February 6, 2020

Click here to view our photos from some of our adventures in ths post.

It's hard to believe that we've only been in Ecuador for about three weeks. We've seen and explored so much in Quito and some of the surrounding towns! In addition to our time spent in the historic Old Town of Quito and some days in Latacunga (view our previous blog for details), we've since expanded our travels. From Quito we were able to visit three nearby locations: Otavalo, Mindo, and at the Mitad del Mundo.

Otavalo is known for its artisan market - in fact, it is the largest outdoor market in South America, while Mindo is a nature lover's retreat. Mindo is a cloud forest with a unique eco-system that is recognized worldwide for its biodiversity and birding. Our stay at the Mindo Coffee Lodge and Spa provided a perfect setting for a three-day escape to this area. While there we enjoyed taking the teleferico and tarabita to have views from above the vegetation, hiking to several waterfalls, exploring the town, and simply relaxing. Mitad del Mundo is literally the center of the Earth! Or so it is said - in truth, the actual equator line near Quito is not at the Mitad del Mundo. However, we spent a wonderful day "playing tourists", taking photos and having our passports stamped at Mitad del Mundo.

We also learned a lot about Ecuador's history, arts and culture as we visited several museums, parks and attended a student performance at a local jazz/percussion school.

Oswaldo Guayasamin is one of Ecuador's most famous artisans and is considered by some to be a national hero. His work is characterized by its Cubist style, and its focus on portraying Latin American people and the oppression, poverty and political upheavals they experienced. Our visit to the Foundacion Guayasamin Museum left us speechless.

Click here to view photos we took while visiting the Guaysamin collection.

Our visits to the National Museum of Ecuador and the Mindalae Museum provided us with a great foundation for understanding of this country's history and foundation. The National Museum has on display more than 1,500 items and artifacts from pre-Incan civilizations to present day culture. In addition to having artifacts, there is a contemporary art section and displays of musical instruments. And we found the Mindalae Museum to be a gem that can easily be overlooked when visiting museums in Quito. This museum boasts displays of Ecuadorian arts and crafts, largely the works of indigenous groups. The architecture of the museum is a work of art iin and of itself - a modern building that was inspired by the beliefs of ancient peoples with a spiral design "reflecting time and space reflecting eternal movement". Each of the five floors of the building has a window through which the sun pentrates in a column of light four times annually.

El Pahuma Orchid Reserve, Mindo Cloud Forest, Ecuador