If you enjoy visiting countries outside the good old US of A, then you might want to consider Ecuador. Ecuador, with its culture, scenery and history, mixed in with spectacular wildlife and the opportunity to stretch your legs; then Ecuador’s compact size** makes an ideal vacation destination. You can see and do a lot in Ecuador in a week or so, but 2-3 weeks in this beautiful country will keep you enthralled.

** Ecuador is roughly the size of the state of Colorado.

A lot of tourists heading to the Galapagos Islands, which lie some 600 miles off the Ecuadorian Coast and are owned by Ecuador, stop over on the mainland and wonder whether they should have stayed longer. The answer is resoundingly ‘yes.’ If you are planning a trip to the Galapagos and don’t plan on spending time in Ecuador, you may regret it later. Ecuador has so much to discover and explore.

I think a lot of tourists are surprised by the standard of accommodations available in Ecuador. In Quito, Ecuador’s capital and second largest city, you’ll find a range of hotels from the budget to pricey upscale types. You’ll also find historic haciendas in the Andes offering high-end country lodgings, and well-managed wildlife lodges deep in the Amazon jungle. There’s good food too; from modern city restaurants offering everything from pizza to haute cuisine in Ecuadorian flavors, to hearty meals of traditional farmhouse cooking. While it’s true that spit-roasted guinea pig is a local delicacy on the streets, you don’t have to partake unless you’re more of the adventurous type, but rest assured, there are plenty of other choices!

Number 1: Quito
Quito could be considered the most fascinating city in the entire Andes. Its location is fabulous and is steeped in history and culture and is a lively, attractive and modern city. Quito sits more or less right on the equator and is positioned in a cleft between two lines of volcanic peaks that form a dramatic backdrop and sculpt the city’s layout. At its heart is the historic city of Old Quito, founded more than a thousand years ago, annexed by the Incas, and overbuilt by Spanish colonialists. Its evocative narrow streets and wide squares are lined with palaces, mansions, convents and churches laden with gold.

Fittingly, Quito’s Old City was the very first to be declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO.

Plan on spending at least a couple of days in Quito and longer if you can, in order to explore the city and visit some of its fine art galleries, museums and archaeological collections, and soak up the atmosphere. There are also side trips available to the equator monument which straddles the line and to the bird-rich cloud forests of Mindo. Then, try to fit in a trip to the volcanoes (including a cable car to the top of Pichincha – the one closest to the city) and to newly discovered temples of Quito’s ancient peoples. You’ll eat well, and there is a good selection of places to stay, including some very nice boutique style hotels in converted mansions in the Old City.

Number 2: The Amazon
East of Quito, you’ll find the Andes plunge from snow-covered peaks to the dense jungle of the Amazon basin in just 30 miles. Having dropped some 10,000 feet in the blink of an eye, it will be another 2,000 miles before the land descends the final 1,000 feet to the sea. Nutrients, washing from the mountains mean the rainforest here is among the lushest in the whole of the Amazon and hence very rich in wildlife. You’ll see far more here than further down the river where it becomes mightier and mightier.

In order to include a trip to the Amazon during your Ecuadorian vacation, just catch a short flight from Quito, then take a fast boat along the Napo river and you have a choice of three excellent wildlife lodges: Napo Wildlife Centre, Sacha Lodge and La Selva – each offering a slightly different take on the wildlife experience of this remarkable area. If you like, there’s also an interesting river-boat cruise.

Number 3: The Avenue of the Volcanoes
In this area, the Andes is still growing, pushing upwards along its length and bursting into chains of volcanoes on either side of a long valley. Alexander von Humboldt traveled here in 1802 and coined the phrase ‘the Avenue of the Volcanoes’ to describe the succession of peaks that line the route southwards from Quito, including 15 volcanoes ranging over 15,000 feet.

Close to the city is Cotopaxi, a smooth cone rising well above the snowline above high open moorlands. You can stay near here in venerable haciendas that eked out a living from cattle and llamas, now supplemented with lodging for travelers drawn by wonderful walking and horseback riding and warmed by hearty meals and log fires in the Andean air.

Chimborazo, further south, was thought to be the highest mountain in the world until the discovery of Everest. By one measure it still is. Measured from sea level Everest is higher, but Chimborazo’s peak is further from the center of the Earth, thanks to the bulge around the equator. It towers behind the small town of Riobamba, where once a week, ice chipped by axe from its high glaciers and is brought down on the back of a donkey to keep the food fresh on market day.

Number 4: Cuenca
At the far end of the Avenue of the Volcanoes is the delightful city of Cuenca, the third largest city in Ecuador and fabulously wealthy for a very brief period from the trade in Quinine. It is now a center for crafts brought in from the villages around it, each of which has a different specialty; from gold and silver work, weaving, furniture-making and above all, hats – Panama Hats! Panama hats are made here and got the name “Panama Hats” only because they were exported through Panama. Further, these hats became very popular with the workers on the Panama Canal. Perhaps they should be called, “Cuenca Hats.”

Traveling the Avenue of the Volcanoes is the best way to reach Cuenca, and it gives you the opportunity to stop at the Incan ruins of Ingapirca, an evocative site marking a waypoint in Incan expansion before the arrival of the Europeans.

Try spending at least a day in the city itself, where there’s a nice selection of good hotels, and make sure you travel out to the craft villages as well. North of town there is beautiful Andean scenery in Cajas National Park, with moorlands and lakes below craggy hills, and elfin forest of red-barked trees weighed down by mosses – a mythical scene in which Bilbo Baggins might appear at any moment.

Number 5: Guayaquil and The Coast
Guayaquil is Ecuador’s largest city and a very prosperous port. The locals like to say, “Guayaquil earns the money, Quito spends it.” While in Guayaquil, take a leisurely stroll along the malecon and the historic waterfront, which has been creatively restored and upgraded. Then you will be ready to climb the narrow streets among the colorful little houses on Santa Ana Hill, from which you will have a wonderful view from the top.

Also available are river trips, wildlife excursions into mangroves and city tours to explore Guayaquil’s colorful past.

After all this, you may be ready for a little beach time. Simply head out of town on the ‘Ruta del Sol’ (Route of The Sun), the small road that skirts the Pacific coast. You’ll find plenty of sleepy little fishing villages and beach spots and one or two busy resorts for locals, before arriving at the “Isla de la Plata”, a small island about 5.5 miles offshore. They call this the ‘poor man’s Galapagos’ and it’s easy to see why. The island is known for its seabirds and excellent snorkeling in the lee of the islands. The dolphins often follow the boats to and from the islands. It’s a very good trip, but the real Galapagos Islands are the real deal and impossible to match.

Ecuador is a beautiful country on the northwest coast of South America; but the beauty doesn’t stop there. Being on the equator, the weather is near perfect year-round. The people are warm, welcoming and happy. I love visiting Ecuador and I think you would too.

Salinas seems to be the destination of choice when tourist head to Ecuador. They want a great experience with pristine beaches and awesome waves for surfing!

And did I mention whale watching and fishing? International Fishing Competitions attract fishermen from all over the world who aspire to land that big Marlin, Sword or Sail or any number of other big game fish right off the coast.

Salinas not only has the surf, but a true tropical paradise with almost perfect year-round weather, palm trees, coconuts, thatched huts and wonderful people to make one feel comfortable. Great little restaurants lining the Malecon offers just-caught fish as well as other sumptuous food including an adult beverage if one so desires.

Along the coast of Ecuador, one can find some of the best surfing in the world. Just a short distance away is Montanita, Ecuador’s iconic surf town. As they say, you’re not just traveling to South America; you’re traveling back in time. Streets are lined with artists and artisans, Che Guevara photos and background reggae music indicate that you have reached the 1970s. Hostels, bed and breakfasts and small, family-run hotels are the norm, but oversize luxury hotels are conspicuous by their absence. Montanita lures young surfers from all parts of the globe, who come for the surfing, the surfing culture and the nonstop parties. In February, the town blends surfing competitions with traditional carnival entertainment. Montanita’s constantly breaking waves accommodate all levels of proficiency, but those seeking improvement will easily find professional surfing schools and gear shops.

But there is much more to the Salinas area than fishing and surfing. There is diving off the coast near the city of Ayangue. And… if you get lucky, you may be able to see the seals that hang out there.

Like flying? There’s parasailing? Like whale watching? Salinas has that as well. It’s always amazing to see such massive mammals performing so gracefully in the water.

And of course, if none of that excites you, there’s shopping and people watching on the Malecon. The Malecon is the sea wall and boardwalk right on the beach. And… speaking of the beach, the water is just the right temperature year-round. Even though it’s the Pacific, you do not need a wetsuit to enjoy the water as you might need in Southern California or other surfing beaches bordering the Pacific.

When you decide to visit Salinas, you might want to remember that from November through April can be quite warm and crowded, especially on the weekends. May through October is the best time for North American tourists to enjoy the beach. Not crowded at all. You choose which time, but do choose to visit soon.

A video by one of the expats I met in Salinas. Enjoy.

When you think of the Panama Hat, do you think of Ecuador? Probably not. Did you know that the white straw hats we typically call “Panama Hat” was made in Ecuador probably by the Incas as early as the 16th Century?

So how did these hats made in Ecuador end up with the name, “Panama Hat” and become so popular? Well, let’s take a look.

Before air travel, anyone on the East Coast of Canada or the U.S. who wanted to go to the West Coast (or vice versa) had three choices: (1) travel overland, (2) take a ship around the tip of South America, (3) take a ship to Panama, cut across the isthmus, and get another ship on the other side. Option number three was the fastest, and probably the least hazardous, of the choices.

Now, you have Ecuador occupying a relatively small space of the west coast of South America. In the 1800’s Ecuador was not a thriving place for commerce or people passing through to some other place. So, being the clever businessperson that you are, you take your hats to Panama to sell them. People like your hats. There is a reasonable amount of traffic. Business is good. Then gold is discovered in California and the number of people passing through Panama explodes exponentially.

You say the 1849 equivalent of “Woo-hoo!” Business is very good.

Your strong, lightweight, attractive, straw hats are much in demand. They are perfect for deflecting the tropical sun of Panama, just the thing for those long days many are about to spend outdoors in sunny California getting rich panning for gold, and they’re even nice to have on a summer day in Philadelphia or Boston.

People on their way to the gold fields buy your hats. People returning home from the gold fields buy your hats. And when your customers arrive at their destinations, an oft-heard comment is “Nice hat. Where’d you get it?” The response is, of course, “Panama.” You neglected to put Made in Ecuador stickers inside all the hats, so the inevitable result is that the hats are called “Panama” hats.

So, Ecuador’s most famous export is called a “Panama” hat. People in Ecuador hate that.

A second major contributor to the misnomer was the Panama Canal. Canal workers often wore the hats, which showed up pretty well in black-and-white news photos of the day. One photo, made on November 16, 1906, is often credited as the origin of both the name and the fashion.

This photograph shows President Theodore Roosevelt wearing a black-banded straw hat as he sits at the controls of a ninety-five-ton Bucyrus steam shovel during a three-day inspection tour of the Panama Canal excavation. The picture was widely published in the U.S., and around the world, prompting much comment on the President’s “Panama” hat.

The hats are woven from plant fibers. The plants these hats are made from grow close to streams and rivers and have to be harvested, stripped, boiled, bleached and dyed. The fiber is then braided and the braids wound, sewn and shaped on a hat mold. The color of the fiber and the pattern and weave of the braid is unique to each weaver. The art of making these hats has been passed down from generation to generation for hundreds of years.

The coarser or more rustic hats are made with thicker braids and are the most hardy and least expensive. These “work hats” are often worn by farmers and laborers and stand up to extreme weather conditions. These hats will generally have only a few braids while the “finer” straw hats will have many, thereby creating a much smoother and dressier look.

The finer the braid and the more braids used in the hat, the more elegant the look and consequently, more expensive. Panama Hats can range from $30 – $40 to several hundred dollars.

No, the title is not a mistake!

Typically, when we think of good chocolate, we think of countries like Belgium, France, Italy and Switzerland. However, in the past few years, Ecuador has been making a name for itself as a world class chocolate producer. This is despite the fact that Ecuador produces only about 3% of the world’s total cacao. Cacao being the plant chocolate is made from. And… it just so happens that the cacao produced in Ecuador is of the highest quality and flavor. Ecuador is the world’s number one producer of fine cocoa with about 63% of the world’s total production.

Ecuador’s fine cocoa is utilized in the manufacture of truffles for the Queen of England. This fine cocoa has a unique flavor that is synonymous to the region where the plant was grown. It’s similar to areas of a country where grapes to make wine are grown.

There are three main areas in Ecuador where high quality chocolate is produced. First is the province of Los Rios, which has two well defined seasons and combine that with the rich volcanic and alluvial terrains produce a unique, fruit-almond flavored chocolate. Then there is the province of Manabí, known for its dry, desert geography. This area produces a magnificent flower-flavored chocolate with a strong personality all its own. Lastly is the province of Esmeraldas where the most European-like chocolate is produced.

This Ecuadorian, 100% organic chocolate is a luxury to behold. If you ever have the opportunity to travel to the coastal region of Ecuador, you shouldn’t miss the opportunity to enjoy a cup of Ecuadorian chocolate made right before your eyes. You can watch as the cocoa beans are toasted, peeled and ground then melted. Finally your mouth waters as this hot, aromatic and delicious chocolate is poured into your cup and is certain to satisfy your senses.

Ecuador is a very diverse and unique destination with beautiful landscapes, wonderful people and an unprecedented biodiversity, making it one of the most magical places on earth.

I can’t stay silent any longer. There are some things that expats don’t warn you about before you make the decision to move to Salinas, on the Pacific Coast of Ecuador. In the interest of full disclosure, I feel you have the right to know these seven things that expats don’t like to mention, but will surely happen to you as a full-time resident.

1. You Will Become Obsessed With Money Management.
In Salinas, managing your money means trying to maximize the amount of change and small bills you have available. You see, there are very few places that will accept anything larger than a $20 bill. In fact, with most cab rides in the area in the $2 to $3 range, lunches $3 to $5, and most dinner entrées under $10, even the $20 bill is not always welcome. If you get into a cab with a $5 bill or larger, you need to ask if they can break it first.

My wife and I find ourselves playing a game whenever we buy something. We always try to use the largest bill we think we can get away with, so that we get the most change back. I once had a newcomer ask me if I could give her four 5’s for a twenty? She was shocked when I replied “No way!” We work hard for those $5 bills!

Here’s a tip: The Mercado is a great place to break bills. Since it is all cash transactions with a high volume of business, they have a lot of small change. Buy your seafood and meats first to break the big bills.

2. You Will Find Yourself Complaining About Ridiculous Things.
I once caught myself complaining that one of the fruit vendors wanted $2 for a pound of fresh strawberries in February. You see, we get most fruits fresh, year-round, and I was used to paying between $1 to $1.50 per pound. She was trying to explain that they had to get their berries from a different farmer, but I was so annoyed, I switched fruit vendors. I realized how ridiculous my complaint was on a recent trip to the U.S., where I saw strawberries—in season—selling for over $4 a quart.

I also once overheard someone in a restaurant complaining that there were too many shrimp in her soup.

3. Your Friends and Family Back in the States Will Not Understand Your Pain.
Don’t expect sympathy from friends and family up north in January when you complain that you had to run the air conditioner all night. Or when they are experiencing summer thunderstorms, and you call to complain that it was cloudy when you took your beach walk to work off the calories from your soup that had too much shrimp in it!

4. You Will Believe Buying 30 Limes is Normal.
I remember a time when I lived in the U.S., and bought a couple of limes once in a while in the grocery stores. They were usually about 50 cents each, and I might use them before they went bad.

Now in Salinas, between making ceviche, salad dressings, guacamole, salsa, and so on, I routinely buy 20 to 30 limes at a time, and usually run out of them and have to get more. Limes and lime juice is used as a garnish in many dishes, poured into soup, and—my wife’s favorite—squeezed into a rum and coke.

By the way, 50 cents will also get you 15 or 20 limes in Salinas.

5. Your Fashion Sense Will Suffer.
                  After living in Salinas for a short while, you will feel that sandals or flip-flops are acceptable footwear for any social event. I now feel elegant if I’m wearing a shirt with buttons, and a pair of shorts with a zipper. Most of the time, a pair of track shorts or a bathing suit and a t-shirt is the uniform of the day. I have seen people who consider putting on a nice clean soccer jersey on Sunday morning as dressing up for church.

You will get used to just wearing out whatever you are wearing in your home. It seldom rains, so you get used to never thinking about bad weather gear. Many restaurants have outdoor seating, and shops are open to the outdoors, so you find yourself no longer making indoor/outdoor clothing decisions.

6. You Will Lose Track of Time.
Our shortest day of the year just passed. It was 11 hours and 59 minutes long. In about six months, we will have our longest day. It will be 12 hours and 14 minutes long. There’s only about a 10- to 15-degree difference in daily temperatures between our winter and summer, and the change is gradual. Add to this the fact that there are no big storms to break up the time, and that even a rainy day is extremely rare, and you will find that you are losing track not only of what day of the week it is, but also what month it is.

7. You Will Feel Abandoned on North American Beaches.
An expat once told me she went to the beach on a recent trip to North Carolina, and found herself looking around wondering where the beer vendor was. Why hasn’t anyone brought me food, she asked herself.

In Salinas, you will find that once you arrive at the beach, you don’t need to leave for the rest of the day. You will have a support system. As soon as you step into the sand, someone will offer to rent you a sunshade, a table or two, and some chairs for about $8 a day. As you settle, your beer and drink vendor will greet you and offer to take care of your beverage needs all day. Soon you will be shown a menu or two, and told you only have to wave and someone will take your lunch order, phone it in via cellphone, and bring it to you when it is ready.

Ice cream, coconuts, candy, fruit, beach toys, and everything else you might need (and several things you don’t need) are available for sale without you leaving your beach chair.

So there it is, the ugly truth, out at last! I hope you will keep these things in mind when considering your new home in Salinas, Ecuador—and don’t say I didn’t warn you!

Courtesy: International Living

Scores of people have discovered and subsequently moved to Cuenca, Ecuador in the past few years since I first visited this beautiful city. I’ve had conversations with many people that have moved here and the theme is pretty common. Most are retirees looking for an affordable lifestyle on their pensions, comfortable weather and access to good quality healthcare. Oh yes, they also bring up the fact that Cuenca affords them a year-round abundance of fresh fruits and vegetables because of the never-ending growing season due to the spring-like weather all year long. They also mention the picturesque colonial architecture, world-class symphonies and museums and the proximity to the U.S.A., but when it’s all said and done, the excellent healthcare is the motivating factor behind the draw to Ecuador.

My un-scientific study of these retirees tells me that most of the retirees here are living very comfortably on their social security pensions. A couple can live here quite comfortably on $1500.00 per month. Back in the U.S.A., most health insurance premiums can run that much for a couple, then what does one do?

The medical system in Ecuador is quite amazing, actually. I saw a Bloomberg study for 2014 ranking Ecuador #13 in healthcare efficiency. The U.S.A. came in a distant #44.
One couple I spoke with had bought into IESS, which is the social security system of Ecuador. As a couple their cost was $76.90 per month. That gives them free doctor visits, prescriptions, labs, medical tests and procedures, surgery and hospitalization. They have no co-pays, no deductibles and no lengthy forms to complete and… they can make their own appointments online with the doctor of their choosing.

Furthermore, back in the states, one might have to wait for months to see a specialist, such as a dermatologist, but in Cuenca, this is not a problem. One can see a dermatologist for $35.00 which also includes a follow-up visit and you’ll see a doctor, not a nurse practitioner or physician’s assistant. In Ecuador, it’s quite common for a doctor to make house calls and provide you with his/her personal cell number. No worries about the training of the doctors either. Many of the doctors in Ecuador were trained in the states, Europe, Argentina and Mexico and most speak English.

Can you see why so many expats are drawn to Ecuador?

Most of the expats I’ve spoken with tell me they have become spoiled with the medical system in Ecuador and that they would be hard-pressed to return to the states.

Camping is always loads of fun but your experience can depend on a lot of factors, the first of which is, preparing for your trip. Most of us start out tent camping and that is always tons of fun, but choosing the right tent can be one of the most important factors you will want to consider as your tent is basic to everything else. Besides getting the right tent size and your most convenient style, you must give consideration to the fabric the tent is made of. There are several options available and by knowing the pros and cons of each will put you in position to make a better informed decision.

Nylon

One of the most popular fabrics for tents is nylon. Nylon is durable and strong. It is also lightweight which makes it a favorite for easier carrying and storage. Nylon tents are normally waterproofed and able to breathe quite well, thus allowing for a more comfortable existence inside the tent. Nylon does not rot but mildew can eat on the waterproof coating and when this happens, the tent can become no good for you. Even though uncoated nylon tents do not absorb any water, they are not waterproof. The material is commonly used on tent floors and fly sheets where light weight is needed. Compared to polyester it is a more expensive option.

Polyester

Very much like nylon, but polyester does a good job in resisting UV damage as opposed to nylon. Ultraviolet rays damages and weakens the tent, compromising its strength. Polyester rainfly doesn’t sag when wet as nylon does.

Cotton canvas

This all-weather material used to be a favorite for tent makers before nylon’s arrival on the scene. It is durable and is usually coated with waxing or an oily coating that prevented the absorption of water. The coating allows the tent to remain breathable but this material is not waterproof. You can still get the cotton canvas camping tents today, but they are becoming less preferred by the day.

Polyethylene

The best thing about the material is that it is waterproof and the only way water will gain access is if there is a hole in your tent. Even though it is durable, it is bulky and heavy and it gets tricky to get it back to original form after you have opened it. Camping tents might not be entirely made of polyethylene but you might want to insure that the tent floor is made from it especially in wet seasons.

You might want to take a look at this link when doing your research for a tent. Here you’ll find one-person, two-person or even family tents.

Good luck and good camping! 

Several years ago I was in Miami on my way home from a business trip. When I got to the airport, I saw on the overhead screens that my flight had been delayed which caused a lot of my fellow passengers to miss connecting flights out of Atlanta. I tend to be calm about these sorts of things because there really is no use getting upset and mad about something beyond my control, in fact I even made a light comment to the man behind me in an attempt to lighten the mood a bit.

However, the woman in front of me and who was first in line at the check-in counter was a different matter. She immediately became a screamer and was yelling at the poor young lady behind the counter. It wasn’t her fault that the flight was delayed, but the screamer didn’t seem to care about that. She spent the better part of 5 minutes yelling at the flight check-in lady before she stormed off still yelling. As she stormed off, I wondered why she would react that way, especially to the person who has the power to really screw your flight schedule up if she so desired.

I was next in line and approached the counter. I noticed the young lady, who was about the age of my daughter, doing everything in her power to maintain her composure in front of me. She was so distraught that her hands were shaking. I felt so badly for her. She was just trying to do her job the best she could. I put my bag down and looked her in the eye and told her to just take a deep breath, relax and take all the time you need to get yourself together because it doesn’t look as if you will get a break anytime soon. I continued talking softly to her as she wiped her eyes and took a few deep breaths.

I chatted with her about the out-of-control woman for a few minutes until it appeared she had calmed down and was ready to continue with her job. She then put me on another flight for Atlanta and I began walking toward my gate. As I was standing in the security line, I glanced down at my ticket and was stunned when I saw that she had given me a seat in first class.

We often hear the word, “Karma” and I’ve said it myself many times; one gets out of this world what one puts in. Treat people like you yourself want to be treated. That’s all there is to it. It’s really quite simple.

If you don’t have thousands of dollars to pour into a Galapagos cruise, consider Isla de la Plata (Silver Island), affectionately termed the Poor Man’s Galapagos. The island supposedly derives its name from the centuries-old buried treasure of Sir Francis Drake, but my husband, Mark, and I haven’t found it—yet.

Isla de la Plata is about 25 miles—an hour’s boat ride—from Puerto Lopez in the Machalilla National Park and contains some of the same flora and fauna found on the Galapagos…except the price tag is far less. In fact, the total cost for the day’s “cruise” is only $25 to $35 per person. Myself and Mark first discovered Isla de la Plata while we were vacationing in Puerto Lopez at Hosteria Mandala, run by an Italian-Swiss couple. When we stay there, we always ask for the Galapagos Suite, which includes a huge balcony draped in bougainvillea that overlooks the Pacific Ocean.

All the cabins at the Mandala are tucked away in a botanical garden where iguanas hide in the trees and exotic flowers line the well-manicured walking paths. It’s an oasis of tranquility. The restaurant on the premises is for guests only and the private beach is yours to enjoy—complete with colorful hammocks, cabanas, and breathtaking sunsets.

Day trips to Isla de la Plata can be arranged with one of the many tour-boat operators in Puerto Lopez. Excursions leave at 8:30 a.m. and return at 5:30 p.m. and include snacks, drinks, lunch, and snorkeling in Drake’s Bay, where sea turtles and colorful fish are your companions for the afternoon. And if you book a trip during whale season (June to September), you can marvel at the humpback whales breaching the water and blowing off some “steam.”

Once you’re on the island, there are two main hiking trails, which are led by naturalist guides. An added perk to making the trip in July is it’s mating season on the island—especially for the frigate birds with their red throats that balloon up to attract attention and the blue-footed boobies with their Tiffany-colored webbed feet that perform an unforgettable mating dance.

The island is much like the Galapagos with its rugged shoreline of volcanic rock and sweeping vistas of the turquoise-blue waters. The lower trail allows you to see more of the island’s ocean life close up—like the playful sea lions—and the upper trail is a bit more strenuous with breathtaking panoramic views.

All the tours on the island are conducted by professional guides and the trails are well marked and easy to follow. There are restrooms and a changing station on the island for your convenience, but no overnight accommodations. Our group enjoyed lunch on the boat after our long hike and then snorkeling in the emerald-blue waters of Drake’s Bay where we swam alongside sea turtles and tropical fish.

Isla de la Plata can be reached from various spots along the Ecuadorian coastline, but we prefer the sleepy fishing village of Puerto Lopez, which is only a three- to four-hour bus ride from Guayaquil. Some of the most magical moments we’ve had in Ecuador have taken place along the Ruta del Sol (Ecuador’s coastline) and Isla de la Plata. If you don’t have the time or money to do a cruise to the Galapagos, then Isla de la Plata is a treasure you can’t afford to miss.

Submitted By: Connie Pombo

Two hours north of Quito Ecuador, settled in a green valley surrounded by high Andean peaks is the colorful town of Otavalo. This area may have become yet another region noted as the Switzerland of Ecuador, were it not for the highly talented indigenous population who have discovered a way to create a modern business while preserving their cultural heritage – these people and their culture give the Otavalo Valley it’s unique flavor.

The Otavalo people were known both to the Spanish and the Incans before them as the most talented weavers in the realm. On Saturdays people would come from throughout the region to Otavalo to buy or trade for what they needed – swapping a llama for new clothes for the family or a basket full of tropical fruit for a new saddle.

During the colonization of Ecuador, the Otavalo Valley and its people were incorporated into the Hacienda System. The King of Spain deeded extensive land holdings to the most important families of the county. The indigenous people were permitted to remain on the land under the protection of the local hacienda owner and provided with food and clothing in exchange for working the lands and producing handicrafts. Life during this time was not easy as many of the hacienda owners were cruel and the local people were treated as slaves.

Otavalenos are a proud people continued their rituals and passing them down from generation to generation – some of which melded and mixed with traditions learned from the Spanish, but always remaining uniquely their own. The Otavalonos are very distinctive many still speak Quecha and dress in their traditional clothing. Men can be identified by their white calf-length pants, blue ponchos and have long pigtails, and felt hat. Women wear long layered skirts, white cotton blouses adorned with ornate embroidery, rows of beaded necklaces and bracelets, a variety of hats and woven cloth tied over the shoulders to carry babies, or other items.

Over the centuries these local people and their traditions have not changed. However during the land reforms of the 1960’s and 1970’s the wealthy Hacienda saw their lands divided, gone were the huge estates with thousands of workers. The government granted smaller farms to the indigenous people. After years of hard work, the local people had their own farms and villages and a new era began.

Yet, as many of the world’s cultures began to disappear and those unique cultural identities seemed to meld into an everyday world of Levis and Nike – the crafty Otavalo people discovered a way their culture would survive and could be passed down to future generations. They didn’t change; instead they opened their market and workshops to tourists who were in search of their own National Geographic like vacation experience.

Rather than resorting to modern machinery where most items are produced in a matter of seconds or minutes – the way of the Otavalenos continued an age-old practice where a single textile may take weeks. The process begins with creating the yarn, dying it to the select shade, then weaving by hand one color at a time to create the perfect poncho. Visitors are welcomed into the dirt-floored workshops to gaze in awe, as master weavers would create works of art.

The villages of the surrounding valley with similar practices opening up their workshops so the public could see artisans produce everything from musical instruments, to woodcarvings, to leather goods and felt hats. The Haciendas too opened their doors as a luxury hotel option to visitors wanting to explore this unique area and the ways of a by gone era.

The handicrafts of the Otavalenos and nearby villages are available at the local workshops as well as Otavalo Market everyday. Saturdays, is the biggest day and early morning hours you will surrounded by local people many dressed in their traditional attire, the clucks of chickens, chattering of guinea pigs, and squeals of pigs of the livestock market. To see this part of the market you need to get there early because by 7am the sounds of the animals begins to fade into the distance as the market transforms gone is the straw colored hay and in its place are the bright reds, greens, purples and golds of the popular artisan market.

Combining a visit to the Otavalo market, local craft villages with a stay at a historic Hacienda is one of the most popular and rewarding cultural experiences for those visiting Ecuador.