I adore Ecuador

Before I begin a new chapter with Peru, I'd like to give a quick recap of my highlights of Ecuador:

. How I got here:
the "mishap" in Colombia with my airline tickets followed by my 5 day stay at the Crossroads hostel in Quito

Quito
Even though everyone I met there got mugged, I still enjoyed it. I met 2 really cool folks there and also thought my adventures climbing the Teleferico, the Basillica, and going to the Otavalo market were worth my stay there.

My man crush
yep. every now and then I get one. This guy was a real life, I was birthed from a mountain lion and can make a strawberry pie out of driftwood kind of mountain man. I ran into him twice in two completely different regions and both times he was dressed in his native garment and had a soft look on his face that explained that he could kill a man in a matter of seconds and do a dance for the gods in a corn field. Sexy.

Cotopaxi
Blisteringly cold. Strenuous climb. Worth it.

Banos
Motherfuckin dune-buggie going dead in a pitch black tunnel was a buzz kill. Hitchhiking into town was another experience in itself. I also ate the best fondue in my life there.

Welcome to the Jungle
Found a guy on couchsurfing who let me stay in his hut outside of Puyo ( a small town in the Amazon Basin) His friend Marco, a Quechua Shawman showed me around. There, I swam in the Amazon Basin and held an anaconda snake

Chimborazo
The holy-shit of volcanoes. This guy is the closet point to the sun in the world. It stands at around 6250 meters. Very dangerous due to unpredictable climate/avalanches/lightning strikes... I hiked to the refugee, rented mountain bikes, and ended up in an alpaca field. Oops... Definitely my favorite outdoor activity I did.

Montanita
Strange town. Party 24/7. Seemed a little sketchy. Felt like I had stumbled onto an MTV real world set gone bad. Attempted surfing, and really suck at it. Some dude tied shit into my hair, surprise surprise, as if I don't already have enough shit in it already.. I also decided to go by a different name. Phoenix Ruyo. That is my new name from now on.. or at least for my time being in Montanita.

Vilcabamba
My favorite small Ecuadorian town. It is filled with Ex-pats (literally over 200 living within a 60 mile radius) I did a 4 hour horseback ride which was the most painful experience in my life. The guide asked me if I had any experience, I said not really, and then we took off about as quick as a champagne top on New Years. That was 7 days ago and my ass is still sore. Never again. Never again.


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If you are ever traveling through Ecuador keep these hostels in mind.

Quito- Crossroads hostel
Banos- Plantas y blancas
Riobamba- Oasis hostel
Vilcabamba- Hostel Izcayluma (my favorite)