Vilcabamba

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…

Guayaquil, Ecuador

For our first day in Ecuador, we explored a small part of Guayaquil, Ecuador’s largest city. We are staying at Hostal Perla Real Inn, less than 2 km from the airport.  I selected it because our flight didn’t land until close to midnight, so we wanted something lined up to go straight to rather than…

The Galápagos Islands

Imagine being invisible.  You’re standing next to wild birds, giant tortoises, sea lions, and marine iguanas  in their natural habitats, watching them fish, play, eat, preen themselves, and attempt to seduce each other with bizarre courtship antics, without a care that you are close enough to reach out and grab them.  Because most of the…