James Michener famously said, “If you reject the food, ignore the customs, fear the religion and avoid the people, you might better stay home.” We loved living in Ecuador and highly recommend it to people who love the Spanish language (or are interested in learning) and love other cultures–particularly Latin American culture. Ecuador has so…
Wednesday morning, Feb. 12, we took the city bus to the bus station and bought tickets to Zamora for $2.50 each. No matter which direction you go from Loja, there is a steep climb out of the valley and usually a long descent on the other side, all on winding roads. This road drops into…
After several days of mostly cooler/wetter weather in Loja (it is rainy season, after all), I felt like getting out of town and heading for some warmth and sun. Malacatos is a $1 bus ride away, in a valley between Loja and Vilcabamba. So on Monday morning we walked out to the bus stop (2…
A few mornings ago I felt the itch to get out of Loja for a bit and do something different. “Let’s catch a bus to Vilcabamba,” I suggested to Keith. We threw a change of clothes into our daypacks and walked the 2 blocks to wait for the bus. Buses travel between Vilcabamba and Loja…
I love parks! Green spaces bring a bit of nature into the concrete jungle of the city, encourage people to enjoy the outdoors and exercise more, and provide a lovely place for friends and family to socialize in wholesome ways. As a traveler, parks are among the first things I seek out in a new…
January 23, 2014 The older man with a fat nose and a round, jovial face rushed forward into the vacant seat behind us. He had been near the back of the bus since we left Guayaquil several hours earlier. He dropped something as the bus lurched forward. I reached down to see if I could…