Family Adventure in Ecuador
Feb 6th, 2017, 09:23 AM
#21
That bike ride sounds frightening and hope you enjoyed Galapagos and got warmed up there.
I'm also following your reports. I think I tried to dissuade you or someone else from staying in Riobamba and now it makes even less sense to have left Banos if that is where the bikes came from!! At least there you could have warmed up after you got back...Oh well, now we have your report to link to when others ask!.
I'm also following your reports. I think I tried to dissuade you or someone else from staying in Riobamba and now it makes even less sense to have left Banos if that is where the bikes came from!! At least there you could have warmed up after you got back...Oh well, now we have your report to link to when others ask!.
Feb 8th, 2017, 09:28 AM
#22
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Yes mlgb you did recommend not to stay in Riobamba. Our hotel was the most modern we stayed in the highlands, really not a bad place but there was more to do in Banos. Due to some personal circumstances we booked this trip only weeks before we went. Not everything was available but we were fine with what we got.Day 8
The Road to Cuenca
I was feeling much better this morning and was excited to get on the road to Cuenca. When we had planned this trip we hoped to leave right from Chimborazo and head to Cuenca. We were told this was not a great idea and this was a better trip in the day light. We are so glad we waited! We all enjoyed this amazing road. There were beautiful towns and scenery. There were steep hillsides covered with bright red poppies—these are regularly raided and burned by the police before they can be harvested for opium. There was a bright blue church hanging on the edge of a cliff in a town maybe named Chunchi. Not far from here we were able to watch the Devil’s Nose Train as it turned around and backed up the mountain to Alausi. We never would have spotted this or stopped for pictures if we did not have Milton. We had left pretty early this morning, hoping to spend the afternoon in Cuenca. As we conversed with Milton, I told him I had heard of an indigenous market that met on Thursday mornings in the town of Guamote. This being a Thursday and the town being not far off our route we all decided to go and see what we could see. This sudden change of plans was one of the most unique experiences our family had in Ecuador!
Milton drove us into the heart of the market and directed us to the different areas. He stayed with the car, watched our things and arranged a meeting place. The sights, sounds, colors and people were overwhelming. This was clearly a local market and not a place to buy t shirts and blankets. We did not encounter anyone who spoke Spanish, the best I could tell people were speaking Kichwa. The people were not tall but very strong—the first time in my life I towered over everyone! We were the only non indiginos, and the only ones not in native dress. Some eyed us with suspicion, others with curiosity. Two ladies sold us their fresh made (still hot!) sweet pastries. One fierce young woman in a bright red native dress hacked away at a sheep she had just slaughtered and yelled at us when we tried to photograph the scene: the red of her skirt and wrap, her black hair, the white wool of the sheep and the bloody, red cleaver. We understood and respected her “No!” with the wagging finger—she watched us all the way across the market--but we knew that photograph could have been featured in National Geographic! We passed piles of unshucked corn, 30 feet high, being sold for feed. Packs of women many no taller than 4 feet carrying huge sacks of grain (quinoa?) on their backs to be traded and ground to flour at the stone mill on one corner. On the other side of the market, the animal market was so densely packed it was hard to move. Groups of women walked with large sacks filled with live chickens and doves. There were sacks of guinea pigs for sale and huge rabbits being picked up their ears and inspected. All kinds of birds, rodents, goats and sheep were for sale. We watched the people haggle over prices—we didn’t know the words but the back and forth is the same around the world! The men bargained over horses while nearby bulls called out to cows across the stalls that don’t seem strong enough to hold them back. I was glad our things were being watched by Milton and that our jeans and rain jackets made us stand out enough to keep an eye on each other. This was an amazing, eye opening experience. Back at the car, Milton filled in the details about the different groups, their social strata, details about their lives and culture. Everyone asked questions about what we had seen and who these people were. Milton had to stretch his English vocab that day—it was a really neat experience!
Ingapirica
Okay so we weren’t going to stop here; we had to make cuts from our plan to fit everything in. We had decided we wanted to see some of the sights in Cuenca. After taking Milton’s advice about Guamote, we took his advice again and detoured to Ingapirica. For those who don’t know Ingapirica is the largest Incan ruins in Ecuador. That is not to say it is anything like Manchu Picchu but it was worth the visit. Part of me thinks the real reason we went here was to pick Milton’s mother up some of the local specialty, quinoa spaghetti, but I am glad we did.
The weather had been dry and clear at the market and much of the way through the mountains. We were able to see so many mountains, volcanoes and gorgeous valleys the majority of the drive. By the time we reached Ingapirica, our luck had run out. A very cool misty rain was falling but we decided we would take the tour anyways. Our guide was, a local Canari man, the indigenous people who first built this city temple complex. His insights into the tribes, how they interacted, intermarried, warred, prayed and built made the cold rain bearable. He was enthusiastic and he could show us which culture built which structure and why, why this city was built here and how it helped the Inca communicate across their empire. He explained the Incan and Canari symbols found on so many items for sale throughout Ecuador. Meanwhile wild but tagged llamas strolled through the temple ruins with us.
After the tour we walked to a local place for lunch. There was a warm fire we crowded around while we waited for our meal. There was only one choice, we all took it. Milton had bought some quinoa spaghetti for his mother while we were taking the tour. Knowing I was a vegetarian, he had the proprietor of the small restaurant cook some up for me. Hot tea, hot chocolate and a chicken noodle soup started our meal. I was in the middle of telling my youngest son to eat the chicken when I realized the chicken part of the soup was a foot. My DH had a neck, with a beak, in his. This caused general commotion and picture taking but we were eating local! My most daring eater ate all of his and said it was not bad. The rest of the meal was tipicos, like rice, beans, chicken (various parts but more mainstream!) and plantains and quinoa for me. We all enjoyed the experience and returned to the road rewarmed.
The Road to Cuenca
I was feeling much better this morning and was excited to get on the road to Cuenca. When we had planned this trip we hoped to leave right from Chimborazo and head to Cuenca. We were told this was not a great idea and this was a better trip in the day light. We are so glad we waited! We all enjoyed this amazing road. There were beautiful towns and scenery. There were steep hillsides covered with bright red poppies—these are regularly raided and burned by the police before they can be harvested for opium. There was a bright blue church hanging on the edge of a cliff in a town maybe named Chunchi. Not far from here we were able to watch the Devil’s Nose Train as it turned around and backed up the mountain to Alausi. We never would have spotted this or stopped for pictures if we did not have Milton. We had left pretty early this morning, hoping to spend the afternoon in Cuenca. As we conversed with Milton, I told him I had heard of an indigenous market that met on Thursday mornings in the town of Guamote. This being a Thursday and the town being not far off our route we all decided to go and see what we could see. This sudden change of plans was one of the most unique experiences our family had in Ecuador!
Milton drove us into the heart of the market and directed us to the different areas. He stayed with the car, watched our things and arranged a meeting place. The sights, sounds, colors and people were overwhelming. This was clearly a local market and not a place to buy t shirts and blankets. We did not encounter anyone who spoke Spanish, the best I could tell people were speaking Kichwa. The people were not tall but very strong—the first time in my life I towered over everyone! We were the only non indiginos, and the only ones not in native dress. Some eyed us with suspicion, others with curiosity. Two ladies sold us their fresh made (still hot!) sweet pastries. One fierce young woman in a bright red native dress hacked away at a sheep she had just slaughtered and yelled at us when we tried to photograph the scene: the red of her skirt and wrap, her black hair, the white wool of the sheep and the bloody, red cleaver. We understood and respected her “No!” with the wagging finger—she watched us all the way across the market--but we knew that photograph could have been featured in National Geographic! We passed piles of unshucked corn, 30 feet high, being sold for feed. Packs of women many no taller than 4 feet carrying huge sacks of grain (quinoa?) on their backs to be traded and ground to flour at the stone mill on one corner. On the other side of the market, the animal market was so densely packed it was hard to move. Groups of women walked with large sacks filled with live chickens and doves. There were sacks of guinea pigs for sale and huge rabbits being picked up their ears and inspected. All kinds of birds, rodents, goats and sheep were for sale. We watched the people haggle over prices—we didn’t know the words but the back and forth is the same around the world! The men bargained over horses while nearby bulls called out to cows across the stalls that don’t seem strong enough to hold them back. I was glad our things were being watched by Milton and that our jeans and rain jackets made us stand out enough to keep an eye on each other. This was an amazing, eye opening experience. Back at the car, Milton filled in the details about the different groups, their social strata, details about their lives and culture. Everyone asked questions about what we had seen and who these people were. Milton had to stretch his English vocab that day—it was a really neat experience!
Ingapirica
Okay so we weren’t going to stop here; we had to make cuts from our plan to fit everything in. We had decided we wanted to see some of the sights in Cuenca. After taking Milton’s advice about Guamote, we took his advice again and detoured to Ingapirica. For those who don’t know Ingapirica is the largest Incan ruins in Ecuador. That is not to say it is anything like Manchu Picchu but it was worth the visit. Part of me thinks the real reason we went here was to pick Milton’s mother up some of the local specialty, quinoa spaghetti, but I am glad we did.
The weather had been dry and clear at the market and much of the way through the mountains. We were able to see so many mountains, volcanoes and gorgeous valleys the majority of the drive. By the time we reached Ingapirica, our luck had run out. A very cool misty rain was falling but we decided we would take the tour anyways. Our guide was, a local Canari man, the indigenous people who first built this city temple complex. His insights into the tribes, how they interacted, intermarried, warred, prayed and built made the cold rain bearable. He was enthusiastic and he could show us which culture built which structure and why, why this city was built here and how it helped the Inca communicate across their empire. He explained the Incan and Canari symbols found on so many items for sale throughout Ecuador. Meanwhile wild but tagged llamas strolled through the temple ruins with us.
After the tour we walked to a local place for lunch. There was a warm fire we crowded around while we waited for our meal. There was only one choice, we all took it. Milton had bought some quinoa spaghetti for his mother while we were taking the tour. Knowing I was a vegetarian, he had the proprietor of the small restaurant cook some up for me. Hot tea, hot chocolate and a chicken noodle soup started our meal. I was in the middle of telling my youngest son to eat the chicken when I realized the chicken part of the soup was a foot. My DH had a neck, with a beak, in his. This caused general commotion and picture taking but we were eating local! My most daring eater ate all of his and said it was not bad. The rest of the meal was tipicos, like rice, beans, chicken (various parts but more mainstream!) and plantains and quinoa for me. We all enjoyed the experience and returned to the road rewarmed.
Feb 8th, 2017, 11:25 PM
#24
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I love your detailed reporting. Sorry to hear you were sick on the day and had had bad weather. I guess we were lucky in that we had been at altitude for several months and found the ascent to the refuge tough, but ok. Many people just took a few steps from the car park and turned back.we had great weather and so enjoyed the bike ride back down (although I did manage to break a brake cable! Thankfully it wasn't until the end of the fast part). Keep it coming!
Feb 10th, 2017, 07:56 AM
#25
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Don't worry jcwiakala most people don't get sick, it was just my bad luck. You can drive to the visitor center if the weather is clear and get a good view.
Cuenca
The weather warmed and the land became more green as we worked our way to Cuenca. Here we said goodbye to Milton and felt that we would truly miss his company. His 14 years experience of driving the bus across Ecuador made him knowledgeable and dependable. His compassion made him a friend. We would have different driver and guide for the next leg of our journey. We checked into our hotel, the Posada del Angel, took a while to explore this beautiful city.
Cuenca has a reputation as a haven for expats from the US and Canada. It is easy to see why. We stayed in the older part of town near the cathedral. I read somewhere that “Like Venice or Barcelona, Cuenca is a place you can just simply walk around and take in its character.” True. We wondered the cobblestone streets, visited the flower markets in the plaza in front of the churches. We marveled at the palm trees here versus the snow only a day before. We stopped in one of the many sweet shops and bought pastries. We watched a tour bus struggle to navigate the tight turns in the old town cobblestone streets, then watched another take a turn at full speed, ram the parked car already there and keep going as if nothing had happened. (So glad it was not our rental car!)
Posada del Angel was built in a Spanish style like many places in Cuenca. It looks plain and maybe uninviting on the outside but inside it opens to a central dining room that many of the rooms overlook. There are couches and seating on the second level for people to gather and visit. There was a large tour group of maybe high school students staying here when we were here. They congregated just outside my sons’ room and cut up like kids will do. I could hear them loud and clear from my room that was better placed in the corner. I had to ask them several times to quiet down and finally shooed them off after 11. The doors are very thin –don’t get me wrong this is a quaint very friendly hotel. We ate dinner here and I think everyone had a good meal (I had quinoa ravioli with pesto). Our room had a balcony that opened to the street. I enjoyed the view and watching all the people go by but it was loud from street traffic and from the kids who were in front of our rooms because they did not want to keep their tired traveling mates awake(!). We had good meals here, the staff was super nice and helpful. Our rooms were big, our clothes, especially our shoes, stayed wet. Sigh.
Cuenca
The weather warmed and the land became more green as we worked our way to Cuenca. Here we said goodbye to Milton and felt that we would truly miss his company. His 14 years experience of driving the bus across Ecuador made him knowledgeable and dependable. His compassion made him a friend. We would have different driver and guide for the next leg of our journey. We checked into our hotel, the Posada del Angel, took a while to explore this beautiful city.
Cuenca has a reputation as a haven for expats from the US and Canada. It is easy to see why. We stayed in the older part of town near the cathedral. I read somewhere that “Like Venice or Barcelona, Cuenca is a place you can just simply walk around and take in its character.” True. We wondered the cobblestone streets, visited the flower markets in the plaza in front of the churches. We marveled at the palm trees here versus the snow only a day before. We stopped in one of the many sweet shops and bought pastries. We watched a tour bus struggle to navigate the tight turns in the old town cobblestone streets, then watched another take a turn at full speed, ram the parked car already there and keep going as if nothing had happened. (So glad it was not our rental car!)
Posada del Angel was built in a Spanish style like many places in Cuenca. It looks plain and maybe uninviting on the outside but inside it opens to a central dining room that many of the rooms overlook. There are couches and seating on the second level for people to gather and visit. There was a large tour group of maybe high school students staying here when we were here. They congregated just outside my sons’ room and cut up like kids will do. I could hear them loud and clear from my room that was better placed in the corner. I had to ask them several times to quiet down and finally shooed them off after 11. The doors are very thin –don’t get me wrong this is a quaint very friendly hotel. We ate dinner here and I think everyone had a good meal (I had quinoa ravioli with pesto). Our room had a balcony that opened to the street. I enjoyed the view and watching all the people go by but it was loud from street traffic and from the kids who were in front of our rooms because they did not want to keep their tired traveling mates awake(!). We had good meals here, the staff was super nice and helpful. Our rooms were big, our clothes, especially our shoes, stayed wet. Sigh.
Feb 10th, 2017, 09:37 PM
#26
Wow! What a ride! My husband debated doing the bike ride, and decided to skip.
Altitude sickness seems so random. Been to high altitudes a lot and never had an issue until last year. Last winter at Black Sheet not far from Quilotoa at a mere 10,000 ft I got altitude sickness. I didn't feel great at dinner and in the middle of the night had all the classic symptoms. It was esp strange since a few days before we were in Quito and I was fine.
Enjoying your adventure.
Altitude sickness seems so random. Been to high altitudes a lot and never had an issue until last year. Last winter at Black Sheet not far from Quilotoa at a mere 10,000 ft I got altitude sickness. I didn't feel great at dinner and in the middle of the night had all the classic symptoms. It was esp strange since a few days before we were in Quito and I was fine.
Enjoying your adventure.
Feb 15th, 2017, 06:31 PM
#29
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jcwiakala Cuenca was beautiful. Go get lost there! Enjoy the sweet shops, bakeries, flower markets and the charm. Our driver pointed out a group of high rise condos--very nice and new but surrounded by high walls and barbed wire--the called them Yankee-Land (like Disneyland.) We were more in the Old City.
Day 9
This morning we were up early to tour the cathedral. The New Cathedral opened first; we went to try to do a tour and mass was getting started so we decided to stay. We all were pretty meditative after mass; there is something very comforting in sharing rituals with people from another part of the world that you have been doing your whole life. Going to communion, offering strangers the sign of peace, saying the Our Father in Spanish; it was not an experience I expected but it was very powerful. After mass, we did the tour that took us through the church, in the crypt and finally to the towers that overlooked the city. It is worth doing the tour, even in halting English (we joined the English tour) just to get the view of the colonial city from the rooftop. Cuenca is beautiful, very European and surrounded by mountains. As we left the cathedral, there was a protest going on the in main square between the two cathedrals. I believe it was about rights of indigenous peoples but when police in riot gear lined up around the edges of the march we figured it was time to leave. We had hoped to spend more time in Cuenca but we made stops on the way here the day before that had used up our Cuenca time. We headed back to the hotel to meet our new drivers and out to see El Cajas National Park.
Our new drivers were Eddie, our English speaking guide and Rene, our driver. We were told El Cajas like many national parks in Ecuador require a guide. They would take us to El Cajas National Park and then on the Guayaquil where would fly out the next day. It is about 45 minutes from Cuenca to El Cajas. Nice drive but as you gained altitude the weather again got wetter and cooler. We decided to go on a hike that Eddie suggested then see if we were up for more or head on to Guayaquil. They had been flexible picking us up later than our original plan so we ended up with less time in El Cajas.
The mountains in El Cajas serve as the most westerly continental divide in South America, some of the water here flows all the way across the continent to the Atlantic, some goes right down to the Pacific. Our hike here was like something out of The Hobbit or the Scottish Highlands: stony, foggy hillsides covered with rough vegetation leading to lakes. The mossy ground was springy when you stepped on it and other times a mud bog would appear we would have to work around. Eddie told us about all the flora and fauna we saw, including a shrub that grows there about 200 years old. There was a constant misty rain and a pretty steady wind. It was beautiful but would be totally different on a sunny day. We had seen evidence of wild llamas but not seen them. We took a sudden turn on the path and there was the herd of maybe 10 of them. Only one had been tagged. I was a little behind our group and luckily had the camera. They all ran up the path within feet of me—the biggest one coming closest to me, staring me down with eyes and almost bumping me with his white shaggy body—warning me off his herd? Probably not a big deal if you are from the area but a thrill for me!
We could have gone on another hike but we were hungry, tired, cold, and very muddy. Eddie and Rene took us a place where we had a prearranged for lunch as part of the tour. I can’t be certain but it was probably the Hosteria Dos Chorreras. We felt waaay too dirty to be in this nice place! Lunch was huge—I think it was a preset meal where you could choose chicken or fish for $7.50. The advantage of having teenage boys is that months later they can remember EXACTLY what they ate: a hot drink cinnamon drink for starters, potato/ quinoa soup, a salad, pesto trout (or chicken) with beans, rice and plantains, and a dessert maybe tiramisu. Drinks were included. There was no one else in the restaurant and we had a very long lunch where we were intensely questioned by Eddie and Rene. They both wanted to know why we chose Ecuador, why the people of the U.S. had chosen the candidates they had for president and how the political picture differed in Ecuador from the U.S. How we would feel about interracial marriage for our boys, how we felt about the Catholic church and how it was viewed in Ecuador etc etc. I am not sure I have had conversations this intense with my own family and friends! Everything Eddie said was translated for Rene. Who asked his own questions. We probably spent as long at lunch as we did in the park. I’m not sure which was more eye opening!
After our long lunch, we drove to Guayaquil. The terrain was beautiful and varied. From the cool mountain terrain the banana plantations were a huge change. When we arrived in Guayaquil, we were instructed to have everything secure and not give our bags to anyone our drivers did not approve first. They had told us where to go if we left our hotel and how to do it. I guess crime is pretty bad here and it there was a huge Independence Day celebration that weekend in town. In the end we just checked into our very modern hotel and regrouped for our early morning flight. We didn’t even go out to dinner because of our huge lunch. There were boxed breakfasts for us and a driver who took us to the airport very early.
Day 9
This morning we were up early to tour the cathedral. The New Cathedral opened first; we went to try to do a tour and mass was getting started so we decided to stay. We all were pretty meditative after mass; there is something very comforting in sharing rituals with people from another part of the world that you have been doing your whole life. Going to communion, offering strangers the sign of peace, saying the Our Father in Spanish; it was not an experience I expected but it was very powerful. After mass, we did the tour that took us through the church, in the crypt and finally to the towers that overlooked the city. It is worth doing the tour, even in halting English (we joined the English tour) just to get the view of the colonial city from the rooftop. Cuenca is beautiful, very European and surrounded by mountains. As we left the cathedral, there was a protest going on the in main square between the two cathedrals. I believe it was about rights of indigenous peoples but when police in riot gear lined up around the edges of the march we figured it was time to leave. We had hoped to spend more time in Cuenca but we made stops on the way here the day before that had used up our Cuenca time. We headed back to the hotel to meet our new drivers and out to see El Cajas National Park.
Our new drivers were Eddie, our English speaking guide and Rene, our driver. We were told El Cajas like many national parks in Ecuador require a guide. They would take us to El Cajas National Park and then on the Guayaquil where would fly out the next day. It is about 45 minutes from Cuenca to El Cajas. Nice drive but as you gained altitude the weather again got wetter and cooler. We decided to go on a hike that Eddie suggested then see if we were up for more or head on to Guayaquil. They had been flexible picking us up later than our original plan so we ended up with less time in El Cajas.
The mountains in El Cajas serve as the most westerly continental divide in South America, some of the water here flows all the way across the continent to the Atlantic, some goes right down to the Pacific. Our hike here was like something out of The Hobbit or the Scottish Highlands: stony, foggy hillsides covered with rough vegetation leading to lakes. The mossy ground was springy when you stepped on it and other times a mud bog would appear we would have to work around. Eddie told us about all the flora and fauna we saw, including a shrub that grows there about 200 years old. There was a constant misty rain and a pretty steady wind. It was beautiful but would be totally different on a sunny day. We had seen evidence of wild llamas but not seen them. We took a sudden turn on the path and there was the herd of maybe 10 of them. Only one had been tagged. I was a little behind our group and luckily had the camera. They all ran up the path within feet of me—the biggest one coming closest to me, staring me down with eyes and almost bumping me with his white shaggy body—warning me off his herd? Probably not a big deal if you are from the area but a thrill for me!
We could have gone on another hike but we were hungry, tired, cold, and very muddy. Eddie and Rene took us a place where we had a prearranged for lunch as part of the tour. I can’t be certain but it was probably the Hosteria Dos Chorreras. We felt waaay too dirty to be in this nice place! Lunch was huge—I think it was a preset meal where you could choose chicken or fish for $7.50. The advantage of having teenage boys is that months later they can remember EXACTLY what they ate: a hot drink cinnamon drink for starters, potato/ quinoa soup, a salad, pesto trout (or chicken) with beans, rice and plantains, and a dessert maybe tiramisu. Drinks were included. There was no one else in the restaurant and we had a very long lunch where we were intensely questioned by Eddie and Rene. They both wanted to know why we chose Ecuador, why the people of the U.S. had chosen the candidates they had for president and how the political picture differed in Ecuador from the U.S. How we would feel about interracial marriage for our boys, how we felt about the Catholic church and how it was viewed in Ecuador etc etc. I am not sure I have had conversations this intense with my own family and friends! Everything Eddie said was translated for Rene. Who asked his own questions. We probably spent as long at lunch as we did in the park. I’m not sure which was more eye opening!
After our long lunch, we drove to Guayaquil. The terrain was beautiful and varied. From the cool mountain terrain the banana plantations were a huge change. When we arrived in Guayaquil, we were instructed to have everything secure and not give our bags to anyone our drivers did not approve first. They had told us where to go if we left our hotel and how to do it. I guess crime is pretty bad here and it there was a huge Independence Day celebration that weekend in town. In the end we just checked into our very modern hotel and regrouped for our early morning flight. We didn’t even go out to dinner because of our huge lunch. There were boxed breakfasts for us and a driver who took us to the airport very early.
Mar 19th, 2017, 07:10 AM
#30
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What a lovely and so detailed trip report-Thank you! We are heading to Ecuador in June, and can't decide whether to rent a car or use a private driver for two reasons-cost and not wanting to feel rushed. Based on your experiences, I think we may need to rethink renting a car!
Mar 23rd, 2017, 04:00 PM
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This has been so fun to read! Thank you for the virtual trip. I am starting to plan a trip to Ecuador for our family for next year and our kids will be 12 and 14 at that time, so this couldn't be more perfect! You have inspired me to expand our itinerary - Cuenca in particular sounds sooo charming. Maybe I missed it but do you mind explaining how you found such great drivers and particularly ones that were willing to drive you so far afield? I have used them before but only in cities or small excursions outside of a city, so this is new to me. Looking forward to hearing about the islands!
Mar 24th, 2017, 11:25 AM
#33
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Thank you for your kind replies. I have been using other forum to plan this summer's trip and it inspires me to finish mine! I will add more about the Galapagos part of our trip soon.
We found our drivers through Happy Gringo travel. We had a very good experience with all of them and with Happy Gringo overall. I can't remember how I stumbled on them (Happy Gringo) but I read a lot of reviews before I used them and when I talked to them they were the most flexible and helpful. Our trip was totally customized to us.
As far as driving, the actual roads were mostly fine. Quito and parts of Cuenca were crazy and I don't think I would have liked to drive in either. Certainly not in Guayaquil. My husband grew up on the East Coast of the US so he can be a more aggressive driver than I but I would not like the driving. Beyond that I would not have known where to get gas, where to go to the bathroom, what was safe and where to not stop and talk to people. It was surprising to me that we probably were more immersed in the culture by having drivers than driving ourselves. I would not have thought this was the case but we tried foods we would not have tried, stopped places we wouldn't have stopped, took little side tours for the best view of this or that, and learned a ton along the way. Our drivers were very flexible when we changed plans and it wasn't like they charged us more when we did. We did tip, every day. They were worth every penny!
Cuenca is far but beautiful. The ride there may be better than the actual town. If prices would have been good I might have tried to fly a leg in or out of Cuenca to avoid the drive to Guayaquil. (For example fly into Cuenca, do our trip backwards to Quito, fly from Quito to Galapagos.) It was much more expensive for our trip but might work for someone else. That being said our day with Eddie was enjoyable and educational.
We found our drivers through Happy Gringo travel. We had a very good experience with all of them and with Happy Gringo overall. I can't remember how I stumbled on them (Happy Gringo) but I read a lot of reviews before I used them and when I talked to them they were the most flexible and helpful. Our trip was totally customized to us.
As far as driving, the actual roads were mostly fine. Quito and parts of Cuenca were crazy and I don't think I would have liked to drive in either. Certainly not in Guayaquil. My husband grew up on the East Coast of the US so he can be a more aggressive driver than I but I would not like the driving. Beyond that I would not have known where to get gas, where to go to the bathroom, what was safe and where to not stop and talk to people. It was surprising to me that we probably were more immersed in the culture by having drivers than driving ourselves. I would not have thought this was the case but we tried foods we would not have tried, stopped places we wouldn't have stopped, took little side tours for the best view of this or that, and learned a ton along the way. Our drivers were very flexible when we changed plans and it wasn't like they charged us more when we did. We did tip, every day. They were worth every penny!
Cuenca is far but beautiful. The ride there may be better than the actual town. If prices would have been good I might have tried to fly a leg in or out of Cuenca to avoid the drive to Guayaquil. (For example fly into Cuenca, do our trip backwards to Quito, fly from Quito to Galapagos.) It was much more expensive for our trip but might work for someone else. That being said our day with Eddie was enjoyable and educational.
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doug_stallings
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greg
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Jul 4th, 2006 04:45 AM
