I was instantly captivated by Ecuador’s capitol city, Quito. After arriving, I quickly learned that Quito’s old town was the first UNESCO World Cultural Heritage Site and is exalted as the best-preserved historical center in the region. Nowhere is this more apparent than Quito’s Calle de la Ronda – a beautifully-renovated historical street, packed with historical buildings and ambiance, at the heart of the Centro Historico.

The pedestrian-only promenade, known simply as ‘La Ronda’, can be rather sleepy during the daytime. But at night La Ronda comes alive! Live music spills out of tiny bars onto the cobbled street, the aromas of local delicacies mingle in the air, and people from all walks of life amble slowly along the thoroughfare, where artisans’ shops elbow up alongside warm cafes and vibrant galleries. The old Spanish colonial buildings are festooned with colorful flower boxes, wrought-iron balconies and colorful Ecuadorian flags. Each evening here feels like a celebration of Quito’s grand past.

La Ronda, which means “small alleyway”, has an old and storied past. It was once an ancient footpath for locals to access the nearby Pichincha River during Pre-Incan times. It became the lively heart of the city after the Spanish left a legacy of art and architecture here. In the early 1900’s, La Ronda was known as the bohemian center of Quito, and it’s thriving night scene was frequented by the city’s poets, painters, writers and musicians. But by the end of the 20th century La Ronda had fallen into terrible disrepair, and had developed a bad reputation as one of the most dangerous spots in the city. (Some people blame the construction of the nearby bus terminal, in part, for this.)

Thankfully, La Ronda did not languish too long as a tarnished gem. A thoughtful restoration and revitalization project took place in 2006, and now a group of traditional craftspeople have returned to the neighborhood and opened the their workshops to visitors. Strolling La Ronda now provides not only the chance to observe, but also to buy directly from these artisans, working out of traditional casas lining La Ronda. You’ll find treasures such as handmade toys, fresh quesadillas, an old-school silversmith, a chocolatiers, piano and violin makers, and traditional Panama hats. (A great gift, since Panama hats actually come from Ecuador.) On chilly nights, locals sip canelazo – a warm, sweet, spicy cider-like drink with (sometimes) just a bit of booze, to warm up.

Though Quito is still fighting a negative reputation for safety, and still has some ‘hoods that are best visited judiciously, La Ronda is very safe at night. As a solo female traveler, I greatly appreciated being able to step out of my hotel at night (La Cason de la Ronda – amazing, review coming soon!) and enjoy some nightlife safely by myself. It’s also very family-friendly. Traditional games like hopscotch and ‘El Sapo’ (where players try to toss coins into a brass toad’s mouth) are brought out into the street, and grandparents look on as kids play the games they remember from their youth. There’s a noticeably large (but friendly) police presence looking on; it’s apparent that Quito is assuring La Ronda does not fall back into darker days again.

I could share eco tips, round-up the array of worldwide events, or even talk about global climate change. But none of this has felt right, and until just a few minutes ago, I’d spent some painful hours with a blank screen, wrestling the knot in my stomach.

I’ve decided to come clean with you. I’m starting to find Earth Day a bit unpalatable.

For me, the easiest way to put it is to say it’s akin to Valentines Day. Yep, I’m one of those people – those who get pissed at “having” to buy a ridiculously inadequate greeting card or ecologically atrocious red roses to prove my love for the most important people in my life, according to some strange societal code. You won’t find chocolates or candlelight at our house on Valentines. I figure if I need to be reminded once a year to tell my sweetheart what he means to me, there is something crucially wrong with our relationship!

But I know we all get it, really. We all understand that our closest relationships have to be consistently nurtured. We thrive off of the exchange of affection, the feeling of connection, with others. Most of us make a point to tell the important people in our life that we love them all the time.

And this is what is starting to get to me about Earth Day. Most of us also inherently know that we can’t just use a single day out of the year to stop and ask ourselves, “Hmm… how are my actions impacting the planet?” Much like any other relationship, we know we have to keep the planet in mind all the time as we move through our lives.

We don’t have to be told the money we spend, the way we navigate each day, and the choices we make have an impact that reaches beyond us and around the globe. And we know that, likewise, we need to stay connected with our planet and let our actions carry our love for it everyday. Mother Earth likes the hearts-and-Hallmark treatment about as much as I do.

So, I don’t want to give you 10 Earth Day Travel Tips today. I don’t want to preach to you about how you should be recycling more, or flying less, and I don’t want to ask you to find a sapling to stick in the ground. I don’t think I need to remind you, especially today, that climate change is a true and serious reality of our time. We both know we’re better than that.

I absolutely commend all the wonderful things that people are doing to commemorate Earth Day today. But I have no instructions or recommendations on how I think you should mark this one day of the year. I only invite you to join me in reflecting on the sheer awesome beauty of the planet we are privileged to share and celebrate it’s undeniable importance in our lives.

(I found this video to be quite helpful in my reflection. )

And maybe then let’s move forward with the rest of the day, the month, this life, carrying the earth in our hearts with everything else we hold dear, always.

Photo credit:
Earth Day heart by CARCA MAN

I recently traveled to Ecuador as part of my job with non-profit travel org Crooked Trails. Since this was a work trip, and it was arranged in a fairly short time frame, I didn’t have many expectations set in my mind. I gotta say, I was very pleasantly surprised! I fell fast and hard for this beautiful Latin American nation. Here’s the top reasons I quickly became enamored with Ecuador (in no particular order).

1) Wonderful biodiveristy and natural beauty
For being a rather compact country, Ecuador packs in a big array of micro-climates. In a broad sense, you’ve got the coast and Galapagos Islands in the west, a band of Andean highlands running down Ecuador’s center, and the vast expanse of Amazon jungle in the east. But you can drill-down in any of these regions to discover little pockets of diversity as you move through altitudes; the dusty flanks of towering Andean peaks cradle green valleys and give way to the amazing cloud forest and paramo (high-altitude grasslands) as you descend. The large number of habitats allows Ecuador, roughly the size of Nevada, to be home to an amazing  number of species – one of the highest concentrations in the world! It’s a hot spot for bird nerds with nearly 1600 avian species, including about 120 species of hummingbirds. And 25,000 species of plants, 460 types of amphibians and over 300 different mammals makes this a nature-lover’s paradise.

2) Great accessibility and infrastructure
Since Ecuador is so compact, travelers can easily reach any region in one day, and overland trips from high Andes to the Amazon basin are not impossible. Quito’s centralized location makes it a great striking point; there’s several options for day trips or short overnights within a close radius of Quito in almost every direction. I also noted that, overall, the transportation system seemed to be highly functional and on-time, saving travelers a lot of the headaches that can come with a developing infrastructure. It’s apparent there has been some money put into this in recent years, as evidenced by the brand-new Quito airport.

3) The mutha-lovin’ Galapagos
Oh mamma! The Galapagos Islands are just as amazing as everyone says they are. They warrant their own post (coming soon), and are reason enough to make a beeline to the equator. GO.

4) Genuine people who have put out the welcome mat
I found the people I met in Ecuador to be extremely kind, courteous, and genuine, if a bit reserved. At the famous (and touristy) Otavalo Market, I was delighted to find the vendors to be quite pleasant and happy to chat, but with no pressure to buy. I felt a true sense of welcome and many people I spoke with were quite happy to have tourists in their country. They were very proud of their wonderful country and eager to hear my impressions of it. The Ministry of Tourism is actively showcasing their country to the world market with the apt slogan, “Ecuador ama la vida” ~ “Ecuador loves life”!

5) Fresh fruit and other delights
The amazing array of fresh produce in Ecuador is enough to satisfy even a fruitarian. I loved finding fruit juice everywhere, freshly made and with no sugar added. Again, Ecuador’s small size means that it’s easy to have super-fresh seafood outside of the coast too. Traveling in other Andean nations, it can be hard to subsist on potatoes and quinoa all the time, but in Ecuador, I found it much easier to satisfy my green tooth no matter where I was. And a surprising national culinary scene provided some truly good eatin’ all around.

6) Quito’s historic old town
WOW. Quito’s Centro Historico is a true world treasure. It covers nearly 4 square km and holds within it a dazzling array of extremely well-preserved, grandiose traditional colonial buildings and cathedrals. It was declared the first UNESCO World Cultural Heritage Site in 1978 and is known as the best-preserved historical core in Latin America. And it is gorgeous. I spent countless hours wandering the district, captivated by its busy markets, baroque churches and colorful facades. The subdued night-time excitement of La Ronda, a cobbled pedestrian-only street where young and old alike window shop, sip canelazo and enjoy live music wafting on the air, is the magical cherry on top.

7) All-around diversity
Change seemed to be the only constant as I navigated my days in Ecuador. The weather would often shift through several different moods over the course of one afternoon, providing and ever-changing background. It’s also a very culturally diverse place, especially in the Amazon which tribes such as the Huaorani, Shuar, Cofan and even the Kichwa (primarily from the Andes) call home. There’s also a strong Afro-Ecuadorian population, the descendants of African slaves brought by the Spanish during their conquest. And the-ever shifting palettes of landscape (especially in the uber-diverse Galapagos) kept me engaged, wondering what I would discover next.

8) Safety upgrades
Before I left, I did do a bit of reading so I wouldn’t be clueless when I touched down. A big theme in the travel blogs and guides was – be careful! Quito, it seems, has been wracked with years of petty crime and sketchy situations that, unfortunately, numerous travelers have encountered over the years. The thing is, I never once felt unsafe in Ecuador. Particularly in Quito’s old town, the police presence was huge. My sense is that Ecuador is ready to throw off this dubious reputation and they’re invested in making everyone feel safe. Naturally, I kept my wits about me, heeded local advice (such as avoiding the walk up to Quito’s El Panecillo) and didn’t take unnecessary risks. Would I recommend Ecuador to a solo female traveler? Without a doubt.

9) Temperate climate
Overall, Ecuador has a fairly temperate climate. While some of the hotter regions, such as the jungle and coast, do see the mercury climb quite high, it’s generally not a place of extremes in weather. The diverse micro-climates in the country means that you can always switch scenes if you are too hot/cold/wet. This also means that there’s not really a ‘bad’ time of year to visit. There’s only 2 season, a wet and a dry, and Quito has a consistently average temp year-round of about 66 degrees F due to it’s elevation and proximity to the equator. I was there in February and enjoyed very pleasant temps overall: nice and warm but not too hot in the Amazon and Galapagos, and just right in Quito… until it started raining for a long spell, feeling a bit too much like my home in Seattle.