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About this site
- My-Quito.com is a personal
description of places we know in Quito and Ecuador. We have been
regular visitors to Quito for a number or years and have many
good friends in the city. In 2004 we bought an apartment in in
the Gonzales Suarez area, overlooking the historic village of
Guapulo and thought it might be useful to describe some of our
favourite places in Ecuador for others wishing to visit this
fascinating country.
- Each page starts with some
notes based on our own experience, followed by useful websites.
We have not necessarily visited all the places listed in the
external websites, so you will have to form you own view on these.
- You can navigate this site
by following the coloured subject headings at the top of each
page.
Chris +
Susana Askew
- and not forgetting James and Maria
of course!
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- Bristol, UK.
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- Quito, Ecuador.
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| My-Quito.com : a
visitors guide |
We also now have a My Quito! page on facebook. Please do have
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A guide to visiting Quito, Ecuador and
the Galapagos Islands
 Ecuador
is an extraordinary destination, combining enormous biological
diversity with a range of very different landscapes. Quito, at
nearly 10,000 feet altitude, was designated the first UNESCO
World Heritage City in 1978 in recognition of its colonial architecture.
The country has many of the worlds highest volcanos, including
Cotopaxi, alledgedly the worlds highest active volcano at 5897m,
and presents wonderful opportunities for climbing, trekking,
horse riding and white water rafting.
- The Galapagos islands were inspiration
for Darwin's "Origin of the Species" and as another
World Heritage site present an opportunity to observe giant tortoises
and many other endangered species at close quarters. On the tropical
Pacific coast you can enjoy palm lined beaches and go whale watching,
while on the other side of the country in the Amazon rainforest
you will discover the greatest bio diversity to be experienced
in a small area of the world. In fact Ecuador possesses some
1640 species of birds (double Europe or North America), 4500
species of butterflies, 345 species of reptile, 258 species of
mammal and 358 species of amphibian (15% of the worlds total)
.
- You can also visit the world's
most famous Indian market at Otavalo, stay at beautiful haciendas
or eco lodges in the cloud forest and eat out in top class restaurants
in Quito at reasonable prices.
- All this in a country the size
of Nevada.
- I hope that you find something
of interest in our account, and enjoy our photos. Should you
decide to visit the country, our own apartment
in Quito is available to rent for short visits.
- Mohanda Lakes near Otavalo
Site Map:
 Index -home page and contents list.
- Useful
information
-everything from geography to health issues, as well as having
many Ecuador links that we couldn't classify elsewhere.
- Image
Bank -our
own library of photos from Ecuador -Quito, Papallacta, Baños,
Otavalo, Cuenca, Ruta del Sol and the Galapagos Islands.
- Ecuador
books -further
reading on travelling in Ecuador, and a few other recommended
books for background reading.
- Galapagos
books -some
of the available books and dvds about the island and its wildlife.
-
 Apartment -details about renting our Quito apartment, pictured
right.
- Guapulo -the surrounding area around the apartment
-Guapulo and Gonzales Suarez.
- Practical
matters -general information
about the apartment.
- Inventory -a list of what you can expect to find
-furniture and equipment.
- Picture
gallery -some pictures
of the apartment and the village of Guapulo.
- Bookings -online booking form and rental calendar
for our holiday apartment.
- Contact -getting in touch with us. Also has a boring
notice about copyright and our Privacy Policy.
-
 Travel -getting to Ecuador and travelling
around in the country
- Flights -airlines serving Ecuador and the Galapagos,
along with destinations served.
- Car
hire -care and motorbike
hire companies in Quito, plus a few general tips on driving in
Ecuador.
- Buses -what you can expect travelling around
on public transport.
- Trains -the fantastic old steam railways of
Ecuador -the most difficult railway in the world -gradually being
reconstructed after El Niño of 1998.
- Yachts
and Cruises -yachts and
cruise ships serving the Galapagos Islands with a guide to different
classes and how to choose your boat.
-
 Sightseeing
- Starting with Quito -colonial architecture, parks, churches
museums & galleries.
- Local
Trips -day trips or weekends
to Otavalo, Mitad del Mundo, Pululahua, Pasachoa, Cotopaxi, Papallacta
and Mindo.
- Northern
Andes -Baños and
Ambato -national parks and great volcanos -Tunguruahua, Sangay,
Chimborazo.
- Baños -in 2006 we went back to the beautiful
spa town -known as the gateway to the jungle, the town is overshadowed
by the active volcano Tungurahua.
- Southern
Andes -the
provinces of Canar, Azuay and Loja -cloud forest, Inca ruins
at Ingapirca, the valley of Longetivity at Vilcabamba and the
city of Cuenca.
- Cuenca -from our 2005 trip -Ecuador's
other world heritage city -beautiful colonial architecture, arts
and handicrafts.
- Oriente -the amazonian provinces in the east
-vast areas of sparsely populated, largely unspoilt rainforest.
- Pacific
Coast -the coastal lowlands
-beaches, sea food, whale watching and parties -Esmeraldas, Manabi,
Guayas and El Oro.
- Manabi -Manta, the Ruta del Sol and Machalilla
National Park which we visited in 2007.
- Galapagos -the enchanted isles -inspiration to
Darwin and perhaps the greatest living museum of evolution -iguanas,
tortoises, turtles, sea lions, whales, frigate birds, boobies
and albatross.
-
 Activities -there are a huge range of things to
do in Ecuador.
- Trekking -walks in the high andes.
- Biking -get around by bicycle or mountain bike
down Cotopaxi, Chimborazo and the other volcanoes.
- Climbing -mountain climbing in the great volcanoes
of the Ecuadorean Andes.
- White
water rafting -rafting,
canoeing and kayaking in the mountain and jungle rivers.
- Scuba
diving -sub aqua possibilities
on the coast and the Galapagos Islands.
- Eco
tourism -volunteer and
gap year opportunities; consevation projects.
- Birdwatching -Ecuador
is described as a birdwatchers paradise with great opportunities
in the jungle, cloud forest and the Galapagos Islands.
- Whalewatching -watching
humpback and other whales on the mainlaind coast or Galapagos
- Learn
spanish -improve your
Spanish in Quito, Cuenca or the coast.
- Tour
Operators -tour organisers
specialising in Ecuador and the Galapagos.
-
 Accommodation -our guide to places to stay.
- Hotels -for those looking for comfortable travel
Ecuador has a great range of hotels and hosteria -Quito,
Imbabura, Baños,
Riobamba, Cuenca,
Pacific Coast, Guayaquil
and Galapagos.
- Haciendas -the finest accommodation on the great
old estates of Ecuador.
- Hostels -for those on a budget, there is plenty
of cut price accommodation too -listings of hostels in Quito,
Otavalo, Baños, Mindo, Cuenca, the Oriente, Pacific Coast,
Guayaquil and Galapagos.
- Lodges -off the beaten track in the mountains
and the jungle there are plenty of fantastic lodges to stay in.
- Quito
apartments -our listing
of apart hotels and short stay furnished vacation rentals in
Quito and the rest of Ecuador.
- Yachts
& Cruises -listing
of yachts and cruise boats plying the Galapagos islands.
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- Restaurants
and Shopping -places
to eat out, bars, clubs and shops in Quito. Also entertainments
-cinemas and sports clubs.
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- See also BishKrew
on Tour for James' travels around the world, including volunteering
in Esmeraldas.
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- Quito Apartment
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- Our Quito apartment is available
to rent on a short term basis for holiday lets -click on apartment for more details.
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- The one-bedroom apartment
is well equipped and enjoys beautiful views over the historic
village of Guapulo in the north of Quito.
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- Now with wifi internet access.
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- See the Bookings
Calendar for availability and prices.
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- Visitors reviews:
- "Ecuador was a wonderful
experience, 'everything you described and more'. We managed to
take in the Galapagos, the Cloud Forest, the Oriente, and
so many other things. The apartment was a wonderful place to
stay, I can see why you both love it so much, and it was also
a great base to launch ourselves into other activities. Thanks
so much for the apartment"
- N&M, Bristol UK
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- "My wife and I have just
returned to Canada from a wonderful visit with great friends
in Quito. They rented for us this fabulous apartment. Very comfortable.
Incredible views. The apartment itself is well equipped, very
spacious yet cozy, quiet, secure. Safe neighbourhood. We miss
Jose who watched over the building and helped us flag taxis and
carry luggage. We wanted to take him home with us.
Thank you,"
JU and CP
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- News from
Ecuador
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- Jan 2011 -Quito commences its year as American
City of Culture. A number of events are scheduled to take place
at plazas, theatres and cultural centres through the year.
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- Oct 2010 -a state of emergency was declared in
Ecuador after President Rafael Correa accused the opposition
and security forces of a coup attempt.
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- May 2010 -volcano Tungurahua erupted again
throwing up clouds of ash that caused the evacuation of seven
villages near Baños and the dirsion of air flights to
Peru.
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- March 2010 -sixteen Canadian passengers were
evacuated from the Galapagos yacht 'Alta' which ran aground on
entering the harbour at Puerto Ayora
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- Nov 2009 -with its worst drought for forty
years, Ecuador is suffering a shortage of Hydro Electric power
-residential areas of Quito are without electricity for long
periods. An electricity emergency has been declared for 60 days
whilst alternative sources are sought.
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- July 2009 -El Niño has apparently returned,
and is expected to affect weather patterns into 2010.
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- Sept 2008 -Quito celebrates 30 years as a UNESCO
world heritage city.
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- Aug 2008 -Visas: South American Explorers has reported
that extensions to the 90 day tourist visa are no longer being
issued from within Ecuador, with big fines for overstaying the
limit. They also report that returns are not being allowed with
six months.
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- July 2008 -Galapagos: it was reported that Lonesome Geoerge,
the last surviving Pinta Giant Tortoise may at last be a father.
Sadly the eggs proved to be infertile.
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- Ecuador
Volcanoes
 Ecuador has many of the worlds highest
active volcanoes. In Feb 2008 the Volcano Tungurahua (above)
entered a new and more violent eruption, throwing out pyroclastic
flows and emitting a column of ash. If you are planning to travel
in the Baños area, you may wish to check on the latest
status -up to date information can be obtained from the
- Instituto Geofisico
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- Recent increased volcanic
activity was also reported from Cerro Azul, on Isabella Island
in the Galapagos and the Tungurahua.
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