pace of the big city life in Bogota, we decided that it was time to get away from the hustle and bustle and head to the mountains for hiking and relaxation. Our destination would be El Cocuy, a Colombian national park located northeast of Bogota near the Venezuelan border. An area without internet, that is why you have not heard from us for a few days. Until recently, the area was a stronghold for the Colombian guerrillas (F.A.R.C.) engaged i

I knew today was going to be a great day when, just as we were being seated on the verandah of the chocolate museum for breakfast (yes, Oliver is never coming home) which overlooks a beautiful courtyard with a large Spanish moss draped oak, ‘The Saints, Go Marching In’, starts to play over the speaker. It was a day full of laughter, surprise, and a bit of New Orleans funk. In One Day: Only in Colombia could you wander through cobblestone streets shaded by colorful bougainvill

After two weeks in Bogota, it was time for some adventure. We decided to take a bus from Bogota to the old colonial city of Villa de Leyva, a four hour drive. And, public transportation in Colombia provided plenty of adventure. We successfully navigated the bus terminal despite a total absence of English and boarded the bus for the afternoon drive. No sooner than we had left the bus terminal, the bus driver pulled over on the side of the road and began picking up passengers s

b Wrapping up our time in Bogota, we have spent the last few days enjoying the city and preparing for the next leg of our trip. We have strolled beautiful city parks and enjoyed some great meals in sleek modern restaurants. We discovered why Bogota has the reputation as a European style capitol. Parque 93 is the gem of the Bogota park scene. It is a manicured green space filled with adults, children, and pets lounging, exercising and just enjoying the cool mountain air and be