By the time we got to our last stop in Ecuador we agreed we were ready to head home.  Not that we didn’t thoroughly enjoy our time in country – we did. We both felt that we’d seen and done so many different things –  encountered amazing wildlife in the Galapagos, experienced city life in … More Termas de Papallacta: A Spa Ending to Our Ecuador Adventure

I am so proud and excited that our daughter, Ruthie, and her good buddies (Alex and Elizabeth) have launched a fabulous new travel website this week – called Travelogue.  These three amazing and powerful young women have channeled their combined skills into creating a wonderful “one-stop-shop” for anyone wanting to gather first-hand tips on where … More The Travel Bug Doesn’t Fall Far from the Tree

While anyone who knows any conversational Spanish knows that when you “gotta go” you ask where the “baños” are.  But in Ecuador, Baños is also the name of a city that is now famous for attracting anyone into extreme sports – anything you can do to fly without a plane, zipline over a deep canyon, … More Baños…No, NOT the bathroom!

Our hike up Cotopaxi was challenging, and there was a thrilling sensation of having climbed above the clouds to a height I’d have never imagined possible for us.  What I didn’t realize was that the very next day would be as literally and figuratively breathtaking – if not more so. Once again we chose to … More Laguna Quilotoa: Breathtaking in More Ways than One

One of the day trips we took from the pueblo of Isinlivi was to the majestic volcano – Cotopaxi.  We were so fortunate to have our driver, Byron, take us to the base of the volcano where we registered and engaged with a guide who knows the park and mountain well.  If you ever make … More Cotopaxi: Up the Volcano and Into the Clouds

One of the highlights of our stay in Isinlivi – a teeny, tiny pueblo in the Andes along the Quilotoa Loop (a hiking route that provides days of wandering through incredible green valleys) – was learning how to milk a cow.  Andrew and I accompanied Rosarita – a local farmer – to her pasture where her … More How to Milk a Cow…and other pastoral pastimes

I have already written about our wonderful exploration of some of the Galapagos Islands, but that was actually only one “chapter” in our 18-day wanderings through Ecuador.  The islands were the precipitating factor in our choosing Ecuador, but we were equally touched by and grateful for the experiences we had in the varied facets of … More Exploring Ecuador: Quito Revisited

Truthfully, there are so many vivid memories from this adventure that in hindsight I am not sure I can adequately retell them all.  The best I can do at this point is share the highlights that stick with me – and show through photos the awesomeness of the ecosystems we were priviledged to be guests … More Galapagos Wanderings: Part 2

We visited four of the southeastern islands – San Cristobal, Espanola, Floreana, and Santa Cruz. When we re planning our trip, no two traveler reviews could agree on which islands were “the best”…and we found that each of the islands we visited had its own unique landscape, complement of animals to see, and land and … More Highlights of our Galapagos Wanderings

It is very clear now that all the hype about the Galapagos islands is no hype. Our five-day boat tour of four of the islands was from moment one until the very end a truly magical – and humbling experience.   While so many places in the world are abusing and ultimately destroying natural ecosystems, … More Our Galápagos Adventure: Exceeded Expectations