South America

Ecuador Peru border

From Ecuador to Peru, 2004

Leaving Quito It was even more uncomfortable to be alone on the dark street. More questions popped into my head. What if the bus came and my husband Sergey was late? Would the driver wait for him? We did not have cell phones; I could not tell Sergey that the bus was already there. Soon, […]

From Ecuador to Peru, 2004 Read More »

Quito Ecuador

Leaving Quito, Ecuador 2004

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 »

Climbing Cotopaxi, Ecuador

Cotopaxi, Ecuador 2004

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 »

Ecuator, Quito Ecuador

The equator, Ecuador 2004

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 »

Quito, Ecuador

Quito, Ecuador 2004

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 »

In Quito Ecuador

Denver, USA – Quito, Ecuador 2004

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 »