One of the hardest decisions to make when traveling is what to do when you get there. Do you explore on your own or use a tour company? Well, it depends. On our trip to Ecuador where language was an issue, we decided to use a tour company, but which one? I’ve used Grayline for several other tours and learned that they have a presence in Ecuador, so I went with them. The tours were wonderful.
Our first tour was a City and Equatorial Tour. Here, we toured by bus and foot the wonderful cathedrals and churches of the city, including there Notre Dame and the famous San Francisco. Several, we were able enter and marvel at the architecture and ornateness which belie the wealth of the country. Throughout the tour, we are getting a history lesson. We conclude the city part of the trip with a spactaculous view looking down on the old city. While not part of the equator trip itself, our guide took us to the actual location of the equator in addition to the equator monument. At the actual location is a small museum (and fee) where there are experiments and archaeological digs.
We also used Grayline to visit the Indian market Otavalo. We took a private tour, because group tours are only offered certain day. Along the way to Otavalo, we made several stop at local markets and scenic outlook. While the day that we visited the market was not busy, it seemed not to deter the vendor. This is a must visit place in my opinion, even if you don’t like to shop. After Otavalo, we visited a small town known for its leather goods. Advice … take a lot of money, while the products are not expensive by United States standard, you really get caught up in the bargaining.
The last tour was to Cotopaxi and an hacienda. While we had no intentions of climbing the volcano, the natural beauty of the area is incredible. We were lucky in that we got to see the snowy tops of the volcano. Because the day was somewhat clear, we drove to the base parking lot for climbers. This was not part of the tour. You better be adventurous and trusting. A good part of the drive is quite foggy and the rode is curvy and not paved and there are no guard rails! A word of caution for those who suffer altitude sickness … I thought that my head was going to explode. The choice of hacienda was excellent. Too bad it was raining.
Last word, while we could have explored these places on our own, there were lots of places on each tour where we stopped that we would not have known to do. Also, we learned a lot about the history and culture of the places we visited. Our guides made the experience personal and enjoyable. All were professional and seemed to like their jobs.
