Some of the most amazing discoveries are hidden in plain sight. While Ecuador is justifiably famous for the Galapagos Islands, the rest of the country was an utter revelation. We found the history, art and culture fascinating, marveled at the beautiful and diverse surroundings in the cities, Cloud Forest and Andes alike, were pampered at boutique hotels and lodges and were well looked after by our private guides. The only question in our mind now is how soon we can go back for more!
First impressions count, and it was hard not to notice the brand-new light-fill
ed and efficient Mariscal Sucre international airport, the wide, modern highway leading into Quito’s old quarter (the largest and best preserved historic center in the Americas) and the stunningly restored and modernized mansion-turned-hotel, Casa Gangotena, fronting the historic cobble-stoned Plaza San Francisco and the twin bell towers of the Monastery of San
Francisco. The Independence Square, Carondelet Palace (seat of government), Archbishop’s Palace, Basilica del Voto Nacional, Cathedral of Quito and the ornate, gilded Jesuit Church were just a few minutes’ walk away under clear blue skies and crisp fresh air
(Quito is at an elevation of 2800 meters and is cool year round). While Quito has 130 monumental buildings and was the first city named a world heritage site by UNESCO, it also has a sprawling modern section where we felt immediately at home.
A walk around the historic center is a prelude for what is the defining characteristic of a holiday in Ecuador: it is ACTIVE! We hiked and snorkeled in the Galapagos, trekked through the jungle and swam at a waterfall in the Cloud Forest and rode horses and hiked in the Andes. This level of activity not only made the sumptuous and leisurely breakfasts, lunches and dinners more enjoyable but guilt-free as well. And yes, we were tempted by extra servings of dessert, particularly the Tres Leches cake (three types of milk and cream).
The Galapagos - In the Footsteps of Charles Darwin
Our first major destination after Quito was the Galapagos,
just 2.5 hours away by plane, where we spent 7 comfortable nights onboard Yacht La Pinta. A boat is the most convenient and effective way to see the Galapagos as the archipelago is quite spread out, with 18 main islands across 220 km and spanning 45,000 square kilometers of the Pacific Ocean! Yacht La Pinta moved from one spot to another
during meal times or over night while we slumbered. We didn’t waste any precious time in transit and would awake to see a completely new coast line to explore outside our window each morning.
And, explore we did: twice each day we would board a small black panga (Zodiac boat) where the expert boatman would
take us and our naturalist guide through the waves to shore for a dry landing on the beach (or sometimes a wet landing where would wade through knee deep water). The 8 islands we visited were at least subtly different in term of terrain, vegetation and animals and were pristine and untouched. Apart from some some basic trails that we tourists needed to keep to, the Galapagos were unspoiled and we may as well
as have been following in the foot steps of Charles Darwin during the voyage of the Beagle.
We hiked over sand, smooth weathered rocks and craggy volcanic terrain in the shadow (or sometimes on the slopes) of towering, slumbering (yet not inactive) volcanoes. Prehistoric marine and land iguanas were plentiful and
stared at us calmly with unblinking reptilian eyes, yet were so relaxed with our presence that you could have stepped on them if you weren’t careful. Galapagos Giant Tortoises (the largest in the world; we saw several sub-species) watched us silently from under dense foliage and retreated into their
shells when we drew near. Black-feathered male Great Frigatebirds inflated their gular sacs, covering their neck and chest with a large, bright red, somewhat heart-shaped balloon (it was the breeding season, after all). Blue-footed Booby marine birds viewed us with striking pale blue eyes and occasionally treated us to displays of fishing prowess, diving almost vertically from 30 meters in the air and piercing the water at nearly 100 kmh to ambush their prey. We snorkeled every 1-2 days and were treated by up-close
encounters with large colonies of playful Sea Lions that twisted and streaked around us and watched us with curious eyes, seemingly amused by our relative clumsiness under water.
It was truly special to be so near to so many of these animals. They were by no means tamed or domesticated but had simply never been threatened by humans — long may it last!
From the Equator to High Up In the Clouds
Speaking of last, while visitors often visit the Galapagos at the end of a trip to save the best for last, we did the reverse. The constant exposure to the sun and the twice daily hikes were wonderful antidotes to our jet lag. Our next destination after the Galapagos was Mashpi Lodge in the Cloud Forest, which was a 3 hour ride north of Quito on beautiful, modern highways. Mashpi Lodge was literally for the birds -- specifically hummingbirds! We spent an entire morning taking pictures of over 20 different species -- or at least trying to as they moved so quickly and unpredictably! They seemed to come in all size and colors, some with long beaks
half as long as their body (specialized to reach deep into flowers), others with tail feathers longer than their body (a display by the males to attract females).
Mashpi was a magical contrast to the dry & arid Galapagos.
The lodge was a modern and minimalistic glass, concrete and steel structure that kept us both connected with nature yet cocooned in luxury. The Cloud Forest is over 2,000 meters above sea level and seemed to always be at least partially enshrouded in a cooling fog or low clouds. The "primary" or pristine forest was home to towering ancient hardwood trees and the dense canopy of leaves provided shelter from the sun and the wet, humid ecosystem home to a diversity of “little things”… orchids, bromeliads, spiders, caterpillars, butterflies and like which captivated our attention on long winding hikes with our expert guide. Adding to the adventure, we were issued rubber Wellington boots and hiking sticks to help us navigate muddy trails, swam in a waterfall and rode a 2-person Sky Bike suspended like a mini gondola for a spectacular 15 minute bird's eye view of the forest.
Mountains, Presidents and Condors
While Mashpi, the Galapagos and Quito were terrific, spending our last days in Ecuador at Hacienda Zuleta in the Andes was just the perfect place to end our trip. It's more like a visit to
someone’s home, albeit a 15-bedroom sprawling ranch house set in 2,000 hectares of land owned by the family of not 1, but 2 past Presidents of Ecuador! Just 2 hours by road north of Quito, Zuleta is owner-run & managed by Fernando Polanco (grand-nephew of former President Galo Plaza), and what a warm, gregarious and engaging host he was! What made it even more special is that the Hacienda is a running farm, with organic herbs and vegetables, ponds filled with Rainbow Trout, fields and corrals with cattle, a dairy (the fresh creme and butter w
ere sublime!), their famous factory producing their cult-branded cheeses, and stables of beautiful horses. They also have a choice of several well-marked and extensive hiking and
horse-riding trails for the more intrepid guests.
We explored the sprawling hacienda on horseback (our guide helped us to select beginner-friendly horses!) and were treated with breathtaking vistas (Zuleta Valley is in the shadow of the Andes mountains and 4 volcanoes), an extremely rare sighting of a mating pair of Andean Foxes and a visit to their Condor Research Station with Yann Potaufeu, resident Biologist & host. The Ecuadorean Condor has the largest wing span of all land birds and, as a scavenger, poses no threat to humans or live stock. Yet, this slow-breeding bird is highly endangered as it is often shot on sight by the local people, whose age-old myths tell of Condors swooping down and flying off with small children, calves and sheep. We hope that all guests to Hacienda Zuleta will support the educational outreach programs of the Condor Research Project.
Other highlights of our time at the hacienda were milking cows (it takes skill!), a hike up to 3,000 meters, the most
delicious meals served in the family dining room and perhaps some of the best coffee ever. Without giving away too much detail, Zuleta’s coffee essence breaks many of the conventions of coffee making and, if commercialized, we would love to have this as a staple in our home.
Sadly, all good things must come to an end. We ended our trip to Ecuador where it began, in Quito. We visited the Center of the World - where the GPS reads 0º 0’ 0” latitude - and also a gorgeous museum called The Chapel of Man by Oswaldo Guayasamin. Guayasamin was a personal friend of Fidel Castro and renowned Ecuadorian Cubist artist, His
ability to convey human emotions evokes the power of some of Picasso’s famous works.
We are now back in Hong Kong, firmly entrenched in our daily routine. Yet, we often pause, as memories of our wonderful trip to Ecuador flash through our consciousness. The biggest wonder, then is when we will return to Ecuador and continue exploring Latin America!