Two Backpackers

Discover Quito Ecuador

| by Jason on August 23rd, 2024 | 13 Comments » | Ecuador, South America

Quito is the capital city of Ecuador and stands 2,800 m (9,186 ft) above sea level, making Quito the second-highest capital city in the world behind La Paz in Bolivia.  Its official, less popular name is San Francisco de Quito.

Quito, Ecuador

Quito is most often visited for it’s proximity to the celebrated middle of the world, equator line (La Mitad del Mundo).  In addition, Quito’s old city (Centro Histórico), also boasts the most exquisite Spanish colonial architecture that attracts photographers from around the world.  Cathedrals dot the landscape and the Andes mountains wrap the city valley.  Looking off into the distance at the 45 m (148 ft) tall aluminum monument of a madonna that stands overlooking the city from a hilltop, I felt I was in a special place. (more…)

9 Month Travel Summary

| by Aracely on June 3rd, 2024 | 32 Comments » | Reflections, Travel Tips, Trip Planning

Jason Jumping Over a Land Cruiser

It is hard to believe it has been 270 days (9 whole months) that we have been on the road.  Nine months of moving around, nine months of living out of our backpacks, nine months of not seeing family and friends, of hostels, of street food, of meeting strangers, of making friends, nine whole months of travel.  The worst for me has been the nine months of worrying about where I last left my passport.

We have definitely traveled further, taken more pictures, and had many more adventures and mishaps since our 6 Month Summary.  This time around we would like to share a few pictures that you would normally not get to see, and with them some important lessons learned while on the road.

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10 Things We Miss While Traveling

| by Jason on December 8th, 2024 | 28 Comments » | Reflections

Volcano El Hoyo Trek Campsite in Nicaragua

It’s been just 3 three months since we began our round the world journey and we now find ourselves ecstatic over the idea of a hot shower.  That leads me to write a follow-up to the original post of “What Will I Miss” written by Aracely before we began our trip.  This list excludes family and friends, which we always miss.

1.  Hot Showers

This is the top dog of things we miss.  Maybe we miss it so much because we are teased with 1 hot shower about once every 6 weeks.  Yes, it is very hot in Central America and most of South America, but if you spent most of your life with hot showers, you never forget them.  We are usually spoiled with hot showers when we travel to high elevations where the weather is much cooler. (more…)