Day 01 Quito:
Morning
arrival and transfer from Airport to the small intimate property of Hotel Café
Cultura. Afternoon to explore Quito.
Day 02
J: Transfer from Hotel to Quito Quito airport.
We depart
Quito early in the morning, for our flight to Galapagos, we arrive
in Baltra at mid morning and board our boat: – Galápagos Angelito boat or similar (B)
Today we
will visit North Seymour Island.
Day 03 : Sombrero Chino – Bartolomé Island and Sulivan Bay
Day 04 : Genovesa
Day 05 : Puerto Egas and Rabida Island
Day 06: return to Santa Cruz Island / Charles Darwin Reserve depart boat.
Transfer
to airport: flight Galápagos – Quito,
After
landing we will drive north to our Hostería Casa Mojanda, where we will have
dinner and spend the night. o/n Casa Mojanda (D)
Casa Mojanda is an ecologically oriented inn and farm located three miles from the town of Otavalo in the Andes of northern Ecuador. At an altitude of 9,500 feet, Casa Mojanda is set on a mountainside upon 25 acres of farmland and forested gorge.
Guests will enjoy the spacious dining
room, social room, gallery and library, as well as outdoor gardens and sitting
areas. At Casa Mojanda, you will get away from it all, relax in a tranquil
natural setting, and enjoy our friendly family atmosphere
Casa
Mojanda features eight guest cottages built entirely of rammed earth, wood and other
natural materials. Each cottage has a garden, bath, and private terrace
overlooking spectacular mountain vistas. A lovely gorge and a nearby cloud
forest offer excellent opportunities to observe bird, animal and plant life.
Casa
Mojanda is based upon the principles of ecological tourism, which seeks to
exert a minimal impact on the natural environment and actively promotes
awareness of local cultures, traditions, and issues of social and ecological
importance. They are continuing to explore ways that environmentally and
socially aware travelers can interact with local communities in positive ways,
and exchange ideas, technologies, skills, crafts, music, dance, and the like.
The kitchen serves healthful and creative home cooked meals based on
traditional Ecuadorian recipes and made from their own organic produce.
Day 07 : Walking around Lagunas Mojanda, o/n Casa Mojanda (B,L,D)
Casa
Mojanda is surrounded by the "family" of three sacred mountains,
Imbabura (15,200 feet) the
taita or father, mama Cotacachi (16,290 feet), and Mount Mojanda, also known as Fuya-Fuya, one
of the legendary guagua or baby
mountains at an altitude of 14,040 feet. After breakfast we will have
the opportunity to hike around Mojanda Lakes. These beautiful lakes are set in
high páramo scenery about 17 km almost due south of Otavalo. It leads up to six
lakes, dived by hills, habitat of wild rabbits. Guests can enjoy the
spectacular view of the surroundings.
If the
weather is not good as we expected, there is another option which is Cuicocha
Lake. We will enjoy learning about
the orchids, hummingbirds and other exotic birds of the region. Also, we can
visit a rose plantation.
Day 08 : Otavalo market
In the
early morning, we head out to the hustle and bustle of market day in Otavalo.
Ecuador’s best-known market, Otavalo is where you will find all manner of
handicrafts and souvenirs of your visit. We will have lunch at the old Hacienda
Cusin, and back to Quito in the afternoon. Overnight Café Cultura: Farewell
dinner (B,L,D)
Day 09 : Trf out to Quito airport and flight back to US(B)