La Mariscal: The place where gringos hang out

January 6, 2012 | 3 Comments

Site of Machu Picchu, viewed from Huayna Picchu, can be seen shaped like a condor. Huayna Picchu is ...
Read the rest »

December 29, 2011 | 4 Comments

This year I travelled to two new countries: Mexico and Ecuador. Besides that, I got a full time job, a house and things like that.

Taking time off for travelling will certainly become increasingly difficult, but I will make it happen anyway since travelling is the best way to spend money, don’t you agree?...
Read the rest »

December 25, 2011 | 3 Comments

The Spanish started constructing a new district in Quito and as with typical colonial urban design, a city plaza was built at it’s centre in the 16th century. In my opinion, this is a very appropriate place to start touring old Quito. This plaza was among the first sites to be constructed and has some of Quito’s most important buildings around it. Therefore I chose it as the zero coordinate for my trip (you know, the point from which everything begins)...
Read the rest »

December 23, 2011 | 4 Comments

Pyramid of the Sun (Pirámide del Sol) the third largest pyramid in the world is located at Teotihuacan, an hour north of Mexico city. The view of the surrounding ruins is quite spectacular; I can only imagine how the place would have looked during its golden age. The top of the pyramid was believed to house a temple but now it only has tourists thirsty for water and for pictures...
Read the rest »

December 19, 2011 | 6 Comments

Since I am completely committed to sustainable modes of public transit as opposed to taxis or cars, I was delighted to find that most, if not all, principal sights of tourist importance in Quito can be accessed by public transport. For a mere $0.25, one can navigate a vast network of efficient public transit system to get to different parts of Quito. It might seem slow, crowded and chaotic, but what’s the point of travelling if one doesn’t mingle with the common man and experience all that?...
Read the rest »

December 16, 2011 | 1 Comment

...the interesting part was that this person had spent three years in India, studying Hinduism (perhaps that explained the aashram-like appearance of his house), where while sleeping one night, he heard a divine revelation that ordered him back to Israel… or something of that sort...
Read the rest »

December 10, 2011 | 9 Comments

This always happens to me when I am travelling. I go to a place determined to buy some local goods that the town is famous for, but I am terrible at determining what’s good and what’s bad or what should be a respectful price. I knew I wanted to buy some leather goods from this village called Cotacachi, and so I spent two days hanging out here with the hope of uncovering the secret. At the end of my second day, after having scouted around, I bought some jackets, some organic coffee and other stuff for what I think was a fair price, not cheap...
Read the rest »