Cuicocha - The Tranquile Place

So, I needed to purchase some new tires for my car. Unfortunately the prices for tires here in Ecuador have skyrocketed and thus crossing the border to Colombia is a great idea when purchasing tires, booze, toys, and anything imported.

On the way to Colombia you make a couple of stops.

You can stop in:

Cayambe - here you can find bizcochos and string cheese - GOOD STUFF!
Bizcochos are a type of baked biscuits which go great with string cheese and dulce de leche.

Cayambe Kids Park 

There´s also a really great kids park with huge structures and slides for them to play.
My kid loves to make a stop here.

After the stopby Cayambe you can stop by Otavalo:

I really like Otavalo, its a small town run mostly by the Otavaleños - indigenous folks
There you will find a large handicraft market called - Mercado de los Ponchos.
In this market you can purchase and peruse many fine handicrafts, clothes, ponchos, hats, etc.

I also like Otavalo because I love a little Pie Shop which is located next to the market.

Pie Shop - Next to Ponchos Market

Ahhhh, the pies here are just so savory. I usually go for the chocolate pudding pie and the strawberry but you have so many flavors to choose from..  They are $2 USD a slice. EXCELLENT!

Usually after an Otavalo visit people like to visit Cotacachi.
Cotacachi is a lovely town filled with US expats that have come down to Ecuador to retire. Its a quaint town, very safe, theres stuff to do especially for foreigners. You can find some great coffee shops here that serve Rio Intag coffee. Some of the best coffee Ive had here in Ecuador!

Its also famous for its leather products. There you can find all types of leather products such as jackets, bags, wallets, purses, shoes, etc. Cotacachi is world renowned for its leather products. So if youve always dreamed of having a 100% leather jacket... this is the place for it.

From Cotacachi you can make your way to the Cuicocha Lake. This is Tre-Cool!
A beauty of a lake.

Wife and kid - View of Cuicocha Lake

The picture above was taken from the private lookout point the Tranquile Place has in the hills of Cuicocha.

The Tranquile Place is a brand new Bed and Breakfast located in the hills above Cuicocha lake. There you can spend the night in a very cozy hacienda type house. Beautiful views, quick access to the lookout spot for Cuicocha views.

They have horses, trails for trekking, great coffee, a bistro, tours to the coffee farms, and just a very friendly and personalized service make this new BnB a great choice to stay in Cuicocha.

The Tranquile Place 

Then on our way to Colombia we made a stop in the Chota Valley. A valley filled with sugar cane farms and populated mostly by afro-ecuadorians. Hot as hell but an interesting place to see since you get to experience a very distinct and unique culture. Many Ecuadorian soccer players have come from the Chota Valley.

Then Ibarra. 
Ibarra - the white city, is a really nice and relaxed city to visit. From here you can hop on a train and do a train tour. Or you can visit the many historic parks they have and stop by this coffee shop:

Olor a Cafe - Coffe Shop in Ibarra

Hands down the best coffee Ive had in Ecuador. Authentic Galapagos Coffee. Its a beautiful coffee shop lined with books in the entrance. But if you take the secret door you will enter a couryard inside which is out of this world. 

Great place, great coffee, GOOD TIMES!