ECUADOR | Sumak Kawsay
Living in harmony with earth, sky, and people — from the Andes to the Amazon
Some places stay with you. In Ecuador, the journey began among the peaks of the Andes — climbing Pasochoa, Corazón, Illinizas Norte, and Cotopaxi, followed by days in Quito, and a long overland journey to reach Cuyabeno, where we traveled by boat deep into the Amazon.
From high ridges to dense jungle, from thin air to humid forest, it became a trip about more than summits or distances, a quiet movement through land, water, and sky.
Climbing Pasochoa — extinct volcanic crater
Pasochoa summit — 4,199 m.
Illiniza Norte summit — 5,126 m rise in the Andes.
Cotopaxi climb.
Walking through Quito’s colonial streets.
Standing on the Equator line, where north meets south.
Quito’s Metropolitan Cathedral — baroque and neoclassical style.
River journey into the Amazon’s Cuyabeno Reserve.
Ceibo tree — the Amazon’s revered “tree of life.”
Crafting chocolate — Ecuador’s cacao heritage.
Sunset on Cuyabeno Lake — rainforest reflections.
Eco-lodge cabin deep in the jungle.
Meeting a local shaman in the heart of the jungle.
Vibrant poison dart frog — Amazon’s dangerous beauty.
Monkey skull — relic encountered in the jungle.
Jungle fun — navigating through vines.
Sunset through the jungle canopy.
Jungle spider — Amazon rainforest species.
From cold ridges to deep jungle nights — this was a journey that reminded me: it’s not what you conquer, but what you meet along the way.
Just one story, among many, that helped shape
Bang to Being.
Thanks for reading.