Quilotoa Loop, Ecuador, Part 2

Day 3 of the Quilotoa Loop was a beautiful trip down a valley and then up the side of Quilotoa Crater. The crater topped out over 13,000ft so it was good exercise for our lungs. The crater was awesome (and huge) and we spent an hour just hanging out an enjoying the views. After that,  we walked partway around the crater to where there was a tiny town. From there, we had the most hair-raising ride I've ever experienced with the 4 of us in the back seat of a truck, down the mountain at astonishing speeds. We spent the evening wandering Quito and then were off to the jungle (up next!).

and some of Stevens shots...

Quilotoa Loop, Ecuador, Part 1

After our day layover in Lima, we flew to Quito, Ecuador where we crashed for one night, met up with Ashley & Steven and headed out to do the Quilotoa Loop. There are a few variations you can do on the route, and we spent 3 days hiking, finishing at the Quilotoa Crater. It was gorgeous, not too strenuous, and we stayed at some sweet places along the way.

Day 1 was a bit of a let down, we spent a few hours on buses in the morning, and our afternoon hike down from a ~13k ft pass was totally foggy and cloudy. It was nice to be outside after all the flights though, and catch up with Ashley & Steven.
(all Stevens pics this section)

Luckily, once we finished for the day, we were welcomed into Llullu Llama, an adorable hostel in the tiny town of  Isinliví .The proprietor Christian was awesome, food was included and delicious family style, and there were comfy couches and a roaring fire.

Day 2 we went from Isinlivi to Chugchilan, we walked up and down a couple valleys and crossed some rivers. We had gorgeous weather, and the scenery was green and stunning.

We stayed at the Black Sheep Inn that night, which was also great. While not as homey and welcoming as llullu llama, Black Sheep had a sweet yoga studio, great views, we had our own little loft apt, and a 'home made' gym.