The average length is 7 inches! Surely a reason alone to book your flight over…
Quito itself is a beautiful city to explore, perched up high in the mountains, almost 3,000m/9,840ft high. Once you’ve caught your breath from the altitude, you’ll quickly discover a fun, vibrant and exciting gay scene.
GAY MAP OF QUITO
Quito is a long and narrow shaped city in the Guayllabamba river basin with the Andes mountains on either side. The majority of the gay scene of Quito can be found in the touristic Mariscal area, located North from the UNESCO listed Old Town.GAY BARS AND CLUBS IN QUITO
The gay bars and clubs of Quito start late, so factor in a dolly nap before heading out. For some strange reason, entry to all gay hangouts in Quito are extremely strict towards foreigners so you must bring your passport with you each time you go out. A copy of your passport is not enough and door staff will insist on seeing your original passport with the immigration stamp to let you in.By Stefan Arestis – Full Story at Ecuador
]]>
The Galapagos Islands are incredible: a once in a lifetime opportunity for most people and for good reason. This is our Galapagos Islands travel video, which we hope inspires and captivates you. The music used is: 1000 Nights by FRENSHIP and you can connect up with them on their 
Ecuador is a country in South America that is completely underestimated. Most come here to visit the Galapagos Islands, but quickly discover so much more, whether in the Amazon, the Andes or the coast.
The country also punches its weight in so many different ways that you’ll soon wonder why you didn’t know more about it. These are our 10 interesting facts about Ecuador which fascinated us when we visited.
#1 THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA ECUADOR
Ecuadorian history has been strongly influenced by invading forces and waves of immigration, each bringing with them their own cultural influences.
Initially, the country was made up of various indigenous tribes. The first invaders were the Incas followed by the Spanish in the 1500s. Since Independence in 1809, Ecuador has seen waves of immigration from Spain, Italy and more recently the USA.
Of all the countries we’ve been to in South America, we found Ecuador to have the strongest affinity to the US, despite the recent strained relationship between the two.
The gay scene in Quito is a lot of fun with a handful of gay bars and discos. But compared to other cities across Latin America like Buenos Aires and Montevideo, we noticed the crowd was largely quite young in comparison. No bear culture here for example…where do all the over 40s hang out?
Ecuador has this weird extreme mix of the very conservative older generation versus the more forward thinking, confident and liberal minded millennials.
It makes sense when you look at the dramatic change in LGBT legislation over the last 20 years. Until 1997, gay life in Ecuador was tough: it was an extremely conservative country, on par with places like Sri Lanka, India or Indonesia where just being caught in a gay bar could get you in trouble with the police.
In 1997, the constitution was changed introducing some of the most progressive gay friendly legislation in the world. For example, full anti-discrimination laws on grounds of sexual orientation were introduced. In the UK we had to wait until 2003 when the equivalent law was passed and in the USA, there is still no federal law outlawing discrimination nationwide.
The Nomadic Boys are going on another cruise, and you can join them:
“Lift your head up higher Stefan, your upward-facing dog is sloppy again!”
Shakira the Sea Lion pulled no punches with her yoga pupils. She’s one of the 50,000 Galapagos sea lions endemic to these volcanic islands and also part of the welcoming committee when you first set foot on her home land.
The sea lions were our favourite memory from our luxury cruise in the Galapagos. Their curious and playful nature will completely charm you. They love to pose, are totally unafraid, noisy and highly entertaining.
But it’s not only just about the sea lions. There are many other highlights to visiting the Galapagos: giant tortoises, marine turtles, rays, sharks and so many different bird sightings to name a few. Of course doing this on a luxury cruise aboard one of the world’s most exclusive yacht charters is the icing on the cake!
The Passion is the largest charter yacht in this archipelago, offering a 5 star Galapagos cruise. It is 48 metres (159 feet) long, with four decks, including a panoramic sky lounge, a second lounge area with screen for presentations, separate dining room, discreetly secluded spacious sun decks, Jacuzzi, bar and a whole lot more…all for just 12 people! This is exclusivity at it’s best, with a 1:1 ratio of crew to passengers.
Ecuador
For such a tiny country, Ecuador really punches its weight on the culinary scene. You don’t associate Ecuador as a foodie destination. Instead images of Charles Darwin and giant Galapagos tortoises are more likely to spring to mind.
That’s what we thought when we first arrived, but very quickly discovered one of the most varied cuisines we’ve ever encountered in our travels with influences from the coast, Andes highlands and from its share of the Amazon basin. Remember: Ecuador is a tiny country, comparable in size to the UK or the state of Colorado in the US.
These are our 10 favourite famous foods of Ecuador not to miss.
#1 LLAPINGACHOS: FRIED STUFFED POTATO PATTIES
Llapingachos are one of Ecuador’s most famous dishes. They are fried potato omelettes stuffed with cheese, cooked on a hot griddle until crispy and commonly served with a fried egg, avocado, meat and peanut sauce. They originated from the highlands but their popularity spread throughout the country, making them the national dish. They are popular in the markets where they’re prepared in bulk and served to hungry folk for lunch or as a side to another dish like hornados and fritadas.
The Galapagos itineraries are tightly controlled by the Ecuadorian government and the Galapagos National Park because of their sensitive environment.
We did a luxury cruise aboard the Passion yacht, which alternates between 2 Galapagos itineraries each week. The first itinerary covers the Eastern islands and the second one covers the West islands.
The main difference between the two is the Western islands are younger and larger because they have witnessed volcanic eruptions more recently. As such they have a more volatile environment, but with stunning instagrammable landscapes. The Eastern Islands are older, so have had more time to develop vegetation, making them greener, attracting more wildlife. Both are amazing in their own way and will blow your mind, whichever you choose.
As we sailed in the Eastern islands, we’ve put together a detailed itinerary, which we experienced on board the Passion luxury yacht.
Quesadillas are normally associated with Mexico as tortillas with melted cheese. In Ecuador, quesadillas are a pentagonal shaped pastry filled with both sweet and savoury flavours, similar to Portuguese queijada, which also has a sweet/savoury crumbly cheese filling.
We learnt to make these treats during our foodie tour with Urban Adventures in Quito. They are a popular breakfast treat made fresh at the Panaderia y Pasteleria de San Juan bakery (located at N13-140 Deifilio Torres) and sold throughout the city.
Locro de papa is one of the staple dishes of Ecuador. It is a potato based soup with cheese, served with avocado and cooked with garlic, onions, achiote (annatto) powder and cilantro.
Locro de papa is particularly popular in the Andes highlands in Ecuador, where it’s the perfect accompaniment to the cold rainy weather. The word locro comes from the Quechua word, ruqru, which means stew, and papa means potato in Spanish. The cheese used in our recipe for locro de papa is the ubiquitous soft Ecuadorian queso fresco. A good alternative if you can’t find it is mozzarella.
Achiote/annatto is a red food colouring derived from the seeds of the achiote tree and has a peppery/nutty fragrance.
Filled with diverse Andean culture, Quito has become a top travel destination. The city is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, due to the Old Town and all it has to offer: Colonial plazas, museums, monasteries, convents, and churches, including the gold-covered Iglesia de la Compania and the citys largest and oldest church, Monasterio de San Francisco. The central plaza, Plaza de la Independencia, is also located here, next to the Presidential Palace.
Rich in culinary options, Quitos famous dishes include ceviche (a dish typical to coastal Latina America that is made from fresh raw fish cured in citrus juices, such as lemon or lime, and seasoned with herbs); loco de papa (a creamy potato soup); and seco de chivo (a Quito specialty of goat meat battered in beer and served with citrus sauce from a fruit called naranjilla). During a recent trip, I had the chance to dine in Old Town, La Mariscal, and outside of the city in the Cotopaxi National Park.
CAFE PLAZA GRANDE
The Hotel Plaza Grande, located in Old Town near the Plaza de la Independencia, is a five-star luxury boutique hotel in a restored 1930s Spanish-colonial mansion that is home to Cafe Plaza Grande. Enjoy your meal here among traditional colonial Ecuadorian ambiance provided by the wood-paneled space and botanical prints. If you love posting photos of your meal, they provide Wi-Fi for all your Instagram-ing needs. No outdoor seating, but through their large windows, you get a nice view of the plaza.