November 26, 2011 | 8 Comments

After I was sufficiently cold, wet and had hurled enough curses at Indra the god of rain, it stopped raining. (Try saying, “Stop messing around with the ladies, don’t you have anything else to do?”) And a car appeared, giving me a sympathetic look. Thus, the conditions of making me miserable had been satisfied and I got a ride back to the town of Cotacachi by late afternoon...
Read the rest »

November 25, 2011 | 2 Comments

I wake up early in the morning and go out to see this little town of Khurutang, near Punakha. The sky is cloudy and the wind is gentle. A ray of sun occasionally pierces through the blanket of fog, suddenly lighting up the golden spire on top of a building. It looks mysterious, almost like a Hitchcock movie plot, so I walk in that direction. ...
Read the rest »

November 23, 2011 | 3 Comments

Early in the morning bakers all over Cayambe wake up to mix wheat flour, sugar, margarine, yeast and a bit of salt. Then, they let the dough rise for about an hour before they begin kneading and stretching it to cut it into little pieces that are neatly lined on baking sheets. On average, a bizcocho shop bakes between 1,500 and 2,000 pieces a day, so you can get warm, out-of-the-oven bizcochos any...
Read the rest »

November 21, 2011 | 7 Comments

Quito, as you may know, is located in a valley surrounded by mountains and peaks on all sides. In addition, the city has some tall structures from where the views are breathtaking.

1. Basílica del Voto Nacional – atop steep stairs and rickety planks
2. “TeleferiQo” – on the flanks of Volcano Pichincha
3. El Panecillo – from inside the virgin of Quito
4....
Read the rest »

November 17, 2011 | 9 Comments

35 million passengers used this airport in 2010, making it the 12th busiest in USA. Most of the traffic occurs on concourse D also called the “north terminal”, and a hub for American Airlines. Typical layovers are 3-6 hours long, which can be a bit too long to kill.

Here are some free things you could do to keep yourself entertained...
Read the rest »

November 14, 2011 | 11 Comments

Iguanas have habited the Simon Bolivar plaza of downtown Guayaquil for generations. Very friendly and virtually domesticated, these lizards are one of the top attractions of the city.

Guayaquil is the biggest city in Ecuador and is located on the the western bank of river Guayas as it meets the Pacific ocean. Having spent the past three weeks in Andean highlands, the moment my bus fro...
Read the rest »

November 12, 2011 | 9 Comments

Quilotoa loop is a circular route that explores remote villages, mountains and river canyons to the west of Latacunga, with Lake Quilota as its principal attraction. Starting from the small town of Latacunga, I headed north-west to a village called Isinlivi on the first day. On the second day, along with some random travellers, I hiked from Isinlivi to Chugchilan and continued onwards to Quilotoa ...
Read the rest »

November 9, 2011 | 12 Comments

According to a local legend, El Lechero (a tree on top of a hill) and Lake San Pablo are the souls of two lovers from rival families (an excellent plot for Bollywood movies). Unable to get their families to reconcile, they decided to escape to be with each other. Unfortunately the lovers were caught in their attempt and cursed into a tree (Lechero) and a lake (San Pablo). According to another stor...
Read the rest »