25 Days in Ecuador - Mountains to Coast

Animal Markets I thought the ones at Otavalo and Saquisili were pretty similar (although there were llamas at Saquisili and not Otavalo), so if you are limited on time, you don't need to see both. These markets offer a glimpse into rural Ecuadorian life, and watching the natives bargain for piglets can be fascinating.
Baths at Banos So relaxing! It is a very reasonable way to recreate the feel of a spa for only for unlimited time in the thermal pools. Top off the spa day with an excellent 1-hour massage for at Stay in Touch.
Cotopaxi Hike This is a must-do. If you are more fit and adventurous, you can do the longer hike to the summit, but if you just want some lovely views, like me, you can do a regular daytrip. It is beautiful.
Ayampe This tiny fishing village is not the most common place to visit the beach in Ecuador, but it was perfect for me, isolated and lovely, with the chance to mingle with locals and really relax.

Quick Tips:

You probably won't need a student ID here, as discounts are few and far between.

Ecuadorian food isn't the main focus of the trip. You can save money by eating bakery items or buying groceries. There are a few highlights, and there is good Colombian food available, but in general, don't spend too much on food.

The Otavalo Market is a great place to buy a second bag for souvenirs if you have a place to store your luggage in Quito. A woven duffel bag will cost from to with some good bargaining.

I went in January, a great time to travel. It was the low season, so I never felt surrounded by tourists and was, in fact, often alone at a site. It's a better time to bargain and the weather is generally good.

I did not deprive myself. I always had a private room and I did eat in restaurants, despite my own advice, but I never spent more than /day. If you are traveling with someone or work harder on a strict budget, you can definitely get by on less.

Best Way To Get Around:

Public transport is pretty good in Ecuador. In Quito, there are loads of buses, but I found the tram to be the best choice for all the places I needed to go. It's clean and efficient and runs in its own lane. Long-distance buses are very convenient as well and cost about per hour. In the terminals, people are quite helpful in guiding you to the correct bus.

Taxis are reasonable. They generally don't have meters, so you have to bargain before getting in. Many of the smaller towns (Banos and Cuenca) are very walkable.

The main reason most people come to Otavalo is for the huge market. Saturday is the biggest day, but the market seems to go on every day of the week. Most tourists come on Saturday, bused in on a day trip, while many of the serious shoppers or locals coming to the animal market come on Friday night. If you arrive on Saturday to spend the night, there are more walk-in options for hotels. If, like me, you want to spend Friday night there in order to see the early-morning animal market on Saturday, you must book ahead.

With the hotel I really wanted booked up a few days in advance, I went with Valle de Amancer. This was definitely a backpacker hotel, with all young travelers and full of hammocks, luggage storage, and the usual amenities. It was a very cute, colorful place, and reasonably priced at $8 per person (double occupancy), but the place I wanted was only $5.50. They did provide towels and toilet paper, which was pretty nice, and breakfast is included in this price. You pay per night up front.

I don’t recommend this place because of the noise problem. The rooms are all arranged around the common area with a fireplace and hammocks. Also, there are tables to eat or just hang out at right outside your doors. This seems open and friendly when you arrive during the day, and convenient if you want to play board games with your roommate, but at night, you constantly hear people talking. One night, just a few people were at the tables talking, but it was so close to our door that I felt like they were talking in my ear. The second night, a giant group of British gap-year travelers were playing LOUD drinking games by the fireplace. It was awful, and against my nature, I eventually had to go out and tell them to shut up.

In addition to the noise from voices, the place is not built to withstand any sort of walking noise. We were on the ground floor, and anytime someone walked on the second floor, it sounded like elephants. Even though I knew people were not purposely stomping up there, the sound was awful.

Anyway, the place is a good deal with the breakfast (which is quite tasty), but there are cheaper places in town. If you really need a backpacker place where you can meet others, this is probably a good choice, but the noise was a deal-breaker for me. It was not worth the $8.

At $10, Hotel Central was relatively expensive for Ecuador. However, it was for a private room with a bath, including towels, toilet paper, and a TV (although there were only Spanish channels, so the only things I understood were badly dubbed American movies and the nonstop football channel). The staff was kind and accommodating and put up with my horrible Spanish. They also allowed me to store my luggage for 2 days while I went off to Chugchilan. The rooms are located aboveground, which always makes me feel safer.

Hotel Central is affiliated with Hotel Cotopaxi around the corner, which arranges day trips to the volcano. The location is convenient to restaurants and convenience stores and very safe. It’s a long walk from the bus station, but everything is, as the station is on the other side of the bridge leading into town.

This is not a backpacker hotel. There is no real common area. I didn’t really mind, because there wasn’t much to do in Latacunga anyway and the room was really quite nice. If you can come a little out of your budget, it’s worth it. I am not sure if hotels in Latacunga come much cheaper anyway, since many tourists like myself use it as a base for exploring Cotopaxi and the Quilatoa loop.

Hostal Cloudforest was the best accommodation bargain I had in Ecuador - $6 for a private room without bath, including breakfast and dinner. You can also buy lunch there, and I don’t think it was more than $2. A dorm room (four bunk beds) is $4; a room with a bath is $8. You can pay your bill at the end, which is convenient, because it’s not always easy to have small change on hand.

The room is very small—it basically holds a queen-size bed and a dresser and chair, but very tightly. The bed is quite firm compared to some of the other hotel beds I’d had, with big, fluffy pillows and lots of blankets—you’ll need them, as the temperature drops drastically at night in the mountains! There was a small window and a hammock outside the door on the balcony/walkway. This room was located aboveground, while the dorm rooms were on the ground floor.

The showers were iffy. The one on my floor did not have hot water, nor did it have a working light bulb. The sweet couple who ran the place were very kind and accommodating, but busy and a bit forgetful. I asked repeatedly for a light bulb, but in 2 days it was not replaced. The shower with hot water was excellent, with great water pressure, but downstairs, which is a hassle. You must have your own towels and toilet paper.

The owners know that many people who stay in Chugchilan are leaving early in the morning for trips to Saquisili or Quilatoa and are happy to pack you a breakfast the night before. It was simple but sweet: water, rolls, and strawberries. Dinner is served in the warm common area (big wood-burning stove, wonderful as it gets colder), so you definitely have the opportunity to meet the other guests. Ecuadorian food in general is not spectacular, but this was home cooking, hearty and delicious. Beer was cheap as well, with big bottles for $1.

As a final gesture of hospitality, the night before five of us guests wanted to leave on the 3am bus to Saquisili, the owner offered to drive us in his truck. He was on his way to the market himself to buy a cow, as people are wont to do. It was a really tight squeeze with seven of us (including his father!) in the cab of the truck and the bus would have been more comfortable, but we got an extra hour of sleep, no worries that the truck would leave without us, and a funny story out of it.

Hostal Cloudforest is a great place in a lovely setting, with many beautiful nearby hikes in the area. The town itself is tiny, just a road, and there is nothing to explore there. But the mountain scenery is stunning. I really loved it there; it is best described as pastoral. There are children, sheep, and gorgeous mountains. It is very peaceful, cool, and beautiful.

I was a little disappointed when I first got to Hospedaje Santa Cruz, because I had bypassed hotels recommended by other travelers, determined to get to this one because of the supposed $4 price tag. But as usual, Lonely Planet’s price was off, and it was actually $6. However, it was for a rather large room with a private bath, towels, and toilet paper. There was a large bed, a table, and chairs. There was an excellent shower that was really hot and had high water pressure. There is also lots of closet space, so it’s a really good room if you are planning to stay a while. But of course I had nothing to store and would have taken less space for a lower price.

The decor is a bit inexplicable. The walls are spray-painted with bizarre designs, different in every room. Mine was just a mass of blue streaks and swirls.

The staff is nice enough, but there isn’t really a regular person at reception. The hotel is split into two buildings, and they are usually at the other building. I believe that’s where I paid, although I can’t remember for sure now. The other building seemed to be more backpacker-y and friendly. The building I was in was not as conducive to meeting other travelers. The common area was a bit too big, so we weren’t "forced" to meet, and no one really hung out there anyway. Oddly enough, late on Friday night, they blasted horrible Ecuadorian pop music the entire night into the common area (meaning all the rooms could hear it), but there was no one there to appreciate or want it.

The location is good, though, on an otherwise quiet street with a lovely view. It is fairly close to the Piscina El Virgin baths in town and to the bus stop for the El Salado baths outside of town. It is near the main square but not near any loud bars. Also, just down the street were many cheap laundry places and the best breakfast deal in town. Although I was a bit annoyed it wasn’t really $4, after staying there, I decided the price was worth it.

This is a great place to stay in Cuenca, really cheap and convenient. The staff is not friendly but nice enough, and the common area is a great place for meeting people. They have plenty of comfortable chairs and ashtrays and satellite TV, so you can watch English-language shows and movies.

For $4.50, you get a private room without bath. It’s pretty large, with sunny windows, sink, mirror, dresser, and coat rack, but the bed is not too firm. And I found out later the walls are sort of thin when an amorous couple moved in next door. The shared bathrooms do not feature toilet seats or toilet paper, but the showers are adequate. Bring your own towels.

The hotel is close to banks and bakeries, and you can catch the bus from anywhere to the main bus terminal. It’s close walking distance to the flower market, the main market (great for buying baskets or pottery), the artisan market, the river, and some of the better restaurants in town (which are not Ecuadorian).

You have to pay per-night here, and they are insistent about it. The hotel reception is located on the second floor of the building. My room was also on this floor, but I think there was at least one more floor of rooms. They also lock the street doors at night (I think it’s after 11pm), so you have to buzz up to be let in. It’s a good safety factor, but sometimes you have to buzz a long time to wake up the receptionist.

I definitely enjoyed my stay here. Nice, affordable, and I met some great travelers.

This small hotel on the beach—a collection of just four cabanas—it was incredibly sweet and a great way to close out my trip. A large family owned it--father Feliciano Loor, wife Marian, and five children, each more beautiful than the last. They also had two dogs. I was the only guest there (it was low season) and was treated like family.

My cabana was rather large, but for no real reason, since the only furniture was a bed with pink mosquito net. There was plenty of room for tables, chairs, other furniture--but instead I was throwing my things on the floor. There was a bathroom inside, including toilet paper and towels (featuring cartoon characters--I assume the children picked them out). For some reason, the water coming out of the tap smelled AWFUL--literally smelled of feces. It was a little disturbing. The shower itself was fine, though.

For $5, this was an amazing deal. This is the closest you will get to the beach on Ayampe. You are essentially on the beach but still almost 200 meters from the water. But you have a great view, can see the sunset from your hammock, determine whether the waters are choppy or if the fishermen will be out that morning (which is essentially the only entertainment you will have in this small village). You are allowed to pay your total bill at the end here--the family is VERY laid-back.

I really felt like I was in a homestay again. Every day when I came home, the family would excitedly ask me about me day, eager to hear about my activities. They would ask me how much I loved Ayampe. They invited me to eat dinner with them one night and continued to offer every night after that. When I was finally ready to leave, the oldest son drove me to the main road so I wouldn’t be lugging my big bag too far.

Feliciano told me he is planning to expand the place to include up to four more cabanas and a bar and restaurant. Currently there are two cabanas with double bed and bathroom, and two larger cabanas with two floors with three smaller beds upstairs. At $25, those are perfect for families or small groups. He built the place himself with the help of his son--it’s pretty amazing how much they had accomplished in just a year.

Cabanas Cuatro Estrellas (four stars, referring to Feliciano’s four gold teeth) is easily reached from the main road. From where the bus drops you off, walk straight forward into the village. Pass the only intersection, and you will see the Cabanas on your right. I really loved this place and recommend it to anyone who wants a cool, off-the-beaten-track beach experience in Ayampe.

Cuenca's dining scene was a nice break. There is a small collection of Colombian cafés on Honorato Vasquez, which were all excellent and a welcome change from Ecuadorian food. Even the food at the bus station was pretty decent, good for early morning departures when nothing else in town is open yet. And one night I splashed out with a really nice meal.

Moliendo Cafe is slightly more expensive than Ecuadorian places, but worth every penny. The dish recommended by Lonely Planet is the arepa mixta, which is a plate-sized arepa smothered in a large mound of beans, cheese, and meat. It is really gigantic for $2. I had my own definition of arepas, so I didn't think it would be enough, and ordered a $.40 empanada to go with it, which was perfectly fried and stuffed full of chicken and potatoes. Delicious. Then the arepa came and I realized my mistake. Another time I tried their arepa con queso. It was good, but not the yellow sweet-corn version I was expecting, which may be arepa choclo or something.

Rapides Colombianos is another great café, small and very cute. At both Colombian places I tried, the staff was extremely friendly and sweet. For breakfast I ordered another plate-sized arepa, this time topped with two fat, crisply fried chorizos (fresh, not dried) and the whole thing smothered in tasty guacamole. It was $1.50 for this amazing meal.

My splurge was at Cafe Eucalyptus on Gran Colombia. My friend and I happened to go on Ladies' Night (Wednesday), so with our entrées, we got unlimited wine (or beer). Cafe Eucalyptus is basically a theme restaurant, with small plates and entrées from all over the world, but the theme works and the food is excellent. We had salad, fried yucca, two entrées, dessert, and loads of wine and paid a whopping $9 each. Yes, that counts as a splurge for me, as Ecuadorian food is usually fairly cheap. But it was fantastic and such a fun night, so it is definitely recommended.

I mentioned in the overview that Ecuadorian food is not a highlight. But in Cuenca, I was able to really enjoy eating - because I wasn't eating Ecuadorian food. Take advantage of it!

In Ayampe, there is only one restaurant that I am aware of, the restaurant at Cabanas La Tortuga. It is well-made food, but fairly expensive for the type. For fried fish and a large portion of patacones (fried mashed plantain slices) and a Coke, I paid $6. Another night I had calamari stir-fried with rice for $4. The portions were extremely generous, but I would have preferred less food for less money.

If you are planning to eat seafood--and if you are on the coast, you should--you have to expect to pay a bit more than inland anyway. Ceviche will always cost a little more. Shrimp will cost a little more. The cheapest deal you can get is fried fish.

Ten minutes out of Ayampe, past the Rio Ayampe bridge, is a small collection of restaurants (or possibly tiny village?) called La Cabana. The Comedor La Cabana, right along the bridge, is the biggest and most convenient. Two dollars should get you a large plate of fried fish and patacones and a drink, plus some lime-marinated veggies. This was the best deal for eating closer to Ayampe, but for me, it was only practical for lunch because of the walk along the dark road.

In Puerto Lopez, you can eat ceviche to your heart's content. There is more competition here, as EVERY restaurant along the coastal road serves ceviche, so you'll pay a little less than at La Tortuga. At a restaurant called Sol, Mar y Arena, I paid $5 for shrimp ceviche with a generous portion of patacones and fresh mango shake. Another restaurant charged $5 for calamari ceviche and plantain chips.

Puerto Lopez's seaside street is packed with juice stalls. You should be able to get fresh juice or a juice mixed with milk for $1. It is definitely a good option. Another local specialty along the coast is corviche caliente. It's like a fish corn dog; I don't know a better way to describe it. It has a fried mashed plantain outside stuffed with salty fish, and it is highly recommended.

If you stay in Cabanas Cuatro Estrellas, they may have a restaurant by now. If not, perhaps Marian will invite you to dinner, as the family is very generous. Marian is a very good cook, making the same seaside specialties of fried fish and patacones, but she also makes excellent cheese empanadas. Even if you don't stay there, it will be worth checking the place out if they have a restaurant--I know the family thought La Tortuga was too expensive, so they will probably have reasonable prices.

I was lucky enough to discover TJ's because it happened to be on the same block at Hospedaje Santa Cruz. It was easily the best deal in town, as the tourist town of Banos is not the cheapest spot in Ecuador.

Breakfast costs $1.80. This included eggs, fresh homemade bread, hash browns, fresh juice (usually mora, yum), and tea or coffee. This is already cheaper than many places in town. But as an extra bonus, they have Internet computers, which you can use until the food arrives. It may only be 10 minutes, but it's enough to see if you have any important messages. The food is really tasty and well-prepared as well. Definitely stop by if you're in Banos.

Heart attack on a plate: Chugchucaras, the specialty of Latacunga, cannot be described any other way.

Chugchucaras La Mama Negra is purportedly the best place to eat this gigantic pork-intensive dish, and it definitely appeared to be the freshest and cleanest of all chugchucaras places on the street.

For $4.50, you get the big version. I don't know what's in the small version. In the big version you get:

Chicharron (fried fatty pork)

Mote (white corn)

Fritadas (fried pork chunks)

Plantains (sweet, mature)

Empanadas (sweet cheese)

Fries

Deep-fried pork skin

Oil-laden popcorn

Toasted corn

It's a crazy calorie explosion, but delicious. It was more than I usually spent on food, but it was more than enough food to be my only meal for the day. It’s a must-try in Latacunga.

Ayampe is a lovely, peaceful fishing village. Very few tourists, although locals say there are more during Carnaval. The village consists of two streets and four small hotels (that I'm aware of). There are two tiny convenience stores which mainly contain water and ice cream, one bar, and I think just one restaurant in the hotel Cabanas La Tortuga. To get there, take the bus to Santa Elena ($3) from the Guayaquil terminal, then wait (it may take a while) for another bus ($3) that goes up the coastal road. You will be hassled by taxi drivers until the bus arrives, but the ride up is lovely. It took longer and cost more than I expected, but I was so glad to be there.

The beach there is a bit rocky--it is mainly sand, but there are many rocks strewn near the coastline that you can’t avoid at high tide. It's wise to wear shoes in the water, and many locals do.

Watching the fishing is great, especially when it's time to pull in the full boats. Lots of people get involved, including women and children. It’s possible that they will take you out with them if you ask. I never did because the seas were so rough I only saw them fishing once, didn’t get to develop a relationship with the fishermen.

If you need a bigger town for a few hours--for the restaurants and Internet--Puerto Lopez is 30 minutes away by bus, with frequent buses on the main road. You can also take the bus in the other direction for Montanita.

From Puerto Lopez, you can arrange tours to Isla de la Plata or snorkeling trips around Isla Salanga. I took the snorkeling trip, which I definitely recommend. It was far from great snorkeling, as there really was no reef, but it was such a relaxing day. We stopped by many lovely, isolated beaches that were only reachable by boat, were fed constantly with fresh fruit and other snacks, and of course enjoyed the scenery from the boat!

If you don't need to go into Puerto Lopez, you can also eat cheaply at La Cabana. Go out to the main road and take a left, walk about 10 minutes until you pass the small bridge over Rio Ayampe. For $2, you can get fried fish, patacones, and a drink--very filling.

There is really nothing going on in Ayampe, but it was perfect for me. I just wanted to chill out and not deal with partying backpackers, and I had the opportunity to meet some hospitable locals as well. It's a charming place to unwind and simply stare at the sea.

Laguna Quilatoa is absolutely breathtaking. After many beautiful sights in the Andes region of Ecuador, I was still instantly wowed by this one. This dramatic crater lake is a beautiful, deep green-blue, with views of Cotopaxi and Iliniza Sur in the distance. The air is crisp but not too cold after the sunrise, and the altitude is high but more bearable than Cotopaxi. Hiking here is a gorgeous, rewarding experience.

The Laguna can be reached by public transport in both directions around the Quilatoa loop. From Latacunga, the bus leaves at noon and passes Quilatoa around 2pm. From Chugchilan, the bus leaves at 4am. This is the option I took. According to Lonely Planet, it takes 2 hours to get to the Laguna, but it was actually only an hour. So I found myself shivering in the pitch-black outside the crater at 5am.

After waiting what felt like an excruciating amount of time for the sun to rise, I headed for the crater. It's absolutely stunning in early morning light. There is a highly recommended hike from the crater back to Chugchilan, which sounded fantastic, but unfortunately, I was not prepared for the numerous unmarked trails. It was a bit difficult to figure out the way, and the people I met later who did the hike admitted they had a guide. By the time I found the point where I was supposed to leave the crater and make my way through the valley toward Chugchilan, I had lost interest. So if you are determined to do this hike, you will probably need to start at a more reasonable hour so you can find a guide more easily.

Simply hiking around the rim is good enough, however, and I greatly enjoyed the views. It's a stunningly beautiful area and worth the early morning arrival.

To return by public transport, you have to wait for the 2pm bus. So unless you want to hike around the full crater and then wait in the tiny village, you will have to bargain for a camioneta back to Chugchilan. The best I could get after almost 30 minutes of stubbornness was $12. If you have a group, you can do better.

Laguna Cuicocha is a beautiful blue crater lake near Otavalo. The views from the rim of both the lake and the surrounding villages in the countryside are stunning, and the high-altitude hike can be tough but very rewarding.

The day we went, it was sunny and gorgeous, not too hot or humid. The winds became quite strong, so sometimes we'd have to stop, but in general, the weather in January was excellent for hiking. The path is quite steep and rocky in parts--be sure to wear good hiking shoes.

To get there, we took a bus from Otavalo to Quiroga ($.25) and then bargained for a taxi when we got there. There were two of us, so we paid $10, including a return pickup in 2 hours. The driver was extremely trustworthy and friendly and came back on time.

The shopping in Cuenca is pretty good for a town this size. In addition to the many jewelry and leather stores along Gran Colombia, there are two regular markets to choose from, as well as a larger Thursday market, mainly used by locals.

The crafts market is organized into sections. There's the pottery section, the basket section, and of course, the farm implement section. I was actually searching for baskets and found a great variety of beautiful examples. Cuenca is a major center for basket-weaving, and you can catch a few people at work near the market. It's a pretty chill experience, as there are not many tourists and the vendors are pretty relaxed. I got a really uniquely shaped basket with colorful plastic ribbon woven throughout for just $2.

There is also an indoor artisan market in Cuenca a bit closer to Hotel Pichincha. Here they sell everything that the southern highlands are famous for--"panama" hats, delicate baskets woven of the finest straw, and carvings from tagua, the nut known as "vegetable ivory." There are also plenty of jewelry shops, small leather items, and musical instruments for sale in the market. Like many of the stores along Gran Colombia, the market closes for lunch from 1pm to 3pm.

In case anyone thinks along the same lines as me and thinks a city in which leather is so plentiful and relatively cheap would be a good place to buy a leather-bound journal, no such luck. I described the concept to many shops and the general reaction was, "Huh?" Unfortunate.

Banos is a great place to unwind for a few days. The scenery is gorgeous, the slightly lower altitude allows you to finally breathe easy and provides slightly warmer temps, and of course, there are the famous thermal baths.

In town, there is the Piscina el Virgen baths. These are more easily reached and thus more popular. There is a waterfall that runs into the showers (ice-cold), and the big pool is pretty hot. But you haven't experienced hot until you visit El Salado a little bit out of town. Take a bus from Banos for $0.20 and it should be the last stop. El Salado has five pools, one a normal chlorine swimming pool, one a kid’s pool, one a large swimming pool size and quite warm, and then two amazingly steamy, hot small pools. Admission to both El Virgen and El Salado is $1, and you can stay as long as you'd like. If you go early, you will share the baths almost entirely with Ecuadorian tourists. It makes for good people-watching.

I recommend getting a massage in Banos as well. It's a bit of a splurge, but probably significantly cheaper than in your hometown. Stay in Touch charges $20/hour with a choice between two masseurs. I chose Edith, who was wonderful. She speaks English.

When you're done relaxing (or want to work yourself up before a soak in the pools), there are many lovely hikes to choose from around Banos. I did the most obvious one, Bellavista. The path starts just south of town and is easy to find. It's a popular hike with locals as well, so you might see hordes of children who came here after school. It's steep in parts, with a gorgeous view of the town from the top. There are many friendly locals along the way, and a cafe at the top to rest in.

Another fun diversion is watching the making of melocha candy. This toffee is stretched out in doorways throughout Banos (but most shops are near the bus station) and then formed into various shapes and designs. Watching people throw it over a large nail in the doorway, stretch it out, and loop it over again is pretty entertaining. There is one particular stall where one employee is happy to give out free samples. It tastes even better fresh and soft. If you can recognize him from the photo, go there! He'll give you a deal when you buy as well, and was happy to pose for a photo.

Banos is chockfull of tourists. Thus, it's not cheap. All the Internet cafés have agreed to charge $2 per hour (as opposed to $0.60 in Quito), so it doesn't really matter which one you hit. Food tends to be a bit pricier as well. And while there's competition among hotels, they don't need to bargain with you, because there are plenty of other tourists coming in. But for a few days, it's a really pleasant place to be.

Cuenca, in addition to being an exceedingly pleasant town to wile away a few days, is an excellent base for visiting the ruins at Ingapirca and the paramo-and-lake park of Cajas.

For Ingapirca, take a bus marked "Ingapirca" from the main terminal of Cuenca. The company that goes to Ingapirca will charge $5 for a round-trip ride, which takes about 2 hours in each direction and allows you about 2 hours at the site. About 2.5 to 3 hours would have been perfect, but the bus schedules only give you the option of 2 or 5.

Ingapirca costs $6 to enter, and if you have the opportunity to see other Incan ruins, it's not really worth it. It was the first ruins’ site I had ever seen, so I was happy to be there, but the site isn't extensive, the walls are low, and you have to use your imagination for much of it. The man who sold tickets was very friendly, and when it turned out I didn't have enough money, he let me in for $3 - that was about the correct value of the site. Still, it makes for a pleasant daytrip.

Parque Nacional de Cajas should cost about $2 to reach by bus, but the bus will probably not be marked. You will be taking a bus to Guayaquil via Cajas. Make sure the driver or his assistant knows you want to be dropped off, and they will point you toward the visitor center. The entrance fee for the park is $10.

The park is beautiful and described as looking like Scotland. It is green, hilly, and studded with lovely, small lakes. Most of the park is made of paramo, the Andean grasslands. The trails are not well-marked, which seems to be the standard for most of my Ecuadorian hikes.

These day trips are easy to do from Cuenca, and are a nice way to see the countryside around town.

I knew I was not fit enough to make the climb to the summit of Cotopåxi, so I decided to take the popular daytrip of hiking from the refuge to the beginning of the glacier line. But my tour guides had a different hike in mind.

I booked my tour through Hotel Cotopaxi, which was affiliated with my hotel, Hotel Central. It was $30 for the ride to Cotopaxi, guided tour, and lunch on the volcano. They asked me if I would be interested in trying a different hike that they claimed was more beautiful than the hike to the glacier. Knowing nothing about the park and with only a weak grasp of Spanish, I agreed to whatever they said.

The altitude was about 4,000m, and at most, we climbed 300 more meters. I was so out of breath throughout the hike that I can't imagine how the hike up to the glacier would have been. As promised, this route was gorgeous, all valleys and paramo. The views of the peak were stunning.

We picnicked near a valley with a clear view of the Cotopaxi peak. It was a really lovely day, pleasant and clear. We weren't high enough for it to get too cold, so you can leave your sweaters at home. I had brought more warm clothing than water, and I definitely regretted it.

Whatever your fitness level, you should make a hike in the Cotopaxi park part of your Ecuador itinerary. The photos I saw from people who climbed the summit were stunning, so definitely do it if you're able. If you book through Hotel Cotopaxi, ask about your options. You may find it more interesting to climb to the glacier line, but my hike was really beautiful as well.

I knew that I would not be able to get by as a solo traveler in Ecuador without some knowledge of Spanish. The little bit I had picked up when I was alone and confused in Costa Rica had already faded. A friend recommended an intensive program that she had tried in Quito called Academia Latinoamerica.

Ecuador is a popular country for taking Spanish classes. The Spanish spoken there is quite clear and supposedly most similar to Castillian Spanish without the lisping "c." There are many schools to choose from, but the prices are fairly standard, and I was quite happy with the Academia.

The cost is $265 per week for 4 hours of group classes per day, including homestay with a local family. There may be a discount if you are taking more weeks of classes, and I met a few students who were there for a whole semester.

Unfortunately, I thought that they were able to reevaluate students on a daily basis and move me if needed. By the second day, I already felt like I was being stifled by my classmates, one of whom had never taken a single foreign language class and one who had never even taken an ENGLISH grammar class, so she was confused by basic terms like "infinitive." But for a few more dollars, I was able to add 1 hour of private conversation with a teacher, which really boosted my confidence. If you stay on longer, you will probably get moved into a different class each week, and they tend to mix up the teachers so students get used to different voices.

But even with the slowness of the group classes, I learned a great deal and was able to get around the country with confidence.

Staying with a local family really helped my language skills, of course. I was assigned to a wonderful host family in Quito. Katy Marchan, her husband Ricardo Guerrara, and their kids Enrique and Emi could not have been more welcoming. It was such a wonderful experience to get to know Quito locals, especially because I arrived on New Year’s Eve; basically I had evening plans from the moment I landed.

After picking me up from the airport (a very comforting thing), we went back to the house to make a special New Year’s dinner of lamb chops and sausages, obviously a splurge. When I arrived, two other students were staying there as well, so it was quite a party. Both 10-year-old Emi and 8-year-old Ricky were in costume and having a great time staying up late. In Ecuador, puppets filled with fireworks are burned on New Year’s Eve. The puppets are usually made to resemble a disliked famous person, and then the fire is stomped out to represent stomping out bad feelings or bad spirits left over from the year. It was a unique experience and so much fun to be with a family.

Katy and Ricardo really treated me like family. They are so generous and love having students in their home—by the end of the weekend we had 2 more and were having a great time. We went swimming in the suburbs, went out to dinner, and then as an added treat, they took us up to see El Panecillo, a hill with a statue of the Virgin Mary and an excellent view of Quito. Supposedly the road up can be dangerous so I really appreciated having the family drive us up.

As part of the homestay, the family provides breakfast and dinner every day. Katy and Ricardo happened to live right by the Academia so we were always running a bit late, believing we had more time than we did. Meals with the family were a great opportunity to practice our newly-learned Spanish skills, although Katy’s English was excellent as well.

Katy worked for the Academia in the capacity of tourism advisor. I really lucked out with her as my host mom. She booked my hotels for my next 2 cities after Quito. She also helped me get a plane ticket back to Quito from the coast and confirmed it for me while I was gone. Really couldn’t have had a better experience.

The homestay is included with the price of lessons, with 2 meals, laundry twice per week and airport pick-up. If you want to stay extra days, it’s $15 per day. I don’t know if it’s possible to request Katy’s family but if so…I highly recommend them. If you are looking for a homestay in general, I recommend staying with a younger family like this one. A few of my fellow students stayed in families with sons their own ages (mid to late 20s) and were not nearly as comfortable as I was because of pressure from the men.

I really became close to Katy and feel like she will always be my friend. It was an experience I will never forget.

The animal markets in Ecuador are not for the squeamish. If you are a die-hard animal fan, you may want to give the sight of screaming pigs clambering on top of each other a pass. It was heartwrenching to watch the buying and selling of domestic animals at both of these major markets, but it was also so fascinating, I can't imagine missing the experience.

If you want to see the market in full action, you need to arrive early. I arrived at the Otavalo market around 7:30am and at the Saquisili market around 7am. Both markets were in full swing by that point, having opened at 6am. The markets are frequented by rural people, mostly indigenous. There are a few odd tourists, although I saw more at Saquisili than Otavalo. I went to Saquisili with the owner of my hotel in Chugchilan, who had brought his father to pick out a cow.

The bargaining process is pretty intriguing. Often whole families would stand around a piglet or llama and quietly discuss its merits. The animal would be squirming and screaming, and the people would sort of casually discuss it like a used car. Both markets were organized into different animal sections. Otavalo had horses, which were barely looked at because they're too expensive. Saquisili had many llamas and goats, which were not as common in Otavalo.

Pigs were often the most active in trying to escape and thus the most badly treated animals. The most common way of getting them to calm down was to stuff them into sacks. A pathetic--yet funny--sight was a sack full of piglets still blindly stumbling along the market grounds. Another sadly amusing sight was a pig being forcefully dragged down the street by its new owner. The pig was doing its best impression of a protester gone limp, while its owner heaved mightily on its leash.

These animals markets are a great opportunity to view a mass gathering of rural people from villages all over the Andes and get a glimpse of their lives. There were times when I felt like I was trespassing and being such an obvious idiot tourist, but I'm glad I went--it was an unforgettable experience.

Taking the bus is a really rewarding experience in Ecuador. The prices are very reasonable, roughly $1 per hour, and the views are almost always spectacular. Some people will tell you that you cannot get around without backtracking through Quito, but I had no problems at all.

Otavalo: There are frequent buses to and from Quito at $2 for about 2 hours.

Latacunga: There are frequent buses to and from Quito at $1.50 for about 2 hours. The bus terminal is within walking distance from the center, but around 600m or more. You can also take a taxi for $1.

Chugchilan: There is only one bus a day from Latacunga, leaving at noon and taking around 4 hours ($2.25). It's not really that far, but the road is really bad. It's a gorgeous ride, though, and pretty damn scary.

Quilatoa: From Chugchilan, the bus leaves at 4am ($0.50). According to Lonely Planet, this take 2 hours, but it was only 1 hour when I took it. Be prepared for a very dark, very early arrival. To return to Chugchilan, wait for the bus in the other direction at 2pm or bargain for a camioneta. It's pricey, though, as I could only get them down to $12.

Saquisili: The bus from Chugchilan leaves at 3am. My hotel owner offered me a ride for a similar price ($2) to leave at 4am instead.

Saquisili to Latacunga: There are frequent buses for $0.30.

Banos: There is no direct bus from Latacunga. Take a bus to Ambato ($1) and then another bus to Banos ($0.80). You should arrive in Banos in less than 3 hours.

Cuenca: As far as I know, there is no direct route to Cuenca from Banos. I chose to go through Riobamba. You can take the famous Devil's Nose train from here to Alausi, and then a bus to Cuenca from there. It's an all-day trip. I chose to spend the night in Riobamba instead and take the direct bus to Cuenca. From Banos, take a bus to Ambato, then a bus to Riobamba. Buses from Riobamba to Cuenca leave several times per day at $6 for about 6 hours.

Ingapirca: Buses to Ingapirca leave twice a day, at 9am and sometime in the afternoon, and round-trip costs $5. It takes a little over 2 hours in each direction.

Cajas: Buses to Guayaquil go through Cajas, just ask to make sure. Should cost $2. There is no exact schedule for buses returning to Cuenca, so you will just have to wait on the road and flag one down...it may take a while.

Ayampe: This takes three different buses from Cuenca. Take a bus to Guayaquil, which is fairly pricey at $8 for 5 hours. At Guayaquil you can ask about getting to Ayampe, but most likely you will be taking a bus to Santa Elena ($3). At Santa Elena, you have to transfer to the bus to Ayampe ($3). There are several coastal buses, and some stop around Montanita, so you may be waiting a while for the correct one.

Quito from the coast: There is an 11-hour bus from Puerto Lopez, but I decided that wasn't for me. I flew from Manta at $55 for 45 minutes. It was a splurge, but so worth it.