Our Blog
Going To Mindo? Stop at Maraksacha.
Learn about the Maraksacha Reserve, an exciting birdwatching hotspot located a short distance from Quito along the route to Mindo, Ecuador.
The Loja Botanical Garden
I never expected to find a botanical garden in Loja, Ecuador. But this university town in Southern Ecuador is full of surprises. My high school aged son and I spent a pleasant morning walking the shaded trails and enjoying the manicured gardens. Highlights included...
An Interview with Pinocchio the Andean Bear
Late last year, the Salisbury Zoo welcomed a new member to join their ranks, Pinocchio the Andean Bear. Shortly after Pinocchio's introduction to the public this past January, he agreed to meet with Not Your Average American. His publicity team, headed by Zoo Director...
La Cima de La Libertad – A Memorial to the Battle of Pichincha
La Cima de la Libertad is a place of pilgrimage for many Ecuadorians. This small plot of land overlooks the Historic Center, the Virgin of the Panecillo, and large swaths of South and Central Quito. However, the view is only one reason people come to visit this...
Rumipamba: An Outdoor Archeology Park in Quito
For those looking to learn about the ancient cultures of Ecuador, Rumipamba Archeology Park makes an excellent starting point. Archeologists have uncovered ruins dating from 1500 BCE to 1500 CE, a time period encompassing civilizations like the Quitu-Cara. Meaning of...
Ecuador Requires Travel Health Insurance
Update March 12, 2019 - While the Galapagos Islands supposedly requires health insurance, the mainland does not. And it is unclear if the policy is even enforceable on the archipelago. Our recommendation is to travel with a basic health insurance plan that includes...
The Guayasamin Museum in Quito, Ecuador
Tucked away in a quiet corner of the Bellavista neighborhood of Quito, just below Parque Metropolitano, the former home of Oswaldo Guayasamín provides a glimpse into the economic divide that describes so much of South America. Guayasamín, the most influential...
4 Smart Questions To Ask When Hiring a Guide in Ecuador
Recently, a visitor to our website asked a simple question: How much should hiring a guide in Ecuador cost? The easiest response would be to place a pricing table on the website and update it annually. Eventually, we hope to get there. But in the meantime, I have to...
The Best Places to See Orchids in Ecuador
Ecuador is home to over 4,000 species of orchids. These specatuclar blooming epiphytes grow in high altitude cloud forests of the Andean Sierra and the equatorial jungles of the Amazon Basin. There are so many orchids that the only comprehensive identification guide...
An Allegedly Unsafe Quito Rebuts the NY Times
In an article titled Five Destinations That Call For Caution, New York Time's author Shivani Vora highlights a supposedly unsafe Quito, Ecuador. She places this UNESCO World Heritage Site with four other cities in developing nations: Karachi, Pakistan; Caracas,...