Guayaquil’s Rio Guayas

Guayaquil was steamy after being in the Andes, but a walk beside Rio Guayas gave the illusion of coolness. The entire waterfront was open to the public with water pools, lush vegetation and even a poor toucan locked in a cage.

Saraguro cave hike

Sanaguro was a quaint town with the usual open square and church at its centre. Perched in the southern end of the Andes, this town was tourist free, except for me.

Quito took my breath away

There was a strong police presence around Quito to deter thieves from stealing from tourists. I wandered streets with ease until I came to a hill where I literally lost my breath. The nearly 3000 metres about sea level made me feel ancient. It wasn’t until my daughter arrived and she experienced the same breathlessness climbing hills, that I felt reassured.

A gathering in the high Andes

My daughter spent a year in South America and during that period, we decided to hook up in Ecuador. It happened to be the year I had a student from Ecuador in my class who was also heading south. While I waited in the capital for my daughter’s arrival, I met up with Samanta and her parents.