The mesmerising country of Ecuador has so much going for it – especially in terms of little-visited destinations that remain largely off the beaten track. One fantastic place worth visiting while on a luxury holiday to Ecuador is the small village of Otavalo, located in the mountains an hour and a half north of Quito. Here’s why it’s worth paying an extended visit…
Otavalo market, Ecuador from hhesterr
Local crafts
The people of Otavalo are easily recognized by their traditional dress. Men wear white trousers and a dark poncho, whereas women wear a …

Monkey Rescue Center – Paseo Los Monos
Puyo, Ecuador
While volunteering at the children’s foundation in Ecuador, the group organized a field trip for 30 children and all of the volunteers on a Sunday to visit the nearby Centro Rescate de Los Monos, also called Paseo Los Monos. This is a rescue located an hour and a half from Banos in a small town called Puyo. This is a sanctuary that houses about 65 monkeys of 5 different species, as well as a host of other animals including coatis, agoutis, tortoises, and …

The Spirit of Children – An Opening of the Heart
“Learning is finding out what we already know. Doing is demonstrating that you know it. Teaching is reminding others that they know just as well as you. You are all learners, doers, and teachers.” – Richard Bach
Miro and I had the wonderful opportunity to volunteer with children in Baños, Ecuador for a two month period.  The biggest gift we received from our volunteering experience was forming a wonderful relationship with all the amazing children the foundation served. This post is Part 2 of a photo essay …

The Spirit of Children – An Opening of the Heart
“We learn by example and by direct experience because there are real limits to the adequacy of verbal instruction.”
~Malcom Gladwell
Miro and I had the wonderful opportunity to volunteer with children in Baños, Ecuador for a two month period.  The biggest gift we received from our volunteering experience was forming wonderful relationships with all the amazing children the foundation served. This post is Part 1 of a photo essay featuring the beautiful smiles faces of the children that have touched our lives.

Two girls participating …

Pululahua Crater
The underground volcano outside of Quito
On our visit to Ecuador’s capital, we ventured outside of Quito about 25 kilometers (15 miles) to visit Pululahua Crater, an active volcano. What made this volcano so strange was that it was active, but it was underground and I had never seen anything like this before in my life. Through continuous eruptions over 2500 years ago, this once grand volcano collapsed and transformed into a crater, but retains the potential of errupting even from it’s flattened state. But don’t let’s it’s current appearance …

A Conviction of Conscience
Some Say Indigenous Expressionism – I Say Haunting Impressions
Oswaldo Guayasamin
Hands down, the highlight of our short time in Ecuador’s capital city of Quito, was our visit to Oswaldo Guayasamin’s: The Chapel Of Man Monument . Prior to arriving in Ecuador, I had not experienced Guayasamin’s art, but from our first step in the nation’s capital, the importance of his work to the  collective consciousness was clear, reminiscent of the role Joan Miro plays in Barcelona, Spain. Reproductions of Guayasamin’s art were everywhere, sucking me into the haunting …