highlights...

These are a few of the places we plan on visiting during our trip.

Mitad del Mundo:
A monument at the site that Charles-Marie de La Condamine determined to be the equator in 1736. He was actually about 240 meters off according to modern GPS but no one is counting right? (Pictured left)


The TeleferiQo:
A sky tram that takes passengers up the side of Volcan Pichincha. It is an active volcano that last erupted in 1999 and covered Quito in several inches of ash. (right Eduardo?)

Banos:
This is a small town named for the thermal springs fed by Volcan Tungurahua. It is three and a half hours from Quito. There are apparently a lot of outdoor things to do there.

Yarina Ecolodge:
A jungle lodge located on the Napo River, the longest tributary of the Amazon. We will get there by motorized canoe from Coca. We plan on staying at Yarina for 3 nights. We will have the opportunity to go Piranha fishing, climb a jungle canopy tower, go on guided hikes, and see a native Amazonian village. www.yarinalodge.com

Machu Picchu:
This is that archeological site in Peru that everyone recognizes but no one seems knows the name of. There are whispers that they are going to quit letting people walk around in it because of the damage it is doing to the ruins. That is one of the main reasons I wanted to go to Peru. We are going to ride a glass topped train from Cuzco to get there.

Nazca Lines:
Another ancient archeological wonder.

Of course we will also see the usual "city" sights in Quito, Lima, Arequipa, and Cuzco.