We spent one night in Riobamba to break up the journey between Baños and Cuenca. The city has some pretty colonial buildings and churches, but many look run down and are in need of restoration.
In the afternoon we walked to La Loma de Quito, a park on a hill from where we could see the Chimborazo, Carihuairazo, Tugurahua and El Altar volcanoes.
The highlight of our stay in Riobamba was dinner. We had a fabulous dinner at a restaurant called Bonny (there are two locations in town – we ate at the one on Primera Constituyente and Darquea). The restaurant was elegant with chandeliers and waiters dressed in black and white. The waiters were very attentive. The food was delicious! We shared a steamed corvina fish and a steak with a pepper sauce.
Where we stayed
Hostal Oasis: We really enjoyed this hostal. It was very clean and comfortable. There was free wi-fi that worked well in our room. The hostal is run by a friendly and helpful family. We paid USD $20 for a room with a queen bed, private bathroom and hot water.
Baños is a lovely, relaxing, gringo-friendly town where visitors always end up staying longer than they had planned. It's nestled in a beautiful valley with a view of a waterfall, has warm t-shirt and shorts weather during the day, and many of its restaurants serve delicious, healthy and inexpensive food. Baños is named for the thermal baths located around the city. These baths are a great place to relax.
Chiva Waterfall Tour
We went on a chiva bus tour of the nearby waterfalls. It was a really fun and easy way to see the area around Baños.
At the first stop we rode a cable car that stopped in the middle of a deep canyon to get an up close look at a waterfall.
Next we stopped at a bridge where people could bungee jump off. Minh wanted to do it, but I insisted that he not do the jump since we had not done any research on the bungee operator to ensure that they are reputable company and take all of the necessary precautions.
After the bridge we visited the Manto de la Novia (Bride’s Veil) waterfall. Here we took a cable car down to the bottom of the canyon then crossed a suspension bridge that led us right to the bottom of the waterfall. The view from the bottom was very impressive, but also very wet.
As we drove between stops, the guide pointed out lots of other waterfalls along each side. At one point the road led us right under a waterfall. At our final stop we hiked down a canyon for about 20 minutes and came to the bottom of the Manchay waterfall where a large rainbow forms every afternoon. After we hiked back up, we had some delicious fresh grilled trout for lunch.
El Pailon del Diablo
El Pailon del Diablo (the Devil's Caldron) is the most famous, and perhaps the most spectacular waterfall in the area. It is by a town called Rio Verde, located a 20 minute drive from Baños. To reach it we hiked down a beautiful canyon for about 20 minutes before arriving at a serious of platforms from where you can view the waterfall. Photos can’t capture how powerful the waterfall is. The water thunders down with such force that it jumps back up and you get drenched on the platforms.
The highest platform is reached via a narrow, cramped path in a crack of the canyon, called the Grieta del Cielo. We had to crawl through most of the path, but once we reached the platform we were able to stand behind the waterfall. This view was very impressive and the roar of the waterfall was deafening.
Near the platforms there is a small suspension bridge from where we also got a nice view of the waterfall and the surrounding canyon.
Statue of the Virgin
We spent about an hour one morning hiking up to the statue of the Virgin that overlooks the town. The hike was not too bad in that the path is well marked and a large portion of it consists of stairs. However, the entire hike is very vertical, so we stopped a lot to catch our breath. The statue itself is nothing to write home about, but the views of Baños and the Tungurahua volcano are spectacular!
We spent an afternoon relaxing at the Baños de la Virgen thermal baths, located at the eastern end of the town. The water was nice and warm, and there is a great view of the Manto de la Virgen waterfall from the baths.
Where we ate
Café Blah Blah: Great sandwiches, fruit salads, and natural fruit juices.
Casa Hood: The menu of this restaurant is quite eclectic, offering Latin American, Asian and vegetarian dishes. But the food is very tasty, and the atmosphere is artsy and cozy. I had a falafel platter that came with some delicious hummus, and Minh ate a Chinese chicken and noodles dish that was seasoned with a tasty soy and ginger sauce. Swiss Bistro: This is the number one rated restaurant in Baños on Trip Advisor, and the credit is well deserved. The food is delicious and authentic (the owner is Swiss). We shared a roesti (traditional swiss dish that tastes a lot like hash browns) prepared with gruyere cheese, sausage and onions. The restaurant also had a good house white wine. Café Hood: Same owners as Casa Hood. This restaurant also has an eclectic menu, but the food is delicious. At dinner I had tacos with ground beef and Minh had a Pad Thai. We decided to go back for lunch another day, and I had a chicken curry sandwich and Minh had a hamburger served on a baguette.
Hostal Chiminea: We highly recommend this hostal! It was quiet, very clean, and the bed was comfortable. Our room had a small balcony with a view of the Manto de la Virgen waterfall. The hostal has a roof top terrace that provides great views of Baños. The terrace also has a café where you can get a delicious breakfast for about USD $2. The hostal is run by a family and they were very attentive. There is free wi-fi in the lobby and three computers where guests can check email. We paid USD $17 per night for a room with a double bed, private bathroom and hot water.
Our week long trip to the Galapagos Islands was INCREDIBLE!!! While we’ve seen and experienced many memorable moments on this trip, the Galapagos Islands lived up to the hype. We can say without hesitation that it’s been the best part of our trip. Here are the highlights from each day.
Day 1
Our flight landed on Baltra Island. We were surprised at how dry the island was, with lots of drooping cacti, wilted bushes and tons of rocks. It looked like a desert surrounded by blue and turquoise waters. We rode a bus across Baltra, took a small ferry to Santa Cruz Island, and then one more bus to the port where we joined our boat, the Galapagos Adventure II, and met our guide Julio.
In the afternoon our guide took us to the highlands of Santa Cruz. First we hiked, and also crawled, through a large lava tunnel. At one point, the tunnel became extremely narrow (I wish I got a picture of when Minh got stuck). Next, we visited a tortoise reserve where we saw lots of giant tortoises. At first, we were a little afraid of them as some of them they can weigh up to 500 lbs. We got over it though. It was amazing to see these large, slow-moving creatures so up close!
Later in the morning we snorkeled in two different areas of deep ocean. We snorkeled near sea lions, a shark, a sea turtle and tons of colorful fish. The visibility was incredible! Unfortunately, the water was very cold and Minh got worried when he noticed that my lips were turning purple. I decided to rent a wet suit for the rest of the trip – it helped a lot in keeping me warm.
In the afternoon we visited Punta Cormorant, where we encountered a small group of napping sea lions.
There we hiked a trail to a beach with enormous sting rays.
Our guide had us stand in the ocean with our legs spread apart and warned us to stay very still so that the rays would not sting us. Each time the waves came in they brought tons of sting rays near the shore, which swam between our legs.
Our guide indicated that on this beach sea turtles come to lay their eggs in the evening. We did not get to see this, but did see trails left by sea turtles that had come ashore to lay their eggs.
In the morning we visited Gardner Bay, home to a large sea lion colony. We were greeted by some mocking birds that began to inspect our bags for bottles of water. Our guide explained that in the past, visitors were allowed to give water to the mocking birds. As a result, in about 10 years, the mocking birds had begun to lose their ability to drink water by pecking at eggs. Visitors are no longer allowed to give water to the mocking birds.
The sea lions were all over the beach, sleeping, eating, nursing and playing in the ocean. The little ones were adorable, but all of them smelled and barked very loudly.
It was amazing to be able to get so close to them. After taking tons of pictures of the sea lions, we walked to a section of the beach where we first saw marine iguanas crawling along the rocks.
We then snorkeled from the beach. We found this to be difficult because there was a strong current and we did not see much because of low visibility. However, Minh and I did encounter an enormous sea lion that barked angrily and scared the hell out of us when it swam straight at us. I tried to swim away quickly; Minh assumed the fetal position. Thankfully the sea lion swam away. Later that day we snorkeled by a small rocky island with an underwater cave. We snorkeled near the cave and saw sea lions, sting rays, a sea turtle and more colorful fish.
In the afternoon we visited Española Island where we saw tons of marine iguanas. There were so many that you had to be very careful not to accidentally step on one.
Our guide explained that the males were larger and more brightly colored, whereas the females are small and black. On Española we also saw blue footed boobies, including a mother with two baby boobies. One of the babies looked a lot smaller and weaker than the other. Generally only one of the babies survives because the stronger of the two prevents the weaker one from getting any of the food provided by the mother.
On Española we also saw lots of different other types of birds including frigates, Galapagos sea gulls, albatrosses, golden warblers, and other types of boobies.
In the morning we rode the dingy to Tortuga Bay, a mangrove where we saw baby sharks, spotted sting rays, and sea turtles. We also saw frigate birds, herons, and golden warblers.
Afterward part of our group spent some time hanging out on a private beach while our guide accompanied the people who were heading home. It seemed like a great idea at first, but there was no shade and the water was too cold for swimming, so we basically baked on the beach for 90 minutes (I wish we had taken a picture of all of us huddled underneath our beach towels). In the afternoon new people joined our group. We went snorkeling and saw some sharks, huge schools of fish, and some sea lions.
After snorkeling we hiked on North Seymour Island. There we saw land iguanas for the first time, which are yellow in color.
We also saw a male frigate bird attempt to lure a female frigate by puffing up the red pouch on its chest and calling out to her. However, she rejected him.
We also saw a sea lion with a shark bite injury, though our guide thought the injury was not too bad and the sea lion would likely survive. We also saw a baby blue footed boobie and some swallow tailed gulls. Our guide explained that these gulls eat by stealing food away from other birds. Also, here's yet another picture of a cute, baby sea lion.
In the morning we hiked on an island called the Chinese Hat.
Chinese Hat is covered with lava tubes
We visited a sea lion colony guarded by a large male. We saw the male scare off a bachelor sea lion by chasing and barking at it very loudly. We also saw marine iguanas, a dead sea lion, and some hawks, including one that was eating a crab. We then went snorkeling by James Bay and saw lots of colorful fish and our first starfish.
We also visited a section of the island that had fur seals. Our guide explained that compared to sea lions, fur seals are smaller, have smaller ears, and thicker necks and fur. They also prefer rocks whereas sea lions prefer sand.
In the morning we hiked over pahoe hoe lava. Our guide pointed out small chimneys formed by the lava, and the limited plantlife that is able to grow in the lava, including some small cacti. Later we snorkeled near the Pinnacle Rock. We saw a sting ray, flounder, pirate fish, porcupine fish and some starfish.
Our guide explained that Pinnacle Rock used to be one big rock but became separated because it was used for target practice by the U.S. Military during WWII. The U.S. set up bases on Baltra and Isabella islands during WWII to defend the Panama Canal and the Pacific.
In the afternoon we hiked up to a lookout point on Bartolome Island where there is a small lighthouse and from where we had a great view of other islands in the Galapagos. During our hike we saw lava tunnels, cacti growing in the lava, and a lava lizard eating a grasshopper.
In the morning we hiked on South Plaza island. I found this to be one of the most beautiful islands we visited because it was covered in bright red and orange shrubs and the cacti plants had yellow flowers. Our guide indicated that on this island land iguanas and marine iguanas live in close proximity and sometimes interbreed. Unfortunately we did not get to see any of the hybrid iguanas.
We visited more sea lion colonies, including a bachelor colony. Our guide indicated that the bachelor colonies are located on stretches of islands that are considered least desirable by the sea lions. Next we walked near cliffs where we saw nests with adult swallow gulls raising baby swallow gulls.
On our way back to the dingy we saw two male marine iguanas fighting. Minh got some great shots of them butting heads.
In the afternoon we went snorkeling near Santa Fé Island. It was one of the best and most exciting snorkeling trips we did! We saw sharks, eagle rays, other large rays and sea turtles. In the afternoon we hiked through a tall cacti forest on the island.
We saw a different type of land iguana from the type we had seen before with red, beady little eyes.
We also saw another sea lion colony. I promise, this is the last cute, baby sea lion photo.
On our last morning we visited the Charles Darwin Research Station, located on Santa Cruz island. There we saw pens where baby giant tortoises were being raised.
We also saw different sub-species of giant tortoises from the various islands, including lonesome George who is the last tortoise of his kind.
Eight days was a little too long and expensive, but the alternative of four days would have been too short. We heard that some agencies may start offering 6 day tours, which allow you four full days on a boat – we think this option would be ideal.
If you have flexibility in your schedule, book a last minute trip in Quito, or for an even better deal fly directly to the Galapagos Islands and book your trip in Puerto Ayora on Santa Cruz Island. We were able to save over 40% by booking last-minute, but of course, you’re taking a risk that there might not be any vacancies. However, you should have no problem doing this if you are traveling by yourself or as a couple. For example, our boat always had four extra slots available.
We booked our trip through the Happy Gringo agency in Quito, which found us spots on a cruise run by Gap Adventures. We thought both companies were excellent and highly recommend them.
The snorkeling is phenomenal so invest in a good underwater camera (Hayley, thank you very much for sending us your fantastic underwater photos!). Bring plenty of sunblock (we went through two SPF 45 bottles), sea sickness pills, and some warm clothes because it can get chilly on the boat at night.
We had a great time in Quito! We were very impressed with the beauty of its colonial area, the wide range of international cuisine available, and its tourist friendly atmosphere. Here are some of the highlights.
The Old City
Quito’s colonial district is beautiful and amazingly well preserved. We started our day at the Plaza de la Independencia (or Plaza Grande), where there is a large white cathedral with a green tiled dome. The outer walls of the cathedral contain plaques listing the names of the founding fathers of Quito.
We spent the rest of the morning walking around the colonial city’s plazas and churches. My favorites were the church of La Compañía because of its ornate and richly sculpted façade and the Plaza de San Francisco because its large open area reminded me of the main plaza in Villa de Leyva, Colombia.
Cerro Panecillo is a hill containing an enormous statute of the Virgen located a few blocks south of the old city. The hill provides great views of Quito and of the surrounding mountains. We had planned on walking up the hill, but as we headed in that direction I overheard a woman say in Spanish “Those poor tourists are going to get robbed climbing up that hill!” So we decided to take a taxi. At the top I asked an employee whether it would be safe to walk down. Without hesitation she said “No, you will get mugged!” So we took a taxi back down to the old city as well.
Pichincha
Pichincha is a volcano located just west of Quito. We rode a teleférico (cable car) that took us up to the flanks of Pichincha at about 4100 meters above sea level (13451 feet, over twice the altitude of Denver at 5280 feet). The views of Quito and the surrounding area are spectacular! We spent the afternoon hiking one of the trails to get better views of Pichincha. During our hike we saw some beautiful valleys and cliffs.You must visit Pichincha if you’re ever in Quito, but I suggest waiting a few days after your arrival in order to get acclimated to the altitude. Even though we had already been in Quito for a few days, we felt very winded during our hike and had to stop every few minutes to catch our breath.
Quito has several nice parks with lots of shady spots to relax. We spent an afternoon walking around Parque Alameda, which has the oldest astronomical observatory in South America (though we did not visit it), and Parque El Ejido. Both parks were filled with families and young people enjoying the nice weather.
We spent New Year’s Eve in Quito. For New Year’s, Ecuadorians create enormous puppets satirizing politicians and other famous personalities. For most of New Year’s Eve day and night the puppets are on display along Avenida Amazonas, where thousands of people gather to buy food from street vendors and to listen to live music. At midnight all of the puppets are set on fire, and people continue to drink and celebrate while the puppets burn.
We did not eat much Ecuadorian food while we were in Quito. We simply could not resist all of the ethnic options available, some of which we had been craving for several weeks. We also figured we would have plenty of chances to enjoy local food during the rest of our time in Ecuador.
Chandani Tandoori: Simple, no frills place with delicious authentic Indian food. We liked it so much that we ate there twice.
Tex Mex: Great burritos and margaritas. The service was slow because the same guy seated us, took our order, and also prepared the food. But it was worth the wait.
La Chacha: Cozy little restaurant with good Italian food.
Uncle Ho’s: Good Asian food with several Vietnamese inspired dishes. We enjoyed our dinner a lot, and decided to return the next day for their great lunch specials.
Turtle’s Head: An authentic British pub with good fish and chips and its own great microbrews. They play great British and American rock, and have both a pool table and foosball table, where Minh kicked my butt :-(
Where we stayed
Quito is divided into the Old City, containing the colonial district, and the New City. We stayed in the New City in a neighborhood called La Mariscal, also known as Gringolandia. We loved Gringolandia because it has everything a gringo could want – lots of great restaurants, bars, internet cafes, cheap laundry services, and a wide range of hotels, hostels and bed & breakfasts for every budget. We also felt very safe there. We enjoyed our stay at Hostal Alcalá, a bed & breakfast located on a quiet street but within walking distance of everything we needed.
