Ecuador, named because of its location directly on the equator. It was part of the Inca Empire then colonized by Spain in the 16th century. Ecuador has a very ethnically diverse population with 13 Amerindian languages in addition to Spanish.
Travelling there, our trip would take us from Quito, the capital, down through the middle of the country’s volcanic mountain chain to the coastal city of Guayaquil and then to the Galapagos Islands through a diverse array of climatic zones from high altitude ranges into cloud forest, rain forest, temperate farmland, coastal mangroves and lava-washed islands.
Hotel Vieja Cuba, a nice 3 star hotel was our first stop. Have your Spanish ready and the app translator. English is sparse. Altitude took a bit of getting used to. Lots of water, no alcohol. Quito sits on the base of the Pichincha volcano at 2850m rising to 4784m (15,696 feet) of you want to hike to the Pichincha summit. Taking it slow is the modus operandi.
First day walk about, getting to know the city took in a local market and a visit to Middle Earth Equator exhibit. You might save your money and give that a miss. The $40 cab ride brought us to a modest point of interest.
The local market is worth taking in. Remember that Ecuador is a source for fabulous alpaca woollens and is also where the original Panama hats are produced. I kept reminding my wife, Chris, that whatever she bought had to be carried for the next month and that we would return near the trips end. There is also a lovely park among the many near the city centre named Parque La Carolina with a remarkable botanical garden that is a hidden jewel. And once you become acclimatized to the altitude take the Teleferico cable car up to Pichincha for a hike in the mountains.
We generally like to be self guided but in countries where there is a significant language barrier we tend to join tours that offer a higher degree of adventure than typical tourist buses. We joined that group of adventurous Brits who turned out to be lots of fun. That first morning took us to El Panecillo, a mountain lookout for a view of the city and volcano alley offering a fabulous view of the 5 surrounding volcanoes. Then it was into Quito Old Town which is an architectural masterpiece of Spanish colonial buildings, grandiose churches, palaces and square.
Lunch on an outdoor patio in a square and then we were spirited out of the city and into the cloud forest.