Quito, Ecuador

The equator. I’ve been fascinated with this invisible latitude line since I was in grade school and flying to the exotic and mystical lands of Ecuador always seemed too out of reach. But not for a flight attendant and her traveling toddler. As you know, I typically travel on the cheap (until I’m a best-selling author) and usually for 4-5 days tops, as three-year old travel buddies tend to lose interest. But I found a fantastic deal on Viator for a week long all-inclusive tour around Quito and the surrounding areas of Ecuador for $899. Uh, COUNT US IN. (Update: The tour now costs $980)

After working for 15 days straight (not something I recommend doing), Singh and I hopped on a Copa flight to Quito, stopping off briefly in Panama City. The flights were full but we were able to fly to the city on the equator with relative ease and little Spanish. As part of the tour, we were picked up right from the airport and driven the 45 minutes into downtown Quito to our hotel for the night. Our hotel was basically a hostel, pretty primitive with two beds and a semi-hot watered shower. One thing to note, there really isn’t any indoor heating or cooling in Ecuador. Being on the equator and up in the mountains, the temperature stays pretty mild. However, the week were there, end of January, it was freezing. I had to beg the front desk to find us some kind of heater to put in our room since we could see our breath. Not ideal for a toddler, but they did track down a tiny radiator that we plugged in between our beds. It wasn’t Florida sleeping but we did avoid catching a cold as we slept.

We met our guide Daniel, of Latin Adventures, early the next morning as we rode out to see the markets of Otavalo. About an hour outside of Quite, Otavalo is a small mountain town with a vibrant cultural history. Home to one of the most famous indigenous markets in South America, we spent several hours perusing the stalls and haggling over prices of local treasures. Singh and I both walked away with our bags full of jewelry, jackets, and toys. This market has been a stopping ground for travelers and locals alike for hundreds of years, so it was incredible to be able to walk the historic streets. Fine woven sweaters and hand crafted rings and bracelets glittered in the equatorial sun as we headed to lunch.

A wonderful little hole in the wall restaurant in the ex-pat area of Otavalo served perhaps the best rice I have ever had. Sweet popcorn and nuts were unique appetizers and our lunch stop was the first time we would get to enjoy guanabana juice. Whoa. My new favorite fruit. It’s white and looks like milk but it’s sweet with a refreshing chocolate taste. A juice that tastes like chocolate? Yes, please! And what’s nice about visiting South American restaurants is that all the fruit juices we were served had been freshly squeezed. No pasteurization and definitely not from concentrate. Just freshly squeezed, local fruit. Ordering rounds of these juices would become one of my favorite things on the trip.

The weather started to turn sour as we heading back to the van after lunch. Technically the rainy season, the weather in the mountains around Quito would remain sketchy for most of our trip. This could be why our week-long tour was so cheap. Oh well, bring a rain jacket.

Our final stop before heading back to Quito was Cuicocha Lagoon, also known as Guinea Pig Lagoon. A large lake formed from a volcanic crater, this body of water is home to an island completely inhabited by very large and unruly guinea pigs. Yup. If you can bear the freezing cold waters you can swim to the island in the middle of the lake and basically ride the huge rodents. A tempting idea if we had some kayaks available, but neither Singh nor I wanted to swim. The weather began to worsen so we waved goodbye to the isle of guineas and headed back to Quito.

Dinner wasn’t include this evening so we were on our own. A quick look online pointed us in the direction of a vegan restaurant 4 blocks away called The Red Maple. Also known as the home of the best vegan hot dog of my life. I’m embarrassed that I flew all the way to Ecuador and ordered a damn hot dog, but you guys—it was incredible. There is no other way to describe it besides saying it was a food orgasm in my mouth. Who would have thought to add guacamole to a hot dog? My life has been forever changed.

We packed up our hostel room early the next morning as we were heading a bit farther outside the city to Quilotoa Lagoon. On our three-hour drive through mountains and breathtaking scenery, we stopped at a local market and bought some amazing fresh fruit to snack on for our remaining drive. We bought the freshest bananas, a bushel of 12 for under a dollar. The country of Ecuador uses the US dollar as their currency and everything is incredible cheap. It is a huge factor for the large ex-pat community residing in its’ volcanic hillsides. After walking around the bustling food market, we drove along the famous Avenue of the Volcanoes until we reached our altitude of 12,000 feet. The air was definitely thinner here when we stepped outside and donned our hiking gear. We would be spending much of the morning climbing down 2,000 feet into the crater of an active volcano. No big deal.

As we began our trek, my mouth practically hit the floor when I saw just how gorgeous this crater lagoon was. Rugged peeks towered over turquoise waters while a winding path made its’ way to the sparking lake down below. The path was extremely steep and I had Singh strapped to my back as we slowly made our way to the calling waters. Once we made it to the floor of the crater, Daniel showed us the bubbles of the volcano vents below the water and allowed us to roam free and explore the area. We spotted some kayaks on the bank and found out we could rent them for, get this, $6. Nowhere in the US can you rent kayaks for $6! Shut up and take my money. Singh and I hopped into a boat and paddled our way around the incredible scenery. This little kid had an absolute blast as he learned to use the oars and steer our way around cliffs and volcanic bubbles. There is absolutely no way he will forget how he first learned to kayak, in the crater of an active volcano in Ecuador. Damn, I love traveling with this kid.

We devoured a bag of chips once we hit the rocky banks before heading back up the steep trail to our waiting van. Whoa. Did I mention how incredibly steep the trail was? I struggled with this kid on my back. Struggled big time. I saw a few people hire horses (for $1) to take them back up the trail, but I didn’t want to ride, I wanted to hike up the volcano. So I buckled down, plugged in some music, and made my way slowly up and out of the crater. Singh slept peacefully all the way in case anyone was wondering.

Lunch that afternoon was a few local dishes (veganized for us) and gallons of fresh juice. Guanabana everywhere! Just hook up an IV to my arm and pump that shit into my veins. With full bellies and tired legs, we rode down to and elevation of 10,000ft to our hotel, Mama Hilda Lodge In Chugchilan. A cute little residence with tiny villas interspersed among towering trees on the side of a mountain. Although we were lower in elevation from our hike, we still were high and constantly walking through clouds to get to the lobby (where the only wifi was located). Just to give you a bit of perspective, 10,000ft is the altitude when you are allowed to start using laptops on commercial jets. I had a bit of a headache from exhaustion, thankfully not altitude, so after a quick dinner Singh and I hit the bed hard. There was a bit of frustration as again, the temperatures were cold and there was no heating. Alas, all part of the experience! Tip: Bring some warm clothes to sleep in because I’m an idiot and just brought boxers and t-shirts. Lesson learned.

My headache was gone the following morning and we ate a hearty breakfast of potatoes, rice, and veggies before embarking on our journey to Cotopaxi. This is by far what I was most exited about on our itinerary. I am a mountain climber and any chance to set my foot on a new mountain is an exciting opportunity. I knew we weren’t going to be able to climb the top (it’s over 18,000ft and requires ice climbing skills, i.e. crampons, ice axes, etc.) but were set to climb to 16,000ft on the slopes of this ice-covered volcano.

We drove back towards Quito for roughly an hour until we reached Cotopaxi National Park. After we wound our way through thick forests and foothills, we stopped at the foot of the mountain and visited the interpretation center to enjoy some traditional coca tea. Coca tea is a helpful aid for acclimatization and tastes amazing. Just note: if you work as a flight attendant or pilot, make sure you don’t fly for two weeks after you drink coca tea. Despite it being completely legal and safe to drink, the leaves in the tea are made from the coca plant, which is the same plant that produces cocaine. So it’s a poppy-seed situation and probably best to be avoided if you have to work as soon as you return from Ecuador. However, I chose to stack all my trips at the beginning of the month, so I was free to down as many cups of that delicious tea as possible.

We hopped back into our 4x4 van and drove towards the towering volcano. Cotopaxi is still a very active volcano, its’ last major eruption was in 2015 causing smoke and ash to fall all over the surrounding valley. The scenes we passed while driving up to the trailhead were barren yet beautiful. Rainbows of earthy browns and charcoal greys contrasted with the brilliant blue skies above. Large boulders lay scattered along the mountainside, having been blown great distances during past eruptions.

We hopped out of the van at roughly 14,000ft and were greeted with chilly temperatures and thin air. Having basically completed an acclimatization hike the day prior, my body was feeling great, so I strapped Singh on my back and bundled up to hit the trail. The sides of Cotopaxi are very steep so a series of switchbacks along the trail make it easier to climb. The hike took us roughly an hour and a half to reach the 16,000 point, marked by a hut offering drinks, snacks, and a bathroom. We drank more tea and Singh ate some plantain chips as we rested and had our passports stamped. I was surprised how well we had handled the altitude. 16,000ft is quite a feat, especially for a toddler. Looks like this little guy is going to be my mountain climbing buddy when he is older!

Our climb down was quite a bit faster as we skipped the switchbacks and just ran (slid) down one of the old lava trails. Singh promptly fell asleep five minutes into our decent and before we knew it we were back at the van shaking off volcanic soot from our books. We then headed to a late lunch just outside the gates of the national park and stuffed ourselves silly with rice, beans, and of course, guanabana juice.

We drove for several hours past Quito for our final stop of the evening, Papallacta Hot Springs. We stayed at an amazing all inclusive resort called Thermas Papallacta. Quite a change from the hostel in Quito, that’s for damn sure. The room had heated floors, a nice shower, comfortable beds, and was just steps away from actual hot springs heated by the nearby volcanoes. We ordered room service and swam in the steaming hot water before we cuddled and passed out in bed.

Morning comes early with a toddler so after a quick breakfast of fruit and Lara bars, we jumped right back into the bubbling waters under the shade of the towering mountains. We swam for hours in the hot water, relaxing and having fun splashing each other and giggling as we tried to jump in the cold pool and run back to the warm springs. I encourage everyone to make at least one stop here on your Ecuadorian adventure; the scenery and the resort were fantastic.

We packed up our bags and in the pouring rain we said goodbye to the wonderfully warm volcanic waters and headed to a humming bird sanctuary for lunch. High in the cloud forest of the Cayambe-Coca Reserve, countless species of humming bird darted from feeder to feeder through the pouring rain as we ate. We were served an amazing meal, so tasty that I had to have the chef confirm that it was vegan. A quick hike in the rain to spot more humming birds was a unique way to finish the day before we headed back to our hostel in Quito. The drive was long but we were rewarded with another fantastic vegan hot dog at The Red Maple before heading to bed.

Our last day in Ecuador was spent standing on the actual equator and exploring the city of Quito. There are two equator lines that run through the country, roughly an hour outside Quito. One was measured by surveys done by the French over 100 year ago, and the other is the actual equator measured by GPS. We stopped at the actual GPS line, which was home to several monuments and an outdoor museum. We observed some cool science experiments, balanced an egg, and witnessed some cultural heritage dances of the local indigenous people.

With the weather uncooperative, we decided to do a quick walking tour of the city center of Quito. We visited Panecillo Hill, Basilica Church, Independence Plaza, the Cathedral, the Government’s Palace and La Ronda Street. Afte lunch, we saw La Compañía Church, the Sagrario Church and San Francisco Plaza before we were picked up by our van driver and dropped off at a small hotel near the airport. We had a very early flight out of South America the following day so we passed out early, sad that our Ecuadorian adventure had come to an end.

Everyone needs to visit Ecuador. It’s an easily accessible country, you can fly there on just about all the major airlines, JetBlue and Copa being the easiest from Florida. They use the US dollar as their currency and it’s home to a very large population of ex-pat Americans. Although Spanish is spoken throughout the country, English is very popular and used frequently. And there is just so much to do in Ecuador that it warrants several visits. I know I still want to see the Amazon and the Galapagos Islands. So if you are considering a trip with your child, look no further than the cultural, historical, and natural sights of this beautiful country nestled on the equator.

TRIP PLANNING LINKS & RESOURCES
7-Day Latin Adventures Tour: Includes meals, transportation, guides, and hotels! 
Ecuador Hot Springs: Thermas Resort, definitely worth a stop!