Getting ready for the adventure, how exciting!!!

Why Ecuador? this was the question most of the people asked me when I was sharing my idea of going there. Well... I usually travel far away, but why don't go to a closer country which has a similar culture than Peruvian? Ecuador is not that big, so I could easily drive around it and last but no least I had a good friend there, so... let's go there!

I found a cheap ticket round trip from Lima - Guayaquil and decided to buy it. Then I contacted Shawn and told him about my idea of going to Ecuador and he was really happy about that idea. But how did I get 20 days off? Well, I have been working 2 weekends in a row, so my boss owed me a big one, haha. Anyway since I got the ticket I was in touch with Shawn in order to figure it out how to organize the trip.

Well as a compulsive organizer, it shouldn't be a surprise that there was a spread sheet for the trip, hahaha. With one column for my comments and other for Shawn's, hahaha. He lives in Cotacachi which is in highlands, but will join me in the coast, so this trip should be planned by the 2 of us. I was expecting his comments but they were so simple: "it's up to you", yay! Furthermore he was able to rent a truck, awesome! We'd have wheels.

Ok, I had to think about what to do in Ecuador, which places to visit, etc, but also what to bring with me. I asked Shawn what he'd like me to bring from Peru and his answer was so simple: "I'm missing pisco sours." So I bought 2 bottles of pisco, 1 bottle of syrup (so good I bought that because there wasn't in Ecuador) and bitter drops for garnish. My alcoholic bag was ready, hahaha. Had to write down a pisco sour receipe, but not only the traditional pisco sour, but also 2 other cocktails with our beloved pisco, hehehe.

And clothing, that was difficult. I'd go from warm to cold weather, maybe even rainy... what about shoes? Well, at least I'd stay at Shawn's at some point, which meant I'd have a place to do laundry, hehehe. I have been traveling quite a few, but never with a big backpack. So I didnt' have one, but Christian -  a good friend who is also a TB - lent me his. I was having a party at home and learning how to prepare pisco sours when I left briefly to pick up the big backpack which would become my best friend in the next few days :)

Ok, I was almost ready with packing just needed to fit everything in the big backpack and I succeeded, hahaha. Should I keep on going? No, better time to enjoy the party and pay attention to the pisco sour proccess hahaha. When everybody left I reassumed my packing duties and left everything ready. A big backpack a small one and my purse. Now I can go to bed and sleep, zzz