Ecuador is the smallest country in the Andes, yet its geography still accommodates three distinct zones, banded like neapolitan ice cream across the land: the Pacific Costa, the mountainous Sierra, and the lush Oriente. All told, Veró and I spent 5 days along the coast in Guayaquil, Manta, Montecristi, and Puerto López; 4 days up in the Andes in Quito, Otavalo, and Mitad del Mundo; and 2 days near the Amazon Rainforest in Baños, where we enjoyed Ecozoológico San Martín and a day trip to the surrounding waterfalls, the highlights of which are pictured below.
(Left) A loose monkey! I’m serious, we walked into the zoo and this guy was chillin’ outside the monkey cage! (Middle) A capybara! One of the things I loved about this zoo was that you were close enough to the animals to hear them grunt and snuffle and (in the case of this charming fellow) fart. (Right) A spectacled bear!
(Left) La tarabita was a cable car suspended from a too-too-tiny wire stretched across a valley to a distant waterfall. (Middle) This sign was a bit unnerving . . . (Right) . . . but the operator seemed confident enough.
(Left) Superman bid us a safe journey as we began the hike to El Pailón del Diablo. (Right) We were startled by this fellow just as we took to the path. Can you see him burrowed in the foliage?
(All courtesy of Verónica) (Left) Humidity does wonders for my hair, it really does. (Middle left) I felt very small against the crashing waters. (Middle right) Veró and I climbed through here to get up close and personal with El Diablo (remember Veró’s experience?). (Right) Don’t worry, I followed the rules and didn’t jump or swing on the bridge . . .
Share your thoughts . . .