Downtown Lima is pretty okay.  It's not awful but there's nothing too spectacular to say about it.  The roadways are set up that many areas have a big traffic circle/plaza with roads popping out in every direction.  Some of these plazas will have some huge churches or another landmark.  On my first day, I saw an emergency service practice event, which was happening all over the city.

The second two days were spent in the touristy Miraflore and Burranco areas.  They definitely feel upscale, and it feels almost like I'm not in Lima anymore.

The two major things to say are that the food here is much better than Ecuador's.  The ceviche isn't in a broth and tastes amazing, a lot of sauces versus Ecuador's foods, and generally better quality ingredients.  Alpaca products are also extremely cheap in Lima.

I was staying with the friends of a family friends in La Molina, outside the city.  They were really friendly and helpful during my time here.  That said, getting to/from by taxi could take over an hour with Lima's horrible traffic, and somehow I could find drivers willing to do it for $10 or less.  But there were plenty who said no way.

Overall, Lima has a reputation of being a city that isn't exactly exciting, and with its endless blocks with very little going on, with most of the action in more upscale areas, it's not hard to see why.

I liked this trip.  To be fair, this may be because of the lack of tarantulas.  My lodging was in Misahualli, outside of the city of Tena.

I went on three hikes over two days, the first two being on my first full day (I arrived late at night for my first night in Misahualli).  As I found out, while finding a waterfall isn't too hard, finding the animals of the Amazon jungle was.

I signed up for a hiking tour that night.  From there, I met with a local guide who took me through the woods during sunset, and took me back after the sun was down (though the jungle is so dark even during the day due to plants competing for sunlight).  I saw a few different spiders (only one was kinda big), insects, frogs, and (harmless) snakes.  The awesome highlight was finding a snake eating an iguana!  Pictures from that night are a bit blurry.

The second day had a day tour through the jungle arranged via my hotel, coincidentally led by the same guy who set up my tour the previous night.  Similar tour, but different animals and a quick demo of how local tribes create rope and clay pots in a nearby village.

If the amazon experience can be summed up in one word, it is "muddy".

Alternative title: "You can go here and snorkel."

The islands where Charles Darwin famously discovered multiple species of finches, and created the theory of Natural Selection.  Today, the country of Ecuador still takes great measure to preserve the natural wildlife.  Most of the smaller islands are uninhabited, but the islands of Santa Cruz, Isabella, San Cristino, and Floreana are populated to some extent.

Naturally it has become a tourist destination.  Santa Cruz is filled with bars and gift stores, and this is probably the most expensive place you'll ever find in Ecuador.  Too bad the wifi was awful.

The islands were beautiful.  Here's my biggest problem with traveling there: It is a tourist destination, and with that comes the standards of tourism.  While requiring everything be on a tour makes sense, as it helps protect idiots from messing with the wildlife, each tour includes a hike and snorkeling portion.  And I'm not really interested in snorkeling (in fact I rely on breathing through my nose so much that snorkels are a hazard to me).  And the tours barely mention any animals besides iguanas, turtles, and sea lions (and hey I was just in San Francisco, so scratch this one).


The finches barely are mentioned in the tours, and the tours I went on in Floreana and around Santa Cruz barely touched upon any non-water animals besides the ones mentioned above.  The people who enjoyed snorkeling more than I did find sea turtles and penguins in the water.  Obviously this is really cool.  I did eventually swim once I borrowed someone's goggles, but I didn't see anything.  Regardless, the tours (besides, apparently, Seymour North) are not the best for those looking to birdwatch, like me.


There are of course positives.  The land turtles were huge and a sight to behold.  It's not hard to find iguanas or crabs on the islands, and the landscape on Floreana was beautiful.  I just wish I could see more of the islands.


Oh, and the water between the islands is choppy.  Bring your anti-seasickness pills.

My first impression of Quito was it being the most beautiful city from the air that I have ever seen.  Untouched mountains out in the distance, with houses littering the mountains in the city itself.

Tourist highlights include the "Virgin of Quito" - a huge statue (I thought originally of Jesus but I don't know of who) on top of one of the mountains, and multiple huge churches across the city.  Old town has a lot of craft and chocolate shops.

While the city is huge and beautiful, I don't have much to say about it that really stands out.  People are friendly and as long as you use common sense (i.e. stay in the touristy areas at night), you'll be safe.  The signature dish is ceviche, which is usually fish/shrimp in a broth.  Many restaurants serve almuerzos (lunches) which include multiple courses including meat, rice, plantain chips/fries/popcorn, and a side salad - and these are usually really cheap at around $3-4.

They use the USD here, but what's most interesting is the coins.  In addition to USD coins, Ecuador has its own minted coins (though I haven't seen any Ecuador-made pennies, not helped by the fact most places round to the nearest nickle thank god).  The dollar coin is actually used here, and very rarely the dollar bill.  Fifty cent coins are also in high usage (I even got the US one once).  Most places don't have change for a 20.

English proficiency is a hit-or-miss.  Some are near-fluent, others know a few phrases, and there's rarely a rule to follow to find a person who is a good speaker.  Luckily, high school Spanish is helping me get by, but I'm sure I sound like a 3-year old when I talk.

After Quito, I flew to the Galapagos.  I hope to upload my Galapagos photos and blog post up tonight.