Ecuador

Preparations
South America
North America
Asia
Africa
Europe
Returning home

Pictures
Route
1 Arriving in Machala
2 On to Vilcabamba
3 Vilcabamba
4 Vilcabamba
5 On to Cuenca
6 Cuenca
7 Cajas National Park
8 On to Riobamba
9 Chimborazo & Guamote
10 On to Cotopaxi
11 Cotopaxi
12 Laguna Quilotoa
13 Guayaquil
14 On to Salinas
15 Salinas
16 On to Puerto Lopez
17 Whales and Islas
18 On to Quito
19 Quito
20 Quito

Our route is shown in red (click map for a more detailed version)

•	Machala (from Máncora)
•	Loja
•	Vilcabamba
•	Cuenca
•	Riobamba (Chimborazo)
•	Latacunga (Cotopaxi, Quilotoa)
•	Quito
•	Guayaquil
•	Salinas (La Libertad)
•	Puerto Lopez
•	Quito
•	And on to Canada, via Miami...

Ecuador

Ecuador has been called the Banana Republic par excellence, as a principal exporter, and is home of the Panama hat!

In true Banana Republic fashion, the latest news, as at 25 April 2005, is that the President Gutierrez has been deposed and been replaced by his Vice President, now President Palacio. Apparently the last three presidents have been brought down in similar fashion by street protests. The advice is to be sensible and avoid protests but I'm fascinated to see this typical Latin American "democracy in action". Viva la revolución!

Update Aug 2005: We worked our way through Ecuador from South to North up the spine of the country and then headed south and west again to work our way up the cost. Its a colourful place with the different costumes and traditions of the villages adding a spot of local colour. This is a real country of contrasts. Hot and humid banana plantations in the south give way to cold high altitude pampas and volcanoes. One thing that is constant is the relaxed and friendly atmosphere of the people. No Peruvian tourist trail here.

A walk up the volcanoes is a must but be prepared for thin air and the feeling of two steps forward one step back as you battle against volcanic sand. Persevere though because the views are well worth it. Also get to one of the local markets. We went to Guamote, a hive of frenetic commercial activity, we even bought a sheep (well sort of!). Spanning the equator was also a bit of a giggle.

Would I come back? To parts yes. We wanted to get to the Galapagos but you really need to book in advance which we had not done. We also have opted to leave the jungle to a different trip. If we do go back, it would be great if a national male past-time of peeing in the street had been sorted. Its not nice walking around a big urinal!

Should you go? Definitely. The mix of people, climate and scenery has to be seen but make sure you book your Galapagos leg before you leave home!

Diary

	Mon	Tue	Wed	Thu	Fri	Sat	Sun	Mon	Tue	Wed	Thu	Fri	Sat	Sun
Jul	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15	16	17	Jul
Jul	18	19	20	21	22	23	24	25	26	27	28	29	30	31	Jul
Aug	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	Aug

Books, Films, Music, Links, etc.

For more references, check the links section.
•	The Panama Hat Trail, by Tom Miller. Miller travels around Ecuador following the Panama hat production process from start to finish.
•	The Anglo-Ecuadorian Society: www.angloecuadorian.org.uk
•	Official Ecuador Tourism web site: www.vivecuador.com
•	Ecuador Tourist Board: www.ecuadortouristboard.com

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