Ecuador / Galapagos Islands

[jame_g]

We just booked the Celebrity Xpedition for the Galapagos Islands, and will be spending some time pre-cruise in Ecuador. There seem to be gay clubs in Quito, and some initial research has indicated that we shouldn't have problems. Just wondering about people's experiences in this area. Does it seem fairly gay friendly or has anyone had problems?

[shepp]

My partner and I spent a month in Ecuador a few years back. It is still a Catholic country with a history of machismo, but though we were a fairly obvious couple, we never had a problem or felt hostility. Gay rights are protected by the constitution, and civil partnerships legally recognized. We did not, though, seek out gay clubs, so I can't speak to those.

 

It's also a fairly compact country with good transportation, so if you can spend appreciable time there, you'll have pretty easy access to the Andes, rain forests, and beaches. Though it lacks the pre-Columbian cultural riches of neighboring Peru, it's really a cool place to travel.

[jame_g]

Thanks for your perception. Overall this sounds positive. Fortunately we've still got 2 years to plan. What other things did you do? We're considering the Manatee Amazon Explorer, or a trip to Machu Picchu. I don't think we'll have enough time to do both.

[shepp]

Well, my itineraries may not suit your plans. Like I said, we spent four weeks in Ecuador, and that included stays in a jungle lodge, in the Andes (at the great Black Sheep Inn), at the beach at the equally fine Hosteria Alandaluz, touring Quito and Cuenca, and more.

 

We also spent a month in Peru on another trip, including over a week in Cusco and the Sacred Valley including Machu Picchu and five days in an Amazon jungle lodge. What to choose depends on your interests - MP is truly spectacular, and if you're an archaeology buff, so are the surrounding sites. We loved the Peru jungle lodge, but we're birders and nature buffs. My advice either way is not to rush things: we spent a full day at Machu Picchu, from a few minutes after opening till closing time, and kind of pitied the folks who were doing it as a day trip and only had a few midday hours being hustled around from one crowded spot to another in a tour group. Same with the folks who spent only a day or two in the jungle, but like I said, we're birders: the Amazon's not a great place to see large mammals. (E.g., we managed to spot a family of rare river otters, but only by chance after paddling around a lake for a couple hours.)

 

Either trip - to the Sacred Valley or a jungle lodge - is pretty easy to arrange on your own at your own pace, should you be so inclined.