Ecuador is a small country that straddles the equator in South America with a diverse landscape. They have the Andean Highlands, the Amazon rainforest and the coastal plains. The Galapagos Islands are a province of Ecuador located 1369 Km from the mainland. We decided to spend a few days in Quito before visiting the Galapagos.
Ecuador is not a stable country. There are a lot of robberies and demonstrations. We were told not to walk to a restaurant 2 blocks away at night. We felt safe with our guides and tour group but I don't think I would venture too far on our own.
Before joining our cruise tour, we hired a driver to take us to a hot pool area. Papallacta Hot Springs is located 67 Km from Quito. It is a beautiful drive into the Andean Mountains. Our driver showed us several sites as we drove to the hot springs.
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| Everyone has to wear a bathing cap. |
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| There are seven pools at this site. |
It was a great day and highly recommended. The next day we joined our pre-cruise group at the Marriot Hotel in Quito for our city tour of the old town.
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| Standing on the Equator |
A great day touring and we are flying to the Galapagos Islands tomorrow to start our cruise.
