The Galapagos is a special marine environment known as a convergence zone. Cold water coming up from  Antarctica meets with warm equatorial currents causing upwellings of nutrients that feed a massive food chain which keep all those special fishies floating around to dazzle your eyes. And it’s one of the few places on the planet where you’ll see a mix of penguins diving into the surf and pink flamingos congregating on land.

By land or by Sea

The first decision to make when organizing your trip to the Galapagos is whether to base yourself on the land or to take a boat cruise. The economical choice is land based and would lead you to the tourist hub on the island of Santa Cruz, Puerto Ayora. Here you’ll find a huge range of hotels, cafes, and tour companies offering simple day trips from about $100-$120 per day. The problem with land based tours is that you’ll be limited in scope to the sites you can visit. These sites are obviously more impacted by tourists, that being said, they’ll still blow you away. Alternatively, many backpackers, or anyone with a more flexible itinerary, can choose to try and hop-on a boat here. Many tours during the off-season don’t pre-book so you’ll find boats passing through Ayora on their mid-way point willing to bargain for any potential stowaways hanging about.

Off-season travel

If you head to one of the many travel agencies in Quito’s main tourist center, La Mariscal during the off season you’ll find a wealth of agencies offering the ubiquitous Last-Minute Galapagos Specials. Basically, during Galapagos’ prime time: June to mid-September and mid-December through January, you’ll find it impossible to find last-minute deals. But outside these impacted times, you’ll find great deals. A word of caution, though, ask around and consult bulletin boards like Lonely Planet’s Thorn Tree for advice on which boats to take and which not to. Remember, expensive doesn’t always equate with better. Some boats, luxury and budget alike might employ a staff that speaks little English and might have little interest in playing the role as the guide.

I suggest checking Galasam Travel. Their friendly staff is VERY knowledgeable and up front about travel to the Galapagos. They offer three of the more budget  class  boats: the Millennium, and the Estrella de Mar I and II as well as many more luxury class boats. Their agents will not try to sell you on anything and will direct you to other agencies should you want a different class of boat. They can also arrange deals with flights and complete packages including land stays as well. Galasam’s conveniently located in Quito’s La Mariscal at Cordero N24-214 and Amazonas Ave on the corner.

The land of two seasons

The Galapagos experiences two seasons: a “rainy” and a “dry.” Take these terms with a grain of salt. The “rainy” from December to May sees a bit of rain, but ironically the most sun. The air is warmer and so is the water. But while the water is warmer to swim in, there might seem to be less fish around (remember, it will still knock your socks off). The “dry” season, from June to November, is dominated by the colder currents from the south. The cold water brings cloudy days and cooler air temps. But while it might not be as comfortable, the water is teeming with life. Remember those cold upwellings will ignite the food chain. So serious divers might consider the dry season for their trip.

Nuts and Bolts

Flights: Fly from Quito or Guayaquil prices vary season to season.  Check the websites of Aerogal and TAME for  info on booking flight.

 Fees: $100 Galapagos visitors tax, $10 tourist transit card, $41 departure tax from Quito or $28 departure tax from Guayaquil.

When not to go: Mid-December through January and June to mid-September (busy season)

What not to do: Overstay. That transit card serves like a kind of visa stamp. You only have a set amount of time to stay in the Galapagos and should you overstay, you’ll face heavy fines. This limit on tourism is meant to help protect and preserve the delicate balance of this fragile and, unfortunately, decaying eco-system.

SAE is a great resource for those traveling/living in South America. They have locations in major cities all over the continent and a $60 membership fee gets you access to up-to-date travel and volunteer info, discounts on tours, a lenders library stocked with multi-language books, free internet and much more. The best thing about the club is the camaraderie you’ll find. You’ll meet many other travelers at the club’s social events, lecture series, pub crawls and yes, their bi-monthly pub quizzes.

A friend and former co-worker, at Uncle Ho’s, a Vietnamese restaurant in La Marical, Jon Jared has just taken over as Manager for SAE. Jon is a great guy and has been living in Quito for years and years. I suppose by now one should call him an ex-pat as I don’t think he’s heading home anytime soon. He originally came South backpacking and volunteering and is passionate on both fronts. Pop down to see him at Hos for a drink and a good bowl of Pho and he can give you all the skinny on Ecuador travel, living and volunteering. As well you’ll find Jon at the SAE or the Turtle’s head and you’ll find he’s real open and ready to chat to anyone.

The Turtles Head is located at La Nina #626 between Juan Leon Mera and Amazonas, Quito.

Jon also has a great blog talking about life and times in Ecuador, check it out. http://savvyroundtheworld.wordpress.com

Last Tuesday was a sparkling day in Quito. Sun was ablaze all over the sierra. Pichincha was in full view as were all the peaks. From high atop in the district of Bellavista(beautiful view) I caught a panoramic of Cotapaxi in full as well. It was no mistake that an artist of such enormous encompassings should choose such a place to live and work. Guayasamin is a multi-paneled panorama himself. His entire being described what it means to be a Latin American, a mestizo of conqueror and conquered blood, a Spanish speaker, a Catholic with indigenous roots, a sufferer, the dog beaten by the stick, the revolutionary and eventually the political voice of the masses risen up against that beating stick.

Guayasamin came from humble roots the oldest of ten siblings. His mother died young and he was raised by his father, a taxi driver, in one of Quito’s squalid neighborhoods. He entered the school of fine arts in 1932 against his father’s wishes and so found his voice expressing the poverty and suffering of his childhood and the greater suffering of what it meant to be indigenous in a society collectively racists and segregated.

And so the life of a man and his works.

How do you wrap it all up into an easily digested rice ball? Take a stroll to Guayasamin’s museum and you will get something digestible, but not so easy to chew. You will be left there hanging with that something in your mouth that reminds you, no matter how hard we try to forget, that the world is not, has never been, and never will be completely palatable. Guayasamin saw so much of man’s worst atrocities during his professional career spanning over 6 decades. Influincing him and his works were the ravages of WWII, the nazi concentration camps, the Spanish Civil war, the atomic bomb, the growing shouts of protests in South America, the torturous regimes of Pinochet, Allende, the Junta, CIA intervention, Vietnam, Revolution, Counterrevolution. Here was a man who chewed it all up and spit it back at us to chew on.

Perhaps his most famous work and what struck me the most are the large paneled paintings from his period “Age of Anger” entitled “The hands.” Featured are series of 12 paintings representing the beggar, silence, fear, terror, anger, screams, tenderness, prayer, meditation, hope, protest, insatiable. Against a sullen blue-black background are these gaunt hands twisted by the emotion of their owners face which they sometimes embrace sometimes hide. The hands and disembodied heads thrust themselves out from the canvas at you and refuse to let you walk by. Refuse to let you ignore they’re emotions for though they are only two hands and one head they stand for something much much larger. This is Guayasamin’s greatest skill: he focuses upon one subject through most of his pieces, but manages to encompass the whole world for which that subject represents.

I was immediately reminded of Picasso’s works of the Weeping Women which led up to his master piece mural “Guernica” that expressed the shame, horror, and anger that was felt against Franco’s atrocities during the Spanish revolution. And I wondered why had I never heard of this Guayasamin before outside of Ecuador. Surely his message must have been more noteworthy. For if Picasso is describing a single country, Guayasamin is describing a whole Pan-America. From Mexico to Patagonia, the suffering of a people held underneath Spanish and US dominance, under continual internal upheaval during years of coups and revolutionary wars. And underneath it all is the continual suffering of the indigenous. Guaysamin’s name is of indigenous origin. He takes it serious, the race he represents, for who he is and the history of their suffering. Surely this man could have used a bit more press back home.

Quotes encountered in a museum stroll

“ I cried because I had no shoes until I met the child that had no feet”

“For the children that death took while playing, for the men that weaken while working, for the poor that fail while loving, I will paint the gun scream, with the thunder potency and the eagerness of battle.”

Guasamin is Ecuador and Ecuador is Guayasamin. Further he is all of Latin America. When asked in an interview if he worried that he would not see the end of his final masterpiece: the Capella de Hombre(chapel of man) a 2800 sq. m quadratic stone building holding a collection of his work, Guaysamin replied: “Don’t you know that death does not exist. I am more than three thousand years old.” He knew that he was a continuity of this continent. That he came before and would survive after.

So go up and discover Guayasamin on your own. His museum is open to the public and contains works of Pre-Columbian indigenous art, colonial art, and his personal collection all housed in the home where he formerly lived. A five block walk upward will bring you to the Capella de Hombre.

Cost: $4 museum, $2 Capella de Hombre

Location Bellavista–$2-$2.50 cab ride from La Mariscal

Museum: Mon-Fri 10-5:30

Capella: Tues—Sun. 10-5:30

To check out more on Guaysamin visit the site: http://www.guayasamin.org/pages_ing/index.html

Recall the last article when I debated the merits of staying in the centro or in the north. While the north is a bit cleaner and relatively a bit more safe, in the centro rests all those places worth seeing. For this, I explained, a room in the centro might be better for those who don’t like transporting themselves around cities as you’ll be a stones throw from everything. And no trip to Guayaquil is complete without taking in the three main attractions: Parque de Iguana(Iguana Park), the Malecon 2000(The Boardwalk) and the Cerro de Santa Ana(Hill of Santa Ana).

Just about 5 or ten minutes walk from any guest house in the centro is one of Guayaquil’s favorite and curious attractions, the Parque de Iguanas. Originally dubbed Parque Seminario, as it sits in front of a cathedral, the park has become known as Iguana park for the free-roaming prehistoric beasts that inhabit the park. The iguana are quite docile and will take food out of your hand if you’re brave enough to let a five-foot reptile approach that close to your succulent little fingers. Coming to Parque Iguana is a bit like being to the zoo–that is if you were allowed in the exhibit with the animals. You’ll find the park located on 10 de Agosto and Chile Ave.

Also a stones throw from any guest house downtown is the Malecon 2000. The Malecon 2000 is a bit of respite from the city and a testament to urban renewal. You can walk along the banks of the River Guayas as it flows past and enjoy the nice breeze while on any given day you’ll see couples and families, business men, joggers, groups of students, little children and just about anybody from all walks of life enjoying this nice walk. It meanders its way from the south to the north for about 2.5 kms and is safe both day and night due to the good lighting and constant security patrol.

On the Malecon 2000 you’ll find a wealth of attractions for everybody. There is the first IMAX built in Ecuador for a bit of entertainment, shops, restaurants, exercise areas, tropical gardens, and three museums: a Planetarium, an Anthropological Museum, and a Natural history museum. Probably the most famous famous attraction, though, is the Tall Ship of Guayaquil.

Christened the Guayas, this 257-foot, three masted barque is a tribute to the heyday of Guayquil’s trade along the malecon. There is a nice tour to be taken on the Guayas as it cruises down and then back up the river. It leaves several times a day, but the best time is at sunset. You can catch the sundown from on the water and as it sails upriver toward the Cerro de Santa Ana, you’ll have a stunning view of the hill and lighthouse as these brighlt painted homes are lit up. There is a bar and kitchen, so you can order a beer and a burger or fish and enjoy the sights and being on the water. I can’t remember the exact cost for the trip, but I think it was $10-15 dollars—well worth it in my opinion. And it leaves every hours or so from the morning til night. The tour itself is about 1 hour

To read more about the Malecon check http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malecon_2000.

The last top spot is the Cerro de Santa Ana(The hill of Santa Ana), the oldest part of Guayaquil. I mentioned the Cerro in last week’s article as a cool little place to hang and chill and enjoy a steak or beer with friends. The brightly painted cafes, bars, restaurant, little shops, and houses which line the infamous 444 steps leading up to the lighthouse are a great experience. The steps are perfect day or night as it is safely patrolled and well lit at all hours. The commanding view is an inspiring end to the long trudge up those stairs. Believe me, it’s a good workout. You’ll be a little winded. But the view from the top, looking south down the Malecon toward the Guayas tied up in port, will be that facebook photo you profile the next day.

So don’t be bummed out if you must pass through Guayaquil. I have spent many a day there in transit or sorting out visa/medical issues. There is a wealth of activities and all who have visited agree that a day spent with the iguanas, trip to the Maelcon and a trudge up those 444 steps is not at all a bad day spent.

To read more about Guayaquil check parts 1 and 2.

So what should you do if you’re passing through Guayaquil? Well, most people treat it like a waylay point, and not for unjust reason. Guayquil is flat, muggy,as dangerous as Quito can be(if not more), and spread out higgly-piggly like Los Angeles with no central rhyme or reason. As such, Guayaquil is often passed over and most travelers flying in or out or passing north or south choose to spend the night in the airport or bus station without venturing out into the city.

But for as much as I like to avoid it, there are some good points to Guayquil. And like Los Angeles, if you know the good little enclaves to hit—especially if you have a local guide to take you around–then you should take advantage of this urban hub. Guayquil does have some noteworthy attractions to tourists and expats alike. As well there is a pretty happening gastro-party scene and, to mention, all the government, transport, immigration, and medical facilities you will need if you’re living in this region.

With there being lots to say, I will focus on why Guyaquil is important to you, the tourist or potential ex-pat giving some practical nuts and bolts info on getting there and away, and some precautionary tales. In the subsequent articles, I’ll focus on accommodations, restaurants, and bars. And then in the final one I’ll give a not-to-miss guide to the city.

First off, a bit about Guayaquil. Guayquil’s colonial roots go back to July 25, 1538 when Spanish conquistador Francisco de Orellana named it officially Muy Noble y Muy Leal Ciudad de Santiago de Guayaquil (Most Noble and Most Loyal City of St. James of Guayaquil). Guayquil’s whole economic and strategic importance stems from its location on the mouth of the river Guayas which flows into the Pacific Ocean. Guayaquil was the first city to win independence in Ecuador on 9^th of October 1820 and its economic means funded an army that liberated Cuenca and marched on Quito in first defiance to Spanish rule. Its importance as a commercial hub has never been doubted. Peru has always licked its lips at the thought of gaining such a wonderful deep-water port. In 1829 and 1860 Peru invaded the city and blood was shed in its defense. Even as late as 1930, when Peru’s tanks and foot soldiers advanced, they came close to capturing it, stopping short at Machalla just to its south.

Guayquilenos have always had a very independent spirit and feel themselves to be Ecuador’s number one city. They do have the economic trade, the main port, the largest urban population and a strong football club: Barcelona, the perennial rival to Quito’s La Liga to support this claim. For how much I love Qutio, many Quitenos can be a bit like blue-blooded Bostonians about their city’s stake for Ecuador’s number one. Quitenos  point to their historic roots—the central historic is one of South America’s best preserved, their host as the seat of government, and La Liga’s championship results on the international football scene. In addition, you’ll hear the the more rooted people of the sierra speaking pejoratively of the coastal folk, calling them Guayacos or monos(monkeys). Just a bit of FYI, if any Guayaquileno is within earshot, I wouldn’t use any such words in reference.

Nonetheless, Guayquil has become increasingly important for expats and tourists traveling or settling in the southern Sierra or coastal regions of Ecuador. First off, Guayaquil is the transport hub of Southern Ecuador. The international airport is serviced by 17 airlines. Cuenca, Montanita, and the Peruvian border are just a three hour bus ride away. As well, Villcabamba, another great tourist and expat zone, with its own nearby Peruvian crossing is about 12 hours away by bus.

Secondly, Guayquil is the southern seat of all important government offices you might need . The office of immigration, where you must go to register within the first 30 days(if you plan on staying more than three months) is conveniently located directly across the street from the bus terminal. Here you obtain your ID card. You will need if you plan on entering or leaving the country. They won’t let you travel without it and could potentially throw you in jail if you’re without it. It’s hours are from 8—to 5 every day.Another important office is the Ministerio del Litoral: http://www.minlitoral.gov.ec. Here is where you go to apply for any visa change should you want to extend or apply for residency, student status, etc. It’s office is across from the World Trade Center opening M-F 8:30 to 4:30.

Finally, a US Consulate is located here. Head here in case of emergency and if you should need any assistance such as notarial, announcement of marriage or childbirth, and to apply get a replacement passport or extra pages. Check them out at: http://guayaquil.usconsulate.gov/. Their hours are M-Th 12-4. You should go to their website first as you will have to book your appointment online first.

Next, any medical issues or should you need vaccinations while you are in the south—head to Guayaquil. The best and most extensive private clinic is the Kennedy clinic. Here any doctor can be found. Check out this article for more info on Kennedy.Should you need any vaccinations, get to Guayaquil. Many can be had free or at a discounted rate via the Centro de Salud(Centers of Health). I received many different booster shots for free or at a reduced price. For yellow fever vaccinations, which you will need for travel throughout much of Sout America,head over to Direccion Provincial de Salud, located at Panama and Padre Agruirre. There they could tell you where to head for all other vaccines.

Lastly, a note about safety. This is a big latin American urban center. As such there are lots of gangs, drugs, and guns. DON’T WALK AROUND AT NIGHT, Even if it is just a few blocks, take a cab. For selecting cabs, if its possible, have your hotel call a cab. While most of the time it shouldn’t be a problem, I have heard first hand accounts from people held hostage in cabs and taken around to ATMs to drain their accounts.  That being said, Guayquil must have the most considerate brigands.  One friend was actually given back 5$ for cab fare after being bled for about a grand.

But don’t be scared. Most likely, nothing wil happen. This kind of stuff only happens at night, not in the daytime. At night, just be sure to have your hotel, or restaurant call you a cab. Should you have to take a cab off the street, never take an unlicensed cab and check to make sure the photo and license match up. As often is the case, robbers will steal a cab to do their muggings. Guayquil is dangerous—as all Latin cities are, but given the proper strategy and awareness, nothing will happen.

Stay tuned next time, when we delve into the Guayaquil’s points of interest.

For more on Guayaquil check out this article.

In my post-binge state I was seriously considering the hammock slung from a nearby beam while from the stereo emerged Anthony K’s melodic chant from some Chili Peppers song. I sipped on a glass of red while the surf crashed beyond the restaurant’s radiance of light. Engulfing the empty beach, the nights sole source of shelter seemed to be that made from within Don Carbon. DC’s separation from the mad crazy party town of Montanita isn’t much, just five minutes by foot, though it feels worlds away both in space and in spirit from Montanita.

DC’s menu strikes out at you with its layout, the mural of the giant hand and all-seeing eye dressing its cover. You have the feeling going through it that the same care which inked the drawings works into the flavor of the dishes. Don Carbon’s artisan feel can both be measured in the care and preparation of it’s good food and the organic atmosphere it creates. Things here are quite simple. A mixed parrillada like I described above. Also featured are an array of sandwiches, burgers and pizzas. What separates the selection from any burger or pizza joint, is, of course, the care in the preparation and the quality of ingredients. From my vantage, I watched the chef throwing fresh-made dough for a pizza. The bread as well for the burgers is fresh- made. All the ingredients and salsas are prepared fresh and with equal care and attention. The proof? It’s in the pudding. People are beginning to talk and the reports are equal—Don Carbon is putting out some of the best food available now in Montanita.

I knew from the moment I sat and sunk my feet into the sandy floor and took in the interior of Don Carbon that there was a story behind this place. So after my meal I had a sit with the owner, Marcelo Silva, to get his story and the story of his restaurant. Silva, a 37 year old transplant from Montevideo, Uruguay took his first culinary chits in restaurants around Miami when he was 19. After working far and wide, Marcelo finally settled into Guayaquil where he opened his first Don Carbon, located in a popular gastro-district of Guayaquil known as Urdessa. Much acclaim went out for restaurant which caught the attention of hostal owner, Diego Gozenbach, whose hostal, Kundalini occupies some of the most prime property on Montanita’s beachfront. Thus begun the partnership of Don Carbon and Kundalini hostal last November, and the second locale of Don Carbon opened here in Montanita..

What I first sensed of Silva was his passion for talking of his vision—his exuberance that one could only describe as youthful. What quickly became the theme of our chat was Silva’s vision for what Montanita had become and could be again When the pueblo was still a fringe backpacker town, back when the planet was still a lonely place, travelers sought out little enclaves such as Montanita. Now it has gone the way as most you-should-have-visited-10-years-ago places. Montanita is like most place that I have passed through with wayward organic roots. Places like Byron Bay, Australia; Itacare, Brazil; Kho Phan Nang, Thailand: all those places that just got too overrun and touristic. With the influx of money and the prospect of increased tourism, construction takes off rampantly without consideration for the roots which originally drew in travelers. Some kind of original magic is inevitably lost.

With so many bars and trinket shops already cemented in place, it is true: you can never get back what was lost. But Marcelo believes, and I agree with him, that you can try to work on the bearings that the tourism in a place is taking. Montanita is at a crossroads now. It still has a lot of its rustic, beachy, and surfy roots, but as I talk to many people throughout the country, its rep has been tarnished. Sex and drugs seems to have propelled the town in the last few runaway years of the unforgiving chase of tourist dollars.

Now I will admit that I enjoy a good party. Montanita would be dull without it. But balances must be maintained or consequences will be felt. So what could be the other direction for this town? Well if the level has gone down, then look up. I have found that in tourism you get what you offer. If you offer tat then you get tit. If you offer something a bit more upscale—well then the scales begin to tip in the other direction. If you want sex tourists, build titty bars. If you want backpackers, offer $2 a night hostals and $1 sticks of street meat.

But if you want to see things move upscale start offering something above the mark. Start with cuisine. Offering a good organic, community focused alternative has been the lack in Montanita’s food chain. This gap could be filled by Marcelo and Don Carbon. Already he is offering good cuisine and in the future hopes to have an all organic menu. Throw in the setting and reasonable prices, you get a great combo. We talked long about supporting a local community of organic farmers. We talked of training locals to produce organic foods for local consumption; using the restaurant to benefit the community, not just the owners wallet.

Now I’ll admit that one restaurant wont’ tip the scale in terms of offering a remedy for Montanita’s tourism woes. But it offers a possibility and I think the world feeds on models. If you see something put into action, then you realize the world is only destined to what we make of it. Inevitability is just the lazy man’s assessment as he flicks ashes from the vantage of his hammock. Already in Montanita, here and there, there are little pockets of style emerging to defy its tarnished rep. And I think this sort of place could use to continue turning over stones. Perhaps we will see a new style and approach to Montanita land development. Perhaps we will see the offer of a more holistic alternative—drawing in the upscale client who would demand such services.

And so here-in lies Silva’s artistic vision, and one not shared by him alone in the community. And I was drawn again to the mural with its all-seeing eye, signifying the artist’s vision. It’s a push to create that separates things average from things great. Look for good things in the future from Marcelo and Don Carbon. A new bakery and cafe. Outdoor film screenings of independent movies on the beach. And an organic, locally supplied menu.

Come see for yourself : two location

Montanita, on the beach at Kundalini Hostal, 5 minutes on foot north from town.

Guayaquil: 128 and Diagonal in Urdesa Cental next to Plaza Triangulo

Example price per meal:

Food

$10 parrillada

$6.50/11.50 Pizza(pers./med)

$5–$9 Sandwich

Drinks:

$4-5 cocktail

$2.50—3.50 beer

$ 4cup of wine

For more on Montanita check out these articles on  hotels and restaurants.

Being a poet already, I was fitting into this evening like a glove and knocking back a couple beers on this splash-out of a stay. Having just escaped Quito I needed a bit of space and perspective along with a good view of the surf. Hotel La Barranca gives the ol’ eagle-eye of Montanita’s point break—of special interest to traveling surfers—but a splendid sight for any and all. Located about a km from the banging and booming of Montanita’s hectic nightlife, Hotel La Barranca provides respite for all those wanting to get away from it all—but not too far away.

Meet Cesear Junio, the owner of Hotel La Barranca. When I did he was reclining in a hammock in the hotel’s main patio and dining area talking to a young couple interested in buying property. New Yorker by birth, living in Ecuador for the last 10 years, Cesear easy going style and calling card New Yorker accent treats each guests with abundant friendliness, service and advice. Cesear’s robust kindness carries onto his staff as well. I have found that top service is a drop-down kind of thing. If management is treated well by owners then so is the staff friendly and helpful to guests. Here the staff was genial and quick on the draw when called upon, always ready to assist.

Hotel La Barranca sees to everything you could want. A/C, Cable T.V., WiFi, hot water and private baths, bar and restaurant, several decks with hammocks and hanging chairs, jacuzzi under the stars and, of course, Montanita’s best view. Hotel La Barranca is the hotel for a Montanita holiday. And now is the time to come to Montanita. The busy season is just ending. The crowds are thinning out while the sun is still strong. Come to Hotel La Barranca for Montanita’s best service and best amenities at a fair price.

Single person: $35 high season/ $30 low season

Couples: $50/$40

Triple occupancy: $90/ $70

Quadrupal occupancy: $120/$80

Quintupal occupancy: $150/ $120

suite: $240/ month/ $180 month

a la carte menu (Br, Lu, Di$3.50-$6.50

drinks (water, soda, beer)$1-$3.50

check out the website: http://www.labarrancamontanita.com/

Most popular amongst the tours is the Colonial Hacienda tour.  Imagine setting off on beautiful grassy tracks taking in the Northern Highlands of the Andean Valleys all the way through to the arid plains of Cotopaxi national parks.  Each day of the seven day tour takes in a new Hacienda.  These are a select bunch of Haciendas chosen for their historic and luxuriant appeals—some date back to 1600′s and one of them has taken existing ancient Incan structures and incorporated them into the existing walls.  And what an incredible way to arrive—kick your boots up and warm to a fire and delicious home cooked meal well earned after a canter through some of Ecuador’s stunning scenery.

Owned and operated by Englishwoman, Sally Vergette,  Ride Andes has been long established for 15 years since 1996.  Sally still guides many of the tours and has a highly devoted and experienced group of native guides.  These folks know these hills like back of their horses hooves.   Other than the Hacienda tours, one has the option to circle Cotopaxi on another 8 day option, taking in all the beauty of Cotopaxi National Park.  The itineraries are 8 days and require an intermediate to advanced level of horsemanship, though the tours can be adjusted to shorter itineraries to encompass any riders needs and time constraints.

Contact Ride Andes for more info and a full list of all riding options here in Ecuador and throughout South America:  www.rideandes.com

Not a huge fan of horses? Tour the Andes on a bicycle.

A walk through Bungalow sees framed picture of iconic movies, sports stars, and actors, lining the wall. Downstairs is dominated by the dance floor and DJ where there is always a display of beautiful people living it up drinking the popular Pesceras (fishbowls), a big bowl filled with a heavy concoction of booze and mixers. Stepping upstairs one enters my bar, a more relaxed setting where one can take a break from the shoulder to shoulder frenzy downstairs. More of a pub feel with lots of different rooms to relax in and watch TV on our array of big screens. Now we have four independent cable boxes so you’re invited to flip around the massive selection of movie, music and sports channels. I mix it up behind the bar and lots of foreigners like to come hang out up here and chat with other foreigners and Ecuas alike. Available also are table football, darts and 3 regulation size pool tables.

Wednesday night, or ladies nights, at Bungalow is mainstay here in the Mariscal party scene and hands down the most popular night at Bungalow. Ladies are allowed free entry and until 10 o’clock it’s ladies only downstairs where women can drink for free and socialize amongst each other without being bothered by an onslaught of men. Wednesdays also sees half price on the famous Bungalow Wings and everybody knows Bungalow has the best wings in Quito. There is ascending order of hotness each with it’s own special flavor from the inert BBQ to the Spicy Garlic, Asian Zing, Buffalo, Texas Heat and going strait to hell with the Burning Brown Eye(if you can eat 6 in 10 minutes your order is free—nobody has ever been victorious). Also on the menu are arguable the best burgers in the Mariscal. I am partial to the Smoked hickory and bacon Burger, but also popular are Mushroom Swiss, and the “Hell Burger”–hot sauce and jalapenos.

Normally open from Wednesday to Saturday, Bungalow has started special Sunday hours showcasing Sunday Football. The four independent cable boxes allow all four broadcast to be shown simultaneously. Wings and Burgers are on tap as well as the full selection of booze and beers. Mostly an expat and teacher crowd, it’s a great way to get to know a few locals, try your luck at fantasy football and spend an afternoon watching good ol’ American football way down south in Ecuador.
Location: La Mariscal, Quito corner of Calama and Almagro

Check out their Facebook group for all the latest news and photos here.

For more places to party in Ecuador look at these past posts.

Looking for a place to watch American football in Costa Rica? Check out this great bar and restaurant.