Hello from Ecuador!

Day 9: Kicker Rock

Updated: June 17, 2026

Today started with breakfast at the hotel. However, you really have to keep your guard up at these tables, because the locals are lurking to steal your delicious omelettes the first chance they get!

This is for me, yes?

Martin picked us up shortly thereafter and we walked a few minutes to the pier. For our adventure, we would be sharing a boat with a tour group of about 12 people. As we waited, we watched a guy shoo all of the sea lions lounging on benches and tables back into the water by banging a broomstick on the ground.

Meet at the pier for the snorkel adventure

Where did Martin go? Getting coffee!

Local art featuring more Darwin

Eventually, our entire group boarded a water taxi that ferried us to the boat — named Shark Sky. The boat’s first stop was a beach (only accessible by boat). We spent about an hour and a half snorkeling here. There were many sea turtles, a variety of fish, and a few sting rays. There were also marine iguanas resting on the beach. We snorkeled up, walked along the beach to get a closer look. When we were ready, we opted for the dinghy ride back to save energy for the next snorkel later today.

“Give me three shots and drop the anchor!”

When we returned to the boat, the chef prepared lunch. We ate while still anchored to maintain some semblance of balance. After lunch, the boat set sail to the main attraction — and our second stop of the day — at Kicker Rock, which is named as such because it looks like a shoe or a boot. The Spanish name is El León Dormido, the sleeping lion, because from high on the mainland it looks like a sleeping lion.

I could get used to this

Kicker Rock was created by volcanic activity. The ash from the volcanic eruptions interacted with water and became heavily compacted, creating a large tuff cone. The boat drove around the rocks (there are technically two) before we started snorkeling. We spotted a red-footed boobie resting high on the rock, which is very rare for this spot. Many other birds were around as well, either as nesting ground or stopping ground. We spotted Nasca boobies, blue-footed boobies, and frigate birds to name a few.

Close up of kicker rock

Party boat ready!

Let’s snorkel there

The boat found a calm spot for us to start the snorkel. We first swam between the rocks, then around the large rock. On one side of the rocks, it was a bit choppy and not quite as clear. Even so, we still saw plenty of marine life. Martin (who may be part fish) swam down a few times to get a closer view of anything below. He saw a school of hammerhead sharks that were swimming just under us.

Snorkel time

Trying to pose underwater

Kicker Rock

Reflecting on Kicker Rock

After we navigated our way around the rock and returned to the boat, we headed back to port. We had a couple hours to spend before dinner, which was a good opportunity to shop for the ‘ol magnet collection. We started walking around, but almost all of the shops were closed. Just as we were about to give up having only acquired two iced coffees, some shops started opening up for the evening (siesta over, I guess?). We found the magnets we were looking for.

Giant map of where we are

We then learned the town was setting up a big projection screen in the town square for the Ecuador vs Ivory Coast World Cup match at 5pm. Count us in! We’re Ecuador fans now. After asking a few people in stores and on the street where to find shirts, we were directed to the Continental Market store that sold a bit of everything, including (knock off) jerseys. We each got one and were ready for the game.

If Darwin is gonna be watching the game, we should too

Side quest complete

We booked it back to the hotel for a super quick shower and changed into our new shirts. The main square now had a crowd of people were there ready to cheer Ecuador on. It’s a bummer that they ended up loosing, but it was still a lot of fun and good energy.

Let’s go, Ecuador

Half-time score: 0-0

They lost

Bring your chairs back home

The game finished in time for us to meet Martin for dinner. We took a taxi to the house of Martin’s friend, Jackie. She currently owns a restaurant in the front of her house and previously owned the restaurant in the building where Martin and his family used to live. She led us around the back of the house to a porch where we were seated at a special chef‘s table for dinner.

She then proceeded to made us some incredible ceviche and freshly caught grilled fish with veggies right from her garden (limes and avocados picked today moments ago). When we were full and finished the bottle of wine, we walked the few blocks back to the hotel.

Best ceviche ever

We called it a night as tomorrow we get up early to fly to Isabella island.

Day 8: Quito to San Cristobal Island

by Joanna

Posted: June 16, 2026

1 Comment

Today starts Part 2: Islands! Next stop, San Cristobal Island in the Galapagos. We woke up at 5:30 am and grabbed a quick snack at the Wyndham hotel breakfast buffet before catching the 6:30 am shuttle. The Wyndham is across the street from the airport, so it only took five minutes.

The Galapagos are part of Ecuador, so it’s a domestic flight, but there are a lot of extra precautions and steps that need to be followed (hoops to jump thru). The advice is to get to the airport at least two hours early, but three is better.

Once we arrived at the airport, the first thing we had to do was get our transit control cards. We had filled out all the paperwork online and only needed to confirm and pay. Other people in line were clearly having issues gathering the information they needed using their phones and spotty WiFi, so we could see how this line could take a long time.

First of many lines

Next, we had to put our bags through a bio scanner to make sure we didn’t have any plants, nuts, rocks, dirt, etc that would be brought into the islands. Again, we had completed the paperwork online, so it was super quick for us. Looked frustrating for those trying to figure out the website while in line. The strange part was we didn’t receive any confirmation/documentation that we had gone through the scan. I guess you are just “declaring” you don’t have any contraband. Multiple employees said we were fine, so we went with it.

Since we were early enough and had our paperwork figured out, we made it to security after 30 minutes. So yeah, early is the way to go if you’re going to the Galapagos. We had time to relax in a lounge until it was time to board.

Finally, some espresso

The flight was full, but had a stopover in Guayaquil. Most people got off, but those continuing to the Galapagos stayed on. A few new people boarded, and there were plenty of open seats and we were able to spread out to the aisle and window. This was especially helpful since the “extra space” supposedly in the Plus seats we bought definitely did not exist. An hour and a half later, we landed in San Cristobal airport.

Now boarding

Prepare for landing on San Cristobal Island

Before exiting the airport, we had to show our Bio screener QR code and scan our bags again. Our guide for the week, Martin, was ready and waiting for us. We found out later that Martin had also spent the last few days in the highlands, going to some of the same places we did, and only just arrived back home in the Galapagos on an earlier flight. The ride to the Casa Opuntia hotel only took a few minutes. The hotel manager explained the property and how the name Opuntia is a type of cacti found here. We took a moment to settle in and change, then walked to lunch.

Streets of San Cristobal

View from Casa Opuntia’s lobby/restaurant

Martin was born and raised on this island, so he knows it well. He explained where to find different types of stores (pharmacies, bakeries, etc.), and basically knew everyone we passed. We also saw a bunch of sea lions on the rocks and in the water right outside the hotel. There were also iguanas, geckos, crabs, and a bunch of birds. After lunch we got ready for our afternoon adventure.

Our room for the next two nights

Martin Explains our afternoon

The first stop was the Interpretation Center – a museum featuring the geology of the islands, the biodiversity, and the human history. Martin walked us though the museum and gave a summary of the entire museum. The Galápagos Islands are unique because while it certainly does not have the most diversity in species, it does have the most endemic species. Fun fact: Martin and his family are featured in the museum as they have lived on the island since his dad was young.

This is definitely the only statue of Darwin, right?

3D Topo Map of the island

Martin is famous!

Right outside of the Interpretation Center is a walking path to Tijeretas Hill. Martin told us about the species of cacti here. There is the Opuntia Cactus, which is rounded has soft quills on top, and the completely different species, the Candle Cactus, which is tall and thin and has pointy quills on top.

Headed up the hill

Endemic Candle cacti

Opuntia cactus – not endemic, but it is the name of the hotel

There were two view points we reached that overlooked Darwin Bay. Along the way, we saw Darwin Finches, Holy Wood trees (which have a resin that smell like incense, Frigate birds, pelicans, and a bunch of other birds.

Hiding heron

Galapagos flag at the viewpoint

View from above

After reaching the view points, we walked back down to the dock in Darwin Bay. We got ready to snorkel and Martin helped ease us in. We swam around for about an hour, staying in the bay the entire time. The water was clear and we saw sea turtles, a whole bunch of different fish, urchins, and very playful sea lion pups who would swim around us.

Playing with sea lions

When we finished, the sun was setting. It was beautiful, but we also had to get a move on before it got dark. On the way back to the interpretation center we stopped at another viewpoint, this time with a statue of Darwin. When we got back, it was dark and we took a taxi back to the hotel.

Oh, hey, another Darwin statue

Sunset at the bay

We took some time to change and get ready for dinner at a Galapagos/Italian restaurant (it was great). Martin told us the plan for tomorrow: a snorkel adventure at Kicker Rock. When we finished dinner, we made a quick stop to see the sea lions on the beach, then went right to sleep. In true South American fashion, there has been a party raging with loud live music from about 4:00 pm on into the night (until about 2:00 am ish) celebrating one of the towns on the island. We could hear it at the hotel and all the way up on the hill.

Day 7: Quilotoa

by Joanna

Updated: June 13, 2026

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Today is our last day of the first part of our trip – the highlands. After a delicious breakfast of homemade yogurt, banana pancakes, and French toast, we checked out of Hacienda El Porvenir.

Last breakfast at Hacienda del Volcan

Driver of the day – Jeicon

Our main stop for the day is Quilotoa Lake, which is about a three hour drive away. Jeicon was our driver today, and he was ready for us at 8:15. To no one’s surprise, Jo slept nearly the entire time. We drove through Zumbahua within the Cotopaxi province, one of the more traditional (AKA poor) areas.

On the road again

Cotopaxi peaking out above the clouds

Farming communities

We stopped at an art gallery of painter who supplied the art at Hacienda El Porvenir, Alfredo Toaquiza.

The inaugurationof President Rafael Correa Delgado in 2007

Delgado was champion of the people and pro military walking dogs

We arrived in Quilotoa village at about 11:15 and got ourselves ready for a short, but steep hike. Quilotoa lake is a three kilometer wide crater lake formed when the volcano erupted and collapsed about 800 years ago. We started at the top at about 12,760 feet and gorgeous overhead views.

Route 3, here we come!

View from above

We walked down a sandy, rocky path for about 40 minutes to 11,550 feet and the lake shore.

Matt is in a selfie that he didn’t take!

Some steep sections

Hiking down

When we made it to the bottom, we took some time to relax and take pictures before heading back up. Since the lake has no drainage (being a crater in a volcano and all) and the only water added to the lake is from rain, it is not advisable to go swimming. But if you do, legend says you will have only daughters since the crater is also known as Princess Toa’s Lake. Hopefully the group of 20ish year olds we saw swimming will get daughters, not dysentery.

Welcome to Lake Quilotoa

Questionable yellow bacteria?

The water is OK for the mules, I guess?

The hike back up was a bit more of a cardiac challenge than the way down. We took breaks when needed, but made it to the top in good time (a bit less than an hour). We were rewarded with a tasty box lunch from Hacienda El Porvenir that we ate while enjoying the view of the crater.

Making our way back up

Smoky the bear knock-off

From there, the last thing to do was make it to the Wyndham airport hotel. Quilotoa is south of Cotopaxi, which is south of Quito, so the drive took about four hours. Jo, again, fell asleep so has no idea what towns we drove through or what the scenery was like.

Harvesting season

We dropped off Santiago near his house along the way (we’ll see him again on Wednesday) and continued on to the airport. After checking in, we used our free welcome drink and appetizer for dinner. We spent the rest of the night organizing our bags for Galapagos. One large bag each will stay here at the hotel. We can take a total of 25 pounds each in a checked bag and a small carry on for the inter island flights, so we have to be selective about what we bring.

Mojito time!

Goooooo sports team!

Our flight leaves early tomorrow for Part 2: Islands!

Day 6: Tambopaxi to Cotopaxi

by Joanna

Updated: June 12, 2026

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Woke up today to a perfectly clear day. We got ourselves ready and met Santiago for breakfast.

Good Morning!

After breakfast, we made sure packing was complete and organized for the driver to pick up our bags. The plan for today was to hike straight from the Tambopaxi lodge all the way to the José Ribas Refugio (the base camp for summit-ers). There is a parking lot about 2 miles from the Refugio that we could have driven to, but what’s the fun in that?

Heading to breakfast

Breakfast views

We started our hike on the road, but soon meandered through the páramo. We even saw three white tailed deer! The pretty flat walk to the base of Cotopaxi took about an hour and twenty minutes.

Off to Cotopaxi

Deer Cotopaxi

The next section was a quite a bit harder. We started on the road leading up to the parking lot. It was a steep set of switchbacks. About halfway up Danny, our driver, met us on the road in case we needed anything from our bags or a ride. Tempting, but no. From there, we were able to take some “short cuts” to go straight up the hill and bypass the switchbacks. Less distance for sure, but also probably a bit harder.

Approaching the hard part

After about three hours on the road/hill, we were almost there. Danny met us so we could grab our micro-spikes. We weren’t on snow or ice (though there was a little off the path), but the extra grip on the loose rocks was really helpful. We made the final push up a shortcut and ended up past the parking lot. We were officially on the path to the Refugio.

Time for micro-spikes

Last short cut on the way up

Getting closer!

The trail had 21 switchbacks going up 814 feet. It took us about 45 minutes. Because it was designed for walking, it was actually a bit easier than the roads.

One of the 21 turns

View from (almost) the top of the trail

So close! Three more turns

Five hours after leaving Cotopaxi, we made it! By then, there were some clouds and it looked like it was going to start raining. We quickly took pictures, bought magnets and made our way down to the parking lot.

Ecuador flag series #3

The team!

Hikers have the option of taking the switchbacks back down, but the preferred route is the steep, straight shot from the Refugio to the lot. The path is soft, loose, sandy rock, so it’s a bit like slide walking. The good news is it took a whole 15 minutes. Plus, we had proper gear and bonus micro-spikes, so we didn’t fall (unlike some people in sneakers).

Sliding down the volcano

Made it to the van!

When we made it to the car, we could see some precipitation starting (tiny hail), but we were safe and dry. We enjoyed our box lunch in the car before heading to Hacienda El Porvenir. Stats for the day: 7 miles, 5 and a half hours, 3,684 feet of gain, max elevation of 15,977 feet.

The clouds here seem to always be so dramatic

Back at Hacienda El Porvenir

Much easier to do when its not raining

Matt already had his deep tissue massage booked for 5:00 and Jo decided to give a massage a try (but definitely not deep tissue). There was time available for a hot stone massage right before Matt’s appointment. Perfect. We had some time to settle in and take care of some miscellaneous Galapagos prep.

Sunset over the ropes course

Before dinner, Santiago led us outside to see the stars. It was a clear night and we could see the Southern Cross, Orion, and the Big Dipper. Since we stayed here before, we already knew what we wanted for dinner (delicious steak and chocolate cake). We had the rest of the night to relax. Tomorrow is our last day of the Highlands portion of the trip with a hike at Quilotoa crater lake.

Day 5: El Porvenir to Tambopaxi

by Joanna

Updated: June 11, 2026

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We woke up this morning and didn’t hear any rain! Santiago met us at breakfast and told us to come outside. There were some clouds, but lo and behold, we finally caught a glimpse of Cotopaxi. It does exist! We returned to breakfast to fuel up for the day – including fruit and granola with homemade yogurt (perks of farm life).

It’s not raining today!

Today’s hike went straight from Hacienda El Porvenir to Tambopaxi lodge. No van needed for us, but our driver did transport our bags. We entered a hiking trail right outside the building and were on our way. Almost the entire hike is on the property owned by Hacienda El Porvenir, so there was no one else on the trail all day — except for a cow and potato farmers in a field nearby. The weather was still clear and we were taking all the pictures of Cotopaxi as we could. Never know when the clouds will roll in.

Santiago assured us he just wants to play

Hacienda El Porvenir and Sincholahua in the distance

Clear view of Cotopaxi

Ecuador flag series #2

Santiago leads the way to our pass near Rumiñahui

The hike was a gradual uphill climb followed by a couple miles of steep uphill climbing to traverse the pass near Rumiñahui. With today’s clear weather, we could really see for ourselves why this area is called the Avenue of Volcanoes. There are multiple volcanoes on each side of the valley. At the top, we had a great view of Cotopaxi. Plus, we could see the peaks of the tallest volcanoes in Ecuador, including Chimborazo in the distance.

Cotopaxi glamour shot

View of Cotopaxi from 13,800ft elevation

The hike was all downhill from there. We walked down a bit to get out of the wind and find flat ground. Santiago knew of a cave nearby where a great horned owl lives. That would be our lunch spot. As we approached, we made sure to be really quiet so we don’t scare off the owl. We looked around for a minute but didn’t spot him. Then Jo caught a glimpse of it flying and tracked it until it landed on its perch in the cave. It stayed there while we ate lunch.

Heading down from the pass

All downhill from here

Following natural drainage paths

Lunch by the owl cave

After lunch, we had about 3 more miles to go. We made it to Tambopaxi Lodge in good time and had the afternoon to relax. Overall, the hike was eight miles, took six hours, over 2,000 feet in elevation gain, and had a maximum elevation of 13,843 feet. Oh, and zero rain!

Hiking…

Still Hiking…

Arrival at Tambopaxi Lodge

Our cabaña for the night

This is basically Link’s house

Hey guys, how the nap?

After a couple hours of relaxing — and watching the sunset — we walked back up to the main lodge building for a bite to eat and a couple refreshing Apple Ice flavored Gatorades. Hopefully the electrolytes will help Jo recover from a bit too much sun on today’s hike and we’ll be ready to roll tomorrow for Cotopaxi.

Late afternoon Cotopaxi

Cotopaxi and Tambopaxi sunset

Day 4: Cotopaxi Pungo to El Porvenir

by Joanna

Updated: June 11, 2026

1 Comment

In an effort to avoid the traditional Ecuadorian afternoon rains, we started about an hour early today. Unfortunately, it was also raining in the morning (which is apparently uncommon, yet has happened every day so far). We ate breakfast, donned our rain gear and set out on foot.

Thanks, Juan Carlos!

Follow the aqueduct road

As expected, a few minutes after we left, the rain stopped and we changed layers. The first part of today’s hike was on gravel and cobblestone roads snaking past farms and fields heading south from Cotopaxi Punga. Soon into the start of the hike we had to climb a gate to get into private land (don’t worry, we had permission). The road was pretty flat, so we were making good time.

Mountain views spoiler alert: Not today!

After following the road for a couple of miles, we made it to the trailhead of Cascada de Fuego. We also met Victor (our new driver for the next few days) stationed here with the van and our lunches. We packed what we wanted to carry and left the rest with the van. The next part of the hike was a more challenging route.

That’s not a US “medium”

We followed the Pita River (same one as yesterday) on lava flows from the last eruption of Cotopaxi. There was a clear path and it was easy to follow. All is well so far. We eventually made it to Cascada de Fuego. At the top, we saw a group getting ready to repel down the falls.

Made it to Cascada Fuego!

View from the top of the waterfall

Here’s one thing we won’t be doing at the top of the waterfall

We continued on past the waterfall. This part of the hike is where things get dicey. The trail was more of a chose your own adventure. There was a path (of sorts), but it was often covered with spiky plants, up or down some rocks, or on the very edge of the cliff with the raging Pita River below (leading to that big waterfall). On the plus side, this entire area is covered in lava, so there are tons of fun lava trails and lava rocks along the way.

The aforementioned “medium” difficulty river cliff navigation

Big blocks of andesite (not Andes-ite)

Little tuff guy

We found a flat, open area for lunch. It looked like the rain was coming earlier than expected, and we put our rain gear on as we finished eating. Sure enough, it did start to rain, and never really stopped. Fortunately, we had entered the next part of the hike: moraine fields.

Heading south along the Rio Pita

Yet another satisfied camping chair customer

There were a couple more rock climbs/cliff edges, but we quickly came to wide open spaces and could relax our minds a bit. We did have to go through a barbed wire fence and cross a couple of bridges. Overall, this section was pretty easy, but the distance still needed to be covered.

Hiking along rocks carried down by the volcanic lahar

Finally, we made it to the final section of the hike: hiking up to the road. We took it slow and steady and made it to the top just fine. Just as we reached the road, Victor pulled up in the van. We made it! Technically, we were given the option to continue walking another 4km uphill on the road to get to the hotel. We almost said yes, but sanity prevailed and we opted for the drive. The entire hike took six hours, covered 10 miles, and about 1600 feet in elevation gain. We were ready to sit and eat the rest of our lunch.

But if you’re going to enter, at least don’t hunt, fish, fire, car, or ATV

When we arrived at Hacienda El Porvenir, we were welcomed with… you guessed it, canelazos! We also had bonus cheese empanadas. Santiago showed us that you first dip them in the salsa, then sugar. Why has no one told us this before!?!

Hacienda El Porvenir? More like Hacienda El Pourveniring Rain

The perfect welcoming tray

We took some time to relax and hang our wet gear. Our room has a wood burning stove for heat, which the wonderful staff started for us. In case you are wondering, the entire stove gets very hot. Best not put anything directly on it. After settling in, Jo went for a quick soak in the jacuzzi and Matt got a massage. Worked wonders on his shoulder, so he rebooked immediately for when we are back in two days.

Suite room!

Junior suite perks

Housekeeping MVP

On our way to dinner, we made two very important purchases – a magnet, and a Tierra del Volcan buff (the only shirts featured mountain bikers). Tonight’s dinner featured a side quest: helping procure Studio Ghibli Museum tickets for our trip with the Cordinas to Japan next month (stay tuned to the blog!). We bought our iPads to dinner and entered the virtual waiting room for a lottery number. Somehow Jo always has ridiculously good luck with these things and the side quest was a success.

Ghibli ticket mission accomplished!

With that out of the way, dinner was served! All of Matt’s foods involved volcanic rocks to match the theme of the day. Santiago was not kidding when he said the food at this hacienda was the best — everything was delicious. We reviewed the plan for tomorrow (hike up a lot, then hike down to the next hotel) and went off to bed.

PS. We are literally on the foothills of Cotopaxi and still haven’t seen it. At least the rain sounds nice on the roof.

Day 3: Vilatuña to Cotopaxi Pungo

by Joanna

Updated: June 9, 2026

1 Comment

After a full night of sleep, waking up early this morning was a bit easier. We got ready for today’s hike and packed up all our excess luggage. Before checking out, we had another delicious breakfast on the roof with as much bread and jam as possible. Also, it was a bit more clear out this morning so we enjoyed the view.

View from our window… they’ll definitely know when we leave

Goodbye Hotel Alquimia

For the next few days when we are hiking in the highlands, so we will have a driver in addition to our guide. Today’s driver was Ariel, who picked us up at 8:30 am. After about 30 minutes, we pulled over and picked up Santiago who lives nearby and was waiting for us. We continued on to the Avenue of the Volcanoes. Santiago requested a quick stop at one of the last convenience stores to buy a Sporade (aka. Powerade). Good idea, we said, and picked up a couple of Sporades ourselves along with some cold coffee drinks.

Hello Ariel!

After leaving Quito, the road to Cotopaxi is unpaved. There are some dirt sections, and some cobblestones, but there is a construction plan to pave the entire route. Because of this, there was some roadwork we had to drive around. I don’t think it made an impact on our time at all. We arrived at the start of the Sendero Vilatuña, a trail that follows the Pita River and its many waterfalls. We got ourselves ready (real hiking gear this time) and headed out. A stray dog we named Paloma started to follow us. It quickly became clear that Paloma was the expert on this route and was there to guide us.

Paloma will be joining us today

The trail was mostly soft dirt, but had a lot of fun rocky sections, bridges to cross the river, and ladders to get up or down really steep/cliff sections. There were also signs boasting about how many different bird species live on this trail, and we saw a few.

Starting our waterfall obstacle course with bridges…

Stairs…

Wobbly bridges…

Ladders…

Bigger ladders…

Ladders off the sides of cliffs

After the last and largest waterfall, we took one last ladder down to a bridge where We could see trout swimming in the clear waters. This was the end of our route, so we turned around to head back. Plus, Paloma couldn’t find a way down this last cliff and was whining until we returned. On the way back, we were wondering how Paloma would make his way up the other steep slopes we had traversed. But don’t you worry. He can CLIMB LADDERS.

On the way back, we stopped to climb the rocks down to the river banks for closer views on a few of the waterfalls. There was one with via ferrata-style footholds and a cable installed in the rock… but after some test runs, we decided it probably wasn’t worth the risk to fall in the river.

Pointing at waterfalls

Testing my climbing skills

Paloma really likes waterfalls

We made good time getting back to the van and took a quick break before the next part of our hiking day.

Paloma’s guiding service payment

Unless your dog can fucking climb ladders

The plan was to continue hiking all the way to our next hotel. We started the uphill trek along a cobblestone road. We passed dairy farms along the way. After a couple of kilometers, we made it to the Cotopaxi Pungo Hotel. Pungo means gate/door/window. This area is within the Cotopaxi National Park and really marks the start of Cotopaxi adventures. Plus, on clear days, there is a great view of Cotopaxi and the nearby volcanoes. Alas, it has not been clear at all today. Upon our arrival, we were greeted by the owner, Sebastian, and given welcome drinks of… Canelazos!

On the road again

Made it to the hotel!

We learned a bit about the hotel and how it was originally made in the adobe style. Sebastian also explained there are 84 volcanoes in the area aptly called the “Avenue of Volcanoes.” Of course, most are dormant or extinct, but two, including Cotopaxi, are still active. Apparently, if it erupts the pyroclastic flow will stop about 9 km from here, so we are totally safe. The geology major has doubts.

Dining room with a view! We might be the only visitors at the moment.

The magical realism of Ecuadorian painter Gonzalo Endara Crow

The hotel staff showed us to our room and we changed to meet Santiago and Ariel in the dining room for lunch. Two delicious potato soups and grilled trouts later, we went to the main attraction – the pool! When we entered the pool house, we saw two hot tubs ,and realized the “pool” was actually one large hot tub. It was just as hot and had jets. They were all warm, but not too hot, which allowed us to stay in for longer. After about an hour, our muscles felt better and we went back to the room to shower and relax.

Moody weather from our front porch

We eventually went to the lounge area. We were the only guests in the hotel at the time. A group was supposed to show up in the afternoon, but there was an accident on a main road, and they were delayed by hours. So, we basically had the place to ourselves. As evening approached, the rain continued outside and it became cooler, so we sat by the fireplace with Santiago. The hotel manager, Juan Carlo joined as well and we all chatted before dinner. Pro tip: when you are surrounded by dairy farms, order the cheese.

After dinner, we went back to the fireplace to digest and work on the blog. There is another fireplace in our room as well to keep us cozy and warm throughout the night. We have an early departure tomorrow for our hike right from this hotel to the next. It should take about 5-6 hours and we are hoping to beat the ever-present afternoon rain.

Fireside Blogging

Day 2: Quito

by Joanna

Updated: June 11, 2026

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Despite getting in late last night, today’s early wake up time didn’t seem so bad. We were excited to start the day and the trip. After getting ready, we went to the roof of the hotel for breakfast. We were served coffee, juice, fruit, delicious rolls, and scrambled eggs. Although the roof is only on the third floor, we are able to take in the view of the city for the first time (since it was dark when we arrived last night). After breakfast, we met Santiago right on time at 8:30 am.

Ecuadorian coffee confirmed good

Dogs and cable cars in our future

The first stop of the day was the TelefériQo, a cable car from Quito up to the Pichincha Volcano. The ride took about 10 minutes and provided some nice views of Quito from above. Once we got to the top, we started our hike. On clear days, you can see the mountains in the highlands region, including Cotopaxi. It was pretty cloudy all day, so we never got a clear view of the volcanoes. But hey, that’s OK, we are headed that way tomorrow and will see them up close… take that, clouds!

Not much mirador-ing from up here today

We were expecting this to be an easy loop trail with some gentle ups and downs, but ha ha, no. It’s a totally legit hike. Not to mention the top of the cable car sits at about 13,000 feet in elevation, and the hike goes up from there. The entire trail is very long, goes to the summit of Ruta a Rucu, and back down the other side.

Suggestions for a legit hike

Along the way, we saw a hawk and a few Cara Cara’s. Santiago pointed out the Chuquiraga plant, which is referred to as the Flower of the Andes because it is the only flowering plant seen at this elevation in this area. It also provides nectar for hummingbirds.

Santiago explains the Chuquiraga plant

Flower of the Andes close up

Since our plan was never to go full volcano — and being our first hike in elevation in a while — we took it slow and steady. Plenty of friendly dogs (with their owners) shared the trail and stopped by to say hello. After making it past the radio tower, but not quite the cave, we turned back in order to leave plenty of time to explore the city for the rest of the afternoon.

Kicking it

Descending safely

After the hike, there was no line for the cable car, so we hopped right on. Back at the car, we drove to a parking lot near the hotel to start the afternoon exploration of Quito. The entire city of Quito is a UNESCO World Heritage Site due to having the largest and best-preserved historical center in Latin America. We started our tour on Calle de Ronda, a short pedestrian-only street with restaurants and a lively nightlife. This is also were Casa de Las Artes is located. Casa de Las Artes is a small museum showing what life was like in colonial Quito.

Historical Quito

This guy is ready for the World Cup

This sewer lid is also ready for the World Cup

We (but mostly a hungry Jo) decided that the next stop will be lunch. Along the way, we walked on a street officially called Calle Gabriel Garcia Moreno, but commonly known as Calle de las Siete Cruces due to the seven churches on this street. We made sure to count as we passed by.

Our lunch at Lavid Restaurante included an appetizer, entire, and dessert each. We were also eyeing juices form other tables, and Matt ordered a guabábana juice, a sweet and tart, tropical fruit. The restaurant had a great view of the Plaza Grande, one of the town squares were there were lots of vendors and visitors to watch as we ate.

After lunch, walked through street markets to the Basilica del Voto Nacional. The construction of the Basilica started in the late 1800s. It’s built in the gothic style, but instead of gargoyles, they used condors and other local fauna. A Basilica can only be named as such if the Pope gives it that name. We were able to climb to the top of the bell tower and view the church with the surrounding stain glass windows.

The Basilica is church #7 on Calle de las Siete Cruces

View from Basilica tower

Did you know, TWO broken clocks are right FOUR times a day???

Orchids in the stained glass to rep local fauna

When we left, it started to rain. The weather reports were threatening rain all day, so we were prepared. We put on our rain jackets, covered our bags, and continued on. The streets were much less crowded, but the vendors selling ponchos and umbrellas were crushing it.

Next stop was San Francisco church. On the Panecillo, the hill in the very middle of Quito, there is a giant statue of the Virgin Mary with wings. Inside the San Francisco church is the original artwork, only about a foot tall, that was used as a sample of what the statue would be. There is also a larger, human-sized version as well near the alter. We learned about the original construction and size of the towers on the church and how an earthquake hit and destroyed them. They were rebuilt, but made to be smaller.

It never rains in San Francisco, but it definitely rains on San Francisco

That concluded the Quito tour and we were back at the hotel. Santiago went home for the night while Matt and Jo walked back to Calle Ronda (literally a block from our hotel) to find some magnets. Let’s get the shopping out of the way. We found two that we liked and secured our purchase. By the way, if you see people wearing robes and cone shaped hoods (in purple, not white!), it’s not what you think. It’s a religious symbol representing penance and devotion.

Church gift shop item. They know. The googly eyes help, maybe?

As we meandered on the street, the various restaurants were calling out their specials, trying to get you to come inside. Still full from lunch, only one one caught our attention – a place selling cups of something called canelazo for one dollar. Using our limited Spanish, we figured out that a canelazo is a hot, sweet and spiced drink, kind of like an apple cider. Oh, and it has cane sugar alcohol. The women at the restaurant gave us a small sample and we quickly ordered two. This version also added naranjilla juice to give it a bit of a sweeter taste.

Best $1 we’ll spend the whole trip!

Back home to the Alquimia

We walked back to the hotel to enjoy our warm, spiced, alcoholic cider, and relax. Little sleep, busy days, and probably a bit of the altitude has made us pretty tired. Tomorrow we leave Quito and head towards the highlands.

Day 1: Chicago to Quito

by Joanna

Updated: June 8, 2026

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It’s day one and we’re off! It was a hot and humid day in Chicago when we left at 7:30 am, so we were happy to travel to cooler climates. We hopped in a Lyft and made it to the airport in good time. O’Hare was not very crowded and we were able to check our bags and breeze through security — until they flagged Jo’s bag.

Turns out little containers of fruit and yogurt you might make yourself for breakfast are considered a liquid. Or as our conversation with the friendly TSA lady went… TSA Lady: “They didn’t let you take your food thru???” Us: “No, they said no yogurt.” TSA Lady: “Ohhhh yeah. No Yogurt. Can’t do Yogurt!!!” We could have tossed them, but it was not busy, and we were gonna consume them in about five minutes anyway, so we opted to exit security for our snack. TSA Lady also suggested the “freeze your liquids” trick might work on yogurt. Hmmm… would it work on sunscreen?

Pointing at security lines since we didn’t take a train

Eating yogurt in a very empty security line

Having finished our snack and banished any trace of liquid from our bags, we went back through securtiy, said hi again to our new TSA friends, and went to our gate (B10) just a few steps away. We sat down behind some balloons and a table with big light-up ORD letters and a bunch of United employees hanging around. Turns out our flight is part of an unofficial (but supported) United Hub Marathon where about 60 people are attempting to fly thru seven United hubs by the end of the day.

O’Hare dino celebrating United’s 100th birthday

Hub Marathon set up

Soon after arriving at the gate, we were notified that our flight was delayed by about two hours (mechanical issue on the inbound flight?). Since we are paranoid fliers, we still had plenty of time to make our connection in Houston and weren’t concerned once we saw the connecting flight take off. Plus, we figured United had some incentive to keep their 60 Hub Runners on track!

Meahwhile, we relaxed at the gate until the flight arrived and observed/joined in the Hub Marathon party. The United staff made signs and cheered the passengers as they deplaned. O’Hare was hub stop number three, and Houston was stop number four. The plane boarded quickly — regular folk as well as the Hub Runners who only moments ago de-planed. On the way down the jetway, everyone was given a bag of Garret’s popcorn, and each passenger had a first-class style bag on their seats. Bonus.

Hub runner t-shirt showing the route

As it turned out, our row-mate was one of the hub runners. We got to talk to her and learn more about what was going on. Apparently, there were a few people in the group who were not planning on completing all seven hubs, so… I mean… that basically makes us honorary marathoners with a total of two hubs. When we landed in Houston, we were about three hours late, but we still had plenty of time before our next flight.

Our rowmate and her homemade hub runner dress

We strolled up to a Priority Pass lounge which was (surprise, surprise) not letting in anyone other than Emirates first class passengers (Don’t they get enough?!?). BUT! We successfully negotiated entry by promising the desk agent that we would only be there for 30 minutes in order to get to our gate for our flight, and we were obviously Emirates first class passengers if anybody was asking. We took the time to rearrange our carry-ons, and enjoyed some food and drinks.

Who is this guy, Houston?

Lounge speed run

Keeping our promise, we departed the lounge after 30 minutes and made it to our gate a few minutes before boarding started. Everything went smoothly. Boarding was quick, we left on time, enjoyed a tasty dinner (sheppard’s pie and cheese enchilada), watched TV (Jo watched Pluribus and Matt watched Chernobyl), and when the pilot promised BIG turbulence, it ended up being one of the smoothest landings ever. Underpromise, overdeliver!

No hub runners on this leg

Why are there stilettos?

Once we landed and got off the plane, everything was quick again. The line for customs was only a few minutes and we got a REAL stamp in our passports. We got through to baggage claim, and our bags were on the carousel waiting for us. And — as an added bonus — we saw that our previously-booked American flight (that was supposed to arrive two hours earlier) actually just landed.

Future friend

We exited and found Santiago, our guide for the mainland was ready and waiting for us. He drove us to the hotel for the night and we reviewed the plan for tomorrow. Since it was already past midnight, we agreed on a late start of 8:30 am. We arrived at the hotel and immediately went to sleep. Tomorrow, the real adventure begins, starting in Quito.

Made it to Quito!

Time to sleep!

Getting Ready for Ecuador

by Joanna

Updated: June 8, 2026

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School’s out for summer, so it must be time for another adventure! We are headed back to South America, to a country we’ve never been — Ecuador! Land of rainforests, mountains, and Darwinian research. Having exhausted all of the currently available (and reasonably priced) Explora locations, we went with Tierra del Volcán for all our planning and guiding needs. We also consulted with our Youth Corespondent to make sure we hit all the cool spots.

Lily didn’t know she was actually scouting for us

Over 14 days, we will have a highlands, islands, and rainforest adventure. First stop is Quito to explore the city and a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

First stop, Quito

From there, we’ll travel south to the Cotopaxi National Park area for some mountain hikes, including Cotopaxi (but not summiting this one).

Non-stop, to the middle

After the highish altitudes and large mountains, we’ll hop over to the Galapagos for some warmer weather, ocean swims, and giant tortoises (the real reason for going).

Giant tortoises deserve a beach vacation too

Finally, we will have some relaxation time in the cloud forest of Mindo where we can go birding and visit a chocolate factory (no golden ticket required)

Up in the clouds

Turtle time