WATCH THE VIDEO ABOVE ! IT’S REAL ECUADOR !

On August 27th TotalAdventure landed in Quito Ecuador . While TotalAdventure has crossed the Equator at least 50 times, I had never stood on the line itself.

At Mitad del Mundo -Middle Of The World. On my left side it is Winter. On my right side it is Summer. Even with the direct overhead sunlight, the altitude is 2500 meters – 8125 feet. The temperature rarely goes over 21 C or 70 F and st night – cold enough for a jacket, it is about 7 C or 45 F. The temperature is the same all year, with varying periods of rainfall. In Ecuador’s jungles and on the beaches, it is always hot – 32 C 90F every day of the year.

An egg balances perfectly on a nail . Geomagnetic forces allow what cannot be done anywhere else on Earth.

TotalAdventure, along with adventure tour provders,buyers and members of the press had been invited by the Adventure Travel Trade Association , Tht Ecuador Ministry of Tourism and Visit Cuenca to take part in AdventureNext , an adventure travel coinference that takes place in a different part of the world every year. For 4 days before the confernce we were hosted on an adventure called Avenue of the Volcanoes. The excellent trip was led by Amazing Ecuador. The morning after arrival, we left Quito and headed south for our 4 day adventure towards Cuenca.

The first night we stayed at Hacienda La Alegria. After a cold rainy hike above 13000 feet earlier in the day, we enjoyed warm moonshine around the fire before a hearty dinner.

Learning the long family history of the Hacienda.

Seafood stew from coastal Ecuador.

The next morning was horseback riding about 12 kilometers up to some spectacular views. TotalAdventure’s horse was quite feisty and I’m glad to be an experienced rider. SEE THE VIDEO AT THE TOP OF THE ARTICLE.

From the Valley we ascended to Cotopaxi National Park. Cotopaxi, a volcano that last erupted in 2023, is still steaming as you can see in the photo above. It is 19,347 F 5952 M rising 7882 F 2425 M above our elevation. Apparently it can be climbed in one day, starting the night before.

No one in our group had problems with altitude – we were at 3000 to 4000 meters almost all the time for 4 days. But if someone did have a problem, they could buy some oxygen.

That evening we arrived at Hacienda La Cienaga . The hotel is over 300 years old. Alexander Humboldt once slept there.

Like many haciendas, a chapel serves as a place of refuge.

Time stands still at La Cienaga. The clock is right twice a day.

On the morning of Saturday the 30th we toured Success Rose Farm. A huge operation with massive sheds creating 35 varieties of perfect roses.

Each rose is swaddled to create a perfect shape.Extremely labor intensive.

Once picked and packed, the roses are flown 4 hours North to Miami – where the shipments are divided and sent all over the USA. They can be in a New York florist shop by the next morning.

Cotopaxi in the distance.

We then explored the market town of Zumbahua.

Lago Quilatoa . A caldera created by a giant explosion thousands of years ago. Elevation 3914 M 12841 F. SEE THE VIDEO AT TOP OF ARTICLE !

Photo Credit : Fer Rodriguez Intrepid Travel.

Kayaking the icy waters. Photo Credit : Joy Martinello Wild Nectar Collection

TotalAdventure believes in enjoying all local foods, no matter how unusual. After the kayaking we were invited to an Andean feast,where the main dish was Cuy – Guinea Pig. A common pet in the United States – it is dinner in Ecuador, Peru and Bolivia. The meat is tasty with nice crispy skin . It reminded me of another rodent I had eaten – Marmot in Mongolia.

There are over 300 varieties of potatoes in Ecuador.

And 200 varieties of corn.

Artisan Collective Mask. Made of clay, too fragile to transport.

In Riobamba that night at Hacienda Abraspungo it was cold outside but warm in my abode with a crackling fire. I put enough wood on to last hours.

Morning sunlight warms the room.

A woman and her llama.

Maria Natividad de Balbanera , the oldest church in Ecuador, built in 1534.

The Puhara Tribe artwork.

Ingapirca ruins, Ecuador’s most important Inca ruins. Built around 500 AD.

It was an important military command post.

Ecuador – In the Middle of The World.

On Sunday Night, August 31st, we arrived in Cuenca for Adventure Next.

The next day, September 1st, we hiked in Cajas National Park, at nearly 14000 feet in wet windy temperatures of 3 C 37 F. The hike was about 10 km , slow due to steep downhill with loose gravel and deep mud on flat land.

Alpine flowers 2 degrees south of the Equator.

MINTUR Ecuador and Visit Cuenca had a huge welcoming party for Adventure NEXT that went outdoors to entertain everyone ! The fireworks were among the more unusual that TotalAdventure has ever experienced.

The US Dollar is the legal tender for Ecuador. Overall prices for basic goods are similar to the US and Western Europe ,while hotels and dining are cheaper.. Do not bring 50s and 100s, , businesses prefer 10s and 20s.

Most world citizens do not require a visa – but check according to your country. Quito and Guauaquil are only 4 hours from Miami !

It’s not easy being an adventurous spirit but living confined to the city, so today, October 8th, 2021, I am starting my 3 days snorkelling-intensive trip in the Galapagos Islands with a tailored-made itinerary.

I visit the islands as much as I can, but each new occasion makes me feel like I’m a privileged alien who is on a mission to discover an entirely new world, not ruled under the normal laws of biology.

This time, I have coordinated my hotel stays, meals, and snorkelling tours with Andean Travel Company. The rest of the adventure is up to me, so here we go!

Yesterday I arrived and took the afternoon at leisure to explore Santa Cruz island’s amazing white coral beaches where flocks of iguanas defiantly stare at you and block the way. The world’s only marine iguana is endemic to these islands.

I’m staying in a hostel in the middle of the bustling, colourful town of Puerto Ayora, one of the three urban centres of the archipelago. I would very much prefer this whole place to be inhabited, but people have been driven to these islands by the promise of economic success for decades now.

I was picked up by my guide and we walked a couple of blocks towards the dock. We embarked on a speedboat to Seymour Island.

I was provided all the necessary equipment and went directly to business (after listening to the guide’s directions). My very first sight was a group of whitetip reef sharks cruising between the low basaltic cliffs below me. I did not expect that my first animal observation would be this quick and thrilling!. 

Colourful fish such as the king angelfish, boxfish, and parrotfish swam around, and I got lost in thought admiring them. A strange sound brought me back to reality. It was as if small missiles were being shot… It was the sound of blue-footed boobies and pelicans plunge-diving at enormous speeds to catch fish!

These daily snorkelling tours provide lunch, and I’m grateful for that, as it is a very energy-intensive activity. 

In my second swim of the day, I spotted one of my favourite marine animals, the black-botched ray. It looked so elegant with its perfectly aerodynamic platform and majestic in its cyclic underwater flight. I also hoped to see a scalloped hammerhead shark, but they are difficult to find, so let’s see what happens tomorrow. 

Today, October 9th, 2021, I’m heading to one of Galapagos’ most iconic landmarks. Pinnacle Rock on Bartolomé Island. Located northeast of Santa Cruz island, 2 hours away in a boat, this is an immense spearheaded obelisk rising from the ocean. We disembarked on the appropriately named Golden Beach, and from there I started swimming into a shallow cove full of precious coral formations and reef fish. 

During my time inside the cove, however, my mind was obsessed with swimming around the massive Pinnacle Rock itself. We got there in due time, along with the rest of the group and the guide. (No matter how good of a swimmer you are, when snorkelling always stay close to your group!)

At the underwater intersection where the sea bottom becomes a cliff, I found spectacular lava formations, where reef and Tiger sharks were accommodated inside natural galleries. Swimming ahead, I found medium-sized sea lions who adventured so close to my face that I actually got a bit scared. I tried to make as much eye contact as possible with them, and it’s a tender sensation that I will never forget.

To finish off this day perfectly, we spotted the endangered Galapagos penguin standing on some rocks above the water. An Antarctic bird in these warm waters is certainly an unexpected sight, but they are one of the best examples of the unique animal adaptations happening on these islands.

Day 3! I cannot believe that today is the last of my snorkelling trip. We navigated northwest to Santa Fé Island. The area destined for snorkelling was well-protected from open sea currents, so my first thought was that this might be a smart choice for beginners. These calm, shallower waters, however, delivered generously. 

Fluorescent blue chin parrotfishes, yellowtail surgeonfishes, and pufferfishes swam around the turquoise waters, and sea lions made me close company again. I really felt as if these boys knew that I was on a mission, and decided to escort me to the right place. To the open waters where the scalloped hammerhead sharks finally decided to reveal themselves. What an amazing creature, a perfect example of the ambitious effects of evolution. Its distinctive, enormous head works as a sensor that has yet to be explained by science. I couldn’t have asked for a better ending to this trip.

Thank you, Galapagos! May we be able to do enough to preserve your treasures!

ArcticTropic, located in Miami, is only 4 hours from Quito and Guayaquil. We are planning to visit soon and will add many new locations. Add your own below.

Lina Maria Jaramillo, an ArcticTropic friend from Medellín, Colombia recently traveled to the Santo Domingo region of Ecuador – home to the Colorado Indians. Here are some photos she contributed.

 

FOR ADVENTURES IN ECUADOR, CLICK HERE