Years ago, John Steinbeck wrote a book called, Travels With Charlie. If he could write about traveling with his favorite dog, maybe I can write about Travels With Colin. In a change from crime news, I decided to do a short series on my recent adventure to South America. I’ll try to convince you about why you should go to Ecuador, the Andes, and the Amazon. Later, we’ll travel on to Lima, Cusco, and Machu Picchu.
We left from Miami for an easy four-hour flight to Quito, the capital of Ecuador. It’s perched high in the Andes at 9,300 feet above sea level. You can prepare for altitude sickness with a simple med taken a day before you travel. My wife and I didn’t experience much of this sickness although you should take it easy. Nothing in the city is level except the old Incan plaza which was taken over by the Spanish. They built fabulous palaces on the stones of the Incan palaces—all of this well preserved. Why you should go to Ecuador? You can see this history—rated by UNESCO as the best and largest example in South America.
Surrounding the city, several volcanoes rise as high as 18,000 feet and are snow-capped at their peaks. It seems like clouds hang low around the mountains and the city until you realize that you are standing above the clouds in many places.
The people are a mix of Spanish and ancient Indian heritage, which they have preserved also. Some of the friendliest people I’ve met traveling are there—and many speak English.
The country uses the American dollar as its currency which makes buying things easier. A city to the south, Cuenca, has been rated as the best destination for retired Americans to live. Like the rest of the country, it’s got a wonderful climate (always spring), it’s cheap, it has lush countryside, and the sights are fabulous. The local people say, “You can have all four seasons in one day.” Beyond that, the country also has beaches, mountain peaks, desert areas, and the Amazon rain forest basin.
Quito is old, conservative, populated with dozens of old churches, and from the air looks like someone laid a tan blanket of houses and buildings in between the mountain peaks. The streets are narrow and filled with people. Since it’s located on the equator, the weather is warm even though you’re up high. It has high-end shopping, but even more interesting are the open air markets, particularly to the north in a town called Otavalo. Why you should go to Ecuador? You can get great buys on alpaca wool, leather goods, hats, sweaters, and art work.
