Adventure everywhere

Guys, I'm really behind with my travel blog. The first 11 days in Ecuador were just wild and adventurous, and I simply didn't have time to give a sign of life. But: I'm fine and here's a brief summary of the first days in Ecuador. I'll try to be brief...

Quito:

We started in Quito. A colonial city in northern Ecuador. We spent a few days in a super cool hostel, where we made new acquaintances, some even friendships. It has become our ritual to take a 'Free Walking Tour' on the first day in a new city to learn the most important things about the city and the country. We visited the Basílica, explored the streets of Quito, and took a trip to Mitad del Mundo. There I stood with one foot in the northern hemisphere and the other in the southern hemisphere. Memo to myself: The sun's radiation at the equator is really intense, so beware of sunburn despite pleasant temperatures.

Otherwise, the people in Ecuador are - as expected from Latin America - very open and warm-hearted. And even though you can sometimes feel the currently tense political and economic situation in the country, I can only report positive things for myself so far.

Quilotoa:

From Quito we took a trip to a crater lake. On the way there, we drove through indigenous villages in the Andes and learned a lot about their way of life from the locals. It's crazy how these people manage with so little. Unimaginable in Germany, but everyday life in Ecuador. It's admirable how even the elderly people carry heavy bags of food for miles without complaining. Everything runs smoothly and works despite the circumstances. These people are not delicate.

When we arrived at the crater lake, we had an impressive view. Especially when the sun came out, the water turned into all shades of blue. Of course, we couldn't resist hiking down to the lake shore. It was exhausting and not fun, but we were proud when we made it and the view was worth it. Period. :D

Amazonas:

One of the biggest highlights of the past few days was probably our 3 nights in the middle of the Amazon rainforest. And when I say in the middle of the Amazon, I mean really in the middle. We first spent two hours on a boat in the middle of the jungle along the Cuyabeno River, to finally arrive somewhere in the middle of nowhere at our lodge. Our guide Elias grew up in a community in the jungle and had incredible knowledge. He showed us everything about the plants there, explained which ones can be eaten, which ones the community uses as medicine, and how to survive in the jungle. Well, let's stay in the subjunctive mode and turn it into a 'could'. I would probably not last a day. :D Especially because of the snakes, nobody really needs them. Apart from that, we also saw many other wild animals, even pink dolphins. Although I sometimes wondered if any tourists ever return home with poisonings or injuries, it seems that things usually go well when you suddenly find yourself 2 meters away from a caiman while wearing flip-flops, bathing in a river where piranhas, monster fish, and anacondas live, or taking a night walk in absolute darkness. Honestly, I didn't always feel comfortable, but we still have all our limbs and after 4 days full of impressions, we were able to return to civilization.

Cotopaxi:

After spending another night in Quito following the Amazon, as the transfer would have been too long otherwise, we set off to one of the largest active volcanoes in the world: Cotopaxi. Well, actually, we could have skipped the hostel room in Quito, the farewell beer got a bit out of hand. :D But we were still up early the next day and used the bus ride to sleep. We're tough now. :D

The ascent to Cotopaxi literally took our breath away. At almost 5000 meters altitude, with rain and icy wind, breathing became very difficult. And even though we have done quite a few hikes by now, this was once again a completely new experience. The memorable volcano hikes haunt me. Greetings to Kathie at this point. :D We couldn't climb to the top of the volcano, but we at least made it to the glacier. And even though the weather didn't play along and we unfortunately didn't have a clear view of Cotopaxi, the ascent and the view there definitely make it onto my highlight list.

Interim Conclusion:

Ecuador has already shown us so many facets and given us unforgettable moments.

As always, there is so much more to tell, but who wants to read hours-long travel reports?!

In any case, I can say that this whole adventure is really a vacation for the soul. When you don't know in the morning where you will sleep in the evening, that's probably the greatest feeling of freedom. Mentally and physically, our plans are sometimes very demanding, but fortunately, my body has coped well with the extreme changes in temperature and climate, as well as the constantly changing altitudes.

The fact is, moments without photos are still the best. When you're fighting with the 'jungle kids' for the best spot on the paddleboard somewhere on a river in the Amazon, when you're being picked up by a bus driver in a hurry by the roadside, hoping he'll take you to your destination, when monkeys jump from tree to tree above your head, or when you're watching the sunrise over the roofs of Quito with your last beer and the conversations with supposed 'strangers' open your eyes, there's no time for photos, only time for memories that will last forever.

And with that, I think that's all for now. In our last days in Ecuador, we want to somehow try to get to the coast. Then we would have experienced all the wonders that this country has to offer. Let's see if it works. I'll keep you posted.