Posts

“Otavalo Luxury Stay: A Quiet Night at La Casa Sol Under the Andean Stars”

Image
🕔 05:00–07:00 | From Quito to Otavalo, Dawn Air of the Andes The clock pointed to 5 a.m., and damp mist wrapped around my ankles. The air was 8°C. I got into the taxi I had reserved and entered the northbound E35 highway. The lights of Calderón, Cayambe, and nameless villages guided the way. After driving for a little less than three hours, the ridges of the Andes gradually came closer. Clouds were hanging low, billowing as if they could be touched above my head, and the air felt heavy with moisture, as if soaked in rainclouds. At last, we reached the center of Otavalo, where the lights along Simón Bolívar Street twinkled as if to welcome me. The lights of Calderón, Cayambe, and unnamed villages flowed past the car window. 🕖 07:00–09:00 | First Breakfast on the Terrace of the Ancient Land’s Casa Sol The breath of the mountains of Otavalo gently touched my skin at La Casa Sol. Beyond the stone wall, sunlight pierced through the trees, streaming in between branches. T...
Read more

“Quito Day 3 Itinerary: Rooftop Views, Artisan Markets & Luxury Bath at Illa Hotel”

Image
  🌄 Quito Day 3 – A Journey of Breathing Senses on the Final Day 🕔 05:00–07:00 | Walking Through Fog in Plaza de San Francisco Before the sun even rose, I stepped toward Plaza de San Francisco at dawn. The sound of bells hitting the old stone walls stirred the Andes valley. A layer of fog lay across the damp ground soaked in morning dew, and the tower of Iglesia de San Francisco appeared. A few drops of light rain began to fall from the sky, so I opened the umbrella I had brought, gently parting through the fog, quietly walking step by step, savoring the cold morning air. 🕖 07:00–09:00 | A Classic Breakfast at Café Gótica As I walked out near the square, I saw Café Gótica. The morning sun was starting to peek out just slightly. I ordered a warm cup of cinnamon-scented coffee, fruit slices, freshly baked yucca bread, and added scrambled eggs. Before I knew it, the soft sunlight was gently covering the red bricks outside. 🕘 09:00–11:00 | Quito Contemporary Art Museum ...
Read more

"Quito Day 2: Sunset Alleys, Rooftop Dinners, and Lavender Whispers"

Image
  Quito Day 2 – A Day That Gently Glowed in Stillness 🕔 05:00–07:00 | Greeting the Sunrise at Itchimbía Park Under the shade of a eucalyptus tree, where birdsong clears the mind, I spread out the picnic mat I had brought. Sitting atop the hill in Itchimbía Park, overlooking Quito’s old town, I quietly inhaled in a meditative posture. The morning sunlight landed transparently on every drop of dew resting on the brown and green leaves, and the soft mist that wrapped around my feet spread in all directions like ripples on a lake. 🕖 07:00–09:00 | A Simple Breakfast in the Garden of Casa Gangotena Sunlight twinkled around the garden fountain, and a kitten that looked young and well-acquainted with human hands appeared for just a blink before disappearing, only to be seen again. On the table, a single lilac blossom was placed in an elegant white ceramic vase. I enjoyed a soup made from Andes potatoes and spread apricot jam on homemade yuca bread. A glass of passion fruit juice at ...
Location: 에콰도르 키토
Read more

“Quito One Day Itinerary: Hidden Cafés, Rooftop Dinners & Golden Churches”

Image
🕔 05:00–07:00 | Andes Dawn, A City of Bells and Mist I welcomed the morning at Casa Gangotena , a charming boutique hotel located at the heart of Quito's old town, right on San Francisco Square. This 19th-century mansion, now elegantly remodeled, features high ceilings, colonial-style furniture, and graceful balconies. Outside the window, I could see domed rooftops in Baroque style and the quiet square below. The sound of church bells floated through the mist, and the windows were still fogged up like a trace left by the breath of the night. As I pulled back the curtains, a brisk morning breeze swept in, cool and refreshing. The morning mist looked as if clouds had descended from the sky and were now perching softly upon the rooftops. True to the early morning, birds quietly sang as they stretched into the day. 🕖 07:00–09:00 | A Cup of Tea Beneath the Basilica To reach the Basilica del Voto Nacional , I had to walk thr...
Location: 에콰도르 키토
Read more

A sensory day in Salinas, Ecuador—where the Andes dawn, salt mirror fields, herb gardens, firewood warmth, and starlit baths become a quiet poem of the earth.

Image
 05:00–07:00 | Awakening in the Andes’ Dawn Air I awoke to an oddly cool sensation filling the room—an unexpected crispness that tingled at the tip of my nose. When I opened the window, the third-floor view from Hotel El Refugio de Salinas unveiled a breathtaking sight: the Andes mountains draped in heavy mist, as if the fog had sat itself down gently across the peaks like a hushed visitor. The village below remained fast asleep, and in the distance, the faint sound of a donkey’s bell echoed softly, rising with the morning sun behind the mountains, slowly awakening the world. On the terrace table, I placed both a peppermint and a chamomile tea bag into the kettle and poured hot water over them. Then, I added a generous swirl of honey. A soft sweetness filled the air—somewhere between floral nectar and golden syrup. I sipped slowly, blowing gently, letting the warmth roll through me. Without realizing it, my eyes drifted tow...
Location: Salinas, 에콰도르
Read more

“One Night at El Refugio de Salinas – A Day in the Andes Wrapped in Chocolate and Starlight”

Image
🌄 05:00–07:00 | From Hotel Victoria in Cuenca to the Terminal — Early Morning Departure (Part 1) At 5 a.m., the air outside the window was cool and crisp, carrying a hint of mint. The darkness of night still lingered, and everything was utterly quiet, as if the city itself had just stirred from slumber. I quickly packed my light travel bag and asked the front desk clerk, Maldalco, to call a taxi from El Ángel. 🌄 05:00–07:00 | Taxi Ride Through the Sleeping City (Part 2) About ten minutes later, a gray taxi pulled up in front of the hotel. The city hadn’t fully awakened yet, and the soft glow of the streetlights brushed past the cobblestone streets like blades of light. Through the windshield, the vast and serene silence of the Andes slowly unfolded — it felt as though the quiet majesty of the mountains made this moment even more special. 🌄 05:00–07:00 | Arrival at Terminal Terrestre de Cuenca (Part 3) We glided through the d...
Location: E-244, Papudo, Valparaíso, 칠레
Read more

"Mint Mornings, Candle Nights – A Cuenca Journey"

Image
 Part 1 – A Gentle Morning in Faded Brick 🕯 A Quiet Time Hidden in Weathered Brick – The Start of a Day in Cuenca 🌄 05:00–07:00 | Moonlight on the Window Frame and the Breath of the Andes In the faint light of dawn, where darkness still lingers, the air was as fresh as mint—crisp, cool, and silent. A new day quietly unfolded at Hotel Victoria. As I opened the European-style arched window, the mountain air of Cuenca brushed against my nose. Before me, the grandeur of the city revealed itself in silence. Moonlight, not yet faded, gently spilled across the wooden floor, and in the stillness, the soft, distant murmur of the Tomebamba River reached me. It felt as if someone had painted the sound of the river with a minty breeze— so vivid and clear that I was pulled in, caught in a moment where sound and scent became one. It was then I truly felt: this was Cuenca. 🌅 Part 2 – Moonlit Water and the Breath of Stillness The moonlight wrapped so...
Location: 스페인 쿠엥카
Read more