Our first full day here.
We had a very nice breakfast at the hotel including some fruit we have no idea what it was, but it had lots of seeds and plenty of flavor.
We had a very nice breakfast at the hotel including some fruit we have no idea what it was, but it had lots of seeds and plenty of flavor.
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| Entrance to our hotel |
I had found a guy on the internet that would give us a day tour outside of the city because our tour company that we booked the Galapagos tour with already included a tour of Quito, so we wanted to see a little of the country.
We were picked up at 8:15 this morning and arrived back at the hotel at about 4:30, what a fun full day. Our driver spoke pretty good English, and if he didn’t understand us he just said yes, which led to a little confusion at times. I knew this was going to be interesting when I asked him if the entire trip was going to be on the divided highway we were on when we first started out, he said “yes”, well 15 km’s later we were on a twisty turny road that goes around the mountains. I was in the front seat, thanks Andre, so it was fine, but I don’t think I would have made it in the back seat.
Our first stop was at a stand on the side of the road because he wanted us to try some Cherimoya fruit. We both really liked it, it is only grown in this part of Ecuador he told us, kind of a milky flavour, with large seeds that you didn’t eat. It was about the size of an avocado.
Next we stopped at a lockout for pictures of Cotopaxy mountain, a beautiful snowcapped mountain that is the second highest in Ecuador. Most of the drive that we were on we were following a valley through the Andes, it was amazing how one side of us was so fertile with farms and greenhouses, and the other side so barren.
Next stop was at a very small town that is famous for its Bizcocho, a yummy cookie that was kind of a cross between a milles feuille and shortbread. They were nice and warm still, I really like this driver, he knows what I like!
Next stop was a lookout over San Pablo lake and then on to the town of Otavalo. Otavalo is a major destination from Quito for the market. Saturday is the big market day, where animals are also available for purchase, but we were there on Sunday and it is really more geared for the tourists. There were definitely not very many people there buying so we pretty much had the place to ourselves, so we had many many people asking us to look at their wares. This was a place to barter, and Victor our driver had given us some tips as to what we should be paying for things. It was fun just walking around and looking at everything, there really were some beautiful hand made crafts, the colors were fantastic.
After Otavalo we went to Lake Cuicocha which is in a National Park, Andre and I had to pay a $2 entry fee, Victor was free because he is from Ecuador, not quite the same prices as Canadian National Parks!
Now we are off to Cotacachi for lunch and more shopping. Victor had lunch with us which was great because he was able to help us with ordering some traditional food. I had picked a soup and he suggested I try another soup which turned out to be delicious, potato, cheese, avocado and lettuce, doesn’t sound the best but it was really yummy. Andre had something that on the menu was translated as “red meat”, Victor told him it was very traditional and he should try that, it was a spicy pork with potatoes some kind of grain that was mostly left on his plate and a salad. Victor had the very traditional fried chicken with French fries!! I had asked him to take us somewhere that wasn’t touristy but he said he wanted to take us somewhere safe and clean and he really liked this place, I think we were the only English people there but I would think it is pretty high end, still only $21 for the 3 of us for lunch.
A little more shopping next in Cuicocha, this is a UNESCO site for the leather makers, I could have bought 50 purses, they were beautiful and inexpensive, but I already have too many..... Andre got a nice leather belt and I got a leather jacket, which was definitely not on the list when we headed out today. Next homeward bound, I fell asleep for a while on the trip home, surprise surprise. We really had a fun day exploring, it is so fun to have your own driver that you can just ask to stop and go whenever you are ready.
We were picked up at 8:15 this morning and arrived back at the hotel at about 4:30, what a fun full day. Our driver spoke pretty good English, and if he didn’t understand us he just said yes, which led to a little confusion at times. I knew this was going to be interesting when I asked him if the entire trip was going to be on the divided highway we were on when we first started out, he said “yes”, well 15 km’s later we were on a twisty turny road that goes around the mountains. I was in the front seat, thanks Andre, so it was fine, but I don’t think I would have made it in the back seat.
Our first stop was at a stand on the side of the road because he wanted us to try some Cherimoya fruit. We both really liked it, it is only grown in this part of Ecuador he told us, kind of a milky flavour, with large seeds that you didn’t eat. It was about the size of an avocado.
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| Cherimoya fruit |
Next we stopped at a lockout for pictures of Cotopaxy mountain, a beautiful snowcapped mountain that is the second highest in Ecuador. Most of the drive that we were on we were following a valley through the Andes, it was amazing how one side of us was so fertile with farms and greenhouses, and the other side so barren.
Next stop was at a very small town that is famous for its Bizcocho, a yummy cookie that was kind of a cross between a milles feuille and shortbread. They were nice and warm still, I really like this driver, he knows what I like!
Next stop was a lookout over San Pablo lake and then on to the town of Otavalo. Otavalo is a major destination from Quito for the market. Saturday is the big market day, where animals are also available for purchase, but we were there on Sunday and it is really more geared for the tourists. There were definitely not very many people there buying so we pretty much had the place to ourselves, so we had many many people asking us to look at their wares. This was a place to barter, and Victor our driver had given us some tips as to what we should be paying for things. It was fun just walking around and looking at everything, there really were some beautiful hand made crafts, the colors were fantastic.
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| San Pablo lake |
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| Otavalo Market |
After Otavalo we went to Lake Cuicocha which is in a National Park, Andre and I had to pay a $2 entry fee, Victor was free because he is from Ecuador, not quite the same prices as Canadian National Parks!
 |
| Lake Cuicocha |
Now we are off to Cotacachi for lunch and more shopping. Victor had lunch with us which was great because he was able to help us with ordering some traditional food. I had picked a soup and he suggested I try another soup which turned out to be delicious, potato, cheese, avocado and lettuce, doesn’t sound the best but it was really yummy. Andre had something that on the menu was translated as “red meat”, Victor told him it was very traditional and he should try that, it was a spicy pork with potatoes some kind of grain that was mostly left on his plate and a salad. Victor had the very traditional fried chicken with French fries!! I had asked him to take us somewhere that wasn’t touristy but he said he wanted to take us somewhere safe and clean and he really liked this place, I think we were the only English people there but I would think it is pretty high end, still only $21 for the 3 of us for lunch.
A little more shopping next in Cuicocha, this is a UNESCO site for the leather makers, I could have bought 50 purses, they were beautiful and inexpensive, but I already have too many..... Andre got a nice leather belt and I got a leather jacket, which was definitely not on the list when we headed out today. Next homeward bound, I fell asleep for a while on the trip home, surprise surprise. We really had a fun day exploring, it is so fun to have your own driver that you can just ask to stop and go whenever you are ready.
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| Cuicocha |
Back at the hotel now and I’ve filled myself up on Coca tea again, I really don’t want altitude sickness. The tour rep that we booked through has sent us a beautiful bouquet of flowers and we have a wonderful note on our bed that we will not have electricity from 6am until 11am tomorrow morning. We are supposed to be going on our tour tomorrow of Quito at 9, not sure if it will still happen. Breakfast should be fun as well. I guess it is showers tonight instead of in the morning. Off to find something for supper. More updates later....
We’re at supper right now. A place called the Magic Bean, quite the name, but free wi fi so I’ll get a chance to send this off. Andre is a happy man, local Ecuadorian beer is called Pilsener and it comes in 500 ml bottles ( we think it is 500 ml, it is big and neither of us can read the printing that small in the dark, we are getting old!!)
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