| ecoholidays
flights
car
hire
country
guides
travel
advice
holiday
health
holiday
insurance
add
your property |
|
travel
to ecuador
our itinerary:
Day
0ne
After arrival in Quito, you will spend the remainder of the afternoon and evening relaxing at Hostal Café Cultura or similar.
Day
Two
The tour begins with a visit to Quito's impressive colonial district. We will see fabulous examples of colonial art and visit some of the grandest churches in South America. After a typical lunch, we will visit the ethnographic museum at the "Middle of the World" monument, a few kilometers north of Quito. Ironically, the modern designers of the "Middle of the World" monument miscalculated the equator by several meters, while the builders of the ruins were on the mark hundreds of years earlier. Then we drive a short distance to pre-Incan ruins, also on the equator to have a special ritual with a Shaman. We drive 2 hours to Otavalo for the evening (B/L/-).
Day
Three
We depart early in the morning to the largest indigenous market in Latin America, at
Otavalo. Here, we will explore a vast array of Andean handicrafts, including clothing, jewelry, artwork; armadillo shell guitars, wall hangings, handbags and hammocks. The market also features ceramic works, CDs of native pipe music and native food. Then we will take a short drive to the workshop of local weaver and watch as he weaves clothing on a Spanish treadle loom. He will also demonstrate weaving on the new automatic loom, or weaving machine, which has become the loom of choice for modern Andean weavers. We then drive about 40 minutes north to the Pukyu Pamba community, a family run project, where we will enjoy a typical indigenous lunch. Before lunch we will take a short walk through a medicinal plants forest while a native medicine man discusses the uses of natural medicine. In the afternoon, we will experience a healing with a guinea pig (the Andean x-ray), where one of you will be diagnosed by the indigenous doctor, we drive back to our hotel in Quito (B/L/-).
Day
Four
After breakfast, we visit the high-altitude Antizana Reserve south of Quito. The private reserve includes the Antizana
volcanoe, which has an elevation of 5705 meters. The reserve is rich in plant and animal life and features the legendary Andinist flower, or
chuquiraguas. Tourists may also catch a glimpse of an Andean condor, which roosts in the area. Tour guests will have the opportunity to take a short walk in the reserve. We will stop for lunch at the reserves Hacienda. Overnight in Lasso, Hacienda la Ciénega, or similar (B/L/-).
Day
Five
Today we get a close-up view of Ecuadorian gastronomy and feast on the area's wonderful food, we will indulge in a meal popular in the highlands region of Ecuador, the
Chugchucaras, which are potato and cheese croquettes with pork or chicken, also "colada
morada", "cuy" (guinea pigs) and more. We will visit the Salasaca community, where a Shaman / Healer will show us their special rituals to cure people's diseases and receive another lesson in the uses of medicinal plants. Overnight at Hostería Abraspungo in Riobamba (B/L/D).
Day
Six
After breakfast we drive 30 minutes from Riobamba to the Condor Project in a community situated in the high Andean central sierra. The project funds a school and provides lodging for volunteer workers from around the world, and for mountain climbers preparing to ascend the nearby volcano, Chimborazo, Ecuador's highest peak. In addition to visiting the school, we will see the community's handicrafts, spend time learning about daily life and visit the women's weaving cooperative. The area around the community and the inactive volcano is a protected ecosystem of unique wildlife. In the afternoon we drive to the Ingapirca, Ecuador's most important pre-Columbian ruin, a monument to the Cañari and Inca cultures. Overnight in Cuenca at Hotel Carvallo, Crespo, or similar (B/BL/-).
Day
Seven
Near Cuenca we will visit the Kushi Wayra project and spend the day with the community. We will experience life in the "mingas", a working collective, and enjoy a "pampamesa", a country picnic featuring the food of the region, including corn, oats, potatoes, rice, chicken and, of course, cuy (guinea pig). We will walk through the local forest and have another lesson in medicinal plants. After lunch we drive back to Cuenca and tour this colonial city that is often referred to as the Athens of South America. We will visit the Homero Ortega P. & Hijos Panama hat factory, and see the process by which the hats are made. Panama hats, by the way, are manufactured exclusively in Ecuadorian. They were given their name during the construction of the Panama Canal, a century ago, when large quantities of the hats were worn by canal workers. We end a busy day with a meal at one of Cuenca's most elegant restaurants. Overnight at our hotel in Cuenca (B/L/D).
Day
Eight
After breakfast we depart for Guayaquil, Ecuador's major port and largest city. As we descend from the Andes, we pass vast haciendas producing bananas, coffee, mangoes, rice, sugar cane and, of course, cacao. If you look closely, you will see beans and grain spread out by the side of the road, drying in the sun. Overnight in Guayaquil Hotel Hampton Inn, Oro Verde, or similar (B/L/-).
Day
Nine and Beyond...
If you wish, you can extend your Ecuadorian vacation with a tour of the Amazon jungle, a Galapagos cruise or a trip to Peru's famous Macchu Picchu ruins. You may also want to return to Quito or Cuenca for intensive Spanish language training, or you can take the saddest decision to go back home. Please make arrangements in advance.
contact
& pricing details: please
contact the owners for further details:
Jessica Alexandra Meza García is an Engineer in Tourist Administration with 7 years tourism business experience. Three of those years she has worked directly as a Tourist Guide. Jessica speaks German, English and of course her native language, Spanish.
Her husband, Kjetil Haugan, own Columbus Travel and both are working together on this project through the Agency.
Jessica developed this tour from her heartfelt love of her country and desire to share with Tourist a side of Ecuador less often seen; the culture and lifestyle of the Indigenous people.
Engage your senses, your soul and your spirit. Experience the customs, cultures and healing techniques - both spiritual and physical - of ancient cultures. We invite you to enjoy a vacation that will leave you awakened!
Address: Leonidas Plaza 353 y Roca,
Ecuador
Tel: +593 2 2899130
eMail: jessica@travel2ecuador.com
www.travel2ecuador.com
|
