We headed to the main bus station in Guayaquil to find a bus to Puerto López on the coast. We found a cheap bus company that had a bus going that way in 30mins - perfect. The man in the ticket office told us it was $4 each for the 4hr journey. So we purchased our tickets and went off for a bite to eat. When we returned, the ticket guy offered to walk us to the bus (he was heading that way), but once there he demanded an extra $2 just for walking us to the bu...

A trip to the Galapagos Islands is expensive and our travel budget was never going to stretch that far, but thanks to all our friends and family for their generous wedding gifts, we were able to visit this enchanting place. The islands are very isolated, lying 1000km of the coast of mainland Ecuador. We wanted to make the most of our time, so opted for an 8 day cruise aboard the 'Angelique'. Boat tours are the best way to visit the islands as you get to visit ...

With the streets now safe again (the Ecuadorian president had regained control of his police force) we jumped on a bus to Cotopaxi National Park, home to Volcano Cotopaxi, the highest active volcano in the world. We had considered climbing to the snow covered summit (5900m above sea level) but later dismissed the idea because it's just too bloody high! We opted for a more achievable goal of reaching the ice glacier, still pretty high at 5000m. The volcano is a...

The Quilotoa Loop is a bumpy dirt road that goes deep into the Andes. Being so isolated, indigenous communities still practice their centuries-old way of life. Our first stop was the town of Zumbahua. We came for the market, but arrived a bit late - just in time to watch the locals packing up! We found a hotel on the market square, where a 7 year old girl kindly checked us in, took our money and showed us to our room - very efficient! After a quick walk arou...

We arrived in Latacunga with perfect timing, because for the next few days it's carnival time! Lantunga's major annual fiesta is 'La Mamá Negra', it involves processions, street dancing, costumes and fireworks. We found a good spot on the main square and watched the action unfold. As the procession passed, a young lad, (dressed as a witch) ran over and shoved a bottle containing a curious brown liquor to our mouths. It was 'aguardiente' (sugarcane alcohol) - ...