A taste of travel on our own through Ecuador

Tuesday (yesterday) we had to get around the country on our own without a guide. I was nervous, Mary's voice was gone (still is!), and we had to adjust as we went along (multiple times). Itinerary as follows:

• 6-7 am: get up, dress, pack, etc.
• 7-7:30 am: good-bye breakfast with staff and owner of Hotel Ordonez
• Alberto told us more of the history of his charming family home (now B&B)
• 7:45-8:00: Hop in taxi, check in at airport
• taxi ride was only 7 minutes from hotel to check-in desk at airport
• 8:00-8:45: wait for plane, which left on time
• 8:45-9:30: flight Cuenca - Quito
• mainly clouds, but caught a glimpse of my first snow-capped volcano
• during dry season, we should be seeing mainly blue skies
• no wait for bags (first time we've checked them other than plane-side)
• 9:30-9:45: taxi from airport to bus station
• 9:45-10:00: getting bus tickets, figuring out which bus to take
• 10:00-12:00: bus to Otovalo
• cost $2 per person
• beautiful trip!
• 12:00- 12:30: taxi to hotel, check in, drop bags
• cost $1 +.25 tip
• Acoma Hotel -- we had no reservations, found in Lonely Planet, $52/night
• 12:30-1:00: Taxi to Cotacachi
• cost $7 -- we splurged - bus would have been $.65 each
• 1:00 - 3:00 lunch and walking around Cotacachi -- Mary likes the place
• rest of day back in Otovalo, nice seafood dinner, saw market being broken down for the night