Destination Diary – Loja, Ecuador



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From behind the scenes, Lily Ann Fouts emerges to the podcast for the first time! Lily helps out around here with various tasks and helps me put together the links in the weekly newsletter, so you know her, even if you don’t know that you do!

Lily has recently released the second version of her book on Loja, Ecuador and joins me today to talk about all the awesome things there are to do there. She’s definitely got me adding it to my list!

From hikes to bus rides and delicious food (but maybe not the guinea pig) Loja captured Lily’s heart and she’s more than happy to share her knowledge.

She’s even provided us a ton of stuff for our show notes! Below you’ll find some info on nearby cities, some great hikes, and of course our usual great places to eat, drink, and stay!

Lily is also having a giveaway for an awesome 100$ Ecuador Survival Kit and you can enter here!

What are your experiences of Ecuador? Let me know @ExtraPackOfPeanuts!!

Today’s episode has been sponsored by our friends at Tortuga Backpacks!

Check out the entire library of EPoP Travel Podcasts on iTunes

In This Episode

  • 10:05 How do you get to Loja?
  • 15:00 The ENTIRE bus map of Loja
  • 25:21 Where to stay
  • 29:15 Average Prices
  • 35:00 Eating, drinking and music!
  • 52:19 For the hikers
  • 1:11:00A discount for listeners!!

Links

To Eat

Desserts

To Drink/Live Music

To Stay

To Do

  • Get a Cultural Agenda from the Plaza Centreal to see what’s going on
  • Jueves Cultural – Music & dance performances every Thursday from 8-10 pm in Plaza San Sebastian
  • The Symphony Orchestra
  • LojAdventura
  • Botanical Garden
  • Parque Jipiro
  • Parque Eólico
  • Podocarpus National Park

Visit some nearby towns

  • Saraguro $2 each way from Loja. Stay with an indigenous family for 24 hours! Arrange through the tourist office or book directly with the family we stayed with (vegetarian friendly!)
  • El Cisne Visit El Santuario de El Cisne – the Cathedral where the pilgrimage of the Virgin of El Cisne begins each August. See the cathedral and the museum. There are also lots (LOTS!) of souvenir shops. $2.50 each way from Loja.
  • Zamora $3 each way from Loja. East of Loja on the edge of the Amazon region. There is another entrance to Podocarpus National Park here. Take a taxi from the bus station to the trailhead ($4).
  • Amaluza Maybe a 4-hour bus ride, $6 each way. Virtually untouched by foreign tourists, great hiking destination. From Amaluza there is no bus that goes farther south, so you’ll likely need to fork out some $$ to get a taxi to take you to Yacuri National Park and wait for you for a few hours while you do some hiking. At least do the easy hike to the Lagunas Negras, and if you’re in good shape hike up to the rocks that overlook the lagoons. Stunningly beautiful. If you’re a backcountry hiker with your hiking gear, you could do some overnight backpacking in the park. In Amaluza, also hike to the Cascada La Cofradía. Here’s a FB page for the region.
  • Vilcabamba This small town an hour south of Loja ($1.25 each way) has a large international ex-pat population and you’ll hear lots of English being spoken around town! There are some great restaurants (I like El Colibrí Mexican restaurant and Murano, which serves several different kinds of ethnic food). There are many vegan- and vegetarian-friendly spots. For a unique lodging experience, stay at one of the river cabins at Rumi Wilco (pack light; you have to walk about 10 minutes on a path to get to the cabins). Even if you don’t stay at the cabins, the Rumi Wilco reserve is a great place to go hiking and birdwatching.

Awesome Hikes

  • From Parque Jipiro north of downtown, you can walk several kilometers north along the river. There are trails on either side. Flat, easy hiking.
  • From Parque La Tebaida in the south part of town (across from the Supermaxi store) there’s a trail that goes south along the river. The trail goes all the way to Vilcabamba (almost 40 kilometers)! The trail follows the river on both sides for a few kilometers, so it makes a nice loop hike. Mostly flat, easy hiking inside the city. Once outside the city you’ll start to climb up the pass toward Podocarpus National Park.
  • Parque Universitario de Educación Ambiental y Recreación (PUEAR) – a nice natural area with trails that take you up to the ridge for some great views of the city and the whole valley. $1 entrance fee. The entrance is across the road from the Botanical Garden. Trails are well maintained by the university, which owns the park. Steep in some places.
  • Explore! Ride a city bus (30 cents per ride) to a turnaround point and explore on foot to see what treasures you find. Enjoy amazing views of Loja and the surrounding mountains as you ride up the hillsides. Some of my favorite trails are all the way north (walk from the northern turnaround point of bus L-2) and all the way south (walk from the southern turnaround point of bus L-7). Note: I would skip the L-8 to Ciudad Victoria which looked like a rougher neighborhood.
  • Podocarpus National Park – One of the most biodiverse places in the world and popular with birdwatchers. The Loja entrance is actually the most challenging to get to. The cheap way is to take a south-bound bus (toward Vilcabamba) out of town and get off at the entrance right there on the highway. The ride will probably be about 50 cents. But then you have to walk 6 km uphill on a dirt road to reach the visitor’s center and trailhead. The other option is to take a taxi all the way from Loja to the trailhead, probably $15-$20. When you’re ready to come back down you could have someone in the visitor’s center call a taxi for you, or walk back down the road and catch the bus on the highway.

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Lights, Camera, Marathon with Whitney Powell

Ep-273

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The day before recording Whitney ran from Santa Monica to Las Vegas. 350 miles!!

Whitney Powell is the owner/producer/filmer/and sometimes host over at IronWill Productions. A company she started to combine her passions and bring her vision to the world.

If it’s fun and adventurous, Whitney’s in. Today she joins me to chat about her experiences filming around the world, how she got into the business, and what you can do to get started if you’re interested in adventure travel.

What adventurous things do you do on your trips? Let me know @ExtraPackofPeanuts!!

Today’s episode has been sponsored by our friends at Tortuga Backpacks!

Check out the entire library of EPoP Travel Podcasts on iTunes

In This Episode

  • 04:00 Getting into your own business
  • 17:40 Favorite projects
  • 20:00 Being female in a male-dominated field
  • 28:56 The chicken & the egg
  • 33:00 Athletics
  • 40:00 How to get started
  • 46:00 Training yourself to get through
  • 51:00 The joys of travel
  • 60:00 When everything goes missing before the marathon

Links

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Leave a Review!

iTunes reviews are one of THE most important factors for podcasts. If you enjoy the show please take a second to leave the show a review on iTunes!

    1. Click this link: Leave a review on iTunes
    2. Hit “View in iTunes” on the left-hand side under the picture.
    3. Leave an honest review.
    4. You’re awesome!

Getting Out of Your Comfort Zone with Nate Menninger

Ep-272v2

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Nate Menninger has spent the past several months relying on the kindness of strangers. From dogs in the wilderness to someone he met once for an hour becoming his travel buddy, it’s all about trust.

Pushing your comfort zone can be tough no matter what that means for you. Maybe buying that plane ticket does it, maybe running with the bulls, or showing up somewhere with nowhere to stay.

The best part though is coming through that challenge and growing, learning more about yourself and the people around you as you go on these crazy adventures.

Nate joins me today to share some of his stories about the people he’s met along the way, and how he’s pushed his comfort zone time and time again.

How have you pushed your comfort zone through travel? Share your story with me @ExtraPackofPeanuts!!

Today’s episode has been sponsored by our friends at Tortuga Backpacks!

Check out the entire library of EPoP Travel Podcasts on iTunes

In This Episode

  • 03:40 That first time that travel bit
  • 10:00 Running of the bulls
  • 12:00 Sharing stories to show connections
  • 14:00 Illegally diving
  • 20:00 How to get out of your comfort zone.
  • 24:30 Budget traveling tips & work away
  • 32:04 A dog and a history teacher help a man down a mountain

Links

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iTunes reviews are one of THE most important factors for podcasts. If you enjoy the show please take a second to leave the show a review on iTunes!

    1. Click this link: Leave a review on iTunes
    2. Hit “View in iTunes” on the left-hand side under the picture.
    3. Leave an honest review.
    4. You’re awesome!

Traveling with Baggage with Sarah Tiedemann

Ep-269

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Sarah Tiedemann, author of Traveling with Baggage: A Guide for the Hesitant Hiker, has dealt with anxiety her whole life.

She didn’t let it stop her from moving to Hawaii to go to college, though! Or the subsequent travel bug.

Today Sarah joins me to chat about her experience traveling with anxiety, some of the mechanisms she uses to cope, and how you can help if you’re traveling with someone who has anxiety.

It’s not easy to travel with anxiety, but what you’ll find on the other end might just be worth the fight.

Do you get anxious when you travel? Let me know @ExtraPackofPeanuts!!

Today’s episode has been sponsored by our friends at Tortuga Backpacks!

Check out the entire library of EPoP Travel Podcasts on iTunes

In This Episode

  • 04:00 The beginning of anxiety for Sarah
  • 05:57 How did she end up in Hawaii?
  • 10:00 Flying & anxiety
  • 14:00 Sharing the anxiety vs keeping it to yourself
  • 18:00 As a traveling companion to someone with anxiety – how can we help?
  • 27:00 Getting outside

Links

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Leave a Review!

iTunes reviews are one of THE most important factors for podcasts. If you enjoy the show please take a second to leave the show a review on iTunes!

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    2. Hit “View in iTunes” on the left-hand side under the picture.
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AdventureFitTravel with Bill Kerr

Ep-268

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When you go on holiday, you do the things you like to do. Turns out Bill Ker (Doc) really enjoys working out, so he started a tour company to do just that.

It all started when Bill decided to scratch his own itch and workout a bit while he was traveling the world. It definitely makes you feel a little less bad about all that beer!

Cue a minimum viable product and suddenly Doc’s got his tour company off the ground. Today he shares some of his best workouts while on the road, why all you need is a jump rope and shows how combining your passions can turn out pretty well!

What do you do to stay fit while you travel? Let me know @ExtraPackofPeanuts!!

Today’s episode has been sponsored by our friends at Tortuga Backpacks!

Check out the entire library of EPoP Travel Podcasts on iTunes

In This Episode

  • 04:00 When did you get the travel bug?
  • 12:00 Losing almost 16 kilos in South America (almost 40 pounds!)
  • 15:00 Combining your passions
  • 22:00 Suggestions for workouts while you’re traveling
  • 25:00 Minimum Viable way to start a tour company
  • 30:00 Running a Tour company
  • 41:26 When sickness brings you down

Links

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1 RV, 2 Adults, 4 Kids, and a Dog with Paul Kortman

Ep-265

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Lots of people think once you have one kid you can’t travel, let alone 4 kids and a dog!

Paul Kortmans joins me today to share his family’s experience taking on Mexico in an RV.

We chat about how he (and his kids) ended up with the travel bug, the lightbulb moment when he and his wife realized their kids like to travel just as much as they did, and a story of overcoming business setbacks as a location independent professional.

Whew, that’s a lot! We cover a lot of ground in this podcast including a GENIUS tip for getting your kids used to airplane travel if they’ve never done it before, and a great way to keep them entertained on those long flights!

Do you remember traveling with your parents as a kid? Tell us your favorite memories @ExtraPackofPeanuts!!

Today’s episode has been sponsored by our friends at Tortuga Backpacks!

Check out the entire library of EPoP Travel Podcasts on iTunes

In This Episode

  • 03:40 How we got here!
  • 08:00 – Strategies for kids on planes when they’ve never flown
  • 13:00 – How that applies to business!
  • 16:00Ending up in an RV
  • 28:00 – Breaking down the cost
  • 32:00 – So what does Paul do to make money?
  • 45:30 – Lessons learned

Links

Want More?

Leave a Review!

iTunes reviews are one of THE most important factors for podcasts. If you enjoy the show please take a second to leave the show a review on iTunes!

    1. Click this link: Leave a review on iTunes
    2. Hit “View in iTunes” on the left-hand side under the picture.
    3. Leave an honest review.
    4. You’re awesome!

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