August 6, 2024 • 23 mins
We cover Ecuador's capital city and famed wildlife islands, with experts Katie McDonough, and Stephanie Bonham-Carter.
We'll explore the historic streets of Quito, where Spanish colonial architecture meets a burgeoning food scene complete with Michelin star restaurants. Katie and Stephanie share tips on navigating the city's high altitude and uncover hidden gems in its well-preserved historical center. Experience the vibrancy of Ecuadorian festivals, including the Festival of Lights, and Carnival; and savor traditional foods that bring the country's diverse history to life.
In the Galapagos Islands, discover the wildlife and the best times to visit, and learn about crucial conservation efforts, Hear firsthand accounts of playful sea lions, the mesmerizing dance of blue-footed boobies, and a heart-pounding orca sighting.
_____
Katie McDonough is Executive Director of Custom Travel at Explore Inc. Stephanie Bonham-Carter is co-founder of the Galapagos Safari Camp.
_____
Podcast host Lea Lane has traveled to over 100 countries, and has written nine books, including the award-winning Places I Remember (Kirkus Reviews star rating, and 'one of the top 100 Indie books of the year'). She has contributed to many guidebooks and has written thousands of travel articles.
_____
Our award-winning travel podcast, Places I Remember with Lea Lane, has dropped over 100 travel episodes! New podcast episodes drop on the first Tuesday of the month, on Apple, Spotify, and wherever you listen.
_____
Travel vlogs of featured podcasts-- with video and graphics -- now drop on YouTube in the middle of every month! Please subscribe, like, and comment.
****************************************
Website: https://placesirememberlealane.com
Travel Blog: forbes.com
X (Twitter):@lealane
Instagram: PlacesIRememberLeaLane
Facebook: Places I Remember with Lea Lane
YouTube Channel: Places I Remember: Travel Talk with Lea Lane
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Lea Lane (00:00):
Ecuador, on South America's west coast,
encompasses Amazon jungle,Andean mountain highlands,
Spanish colonial cities andwildlife-rich islands - - a
thrilling combination fortravelers.
On this episode, we'll befocusing on Ecuador's capital,
Quito, and the wondrousGalapagos islands.
Our guests are Katie McDonough,executive Director of Custom
(00:23):
Travel at Explore Inc, andStephanie Bonham-Carter,
co-founder of the GalapagosSafari Camp.
Welcome Katie and Stephanie toPlaces I Remember.
Katie McDonough (00:33):
Thank you very much indeed.
It's lovely to be talking toyou.
Lea Lane (00:36):
Katie, can you give us a brief history of Ecuador, a
little bit of background.
Katie McDonough (00:40):
Ecuador was a Spanish colony.
It's a country that sits on thewestern coast of South America,
as you said, and the ancientcultures of the High Andes, the
Incas, had a presence in Ecuador, and all the way down to the
coast you get a diversity of theAmazon basin.
The tribal people of the Amazonalso make up a part of the
(01:04):
Ecuadorian culture today?
Lea Lane (01:05):
Well, the country takes its name from the equator,
where it lies.
How does the country make thatline?
Is there a way to see theequator line?
Katie McDonough (01:13):
There's a very elaborate monument to the
equator that's not too far fromQuito.
I believe it's called Mita delMundo, the middle of the world.
Exactly, I was told that it'sactually about 100 meters off of
the equator line.
Lea Lane (01:29):
Well, that's one reason to visit Quito.
Another is that it's perhapsthe most beautiful Spanish
colonial city in South Americaand Ecuador's capital.
Tell us a little bit aboutQuito and why we should visit.
Katie McDonough (01:45):
It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
It is a Spanish colonial city.
It is a vibrant food scene.
There is an up-and-comingMichelin star restaurant scene
in Quito as well.
The history of the Spanishchurch in South America is very
vibrant.
There's a lot of differentmuseums, art, beautiful
monuments.
It's a mountainous city.
(02:06):
One thing I think people needto be aware of before they
arrive in Quito is that theelevation is very high.
I believe it's about 11,000 feetabove sea level, so in meters
that's maybe 3,300 meters.
I know that travelers canstruggle with that a little bit
in terms of the elevation andthe altitude.
Lea Lane (02:26):
But you can prepare and get there a little ahead or
start at a little bit lowerelevation.
I've done that a few times,where it takes a couple of days
and if you take your time youcan get up to that without a
problem.
But you don't want to rush inand walk around.
I've done that.
It's not good.
Katie McDonough (02:41):
Exactly.
You don't want to land in Quitoand start running.
You want to give yourself alittle bit of a rest and some
time to relax as you settle in,before you really try and see
everything there is to see there.
Lea Lane (02:53):
Well, I know, despite the 1917 earthquake, Quito has
the best preserved and leastaltered historic center in Latin
America.
As I mentioned, there's a lotof 16th and 17th century
churches and the structuresblend European, Moorish and
indigenous styles.
It's very, very beautiful.
I like the Monastery of SanFrancisco and Santo Domingo and
(03:15):
the Jesuit College of La Campana.
They have beautiful interiors.
Now travelers should seek outfestivals wherever they travel.
We've mentioned that many times, and Ecuador has lots of them.
Tell us about some of yourfavorite festivals for people
who want to maybe timethemselves to go when there is
something.
What are a few of them?
Katie McDonough (03:34):
The Festival of Lights in August is a popular
festival.
There's also the Quito MusicFestival.
Lea Lane (03:40):
What's the Festival of Lights?
What happens there?
Stephanie Bonham-Carter (03:43):
Well, the Festival of Light is fairly
recent.
It's basically brought in fromthe famous lights of Lyon, you
know, and they portray lightsonto the churches.
It's actually very beautiful.
It's really quite modern.
It's only been happening forthe last few years, but it is
absolutely stunning to look at.
Lea Lane (04:02):
Where they put the facade of the church covered in
the lights different coloredlights and also different
pictures and so forth.
Yes, around the world you seemore and more of that.
It's a beautiful thing to seewhen you have beautiful
cathedrals, especially.
Stephanie Bonham-Carter (04:16):
Exactly With the backdrop of the
colonial architecture.
It really is quite a spectacle.
Lea Lane (04:21):
Yes, I know, carnival in Ecuador is a big deal.
It's not quite like Rio, alittle bit different to Rio.
Stephanie Bonham-Carter (04:29):
There is a celebration that we have
for Easter.
Obviously, as Katie wasmentioning, we have an enormous
amount of Spanish influence.
It has been adopted from thatCatholic tradition with a twist.
So there is a delicious dishcalled the fanesca.
, which is a blend of all sortsof grains.
(04:49):
I remember as a child everyonelooks forward to that dish.
Lea Lane (04:51):
I think the food is one of the things.
we mentioned it already, butfrom local food and street food
to Michelin food, it's one ofthe reasons people travel, so
that's good to know about.
What about during the Day ofthe Dead or the Feast of the
Dead?
Is there a special food forthat?
I know in Mexico there is.
Is there one in Ecuador?
Is there a bread?
I think there's a special bread.
Stephanie Bonham-Carter (05:11):
Yeah, it's called a guagua de pan.
Guagua in Quechua means child,a loaf of bread which is like a
brioche and it's shaped in theform of a child with sugar
decorations and color.
So you have that with a drinkwhich is called colada morada
and it is berry-based,blackberry-based and very sort
(05:34):
of spicy.
It's quite delicious and when Iwas a child this is something
that's being lost at the moment,but a lot of the locals would
go to visit their loved ones andtake them food and leave them
there in the cemeteries.
Lea Lane (05:49):
That's beautiful.
I love the sense of family thatcomes out with so many of the
holidays in South America andLatin America.
Let's talk about lodging.
Is there any specific type oflodging that's featured in Quito
, or you have a whole widevariety?
Stephanie Bonham-Carter (06:05):
Quito has an extraordinary array of
boutique hotels, from moreaffordable to the five-star
level.
These are typically old Spanishmansions that have been
converted, casa Gangotena beingone of the famous ones on one of
the main plazas.
I love one called Casa de laRonda, and it just is vibrantly
(06:27):
painted, lots of differentcolors.
It has sort of a centralcourtyard inside.
I think that's a typicalarchitecture for all of these
boutique hotels.
Are these the Spanish colonialstyle with the interior
courtyard?
They can be a variety ofdifferent price points, but
they're all locally owned.
Lea Lane (06:47):
Well, Quito is a city not to miss, Very, very
beautiful.
The other great touristattraction and a province of
Ecuador is the Galapagos Islands, a volcanic archipelago in the
Pacific Ocean about a thousandkilometers off the coast.
It's considered one of theworld's foremost destinations
for wildlife viewing.
How do you get to the Galapagosfrom the mainland, Stephanie?
Katie McDonough (07:08):
So really the only way for travelers is to
take a commercial flight bothfrom Quito or from Guayaquil.
A direct flight from Quito, togive you an idea, takes about
two hours.
It's very comfortable.
You can fly into Baltra or SanCristobal.
So those are the two points ofentry.
(07:28):
There are several flights a day.
They all leave in the morning,so it's really quite accessible.
Usually you will need thatadditional night in mainland
Ecuador.
Lea Lane (07:39):
And as far as taking a boat to reach the islands,
that's not possible.
As far as taking a boat toreach the islands, that's not
possible, well, it is 1,000kilometers away.
It's a long, long sailing.
That's all a sailor might doSailing among the islands.
You don't need to sail to theislands who are sailors, who
might say it's quite a trip, butit's worth it just the idea of
(08:00):
getting there.
Katie McDonough (08:06):
I know that there are sports events and you
can go from Guayaquil to theGalapagos, but I think it does
take quite a long time.
Lea Lane (08:10):
So most people will fly At least three days if you
go steadily.
Yes, at least.
Well, the Galapagos isolatedterrain shelters a diversity of
plant and animal species.
Many are found nowhere else.
Charles Darwin visited in 1835,and his observation of the
species later inspired histheory of evolution.
(08:30):
You want to talk a little bitabout that.
Katie McDonough (08:33):
Yes, Well, one of the things that one learns
about Charles Darwin is thesurvival of the fittest.
However, when you go to theGalapagos, you understand that
that's not exactly what he wassaying.
He really was talking about thesurvival of the most adaptable.
The way he reached thisconclusion is with the samples
that he collected with thedifferent species.
(08:54):
The question was why would atortoise be different from one
island to another?
Or why would a mockingbird bedifferent from one island to
another?
And of course, that led him tounderstand that these species
had adapted to differentconditions in different
environments, although they werewithin the same archipelago.
So that was a groundbreakingunderstanding at that time.
(09:18):
And if you think about it, thisfetus mean is really how we
adapt to what life and theenvironment throws at us.
That's why this theory is soimportant in scientific thought.
Lea Lane (09:31):
Very interesting.
How many islands can you visit?
Katie McDonough (09:34):
There are four islands that are inhabited, so
they have infrastructure and youcan go from port to port and
Katie, help me how many actuallyyou can visit if you're going
on a cruise.
Stephanie Bonham-Carter (09:48):
There's tons of little rocky sub islets
, 12 or 13 of them landing andwalking If you're going to go on
a longer cruise.
Some of them are very far awayso they're only accessible by
cruise ship, and some of themyou don't do landings on.
You would get out of yourcruise ship and get on a panga
(10:08):
and circle the island, snorkelin the water, explore the marine
wildlife, but not necessarilyset foot on the island.
So they're all very different.
Explore the marine wildlifearound it.
12 or 13 different islands,yeah.
Lea Lane (10:22):
I remember I took a cruise it was 11 days the
islands that are most desirablein terms of wildlife and I would
recommend, if you're going thatfar, take as long a cruise as
you can because it's fascinating.
Each one, as you said, is alittle bit different.
Each island has differentspecies.
I was very delighted to havetaken a longer cruise.
Some people went for a week andthey missed quite a bit by
(10:43):
doing so.
I mean, I know anything isbetter than nothing, but try
hard to do the most you canthere.
There's so much to see, notjust on land but under the sea,
as you mentioned.
What are some of theinteresting and unique wildlife
Besides the blue-footed boobies,which are my favorite.
Katie McDonough (11:02):
I mean, as you say, the marine life.
Both land and marine life arespectacular.
They really are a treat.
Marine life, obviously youthink of the different species
of sharks, of which there aremany.
You can see the hammerheadsharks and the different reef
sharks and tiger sharks, bullsharks.
However, you know, it's alsowonderful to see sea lions
(11:26):
alongside the sharks, becausethey are playful.
So that contrast is what makesthe Galapagos really quite
spectacular, that you can havesharks with playful sea lions
literally side by side, and thenyou will have a school of
dolphins joining the party.
Often, if you go diving, yousee the whole spiral of species,
(11:48):
from the tuna fish to thesardines, the richness and the
variety that makes it special,and they come right up to you.
I mean, I snorkeled, I didn'tdive, and I remember a sea, they
come right up to you.
Lea Lane (11:56):
I mean, I snorkeled, I didn't dive and I remember a
sea lion coming right up to meand looking at me, nose to nose,
and I remember his mother orfather I'm not sure which
circling around a huge, hugecreature just circling like
don't you do anything.
But the little sea lion wasjust playing with me.
I just didn't want to get outof the water and I didn't even
(12:16):
think about sharks.
Is it safe to do that, tosnorkel or dive around sharks in
the Galapagos?
Katie McDonough (12:23):
Well, absolutely Obviously.
There are some species that area little bit more dangerous
than others, but generallyspeaking, it is safe and guides
will tell you if there is a bullshark, for example, when you
need to get out of the water.
Nature, of course, but itdoesn't feel threatening, you
know.
Lea Lane (12:42):
No, you don't feel threatened.
You feel like you're one withthe animals.
They're very friendly and it'sjust the most wonderful feeling
that you can come up so close.
There is a distance you have tokeep.
If you go on an island, youfeel right away.
When you come too close.
But you can get pretty close,you have to be careful.
But when you go very close tothese animals they couldn't be
more friendly.
(13:03):
They go about their business.
You feel like you're just inparadise.
If you love animals, Imentioned blue-footed boobies,
which are the birds that are sointeresting and colorful.
Then there's the red crabs,those wonderful sally sally
lightfoot.
Katie McDonough (13:16):
Crab sally lightfoot crab, and then, of
course, you have the penguins.
Penguins are a highlightbecause of course, it's the only
, let's say, tropical islandthat has penguins, and they are
still a mystery how they got.
It's believed that they arrivedwith, I suppose, with a humbled
current.
They got there and they evolved, and now you can see them in
(13:39):
Bartolomé, you can see them onIsabela Island.
They're quite small, they're atreat.
Lea Lane (13:46):
They are, and I remember meeting Lonesome George
.
I was there maybe 25 years ago.
He was the last of a certaingreat tortoise species.
You still have great tortoiseshuge, huge old tortoises in the
islands as well and, of course,many, many other unique wildlife
.
I think anyone who's an animallover, who goes on safaris and
(14:07):
so forth, wants to go to theGalapagos.
What's the worst time to go andthe best time to go if you have
a choice?
Katie McDonough (14:13):
September is the month to avoid.
It's the height of the CampbellCurrent, the water is cold, the
seas are rougher and there isthis drizzly effect which is
called garua.
Most of the cruises go onmaintenance.
We as well at the camp.
We close the camp most ofSeptember for maintenance.
The rest of the year is verynice to visit.
(14:35):
There is a colder season and awarmer season, of course, so it
depends what you prefer.
And the humble current usuallystarts coming in June and then
the temperatures go downincreasingly until, let's say,
october, and then it startsgetting warmer again little by
little.
Lea Lane (14:52):
You wear a wetsuit if it's colder, right.
Katie McDonough (14:55):
Yes, yeah, Actually, I always wear a
wetsuit because I'm always coldin the water.
You know it's not.
Let's say it's not theCaribbean, it is not the
Mediterranean.
In the summer.
Lea Lane (15:05):
Well, there are some challenges because it has become
so popular.
There's a new fee that's goingto be put on travelers a $200
entry fee because I think thegovernment is trying to keep it
pristine.
Other challenges, of course,are climate change, which has
affected much of the islands.
But what can we do?
As travelers, we can avoidlittering, for example.
Katie McDonough (15:28):
Our responsibility is to be educated
.
Whether you go to the Galapagosas a traveler or anywhere else
in the world, I think it is veryimportant to be aware, educated
, manage expectations, knowwhere you're going and prepare
yourself for that.
Make good choices, where areyou going to stay, how
responsible a hotel or cruise is.
(15:50):
Well, it is really veryimportant to ask those questions
, be aware and take a little bitof time to understand the
destination, trust your traveladvisor and ask the right
questions.
I don't know if Katie hassomething to add.
Stephanie Bonham-Carter (16:05):
I completely agree.
It's about choosing the rightpartners and educating yourself
on the impact of your visit tothese amazing areas.
Visiting the Galapagos has apositive impact Wildlife species
preservation.
You can look at what ishappening with those park fees
that you're paying to visit theislands.
(16:26):
Tourism in general andworldwide is such a strong force
for conservation and forpreservation of these areas
Because without the touristscoming to visit and without the
operators paying the fees toprotect this wildlife, we would
have no national park.
There would be no protection.
(16:47):
The entire archipelago is aprotected marine reserve.
Without that protection, youwould have overfishing
development on these islands,Stories that I was told when I
was in the Galapagos aboutpirates or some of the early
explorers who would release pigson the island and release sheep
(17:08):
on the island so that theycould come back and have a food
source, but then those animalscaused harm to the island.
They caused harm to the nativespecies.
So now there are eradicationmeasures that are being
supported by tourism to removethose invasive species so that
the native species can thenthrive.
We want travelers to beresponsible, be respectful.
(17:30):
There are definitely rules inthe Galapagos.
You're not allowed to go offthe trail Understanding your
waste disposal.
Support local organizationsthat are working towards native
species restoration to eliminateoverfishing.
Shark nursery and it's a sharkcorridor to other islands in the
(17:50):
Pacific.
It's really about educatingyourself.
Lea Lane (17:53):
And then go and enjoy.
It is spectacularly beautiful.
Well, the name of the podcastis Places.
I Remember.
So, stephanie, would you pleaseshare a memory?
First of Ecuador.
Katie McDonough (18:06):
Yes, well, I actually.
As we talked about sharks andyou asked me if it was safe, I
had a vision of my childrensnorkeling, since they were born
in the Galapagos, playing withthe sea lions and exposed to
sharks.
And there was one occasion whenwe went with a friend of ours
who's one of the local fishermen, so we would often go and get
(18:29):
on the boat, catch a tuna, havesashimi on board and have a
snorkel.
On this one occasion my husbandwas with the kids.
There were these wonderfuldolphins.
Everyone threw themselves inthe water, including me, and
then there was a little momentwhen we knew that there was a
(18:50):
shark and this shark was alittle bit scary.
I mean, it looked scary alittle bit.
Yeah, you know, you have afeeling when they are minding
their own business or when itmight be time to eat, and I had
two little children in the water.
My husband was completelynonplussed, carried on with the
(19:12):
children.
At that point I thought, mygolly, these children are so
lucky, they're so privilegedbecause they are in this
environment, which is completelypristine and in such proximity
with nature as nature should be,you know, in that beautiful
order of things where you feelboth humbled and privileged at
(19:33):
the same time, when you feelclose to nature and then you
realize how insignificant wereally are in the larger scheme
of things.
So this contrast of emotionswhen you are aware of the moment
that you're having yeah,something that came to mind.
I have so many, of course, youcan imagine, and we have a lot
(19:53):
of children and families comingto the camp.
They come from York or Londonor San Francisco and they're not
exposed to this day by day.
They are really transformativeand life-changing experiences.
Lea Lane (20:07):
Absolutely.
How about you, Katie?
What's your memory?
Absolutely.
How about you, Katie?
What's your?
Stephanie Bonham-Carter (20:10):
memory, the memory that sticks in my
mind and my heart, a physicalreaction of joy.
I was on one of the Apengaexcursions.
It was just a boat excursion wewere not going to land on this
island and the guy that I waswith slows down the boat and
he's looking far off in thedistance and I could tell he was
thinking about something and hewas looking at a bunch of birds
(20:32):
that were just flying on thehorizon pretty far away.
He looks at us and he goeswe're going to go check
something out.
Everybody in the panga said,yeah, sure, let's do that.
So he turns around and we'resort of headed out to sea, not
towards any land, and just spoton the horizon where all these
birds were flying around.
And as we get close we see twoorcas who are jumping and
(20:57):
playing and they were actuallyhunting and so the birds were
flying above them.
We slow down and approach themvery slowly and we're seeing
them and then suddenly theydisappear.
They go under the water andwe're looking around for them.
I just happened to look down inthe water right on the edge of
the boat and I see this flash ofbrilliant blue.
(21:17):
That can only be the blue wateron the white of the orca and
this orca swam just under ourpanga, upside down or sideways,
as the whales do when they tryand look at you, and this orca
came up maybe 10 feet from thefront of our boat, gave us a
really nice view and off theywent into the distance, and I've
(21:39):
never seen orcas in the wildbefore.
It was an extraordinarilyexciting experience to see them
at all, but much less so close.
Lea Lane (21:47):
Yeah, it's wonderful.
Just listening to the two ofyou how important it is to be
able to get out there and seenature happy, free, makes you
feel humble.
I hope everyone gets to go tothe Galapagos and to Ecuador.
Thank you, Katie McDonough andStephanie Bonham Carter, for
sharing information about yourwonderful country.
Thank you, Thank you for havingme.
(22:08):
Thank you very much.
Ecuador, on South America's west coast,
encompasses Amazon jungle,Andean mountain highlands,
Spanish colonial cities andwildlife-rich islands - - a
thrilling combination fortravelers.
On this episode, we'll befocusing on Ecuador's capital,
Quito, and the wondrousGalapagos islands.
Our guests are Katie McDonough,executive Director of Custom
(00:23):
Travel at Explore Inc, andStephanie Bonham-Carter,
co-founder of the GalapagosSafari Camp.
Welcome Katie and Stephanie toPlaces I Remember.
Katie McDonough (00:33):
Thank you very much indeed.
It's lovely to be talking toyou.
Lea Lane (00:36):
Katie, can you give us a brief history of Ecuador, a
little bit of background.
Katie McDonough (00:40):
Ecuador was a Spanish colony.
It's a country that sits on thewestern coast of South America,
as you said, and the ancientcultures of the High Andes, the
Incas, had a presence in Ecuador, and all the way down to the
coast you get a diversity of theAmazon basin.
The tribal people of the Amazonalso make up a part of the
(01:04):
Ecuadorian culture today?
Lea Lane (01:05):
Well, the country takes its name from the equator,
where it lies.
How does the country make thatline?
Is there a way to see theequator line?
Katie McDonough (01:13):
There's a very elaborate monument to the
equator that's not too far fromQuito.
I believe it's called Mita delMundo, the middle of the world.
Exactly, I was told that it'sactually about 100 meters off of
the equator line.
Lea Lane (01:29):
Well, that's one reason to visit Quito.
Another is that it's perhapsthe most beautiful Spanish
colonial city in South Americaand Ecuador's capital.
Tell us a little bit aboutQuito and why we should visit.
Katie McDonough (01:45):
It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
It is a Spanish colonial city.
It is a vibrant food scene.
There is an up-and-comingMichelin star restaurant scene
in Quito as well.
The history of the Spanishchurch in South America is very
vibrant.
There's a lot of differentmuseums, art, beautiful
monuments.
It's a mountainous city.
(02:06):
One thing I think people needto be aware of before they
arrive in Quito is that theelevation is very high.
I believe it's about 11,000 feetabove sea level, so in meters
that's maybe 3,300 meters.
I know that travelers canstruggle with that a little bit
in terms of the elevation andthe altitude.
Lea Lane (02:26):
But you can prepare and get there a little ahead or
start at a little bit lowerelevation.
I've done that a few times,where it takes a couple of days
and if you take your time youcan get up to that without a
problem.
But you don't want to rush inand walk around.
I've done that.
It's not good.
Katie McDonough (02:41):
Exactly.
You don't want to land in Quitoand start running.
You want to give yourself alittle bit of a rest and some
time to relax as you settle in,before you really try and see
everything there is to see there.
Lea Lane (02:53):
Well, I know, despite the 1917 earthquake, Quito has
the best preserved and leastaltered historic center in Latin
America.
As I mentioned, there's a lotof 16th and 17th century
churches and the structuresblend European, Moorish and
indigenous styles.
It's very, very beautiful.
I like the Monastery of SanFrancisco and Santo Domingo and
(03:15):
the Jesuit College of La Campana.
They have beautiful interiors.
Now travelers should seek outfestivals wherever they travel.
We've mentioned that many times, and Ecuador has lots of them.
Tell us about some of yourfavorite festivals for people
who want to maybe timethemselves to go when there is
something.
What are a few of them?
Katie McDonough (03:34):
The Festival of Lights in August is a popular
festival.
There's also the Quito MusicFestival.
Lea Lane (03:40):
What's the Festival of Lights?
What happens there?
Stephanie Bonham-Carter (03:43):
Well, the Festival of Light is fairly
recent.
It's basically brought in fromthe famous lights of Lyon, you
know, and they portray lightsonto the churches.
It's actually very beautiful.
It's really quite modern.
It's only been happening forthe last few years, but it is
absolutely stunning to look at.
Lea Lane (04:02):
Where they put the facade of the church covered in
the lights different coloredlights and also different
pictures and so forth.
Yes, around the world you seemore and more of that.
It's a beautiful thing to seewhen you have beautiful
cathedrals, especially.
Stephanie Bonham-Carter (04:16):
Exactly With the backdrop of the
colonial architecture.
It really is quite a spectacle.
Lea Lane (04:21):
Yes, I know, carnival in Ecuador is a big deal.
It's not quite like Rio, alittle bit different to Rio.
Stephanie Bonham-Carter (04:29):
There is a celebration that we have
for Easter.
Obviously, as Katie wasmentioning, we have an enormous
amount of Spanish influence.
It has been adopted from thatCatholic tradition with a twist.
So there is a delicious dishcalled the fanesca.
, which is a blend of all sortsof grains.
(04:49):
I remember as a child everyonelooks forward to that dish.
Lea Lane (04:51):
I think the food is one of the things.
we mentioned it already, butfrom local food and street food
to Michelin food, it's one ofthe reasons people travel, so
that's good to know about.
What about during the Day ofthe Dead or the Feast of the
Dead?
Is there a special food forthat?
I know in Mexico there is.
Is there one in Ecuador?
Is there a bread?
I think there's a special bread.
Stephanie Bonham-Carter (05:11):
Yeah, it's called a guagua de pan.
Guagua in Quechua means child,a loaf of bread which is like a
brioche and it's shaped in theform of a child with sugar
decorations and color.
So you have that with a drinkwhich is called colada morada
and it is berry-based,blackberry-based and very sort
(05:34):
of spicy.
It's quite delicious and when Iwas a child this is something
that's being lost at the moment,but a lot of the locals would
go to visit their loved ones andtake them food and leave them
there in the cemeteries.
Lea Lane (05:49):
That's beautiful.
I love the sense of family thatcomes out with so many of the
holidays in South America andLatin America.
Let's talk about lodging.
Is there any specific type oflodging that's featured in Quito
, or you have a whole widevariety?
Stephanie Bonham-Carter (06:05):
Quito has an extraordinary array of
boutique hotels, from moreaffordable to the five-star
level.
These are typically old Spanishmansions that have been
converted, casa Gangotena beingone of the famous ones on one of
the main plazas.
I love one called Casa de laRonda, and it just is vibrantly
(06:27):
painted, lots of differentcolors.
It has sort of a centralcourtyard inside.
I think that's a typicalarchitecture for all of these
boutique hotels.
Are these the Spanish colonialstyle with the interior
courtyard?
They can be a variety ofdifferent price points, but
they're all locally owned.
Lea Lane (06:47):
Well, Quito is a city not to miss, Very, very
beautiful.
The other great touristattraction and a province of
Ecuador is the Galapagos Islands, a volcanic archipelago in the
Pacific Ocean about a thousandkilometers off the coast.
It's considered one of theworld's foremost destinations
for wildlife viewing.
How do you get to the Galapagosfrom the mainland, Stephanie?
Katie McDonough (07:08):
So really the only way for travelers is to
take a commercial flight bothfrom Quito or from Guayaquil.
A direct flight from Quito, togive you an idea, takes about
two hours.
It's very comfortable.
You can fly into Baltra or SanCristobal.
So those are the two points ofentry.
(07:28):
There are several flights a day.
They all leave in the morning,so it's really quite accessible.
Usually you will need thatadditional night in mainland
Ecuador.
Lea Lane (07:39):
And as far as taking a boat to reach the islands,
that's not possible.
As far as taking a boat toreach the islands, that's not
possible, well, it is 1,000kilometers away.
It's a long, long sailing.
That's all a sailor might doSailing among the islands.
You don't need to sail to theislands who are sailors, who
might say it's quite a trip, butit's worth it just the idea of
(08:00):
getting there.
Katie McDonough (08:06):
I know that there are sports events and you
can go from Guayaquil to theGalapagos, but I think it does
take quite a long time.
Lea Lane (08:10):
So most people will fly At least three days if you
go steadily.
Yes, at least.
Well, the Galapagos isolatedterrain shelters a diversity of
plant and animal species.
Many are found nowhere else.
Charles Darwin visited in 1835,and his observation of the
species later inspired histheory of evolution.
(08:30):
You want to talk a little bitabout that.
Katie McDonough (08:33):
Yes, Well, one of the things that one learns
about Charles Darwin is thesurvival of the fittest.
However, when you go to theGalapagos, you understand that
that's not exactly what he wassaying.
He really was talking about thesurvival of the most adaptable.
The way he reached thisconclusion is with the samples
that he collected with thedifferent species.
(08:54):
The question was why would atortoise be different from one
island to another?
Or why would a mockingbird bedifferent from one island to
another?
And of course, that led him tounderstand that these species
had adapted to differentconditions in different
environments, although they werewithin the same archipelago.
So that was a groundbreakingunderstanding at that time.
(09:18):
And if you think about it, thisfetus mean is really how we
adapt to what life and theenvironment throws at us.
That's why this theory is soimportant in scientific thought.
Lea Lane (09:31):
Very interesting.
How many islands can you visit?
Katie McDonough (09:34):
There are four islands that are inhabited, so
they have infrastructure and youcan go from port to port and
Katie, help me how many actuallyyou can visit if you're going
on a cruise.
Stephanie Bonham-Carter (09:48):
There's tons of little rocky sub islets
, 12 or 13 of them landing andwalking If you're going to go on
a longer cruise.
Some of them are very far awayso they're only accessible by
cruise ship, and some of themyou don't do landings on.
You would get out of yourcruise ship and get on a panga
(10:08):
and circle the island, snorkelin the water, explore the marine
wildlife, but not necessarilyset foot on the island.
So they're all very different.
Explore the marine wildlifearound it.
12 or 13 different islands,yeah.
Lea Lane (10:22):
I remember I took a cruise it was 11 days the
islands that are most desirablein terms of wildlife and I would
recommend, if you're going thatfar, take as long a cruise as
you can because it's fascinating.
Each one, as you said, is alittle bit different.
Each island has differentspecies.
I was very delighted to havetaken a longer cruise.
Some people went for a week andthey missed quite a bit by
(10:43):
doing so.
I mean, I know anything isbetter than nothing, but try
hard to do the most you canthere.
There's so much to see, notjust on land but under the sea,
as you mentioned.
What are some of theinteresting and unique wildlife
Besides the blue-footed boobies,which are my favorite.
Katie McDonough (11:02):
I mean, as you say, the marine life.
Both land and marine life arespectacular.
They really are a treat.
Marine life, obviously youthink of the different species
of sharks, of which there aremany.
You can see the hammerheadsharks and the different reef
sharks and tiger sharks, bullsharks.
However, you know, it's alsowonderful to see sea lions
(11:26):
alongside the sharks, becausethey are playful.
So that contrast is what makesthe Galapagos really quite
spectacular, that you can havesharks with playful sea lions
literally side by side, and thenyou will have a school of
dolphins joining the party.
Often, if you go diving, yousee the whole spiral of species,
(11:48):
from the tuna fish to thesardines, the richness and the
variety that makes it special,and they come right up to you.
I mean, I snorkeled, I didn'tdive, and I remember a sea, they
come right up to you.
Lea Lane (11:56):
I mean, I snorkeled, I didn't dive and I remember a
sea lion coming right up to meand looking at me, nose to nose,
and I remember his mother orfather I'm not sure which
circling around a huge, hugecreature just circling like
don't you do anything.
But the little sea lion wasjust playing with me.
I just didn't want to get outof the water and I didn't even
(12:16):
think about sharks.
Is it safe to do that, tosnorkel or dive around sharks in
the Galapagos?
Katie McDonough (12:23):
Well, absolutely Obviously.
There are some species that area little bit more dangerous
than others, but generallyspeaking, it is safe and guides
will tell you if there is a bullshark, for example, when you
need to get out of the water.
Nature, of course, but itdoesn't feel threatening, you
know.
Lea Lane (12:42):
No, you don't feel threatened.
You feel like you're one withthe animals.
They're very friendly and it'sjust the most wonderful feeling
that you can come up so close.
There is a distance you have tokeep.
If you go on an island, youfeel right away.
When you come too close.
But you can get pretty close,you have to be careful.
But when you go very close tothese animals they couldn't be
more friendly.
(13:03):
They go about their business.
You feel like you're just inparadise.
If you love animals, Imentioned blue-footed boobies,
which are the birds that are sointeresting and colorful.
Then there's the red crabs,those wonderful sally sally
lightfoot.
Katie McDonough (13:16):
Crab sally lightfoot crab, and then, of
course, you have the penguins.
Penguins are a highlightbecause of course, it's the only
, let's say, tropical islandthat has penguins, and they are
still a mystery how they got.
It's believed that they arrivedwith, I suppose, with a humbled
current.
They got there and they evolved, and now you can see them in
(13:39):
Bartolomé, you can see them onIsabela Island.
They're quite small, they're atreat.
Lea Lane (13:46):
They are, and I remember meeting Lonesome George
.
I was there maybe 25 years ago.
He was the last of a certaingreat tortoise species.
You still have great tortoiseshuge, huge old tortoises in the
islands as well and, of course,many, many other unique wildlife
.
I think anyone who's an animallover, who goes on safaris and
(14:07):
so forth, wants to go to theGalapagos.
What's the worst time to go andthe best time to go if you have
a choice?
Katie McDonough (14:13):
September is the month to avoid.
It's the height of the CampbellCurrent, the water is cold, the
seas are rougher and there isthis drizzly effect which is
called garua.
Most of the cruises go onmaintenance.
We as well at the camp.
We close the camp most ofSeptember for maintenance.
The rest of the year is verynice to visit.
(14:35):
There is a colder season and awarmer season, of course, so it
depends what you prefer.
And the humble current usuallystarts coming in June and then
the temperatures go downincreasingly until, let's say,
october, and then it startsgetting warmer again little by
little.
Lea Lane (14:52):
You wear a wetsuit if it's colder, right.
Katie McDonough (14:55):
Yes, yeah, Actually, I always wear a
wetsuit because I'm always coldin the water.
You know it's not.
Let's say it's not theCaribbean, it is not the
Mediterranean.
In the summer.
Lea Lane (15:05):
Well, there are some challenges because it has become
so popular.
There's a new fee that's goingto be put on travelers a $200
entry fee because I think thegovernment is trying to keep it
pristine.
Other challenges, of course,are climate change, which has
affected much of the islands.
But what can we do?
As travelers, we can avoidlittering, for example.
Katie McDonough (15:28):
Our responsibility is to be educated
.
Whether you go to the Galapagosas a traveler or anywhere else
in the world, I think it is veryimportant to be aware, educated
, manage expectations, knowwhere you're going and prepare
yourself for that.
Make good choices, where areyou going to stay, how
responsible a hotel or cruise is.
(15:50):
Well, it is really veryimportant to ask those questions
, be aware and take a little bitof time to understand the
destination, trust your traveladvisor and ask the right
questions.
I don't know if Katie hassomething to add.
Stephanie Bonham-Carter (16:05):
I completely agree.
It's about choosing the rightpartners and educating yourself
on the impact of your visit tothese amazing areas.
Visiting the Galapagos has apositive impact Wildlife species
preservation.
You can look at what ishappening with those park fees
that you're paying to visit theislands.
(16:26):
Tourism in general andworldwide is such a strong force
for conservation and forpreservation of these areas
Because without the touristscoming to visit and without the
operators paying the fees toprotect this wildlife, we would
have no national park.
There would be no protection.
(16:47):
The entire archipelago is aprotected marine reserve.
Without that protection, youwould have overfishing
development on these islands,Stories that I was told when I
was in the Galapagos aboutpirates or some of the early
explorers who would release pigson the island and release sheep
(17:08):
on the island so that theycould come back and have a food
source, but then those animalscaused harm to the island.
They caused harm to the nativespecies.
So now there are eradicationmeasures that are being
supported by tourism to removethose invasive species so that
the native species can thenthrive.
We want travelers to beresponsible, be respectful.
(17:30):
There are definitely rules inthe Galapagos.
You're not allowed to go offthe trail Understanding your
waste disposal.
Support local organizationsthat are working towards native
species restoration to eliminateoverfishing.
Shark nursery and it's a sharkcorridor to other islands in the
(17:50):
Pacific.
It's really about educatingyourself.
Lea Lane (17:53):
And then go and enjoy.
It is spectacularly beautiful.
Well, the name of the podcastis Places.
I Remember.
So, stephanie, would you pleaseshare a memory?
First of Ecuador.
Katie McDonough (18:06):
Yes, well, I actually.
As we talked about sharks andyou asked me if it was safe, I
had a vision of my childrensnorkeling, since they were born
in the Galapagos, playing withthe sea lions and exposed to
sharks.
And there was one occasion whenwe went with a friend of ours
who's one of the local fishermen, so we would often go and get
(18:29):
on the boat, catch a tuna, havesashimi on board and have a
snorkel.
On this one occasion my husbandwas with the kids.
There were these wonderfuldolphins.
Everyone threw themselves inthe water, including me, and
then there was a little momentwhen we knew that there was a
(18:50):
shark and this shark was alittle bit scary.
I mean, it looked scary alittle bit.
Yeah, you know, you have afeeling when they are minding
their own business or when itmight be time to eat, and I had
two little children in the water.
My husband was completelynonplussed, carried on with the
(19:12):
children.
At that point I thought, mygolly, these children are so
lucky, they're so privilegedbecause they are in this
environment, which is completelypristine and in such proximity
with nature as nature should be,you know, in that beautiful
order of things where you feelboth humbled and privileged at
(19:33):
the same time, when you feelclose to nature and then you
realize how insignificant wereally are in the larger scheme
of things.
So this contrast of emotionswhen you are aware of the moment
that you're having yeah,something that came to mind.
I have so many, of course, youcan imagine, and we have a lot
(19:53):
of children and families comingto the camp.
They come from York or Londonor San Francisco and they're not
exposed to this day by day.
They are really transformativeand life-changing experiences.
Lea Lane (20:07):
Absolutely.
How about you, Katie?
What's your memory?
Absolutely.
How about you, Katie?
What's your?
Stephanie Bonham-Carter (20:10):
memory, the memory that sticks in my
mind and my heart, a physicalreaction of joy.
I was on one of the Apengaexcursions.
It was just a boat excursion wewere not going to land on this
island and the guy that I waswith slows down the boat and
he's looking far off in thedistance and I could tell he was
thinking about something and hewas looking at a bunch of birds
(20:32):
that were just flying on thehorizon pretty far away.
He looks at us and he goeswe're going to go check
something out.
Everybody in the panga said,yeah, sure, let's do that.
So he turns around and we'resort of headed out to sea, not
towards any land, and just spoton the horizon where all these
birds were flying around.
And as we get close we see twoorcas who are jumping and
(20:57):
playing and they were actuallyhunting and so the birds were
flying above them.
We slow down and approach themvery slowly and we're seeing
them and then suddenly theydisappear.
They go under the water andwe're looking around for them.
I just happened to look down inthe water right on the edge of
the boat and I see this flash ofbrilliant blue.
(21:17):
That can only be the blue wateron the white of the orca and
this orca swam just under ourpanga, upside down or sideways,
as the whales do when they tryand look at you, and this orca
came up maybe 10 feet from thefront of our boat, gave us a
really nice view and off theywent into the distance, and I've
(21:39):
never seen orcas in the wildbefore.
It was an extraordinarilyexciting experience to see them
at all, but much less so close.
Lea Lane (21:47):
Yeah, it's wonderful.
Just listening to the two ofyou how important it is to be
able to get out there and seenature happy, free, makes you
feel humble.
I hope everyone gets to go tothe Galapagos and to Ecuador.
Thank you, Katie McDonough andStephanie Bonham Carter, for
sharing information about yourwonderful country.
Thank you, Thank you for havingme.
(22:08):
Thank you very much.
Popular Podcasts
Bookmarked by Reese's Book Club
Welcome to Bookmarked by Reese’s Book Club — the podcast where great stories, bold women, and irresistible conversations collide! Hosted by award-winning journalist Danielle Robay, each week new episodes balance thoughtful literary insight with the fervor of buzzy book trends, pop culture and more. Bookmarked brings together celebrities, tastemakers, influencers and authors from Reese's Book Club and beyond to share stories that transcend the page. Pull up a chair. You’re not just listening — you’re part of the conversation.
On Purpose with Jay Shetty
I’m Jay Shetty host of On Purpose the worlds #1 Mental Health podcast and I’m so grateful you found us. I started this podcast 5 years ago to invite you into conversations and workshops that are designed to help make you happier, healthier and more healed. I believe that when you (yes you) feel seen, heard and understood you’re able to deal with relationship struggles, work challenges and life’s ups and downs with more ease and grace. I interview experts, celebrities, thought leaders and athletes so that we can grow our mindset, build better habits and uncover a side of them we’ve never seen before. New episodes every Monday and Friday. Your support means the world to me and I don’t take it for granted — click the follow button and leave a review to help us spread the love with On Purpose. I can’t wait for you to listen to your first or 500th episode!
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com