FSTOPANDGO

Hello friends, It's been a while since I've written/posted anything on this blog. It's a lot harder than I thought to try and stay motivated and committed to keeping up with this. I wanted to keep it all in sequence, but it looks like it's way past that and I cannot make up for the months I didn't write anything. But I learned to just let it go...and let things happen the way it does. I still plan on updating you about all the place we've been to so far that I haven't written about (That's for another day). As for now, we are...3 months into our trip and I can't believe it but we only have 1 MONTH LEFT! It's a bittersweet feeling because as much fun as we are having out here exploring South America, Tim and I are feeling more energized and motivated to come back home and GET SHIT DONE. It's a good feeling to know that I'm starting a new path in my life when I get back. I won't share with you what that is just yet, only those I

Hola Amigos, My name is Timoteo and I'll be guest writing today.  Before I begin, I'd like to share my ideas about travel and the types of people you come across while traveling.  First of all, in my opinion, I've learned more about myself, the world, and all subjects ranging from business to sociology than I ever did in all my years of studying in school and university.  Travel IS the BEST teacher.    There are many types of travelers, but two really stand out in my mind.  Those who enjoy the comforts of tour groups and all inclusive packages, and those who love to do everything on their own.  Sometimes I'll find myself using tour groups but when I'm able to, I prefer the latter and here's why.  Most of the time, it's usually cheaper to do everything on your own, but even if that wasn't the case, it still allows for complete freedom to do what you want to do and when you want to do it.   Cheap tour groups might even be worse than expensive ones bec

It's my birthday!! ~ & I'm so happy to be spending it with Tim in Ecuador! It's truly a blessing and great privilege to be able to travel and explore new places. We were recommended by our friends to check out this town, Baños de Agua Santa. It is known for the beautiful nature scenery and its natural hot springs. Definitely the highlight and reason for us coming here after hiking 2 full days. Our bodies were ready to relax and enjoy some hot springs. We even had our first taste of cuy (guinea pig)  here in Ecuador. It wasn't what I expected. It tastes like chicken, but with lots of bones. I wasn't a fan...but glad we got to experience that. For my birthday, Tim asked me what I wanted to do. At first, I wasn't too sure...all I knew was I wanted to be in one place and not traveling to another destination. But as soon as we got into town, we noticed that this was definitely a tourist town with tons of tours and activities you can do. Plus, rentin

Hello friends, We are back from our 3-day hike of the Quilotoa Loop & it was one of the toughest hikes we've done by far. But it was totally worth it! If you're in Ecuador, it's a MUST-SEE on your list. This is definitely a hike that you can do on your own. But you can also a guide if you feel more comfortable with that. After doing some research online, we had two options: 4-day hike starting at Sigchos or 3-day hike starting in Isinliví. For tho se who are thinking about doing it, just do it! If you're nervous about the hike, you can also get to the laguna by car. (Not sure the cost because we did the 3-day hike, but we know people who have done it because of altitude sickness.) Flashback a little to how we started our first big hiking adventure. We stayed a night in Latacunga Canton, where we were able to leave our big luggage of things we didn't need for the hike (at no cost!) Thanks to our AirBnb host - if you need a place to stay, definitely chec

Before we headed out to the next city, we made one last stop to Ciudad Mitad del Mundo. It was pretty cool, they have a big monument with the globe and of course, there was the equator line. Be in two different hemispheres at once ✔ Later, we found out that the actual equator line was about 240 meters north of where we were at. (Oh well...)  It was still a cool once-in-a-lifetime visit. It was a successful morning of sightseeing! We headed back to Quito to catch the bus to Lantacunga Canton to stay the night there before we head out to Isinliví to start our trek to Quilotoa Loop. We will be off the grid for the next few days, thank you for reading!! Until next time... ~ Lynna

We are now in another big city, Quito in Ecuador. With all the traveling, sometimes Tim and I just want to relax and enjoy our downtime. Of course, though it's downtime we are still "working" or studying. One of our favorite things to do is go to cafes and work, and that's exactly what we did our first day here. We went to a cafe called Cafe Jaru near the main part of the city. I kid you not, when we walked in, there were only ASIANS in the cafe (specifically Koreans)! We were so surprised because we rarely see Asian people. This cafe was super cute and very modern. I loved all the decals and little details in their interior design. Reminds me of a Bible verse (Proverbs 14:13) Today, we decided to explore the surrounding small town, Otavalo - which is about an 2-hour motorbike ride from Quito. (If you need to rent a bike in Quito, you can go to Freedom Bike Rentals, it was a decent price to rent the bike for a day. Again, I'm sorry I don't rem