Ecuador is not a large country, but within its small boundaries it offers a mix of Andean highlands, tropical Pacific coast and Amazon rainforest.
At the beginning of February 2006, after managing a grueling election campaign, I flew to Quito, the capital, to begin a three-week exploration of this fascinating country. I hoped to get an overview of Ecuador’s different regions with one important exception — I didn’t have the time or money to visit the Galápagos Islands in the Pacific Ocean.
Ecuador is one of the most Indigenous of the Latin American countries with many people descended from the Incas and their neighbours and speaking Quichua. Most however, except in the most isolated areas, also speak Spanish.
My journey got off to a bad start when my early morning flight from Ottawa to Newark was cancelled. I scrambled to get re-routed through Toronto. It was a nightmare with very little time to make my connection and with having to transfer between two different terminals then wait in a security line to recheck my bags as the clock ticked down.
I despise airports and by the time I reached Quito late that night I was frazzled and exhausted.
Better rested the next day, I explored Old Quito, the colonial Spanish city, which is well preserved. I spent time at the main square, the Plaza Grande, and explored the cobbled streets lined with houses with classic balconies.
After two nights in Quito, I took a flight to Loja in the south of Ecuador from where I traveled to the small rural town of Vilcabamba, known for its long-living residents and lush green landscapes.
