Here’s a quick re-cap of my recent travels: two Wednesdays ago, some friends and I made our way up to Quito, where we enjoyed culinary delights unavailable here in Cuenca. Namely, Indian food and bagels. Lots of bagels.
Then we headed north, to Otavalo, home of Ecuador’s most famous indigenous market. (And we stayed in one of the finest, most economical hostals I’ve encountered: Hotel Riviera Sucre. I recommend it highly.)
After Otavalo, we visited La Esperanza, south of Ibarra, and did some hiking. Then it was off to the coast: Esmeraldas, the biggest northern coastal city (and home to much of Ecuador’s black population), and Atacames, a popular, delightfully-cheesy resort town. We hung out in Atacames for about five days. During that time, I fell ill but recovered in time to survive the grueling 13-hour bus ride back to Cuenca via Guayaquil.
And so now we’re back home and our new classes have started and we’re back in the swing of things.