Author Archives: Varya

It is 6:30 am as my plane rises over the northern hills of Quito heading south toward the old city of Cuenca.   In this country of perpetual 12-hour days,… Read more »

Quito is a world-class city.  And consequently it has major rush hour traffic problems.  It is surrounded by hills and volcanoes and large apartment complexes now climb steeply up most… Read more »

This morning our Black Monster steam locomotive cuts a narrow swath through an idyllic landscape.  We clatter along through rich agricultural land, rectangles and strips of land growing various produce,… Read more »

Our train is passing through a landscape of primeval heavy woods, fed by the waterfalls and constant dripping moisture from the forest canopy absorbing the water coming from the Pacific… Read more »

The excitement of pulling out of a foreign train station, with the station bell ringing and the steam engine puffing/blowing its black smoke song, is like no other.  A train… Read more »

After 14 hours of traveling, my cab ride through the quiet, shuttered streets of downtown Guayaquil at 1 am gave the impression of a clean manageable town.   The largest… Read more »

Varya is visiting a country she has never explored, Ecuador, armed with a few lessons of beginning Spanish.   She will fly into Guayaquil and board the “Train to the… Read more »