We returned to Ecuador in February 2018 to explore more of the country and have a visit to the coast to see if maybe that was an option for us to live. We rented a small car to get us around and drove to places some wouldn’t even do in a four wheel drive pickup! Enjoy the stories as we explore more of the hidden gems of this beautiful country.
Back in Cotacachi (1/28/2018) - After a very long trip via Aero Mexico and an 11 hour layover in Mexico City, we arrived, tired, but very happy to be here. The town has not changed much since our last visit, except for a few improvements… Read More ...
Getting Lost in the Country, Ecuadorian Style (1/30/2018) - We woke up today to sunny skies and a fresh pot of Ecuadorian coffee. The plan for the day was a drive to Ibarra to go to the larger shopping center to pick up a few needed items, then drive… Read More ...
Intag Valley Road Trip (2/1/2018) - Today we went on an adventurous trip up over the shoulder of Cotacachi Volcano and down into the Intag Valley, where a lot of Ecuadorean coffee comes from. The views up top before heading down the other side were fantastic. … Read More ...
Lunching out in Cotacachi (2/4/2018) - Giselle and I spent the last couple of days laying low and just taking walking tours around the streets of Cotacachi. What we did notice was the amazing number of Almuerzos or lunch spots. You can get a basic meal… Read More ...
Cotacachi “Food Fair” (2/5/2018) - After another 2.5km walkabout, we headed over to the food fair at the mercado to try out some of the dishes. There are about a dozen stalls to choose from ranging in food choices from fish, chicken, pork, and beef.… Read More ...
Gruta de la Paz and more from Ecuador… (2/7/2018) - Today was an awesome day! After getting an early start, we headed up into the northern highlands of Ecuador for another day trip, this time to the small village of La Paz, just north of Bolivar and a few miles… Read More ...
Mojanda Lakes (2/10/2018) - High above the town of Otavalo is a series of three lakes formed inside the calderas of the now extinct volcanoes Mohanda and Fuya Fuya. The elevation is around 12,200 ft at the largest lake, Mohanda. This is a protected… Read More ...
Clammy on the coast….a trip to Las Penas (2/18/2018) - After three weeks living in Cotacachi in the highlands of Ecuador, we decided to take a short trip to the northern coast of this beautiful country. It is about a four hour drive from Cotacachi to our destination - Las… Read More ...
Esmeraldes and Atacames – the north coast of Ecuador (2/18/2018) - Day two of our trip to the coast saw us travelling down Hwy 15, Ecuador's equivalent to Hwy 101 down the west coast of the US. We crossed a few rivers, passed through many small, very poor communities and eventually… Read More ...