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Seven Handy Tips for Hiking with MS
Not long ago, I thought my hiking days were done. When I was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis (MS), I was struggling with my health in multiple ways, no pun intended. I found it difficult to walk without limping, heat sapped my energy in ways I never expected, and I...
The Faces of Inti Raymi
For people living along the equator, Inti Raymi is the day that shadows disappear even while standing in the full sun; in North America, we call it the Summer Solstice and celebrate it as the longest day of the year. But for South Americans living along the...
The Iconic Salcedo Ice Cream Bar
Almost every Ecuadorian driving from Latacunga south towards Riobamba stops for a famous Salcedo ice cream bar. The main route through town was once home to dozens of ice cream stores all claiming to sell the original Helado de Salcedo. Today few people take the time...
10 Quick Quito Day Trips
Only have a few hours to kill but want to see something worthwhile? Here are 10 quick Quito day trips, with pros and cons for each. Bonus - there is a map included at the end of the article that points out great parking places for those of you in your own vehicle....
Tigrillo, the Breakfast of Champions
My breakfast of choice when staying on the coast of Ecuador is tigrillo, a casserole-style dish of mashed green plantains, egg, and cheese. It's absolutely delicious. Better For You Than Potatoes If you love potato hash for breakfast, you should really give this a...
Petroglyphs along the Rio Chirapi, Pacto
About two years ago, I learned that ancient Yumbo petroglyphs could be found along the Rio Chirapi near a waterfall named for the Cock-of-the-Rock, la Cascada Gallo de la Peña, in Pacto. So when I found myself conducting a tourism survey of the area, I...
What to Expect at Cascada Condor Machay
Little did we know that the hardest part of getting to the Cascada Condor Machay wouldn't be the hiking but the actual driving. We knew we were looking for a road that led from Sangolquí to the back, north entrance of Cotopaxi National Park. Like all Americans, I went...
Why Quichua and Not Quechua?
Tourists with travel experience in Peru, especially those who have taken trips to the heart of the ancient Incan Empire in Cusco or Machu Picchu often question why, in Ecuador, the word Quichua is used in place of Quechua. The answer is both simple and complex. It all...
Hiking to the Refugio at Cotopaxi National Park
he Refugio at Cotopaxi National Park is a small hostel tucked into the side of the huge mountain just below glacier level. The Refugio used to be an overnight destination for mountaineering teams acclimatizing before making an ascent on the peak....
Drink Yerba Mate Like An Argentine
Maybe you've heard of yerba mate, if only in its ubiquitous form: the maté latte in some American coffee shops. Our year in Argentina taught us that mate is so much more than a pale green, milky drink. In fact, what we drink in the US is really mate cocido but I'm...