Viva Ecuador! South America

Viva Ecuador – why I love travel

by Kat Dougal on 21st September, 2012

Kat travels to Ecuador

“The first time I ventured to South America I ended up in Ecuador,” says Andean Trails Kat of catching the travel bug there.

“I say “ended up” because that’s exactly what happened. I’d always had a thing for South America – but where exactly I didn’t really know. I ended up going to Ecuador because I knew a family friend there who organised some volunteer work for me. So Ecuador it was, and without knowing all that much about the place I set off.

Sometimes I feel this is the best way to travel, jumping head first into a new adventure, into the unknown. The less you expect, the more you will find. I certainly found a whole lot more in Ecuador than I ever imagined. I found a small(ish) country – for South American standards anyway! – with a huge diversity of landscapes, all just a bus ride away from the bustling capital, Quito.

I hopped onto a bus and woke up at the Pacific Coast, where I spotted my first humpback whale and (over)indulged in delicious seafood while watching the fishermen bring in the catch of the day.

I travelled East and reached the rainforest, bumping along a dusty road past houses on stilts and surrounded by banana trees, caught in an intriguing new world. It was hot and muggy and exotic – and I loved it.

Abseiling Maquipucuna Cloudforest Ecuador

Kat travels in Ecuador – in the cloud forest

I worked my way south along the famous Avenue of the Volcanoes, stunned by breathtaking scenery and gigantic peaks and passing patchwork fields of so many shades of green that even us Scots could get jealous.

And I met such friendly people, warm and inviting and proud of being Ecuadorian.

To this day I have a soft spot for this beautiful country. I love returning to Ecuador and feeling this tingle of recognition, of coming “home”. I marvel at the amount of changes Ecuador has gone through in recent years.

Ecuador is a country shaping up with every year, keen to welcome tourists and show off all the things that make a visit truly special! And I tell everyone… GO GO GO!!