N E X T J O U R N E Y . O R G



 In some ways, Ecuador is an easy country to  visit. It is a small country, the size of Nevada. No visa is needed for American visitors, no jet-lag is incurred, and the currency is the U.S. Dollar (the bills are American bills, and the coins are a mix or American and Ecuadorian coins).

Here is a very handy map of the Avenue of the Volcanoes from the web site of a hotel near Cotopaxi.

I only visited the Andean Central Highlands. The less developed coast is another possibility, and so are the Amazon Basin region (El Oriente) and the Galápagos Islands.

In addition to the huge bus network, domestic air travel is  convenient and fairly affordable. Having found myself marooned in Guayaquil upon arrival, I caught an ancient but well-maintained Tame 727 to Quito for $56. As always in the Andes, early flights are more likely to be on time.
When researching accommodations in Ecuador, I was intrigued by the idea of hacienda stays. So, while I slept in hotels in cities, I tried two haciendas in between. 
If you stay in the Historical District of Quito (Centro Historico), I wholeheartedly recommend the Real Audiencia Hotel. This is an affordable place with outstanding service and a wonderful view over the Plaza San Domingo (right).
Near Cotopaxi, I stayed at the sporty Hacienda El Porvenir. This was a place unlike any other (below). But it was also smoky from the fireplaces and allergenic from  the thatch. My gringo nose took one sniff and shut off. Too bad because the food and the company were delightful.
Haciendas are ranches or farms which have been turned into inns. Some activities are planned for guests (such as horseback riding and hiking). Just like jungle lodges, haciendas can be very isolated, many miles away via a dirt road from the nearest hamlet. A hacienda stay is most picturesque, but you will not meet local people among the other guests. 

Near Baños, I ended up at a fancier hacienda, equally isolated below a cloud forest reserve. The host at the Hacienda Manteles  (right) greeted me like a prized visitor, an ambassador perhaps, asking me many provocative questions about American and French politics. This was an opportunity to discover Ecuadorian aristocracy: I had a sense of noblesse oblige as the owner explained his efforts at educating his farmers about organic farming.
I arrived in Cuenca exhausted and found the comfortable Hotel Victoria, on the river. I got a good deal on a beautiful room (right). The hotel is in the midst of changing ownership, but it is a pleasant and well located place. I will put up a link as soon as the hotel has a working web site.
Unfortunately, Cuenca wasn't the restful coda I expected. I was the victim of theft twice in the space of 12 hours. Nothing major but it was rattling - and probably too much to be a simple coincidence. My advice, if you visit haunting Cuenca, is to have all valuables under your clothes, and carry only the minimum possible in any bag. (What have those thieves done with my chapstick, my umbrella, my postcards and a fake shrunken head? I wonder.)

As is often the case, the Lonely Planet guidebook was a precious tool. All  the information in the book was accurate and fairly up-to-date.


Another valuable tool for the independent traveler is the Virtual Tourist web site. Through Virtual Tourist, you find out about true off-the-beaten-path sights, and how to get there. The thousands of active (addicted) contributors to the site make it one of my favorite destinations on line.
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