After Mancora, I was looking for somewhere not beachy. Dan had repeatedly kept telling me to go to Chachapoyas, a huge detour east on my way south to Lima. After reading his blog about the town and that he probably has got a job with the Chachapoyas tourism board, I started my long journey. It was…
The Beach Life in Mancora
My first stop on my Peruvian adventure was Mancora, a sleepy beach town not so far from the border. I arrived at 6 am tired after a sleepless night on a bus and a 3-hour stop at the Ecuador-Peru border. My first impression of the town wasn’t great. It definitely catered to tourists with plenty…
Surviving Guayaquil!
When I asked my students back in Riobamba about Guayaquil, they either said I would probably be shot or robbed, possibly stabbed too. After meandering around southern Ecuador for most of November, I found myself with four whole days in Ecuador’s largest city hoping nothing bad will happen to me. Bario La Bahia After a…
40 Hours in Machala
Machala isn’t exactly one of Ecuador’s premiere tourist destinations. Lonely Planet wrote, “There is no reason to visit Machala.” Someone on Wikitravel described the city as “chaotic, oppressively hot and dangerous.” My friend, Jody, calls it a dusty town. And yet, here I was. Some fun facts about Machala: It is the banana capital of…
Life as a Hotel Owner
Thanks to my friend, Jody, I volunteered my services to a hotel in Loja for a week. Initially, I was only there to make a website for the hotel. In the end, I became the hotel’s main dishwasher, a part-time waitress, a sous chef, and a semi-advisor. It was good fun. El Cardenal Hotel is…
At the Loja Festival Internacional de Artes Vivas
Somehow, I found myself in Loja again. Most foreigners tend to bypass this city and head straight to the Peruvian border. But not me. I love this city! Loja is the cultural capital of Ecuador and the Loja Festival Internacional de Artes Vivas was at its tail-end when I arrived. Everywhere I went around the…
Thanksgiving in Cuenca
I honestly can’t remember the last time I had a Thanksgiving meal. The closest I came to a proper Thanksgiving dinner was JOMA’s Turkey Dinner Sandwich when I was living in Hanoi. This amazing sandwich had everything: slow-roasted turkey, homemade stuffing, smeared in cranberry sauce, and it came with a side of gravy for dipping….
8 of the Best Cafés in Cuenca
Cuenca is a small town in the Andes Mountains known for its riverside views, Panama hats, and a huge expat population of retired Americans. I decided to set up camp in this quaint place for a bit because it’s quiet, has numerous plazas to sit and people-watch, and there’s plenty of cafés to sample all…
On the Galapagos: Cheap Things to Do on Santa Cruz Island
Yes, the Galapagos is expensive. Because I lived in Riobamba, my perception of prices in Ecuador has been skewed. From the plane ticket to arriving in Puerto Ayora, Santa Cruz’s main city, I feel like a hole has been placed in my wallet. Before Arriving on the Galapagos: Let’s start with the costs prior to…
On the Galapagos: Beach Walks and Biking on Isla Isabela
Isla Isabela is the largest and youngest island of the Galapagos. It’s made up of 5 volcanoes fused together to make an island. Pretty awesome! From Santa Cruz, I caught the afternoon ferry Neptuno. The boat cost $25 and the water taxi to get to the boat was 50¢. The two-hour journey was bumpy. I…