Planning the trip to Ecuador

Last year I heard that Air Canada was flying direct into Ecuador.  This was such great news.  On both other trips to Ecuador, we had to fly into either Peru, Columbia, or Houston to get here and it always had long layovers somewhere.  This time it was a direct flight from Toronto to Quito with a short layover from Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario to Toronto. I decided I would go for 3 months.  I have never had 3 months off since I was 20 and went to Europe for a year.  OMG this was so exiting. Air Canada was promoting this new service to Ecuador!! I posted the Air Canada Sale to Ecuador on Facebook.  It was to ending that night.  I received a phone call from a friend whose father was from Ecuador down in the South close to Peru by Loja.  I said I would like to go down to the south of Ecuador and we made a quick decision to travel together.  It was a part of Ecuador that I really wanted to see. I helped her book her flight and get the seat right next to me.  How fun.  The universe does provide in amazing ways.  A couple of hours later another friend called up saying that was an incredible deal for Ecuador and she joins us as well.  The next morning another friend has joined up and we have a whole crew going down but all 3 only booked a week.  One girl wanted to see the mountains, one wanted to see a beach, and one wanted the Amazon.  Wow , that's a little too much to do in a week. We had a little pot luck planning evening and they decided that yes 2 weeks would be better. 

For the next few months, I would alleviate my winter blaws but looking up cool things to do on Google.  Or perhaps I should say looking up warm things to do.  I can't stand winter anymore. But honestly, how did we ever do anything before Google.  I honestly don't know. I had such fun finding places to stay, joining Facebook groups in the area we were planning to go to.  Chatting with people online.  Met a writer who lives in Thunder Bay Ontario and  spends 3 months in Ecuador every winter with his wife  That is the maximum time you can stay in Ecuador 90 days, and then you have to get an extended visa which will cost a minimum of $135. He
had bought some property in Malacatos and was having a house built for him which he hoped would be ready when he got down there.  Pretty exciting.  I learned of a town right beside there that is known to be the sacred Valley of Vilcabamba where everyone lives till 100.  Ok I am in for that.  He told me of a yoga retreat that I should stay in. Yes, sounds awesome and the prices are totally within my meager budget.  This is what gets me though the winter until we go. Remember that winter starts in October sometimes in northern Ontario where I live.

And I have 2 other friends call up and say they want to come down in February to do some serious R& R on the beach.  OK, so I book a 3 bedroom condo in Crucita, the lovely little fishing village that I have stayed in previous visits down.  I am hoping at this time that my children will come down for March break.  So I figure, I get all that Canadian energy out travelling up in the mountains with the first 3 girls for a couple of weeks and then just chill on the beach  with the other 2 girls.  Perfect.

Then the first incident happens.  My very good friend Dar, one of my travelling companions, so I thought, fell speed skating and broke her ankle fairly seriously.  She could not make the decision if she would be able to go for awhile to see if she was going to heal properly. I would seriously miss her.  But everything does happen for a reason, so I continue to plan.  Then my friend Peggy has a serious family situation going on and will have to put off the trip till next year.  Oh my, they are dropping like flies.  And then the last girl cancels as she had thought we were doing a group trip and she was just a little nervous.  She has probably heard about my Beventures, I assume.  I always have fun but things do come up.  Wow now there is only me.  Well, that is what I thought it was going to be when I booked the trip so whatever will be will be. I am still enjoying the planning, but wait a minute.  We had booked in January because my one friend is an accountant and could not go in February as it is her busy season.  But I could indeed go in February.  I was going for 3 months, yippee, so I would rather go February, March, and April and come back in May.  I remember last year it was still snowing May 1st so I do not want to come home to snow after 3 months of warmth.

Now another friend Celia, who is going to retire this year tells me she will join me in April if I have decided to stay that long because she will be finished work then.  Yahoo.  Sure lets do it.  Perfecto.  She wants to see the cloud forest and the bird sanctuary and the Amazon. So my plan is now to go down at the end of January, go to Crucita and relax on the beach till the end of March and then in April travel up the Andes mountains, stopping at the sacred Valley, going to some coffee and chocolate plantations, visiting Loja, and Cuenca which is a UNESCO heritage site known for its amazing Spanish architecture , meet my friend in Quito, go to Mindo and the Amazon and then I will fly back with her. She books her flight on her own and tells me she is staying till May 2nd.  I change my flight to go down January 29th and fly home May 2nd.  Feeling good about this until I realize , oh no, That makes it 94 days.  Shoot, now I will have to pay another $135 US. And the changes to Air Canada are $150.  My cheap trip is adding up.

Now I get a message from my friend Blu from Cincinnati,  who was to join us in February on the beach.  She came down the last time I was here and we had so much fun. She fell over her dog during the night and broke her ankle very bad.  She ended up have pins and plates put in.  What is going on in the Universe now!!!! Enough is enough really. I was so looking forward to dancing on the street with her again.  Argggghh.

At a breakfast club meeting a short time after, people were asking me of the upcoming trip and I was telling them all about the plans when one of the girls said, I would like to come.  I replied, well, come.  She did not want to do the R & R on the beach.  But she loved the idea of hiking in the mountains.  So we had a couple of nights planning over a glass of wine.  We figured out some things we would like to do.  Then she would fly out on the 23rd of April when I was picking up Celia at the Airport.  Perfect again. I had someone to travel with in April.  All is good.
Well not so good, as her very good friend has just dies and she must cancel and is arranging the Celebration of Life. 

Well, that makes 5 people who have cancelled.  But there are still 2 coming and the trip goes on.  Wow. Everything happens for a reason, we just have no idea what that reason is.  But I guess it is not up to us.