), located in a beautiful historic building on a cobblestone street. Rates start at $74 a night for a single with breakfast.
Sacha Lodge (
Llamas and alpacas are a common sight in the countryside below Ecuador's Mount Chimborazo.
(Ellen Perlman)
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www.sachalodge.com
), on a 5,000-acre private reserve in the Amazon basin, has three- and four-night stays that include all meals, boat transport (two-hour ride from Coca), lodging and excursions with a naturalist and local guides. Four-night stays Monday through Friday are $750 per person; three-night Friday-Monday stays are $595 per person.
WHERE TO EAT: At
La Terraza del Tartaro (Veintimilla 926 and Amazonas), the view of Quito is fantastic, and the menu includes such local cuisine as ceviche and local fish and a large selection of soups with quinoa or almond. Entrees are less than $10. The
Bacus
Cafe at the Santa Lucia Hotel (see above) in Cuenca serves an enormous portion of grilled trout, as well as chicken and beef entrees, for less than $10. Most of my other meals were at restaurants on my tours. It is customary in Ecuador to begin meals with soup:
Locro de papas is a typical soup made with potatoes, cheese and avocado;
sopa de patacones is made from green bananas; and
sopa de mote is made with very large kernel corn. This is not a low-carb nation.
INFORMATION:
Ministry of Tourism of Ecuador, 011-593-2-2507-559,
www.vivecuador.com
-- Ellen Perlman
