We traveled from Quito to Cotacachi and stayed at the incredible La Mirage Garden Hotel and spa.  The hotel was so nice and a few shots of my room 

The dinning was just wonderful and the grounds were so beautiful and were inhabited by peacocks 

We went for a great hike around Cuicocha Lake wow is all I can say  and we climbed to about 12,000 feet

after we finished our hike we were treated to a beautiful musical serenade by a group of local musicians on this beautiful lake 

After the hike the next day we visited a weaving studio of a most famous man and woman that have started a weaving school 

 

 

From here we visited the “Women’s Community Center and had an Andean Ritual performance for us.

 

From here we hiked about 6 – 8 miles in total to the past Presidents home called Hacienda Zuleta on a great jeep like road

 

The Hacienda Zuleta Estate is an amazing hotel, a 4,000 acre working farm and a living museum. .  It was owned by the President of Ecuador and he hosted 2 or 3 presidents from the United States.  We arrived here by hiking about 6-8 miles in total this day on beautiful jeep trails below 

And we passed some small and large farms along the way hiking to Hacienda Zuleta 

Arriving to their Hacienda below 

The rooms were fantastic and we had fine dinning below 

The Hacienda was filled with historical art work below 

and it had its won church and I went in to pray and give thanks for all I have below 

 

My room was awesome

From here we hiked over to the Condor center and to the point of an old Inca pyramid. The Condor has a wing span that can be 10 feet wide wow

 

The hike had visions of ecstasy below

The remains of the Inca Pyramid below 

then we hiked down to Inca Pyramid and the Condor Center below 

 

The condor center below and the manager gave a great talk about Condors.  Backroads supports this center immensely and this center helps to support Condor populations 

 

From here we rode horses or bikes back to the Hacienda for a great day of adventure 

We then traveled to the Galapagos and went to two islands.  The last Island San Cristobal had a great hike around Laguna de El Junco below

The group below 

Hike up

the hike up to and around El Junco Lagoon below 

Arriving at the top and overlook below

 

The hiking around and back down below 

 

Then hiking down below

 

Ok our guides were incredible Sam and Borja = thank you