Thanksgiving in Ecuador

I landed in Quito, Ecuador late Tuesday night. I had no plans at all until Friday morning when I'd fly out to Sani Lodge in the Amazon (pictured to the left), and I really needed to catch up with work before going offline for nearly four days. Four days is the longest I've gone without Internet (and a cell signal) in years! I'm looking forward to it and also a little bit anxious about it, but I also know that it's a much needed break from work and an addiction to staring at a screen all the time.

But back to the point. That left me spending Thanksgiving working most of the day and pretty much stuck at my hotel as it's located near the airport and not close to much of anything else at all.  While traveling is obviously one of my most favorite things to do, and I'm very grateful that I get to do it so often, it was just a little depressing knowing my family and friends were enjoying a big feast and time together while I was alone. 

Still, I made the most of it, and, thankfully, the restaurant here at the San Jose de Puembo hotel is fantastic. It's so much fun to try new foods, and my Thanksgiving dinner definitely didn't disappoint. Yes, I missed my favorite dessert, pumpkin pie, but I had one of the most delicious meals. Ecuadorian food is diverse and highly underrated.

​I started out with a homemade chicken soup - it was the best I've ever had, with lots of fresh veggies and huge chunks of chicken breast. My main dish was prawns with rice covered in a coconut sauce and fried plantains. If you never had plantains, they look like bananas, but they aren't sweet. I love them! The other day, I had ceviche and they brought out a little bowl with fried plantains, popcorn and Andean corn nuts - I wish I could bring a bunch of that back home! 

Now, it's nearly time for me to leave once again, heading back to Quito Airport and into the Amazon where the real adventure awaits...parrots, monkeys, sloths...

No Internet until Monday afternoon., so I will see you all on the other side!

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