The centre of the World....and some beach time !!

Although we loved Colombia, we certainly aren´t suffering in Ecuador... After our VERY long journey over the border, we were thrilled to find ourselves in the lap of luxury (relatively speaking) in Quito. Quito itself is a large city with a lot to offer, however we knew to go straight to the Mariscal-New Town area which as we discovered, is filled with fantastic restaurants, cafes, shops, and bars..... We were lucky enough to find a great little dirt cheap inn to stay at where the towels were fresh, the showers hot, the cable working and a balcony which opened up onto a quiet cobble stone street to let the fresh night breezes in. For two weary backpackers, this to us was the Four Seasons.

One of the highlights of our time in Quito was a trip to the actual Equator where you can stand with one foot in the southern hemisphere, and the other in the north. Doug was quick to point out that we were now finally in the same Hemisphere as Australia !! After the obligatory photo ops, we spent the day exploring the local museum and watching some traditional dances that were happening on site. An interesting fact about the Equator: On average everyone weights about 5lbs less when standing at the Equator than anywhere else in the world. We of course tested this out on an available scale and after seeing our reduced weights, went straight to a greasy restaurant for a guilt free hamburger and fries. Too bad they can´t funnel that energy into other parts of the world....


If you can´t see them properly than click on the link here - Quito

After a quick couple of days in Quito it was off to the beach. Raul, my partner at the orphanage, is a partner in a Hostel near a little town called Montañita (a great surfing town that seems to be pumping with energy 24/7). Our plan was to spend a week or so with him before heading to the Galapagos. When we arrived at Kamala we knew that it would be a tough place to leave. With everything from horseback riding, diving (Raul and his brother are both diving instructors), a huge pool, beach bar, volleyball net, TV room with hundreds of DVDs, and more...all directly on a beautiful white sandy beach, this place was one of the most inviting we have seen on our travels so far.

Add to that the fact that two of our other friends from the orphanage were also staying with Raul (Gabby, my second partner for the little boys, and Elena, Raul´s girlfriend who worked with the little girls at Casa Guatemala)...Kamala felt like a little piece of home, a wonderful break for two travellers who rarely see the same face twice.

The week was a great reunion for all of us as we filled our days with diving (4 great dives, 2 of which were the best night dives we have had so far), surfing, lounging on the beach, dancing till sunrise (Carnival weekend is huge in Ecuador too), and reminiscing around an open fire of our days at Casa Guatemala....Good times, good times.



If you can´t see them properly than click on the link here - Kamala