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Seeing the World, One Year at a Time

Our Ten-Year Travel Plan

Category: Year One, Ecuador

Photo of a sunlit mountain range in the distance, past a wide green valley, with a porch deck railing and roof in the foreground.

Hostel Life

Posted on June 26, 2022August 8, 2022 by Al

Imagine a summer camp for adults: strangers share space, meals, and recreation, sign up for activities, and form bonds quickly.… Read more Hostel Life

Photo from above, looking down on a long, narrow, white canoe next to a brown dock attached to a thatched-roof hut, sitting on reflecting, brown water and surrounded by leafy trees.

Photo Gallery: Amazonia

Posted on June 7, 2022August 8, 2022 by Al

To wrap up our time in Ecuador, we spent a week in the one zone that had eluded us so… Read more Photo Gallery: Amazonia

Photo of legs and feet in tan pants and hiking boots pointing up to the sky on the right side, with a green hill on the left and a distant cityscape far below.

Takeoffs and Takeaways

Posted on May 30, 2022August 8, 2022 by Rachel

I gaze steadily out the small oval window of seat 22F as our plane takes off from the Quito airport… Read more Takeoffs and Takeaways

photo of a snow-capped peak rising above low-lying clouds. In front are rolling green fields, a fence, and grazing llamas.

Photo Gallery—Avenue of the Volcanoes

Posted on May 20, 2022August 8, 2022 by Al

We just finished two weeks hiking in the spine of the Andes, Ecuador’s famous Avenue of the Volcanoes. Check out… Read more Photo Gallery—Avenue of the Volcanoes

photo of a crowd of people waving white and red flags, some in traditional Andean clothes, marching in a disorderly parade across a cobblestone courtyard in front of colonial-style buildings.

The Parade

Posted on May 8, 2022August 8, 2022 by Al

We didn’t realize that we were arriving in Quito on May Day, or that May Day even mattered. In the… Read more The Parade

photo of a street at night beside a harbor, crowded with cars and people, winding around a roundabout with buildings and bright lights

Soundscapes

Posted on April 26, 2022August 8, 2022 by Rachel

From our very first night in Ecuador we knew our sensory experience would be unlike anything we had ever experienced… Read more Soundscapes

photo of an orange and black butterfly hanging from a silver chrysalis while other black-and-white and shiny silver and gold chrysalises hang above.

Mindo Surprises

Posted on April 12, 2022August 8, 2022 by Al

In the cloud forests of Mindo, I rediscovered the fresh joy of mountain air. After two months in the equatorial… Read more Mindo Surprises

photo of a ceramic mosaic of four volcanoes spewing lava behind a sea with waves, a sandy beach, and two tortoises being ridden by white birds.

Galápagos Dreaming

Posted on March 22, 2022August 8, 2022 by Al

I dreamed I was in a land full of giant reptiles; lumbering, armor-plated creatures that hissed at me and yet… Read more Galápagos Dreaming

Photo of a brown, sunlit sea turtle swimming through green water.

Photo Gallery—Isla Isabela, Galápagos

Posted on March 16, 2022August 8, 2022 by Al

Island and week #2 in our visit to the amazing Galápagos brings images of incredible undersea life and one of… Read more Photo Gallery—Isla Isabela, Galápagos

photo of a large gray land tortoise looking warily at us from under his rounded shell

Photo Gallery: Isla Santa Cruz, Galápagos

Posted on March 6, 2022August 8, 2022 by Al

There’s so much to see in the Galápagos! Check out a few of our favorite photos from our first week… Read more Photo Gallery: Isla Santa Cruz, Galápagos

photo of a sign in Spanish, saying "Precaucion no salir del sendero" with a steep, green mountain ridge in the background.

Adventures in Learning

Posted on February 24, 2022August 8, 2022 by Al

When I pictured learning Spanish in Ecuador, I imagined myself swimming happily in a sea of language that I could… Read more Adventures in Learning

Photo of a beach in the foreground with people surrounding a still lagoon and colorful umbrellas, while dark clouds gather on the horizon.

La Vida Chill

Posted on February 8, 2022August 8, 2022 by Rachel

It is just past dawn and the bedroom air is already warm and sticky, promising another hot, humid day at… Read more La Vida Chill

photo of a distant stone ridge, blue sky, green hills, taken from inside an open air, wood floor yoga studio with deep golden brown wooden pillars

Namaste (Vilcabamba)

Posted on January 23, 2022August 8, 2022 by Al

In Vilcabamba, we started every day with yoga, facing a rock ridge called Mandango as the sun rose over the… Read more Namaste (Vilcabamba)

Photo of the welcome sign to Podocarpus National Park by a wooden bridge.

Two Doors to Podocarpus

Posted on January 10, 2022August 8, 2022 by Al

To the south and east of Loja lies Parque Nacional Podocarpus, an Ecuadorian national park that spans two provinces and… Read more Two Doors to Podocarpus

photo of a colorful, festively lit, narrow street at night

New Year’s Eve, Loja

Posted on January 1, 2022August 8, 2022 by Rachel

In all honesty, the older I get the less interested I am in wild revelry on New Year’s Eve. Full… Read more New Year’s Eve, Loja

Photo of blue church domes above a courtyard with white lights in the shape of an angel.

Feliz Navidad from Cuenca

Posted on December 25, 2021August 8, 2022 by Al

We just wanted to wish everyone who celebrates Christmas a very merry one today, and all of our family, friends,… Read more Feliz Navidad from Cuenca

Food for Thought

Posted on December 22, 2021August 8, 2022 by Rachel

One of the most obvious and accessible ways to get a sense of a place and its culture is through… Read more Food for Thought

photo of three blue domes of a cathedral about a market plaza with white-walled buildings and red tile roofs

Cuenca: A Day in the Life

Posted on December 14, 2021August 8, 2022 by Al

Each weekday morning, we walk an hour to school. I did not expect I’d be saying that in my retirement!… Read more Cuenca: A Day in the Life

photo of river rapids, trees, and a green bush with orange flowers

Day 1 of 3,650

Posted on November 30, 2021August 8, 2022 by Al

The day begins with the bed shaking us awake. Having lived in San Francisco, Rachel quickly identifies the rumble and… Read more Day 1 of 3,650

photo of a cobblestone street with storefronts and a sign reading Bienvenidos

Next Stop: Ecuador!

Posted on November 19, 2021August 8, 2022 by Al

At the end of November, all of our planning and preparing ends and our adventure takes flight. We will fly… Read more Next Stop: Ecuador!

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