After the Galapagos, Scott and I returned to Quito, and spent 12 days roaming the Andes and mountain towns. We started at Isinlivi, a little village on the "Quilotoa Loop", after a slightly harrowing bus ride.



The landscape was a patchwork of family farms on steep slopes. One gentleman escorted us to the river, and we had a picnic together. After some prying, he revealed worry about his kids' schooling - the uniforms were expensive, and the school was far away. We contributed to their education fund, as best we could.



The land was completely but sparsely occupied; the region made for better hostel hopping than camping, but after the Galapagos' strict regulations we were excited to sleep under the stars.