Ecuador Travel: Macalester College Alumni Association Dynamic Group Trip

Day 2 Quito – Cotopaxi Volcano

Setting out after breakfast we’ll head south through the city and down the valley below Pichincha. Enshrouded by clouds, the valleys of the famed Avenue of the Volcanoes open up as massive Cotopaxi (meaning ‘neck of the moon’ in the ancient tongue) comes into view. Our first visit will be at Nevado Roses, a flower plantation where we will tour the facilities learning about flower cultivation and exportation in Ecuador, one of the world’s predominant rose exporters. After a delicious lunch we’ll visit the stunning Quillotoa Crater where we’ll take a relaxing walk downto the shores of the dazzling, emerald-green lagoon at the crater’s center. This is a true natural wonder. From here we will return back up by foot or horseback to enjoy the view. We will then visit a nearby indigenous community to learn about the areas culture and lifestyle before continuing on to the ever so charming Hacienda Alegria for dinner and a relaxing evening.

• B, L, D – Hacienda Alegria or similar

Day 3 Cotopaxi Area

Driving out into Andean countryside we’ll pass sheep and llamas grazing before arriving to the highland town of Pujili and La Victoria which are renowned for their artisanal ceramics. Our first visit will be to the bustling, off the beaten path market of Pujili. We’ll then visit a local ceramics workshop to see their ancient production techniques and final products. You’ll also have a chance to create your own ceramic memory. In Tigua we’ll visit local artist Julio Toaquiza’s workshop where he paints colorful scenes of highland festivals and folkloric characters typical of the region on sheep skin in the naïf style. Having worked up an appetite we’ll visit a charming local restaurant before returning to the hacienda for a chagra show.

The introduction of cattle and bulls into the Andean highlands by the Jesuits gave birth to a rich cultural phenomenal still iconic of the region today; the chagras, or Andean cowboys. Chagras were the first indigenous groups at the time allowed to ride horses and for centuries the chagras have carved out a unique and enviable identity in the region.

• B, L, D – Hacienda Alegria or similar

Day 4 Cotopaxi – Antisana – Quito
After a filling breakfast we head south through the main square at Pintag wher you’ll learn about the clash of the Inca and Caranqui civilizations. After a taslte of exotic local fruits like cherimoya we’ll arrive to some of the best preserved paramo, or highland moor, in the world. As we wind our way up through the paramo, a relatively young lava flow path will lead us up to the Antisana Volcano and what used to be the famous Hacienda Antisana. We will leave the bus at Antisana River Gorge, a small high-altitude stream of glacial melt from the volcanoes glacier. We will enjoy an hour or so walk north past the base of Chuzalongos, three peaks formed by an ancient horseshoe crater and named after an indigenous legend speaking of mountain goblins.

Walking to seasonal lake Santa Lucia it is possible to see highland animals and the great Andean condor. Enjoy a box lunch during this hike before returning to the van. We will then make the hour and a half drive back to Quito.

• B, L, D – Patio Andaluz or similar

Day 5 Quito

Step back in time walking through picturesque neighborhoods of quaint cobble-stoned streets lined with colorful colonial houses en route to the historic town center where our first stop is La Basilica, a fascinating architectural building. Continuing on we pass The Seven Crosses Street, an important Inca route from times past that was transformed with the arrival of the Spaniards and Christianity. From here we arrive to the cities central Independence Plaza lined with the oldest cathedrals in South America and the sacred heart of the city: La Catedral de Quito. Here we see the Presidential Palace, the Metropolitan Cultural Center, a museum home to a great oil paint collection, and more. Enjoy lunch on this historic plaza.