The final stretch!

It has been an action packed final week in Ecuador to say the least! I spent an amazing 3 days in Banos-- hiking, checking out the many gorgeous waterfalls (via party bus with blaring music), taking sketchy cable car rides over canyons and of course soaking in the thermal baths that Banos is so famous for! I met some amazing people along the way, which all started with a long hike and a miniature Jeep ride in the mountains that surround Banos...

I was finishing up my hike with a friend from the hostel and we ended up not exactly getting lost, but rather believing misguiding signs-- a very common predicament in South America! As it was starting to get late, we were getting tired and the thought of finding our way back down to town was somewhat worrisome. And then, along came a speeding miniature Jeep packed with other tourists who asked if we wanted a ride-- to which we responded HELL YES! We ended up cruising around for over an hour in the mini Jeep up high on the mountain roads and then I ended up kicking it with the Jeep crew for the rest of my time in Banos! Fortunate and random things like this happen all the time while traveling-- but it never loses it`s awesomeness!

After a great stay in Banos, I headed to the secluded and gorgeous Secret Garden Hostel near Volcan Cotopaxi at an awesome 3,500 meters. A true gem, the Secret Garden is surrounded by multiple snow-capped volcanos, amazingly beautiful farmland, waterfalls and many trails and open green spaces to explore by foot or by bike. The hostel itself is heaven: hammocks, a hot tub, fireplaces galore (including in the dorm room), 3 delicious homecooked meals a day and lots of wine, beer and hot beverages! I spent my time there hiking (we had an epic adventure pictured above where we got lost in extreme fog on our way to Volcan Pasochoa) and basically soaking in the amazing views and enjoying the incredibly relaxing environment. It was nothing short of amazing!

This afternoon I arrived to Quito, where I will spend my final days of my journey. Tomorrow I will be taking a little day trip to the equator (Mitad Del Mundo) and the rest of my time here will be spent exploring the colorful colonial streets of the Old Town of Quito and a little bit of time on the new side. It is also important to note that it is now Carnaval, which is celebrated in Ecuador with crazy waterfights, intensified by the inclusion of eggs and flour in the celebrations. People walk down the streets dripping wet and covered in eggs and flour-- it is quite the sight to see! So far I haven`t been attacked (Gringos are far from exempt from the festivities)... but I don`t think I will stay this lucky!

The days left of my trip are numbered-- but they will be amazing until the end!

Living In a Galápagos Paradise

It is always hard to put into words for this blog the amazingness and wonder of my travels... the many adventures, the amazing destinations, the colorful people, the breathtaking beauty, etc. But this post is the hardest of all-- how do I possibly capture 8 of the best days of my life? I will try and hopefully the over 500 photos I took will help further illustrate my amazing Galapagos experience!

After exploring the many options available to cruise through the Galapagos (trust me... there are many and none of them are cheap), I chose an 8 day sailboat trip which featured lots of physical activity geared towards a younger crowd. I can say without a doubt I picked the perfect boat for me! It was so amazing to sail the ocean on our tiny boat-- the fresh ocean breeze and crystal clear views of the ocean surrounding us. I must say our boat was not luxurius, nor spacious for that matter-- but it was the perfect home for our 8 days and 7 nights in the islands. Each night I watched the sunset over the ocean and each morning I also watched the sunrise. I slept every single night out on the deck of the boat-- falling asleep while star gazing at the magnificently clear sky above with the fresh ocean air breezing by.

We started each day early and had a pretty standard and fabulous daily routine: 2 - 3 snorkel excursions, a hike around an island or 2, some time sailing at sea, 3 delicious meals a day (and a tea/snack time in the early evening) and star gazing and libations on the deck at night. It was heaven!

The Galapagos are incredibly beautiful and full of the most colorful, interesting and unique birds, reptiles, and marine life anywhere on earth. In my 8 days on the island I swam with sharks, sting rays and colorful fish of every variety, hung out with sea lions, watched giant tortoises mating (true story), paid a visit to some penguins, watched a Galapagos shark (the dangerous kind of shark found in the Galapagos) do circles around our sailboat, I saw iguanas that are over 80 years old dominate islands, watched various birds soar with blue feet, red neck pouches, long tailfeathers, and even saw a Galapagos hawk search for it`s prey. It all was absolutely incredible. The ocean and islands themself are pristine and gorgeous on their own and then when you add in the wildlife-- it is a combination beyond compare!

My birthday on the boat was incredible-- starting from the very first few moments when I woke to watch the sunrise from my cozy `bed`on the deck. The chef on the boat even made me a birthday cake and some of the other people on the boat even gave me little presents they were able to rummage together from their backpacks... It all was a wonderful surprise! Turning 27 years old has been fabulous so far-- I feel incredibly forunate for such a special birthday!

Our 8 days in the Galapagos went by in the blink of an eye-- but we did, saw and experienced so much in that time it was unreal. A beautiful, amazing and powerful experience from beginning to end-- I truly fell in love the Galapagos Islands! (I know I say this about everywhere I visit, but I mean it more than ever in this case!)

I am now currently in Cuenca, Ecuador where I arrived late last night. Today I spent time enjoying this amazing colonial city (including Inca ruins, a museum with shrunken human heads among many other things, a flower market of course a few cathedrals) and tomorrow I will travel about an hour outside of Cuenca to hike in Parque Nacional Cajas. If all goes well I will catch a night bus tomorrow heading towards Banos, where I will spend the next few days bathing in thermal baths, hiking and biking it up in the mountains. Oh and it will be Carnaval too-- bonus! Life is oh so good!

I am in utter disbelief that there is only just over a week left of my trip. Instead of feeling sad for such an amazing experience to end (although the emotions and the end are inevitable)-- I am going to focus only on making the most of the next 9 days! I have a jam packed agenda ahead of me-- bring it on Ecuador!