My first real venture outside of Quito… I head southeast to the small town of Baños, so named for it’s volcanic hot springs.

Termas la virgen

I rented a bike and rode down towards the Amazon basin along the “route of the waterfalls”




Pilsener: Ecuador’s national beer


Parque central in Baños

for being a small town Baños has some fantastic grafitti

A few more photos from around Quito

The streets of the historic center of the city




The local Klan rally…. oh wait, maybe those are San Franciscan monks… I can never tell the difference

The Hare Krishna’s parading around during holy week

A chica (ohhhh multi-lingual joke!)

Some funky architecture

And what is this lovely and inviting place? Why it’s the American embassy of course! Needless to say Justin was harassed by soldiers and almost had his (Joe’s) camera confiscated in the ordeal…. Really charming people those (North) Americans

Here, as in most places in the world, advertising really reflects the reality on the street


The town of Guápulo down below

The road down to Guápulo

And now the moment you have all been waiting for…… the food.

Breakfast and my first cup of Nescafe

A ball of plantain, stuffed with cheese and then fried

A typical Al muerzo (lunch) 1st and 2nd courses respectively – cost = $1.50

Another Al muerzo, Fried fish, rice, and beet salad

Shrimp ceviche with tree tomato juice

An Euadorian version of fish and chips

At home. Arepas with tuna and avocato

Fanesa. A special soup eaten only during holy week. It is made with 12 gains ment to symbolize…..something or other

Delicious fruit salad with raspberry sauce and whipped cream. In the back a plantain empanada with rice and tuna

candied figs and fresh cheese

A fruit vender during holy week

A meat vender

Food venders at the park near my APT.

A few photos from my day-to-day life here in Quito.

My new APT. It’s what’s behind the green door

My room

My room, slightly more lived in

The view from the kitchen. It’s either raining, or about to rain

The Spanish school

What happens every day around 3 or 4 o’clock

What i actually spend most of my time doing

Fixing the light in the bathroom. Was a bit challenging, but in the end was met with success

Being sick from the cold

Some wine to help the studying

“I cried because i didn’t have shoes, until i saw a child who didn’t have feet” – Guayasamin