Ecuador
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-"Thanks for a great trip. You have allowed me to experience things that I never could have done on my own. It will be a lifetime memory. BJ and Chris, could not have been better. Every decision they made was right on. It was an honor to travel with them and I would be more than pleased to go anywhere with them again."
-James
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Ecuador
Ecuador can be divided into three distinct geographic regions: the coast, the highlands, and the ‘Oriente’ (Amazon basin). This dynamic country hosts myriad natural wonders from the ice fields of smoking volcanoes to cascading jungle waterfalls.
Quito, the capital of Ecuador, is situated at 10,000 feet and surrounded by lush canyons and mountains of the Andes. The combination of classic Spanish architecture, a bustling international community, and pleasant equatorial climate, make Quito one of the most beautiful capital cities of South America.
Between the remarkable Galapagos Islands and wilderness of the Amazon rainforest, exists the high Andean plateau. The highlands are dotted with high glaciated volcanic peaks. Cayambe (18,997 feet, the highest point on the equator), Cotopaxi (19,347 feet, the highest active volcano in the world), and Chimborazo (20,701 feet, the highest mountain in Ecuador) are some of the spectacular peaks in the area. These heavily glaciated mountains are ideal mountaineering objectives and offer quality initial high altitude experiences.
Exciting rivers spill off of the highlands towards the coast and into the Amazon basin. Long stretches of class III and IV rapids amidst jungles and cloudforest make Ecuador one of the premier rafting destinations in South America. Ecuador has on eof the highest concentrations of rivers by area in the world. Rivers such as the Taochi, Blanco, and Upano are some of the outstanding white water rivers in the country.
The ecological diversity between the Galapagos, the Andean plateau, and the Amazon basin is profound. Nowhere on earth are evolutionary principles so visible as the Galapagos Islands. Blue-footed boobies, sea iguanas, and giant tortoises are some of the remarkable species found in the Galapagos. Guanacos, alpaca and condors may be seen at the upper elevations on the slopes of the volcanoes, while Tapir, Jaguar, Peccary, Macaws, and Cayman are some of the extraordinary species found in the Amazon Basin.
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