ECUADOR: FROM PAGE TO PURPOSE

Reading can take you places you've never been before, or inspire you to go exploring for yourself. My trip to Ecuador began by reading about someone else's adventure. Rita Golden Gelman is the author of, Tales of a Female Nomad. She wrote about visiting the Galapagos Islands - a place I had never considered visiting before I sat down on a snowy December day and began reading.

With the help of two separate tour companies, Boundless Journeys (Galapagos Island tour) and Rustic Travel (volunteer vacations), I found myself on a plane to South America four months later. Here's a sampling of what I saw:

The obligatory "equator" picture (although researchers have now discovered the true equator line is several yards from here). I'm proud of this picture because of the two buses I took to get to this spot, despite not speaking any Spanish.

View from a tram ride in Quito, the capital of Ecuador. At the top, we reached 13,000 ft elevation. The view was amazing, but even more amazing was watching some rogue mountain bikers (with no helmets) ride their bikes down this mountain!
Each of the Galapagos Islands has completely different terrain and wildlife. One of the best hours I spent was with my daughter, here, watching sea lions surf. It was truly mesmerizing.
One of the islands we toured had so many iguanas, you had to work very hard not to step on them while walking. It felt like the Land Before Time.
We stayed with a host family while in Quito. Here's their daughter, Maria - a real life
Dora the Explorer!

Volunteering at an orphanage. These kids were adorable and so appreciative.

Dental care is so important for good health.
Here, the kids brush their teeth and spit on the ground.

Nap time.