My travel begins in Quito, a city in Ecuador with a population close to 3 million people. It is the oldest South American capital, UNESCO World Heritage site. Quito is the second highest capital in the world at 9,350 feet. (There is debate about it possibly being the highest … check out LaPaz and Sucre, Bolivia for details.)

After my days in Quito, we will be in the Amazon rainforest. We follow that time with close to a week to visit the Galápagos Islands, another UNESCO World Heritage site! It’s a quick trip with plenty to accomplish while I am in Ecuador.

Quito was founded in 1534. I love old architecture, plus South American cuisine, so walking the city’s plazas will be fascinating! We’ll fly, then take a motorized canoe to a village in the Amazonian rainforest. There are 40 families at this village and my chance to learn about their shift to eco-tourism. We’ll return to Quito and fly to the Galápagos Islands. There we will board a small ship for 7 nights as we tour what we can on the islands. There are 13 islands; however, all is protected … including surrounding waters. With permission from the Galápagos National Park, our visits will be allowed on certain islands. They work to maintain low impact to the land, water and animals. No doubt, many other tourists will arrive and I’ll be looking for birds and giant tortoises!

I have begun my research of interesting Ecuadorian foods for me to try. Plus, places to visit and birds to look for while in the city, rainforest and on an island or two. It was Charles Darwin, a naturalist in the 1800’s, who first proposed the scientific theory of evolution through natural selection. Now I’ll have my chance to see finches, mockingbirds, tortoises and iguanas that prompted his conclusions!

I’ll keep you posted! Adiós!

While Columbia is to the north and Peru to the south of Ecuador, please know there are more countries in South America! This map is just a start for all to know where Ecuador is.