Cotopaxi After my husband’s safe return from Cotopaxi, we stayed in Quito for a couple days visiting artisan markets. Usually, we bring home from a trip a few small souvenirs because we prefer to travel light. This time, we bought a lot including some bulky items like a wool blanket. Arts and crafts in Ecuador […]
Leaving Quito, Ecuador 2004 Read More »
The equator The guide, Eduardo showed up at Casa Helbling at the agreed time. He swiftly threw my husband’s backpack on the roof of his Jeep, tied it up and they were gone. They planned to return in 2.5 days. Until then, there was no communication between us. Left to my own devices, I roamed
Cotopaxi, Ecuador 2004 Read More »
Quito The equator passes through Ecuador. That’s how the country got its name. Quito is located about 15 mi (25 km) from latitude 00°00’00”. The equator near Quito is marked by the monument called Mitad del Mundo (The Middle of the World). We took a local bus to see the monument. A bright orange line
The equator, Ecuador 2004 Read More »
Denver – Quito In the morning, we went to find a place to have breakfast. There were two cafés next to each other and close to our hotel. One was noisy, unpretentiously furnished and packed to capacity with locals; the other was more formal, with starched tablecloths and empty. It was going to be our
Quito, Ecuador 2004 Read More »
A break between trips is a good time to write about an old trip. This story is about a 3-week vacation in Ecuador and Peru in 2004. The main reason for the trip was for my husband Sergey to climb an active volcano Cotopaxi. In Colorado where we live there are 53 fourteeners, mountains with
Denver, USA – Quito, Ecuador 2004 Read More »
The only reason why I went to Kranj was its convenient location. It was easy to get to it from Bled and on the following day from Kranj to the airport. But I loved this city at first sight. My room was at Layer’s Art Residence, in the heart of the old town. This building
Kranj, Slovenia 2019 Read More »
At Ljubljana’s bus station, I bought a combo ticket for €40 that included a one-way ride to Bled, entrance to Bled Castle, a return boat ride to the island, entrance to the island church, a slice of cake and a drink at the island café. Fearing that Bled would be crowded because the summer season
Bled, Slovenia 2019 Read More »
I was coming by train from Postojna and studying a map of Ljubljana. Nothing was prebooked, and I wanted to stay near the station and all attractions. Ljubljana is the capital city of Slovenia and I thought that finding accommodation in it should not be a problem. That was a big mistake. I walked from
Ljubljana, Slovenia 2019 Read More »
This unusual castle is located 9 km (5.6 mi) from Postojna. It was built in the early 13th century in a rock cavern high on the cliff. At that time, safety was paramount. It was more important than comfort living. Predjama Castle is absolutely impregnable. It is attached to the rock wall that is almost
Predjama Castle, Slovenia 2019 Read More »
While I was on the bus from Koper to Postojna, the drizzle changed to downpour. I congratulated myself on a wise decision to book a room in Postojna the night before. I’d not need to look for a place to stay in such rain. The hotel had excellent reviews, it was close to the station
Postojna, Slovenia 2019 Read More »
