Teleferico in Quito, Ecuador

On October 13, 2017 By Living The Q Life Travel AdventuresIn South America5 Comments

If you want to get tremendous views of Quito, Ecuador, the Teleferico is definitely a great way to do it. The Teleferico is a cable car that takes you up the Pichincha volcano. Once the cable car drops you off, there is the opportunity to continue hiking even farther up the side of the mountain. In addition to views of Quito, if the weather is clear enough, you can see other volcanoes in the distance like Cayambe and Cotopaxi.

Hiking at such high altitudes is definitely difficult and can easily take your breath away. It is strange for us, who live in Colorado, to see plants and trees growing at heights as high as 14,000 feet (4,270 meters). The tree line here starts at about 11,000 feet (3,350 meters) at which point the air is too thin for anything to grow. We assume that it is likely due to the high humidity in South America and the Andes mountains that allows plants to grow at such altitudes.

IMGP2471 — Quito with Cotopaxi Volcano in the Distance

IMGP2505 — You can Ride Horses if You Want

Even if you don’t decide to hike up towards Bear Cave, the views from the top of the Teleferico are worth seeing if you are visiting Quito. The cable car ride itself is quite steep, so if you have a fear of heights you should try to sit so that you are looking up at the side of the mountain and not down. If you are able to, though, sitting so that you look back at Quito as you climb higher and higher provides amazing views. It is often foggy and cloudy in Ecuador, so if you are able to time your trip for a clear day, you will be rewarded with spectacular scenery.

Crossing Rivers in the Rainforest

On July 4, 2017 By Living The Q Life Travel AdventuresIn Photo Challenge, South America3 Comments

Since there are not a lot of roads in the jungles of South America, local residents get creative on ways to cross the many rivers. Especially during the rainy season, these rivers can be quite treacherous, so the last thing that anyone would want to do is take a boat to try and cross them. Instead, cables are suspended across the rivers and then a metal cage is used to transport people and supplies from one side to the other. Since the cage can only be on one side or the other, when it isn’t on the same side as the travelers, someone must pull themselves across the cable to reach the other side and then pull the cage back over. It really was as thrilling as it looks. We decided to share these photos for this week’s Cee’s Which Way Photo Challenge.

IMGP7566 — Our Guide Crossing for the Cage

Getting Around with a View

On June 14, 2017 By Living The Q Life Travel AdventuresIn Photo Challenge6 Comments

Cable cars are a great mode of transportation, especially when you need to scale great heights over difficult terrain. Not only does it provide a much easier way to reach difficult destinations, but it also usually provides spectacular views. Whether taking a car to reach the top of a mountain in order to go skiing or just to see the gorgeous vistas. We have taken cable cars on three different continents and the experiences are all very similar. So, for this week’s Cee’s Which Way Photo Challenge, we are sharing images of several different cable car experiences. Enjoy the view 😀!