Once, the Inca Empire ruled this land. Then the Spanish came and conquered. Today when you visit you can almost see and hear this history echoing through the halls of time. Join us as we take a journey to the past and present of Ecuador.
Raw Travel takes viewers on a fascinating cultural journey through one of South America’s smallest, but most eco-friendly and culturally colorful countries. Raw Travel goes to new heights by traveling to the high altitude, capital city of Quito, Ecuador. While there Raw Travel explores the city’s old cobblestone streets and historical architecture. Then it’s off to the outskirts of the city to visit the Foundation for the Honor of Life School, where the crew gives out much needed school supplies to students from poor and troubled homes.
While in Quito, the crew visits the Mitad Del Mundo, or Middle of the World, to try and clear up some confusion just about where the middle of the equator is. Plus, they check out some real life, shrunken heads.
Then the crew takes off to visit the famous Pancho Market in the nearby indigenous town of Otavalo. Rob gets a lesson on typical Andean music at the incredible ñanda mañachi, and later, reluctantly samples the indigenous staple of fried cuy (guinea pig).
The producers then travel by bus to the eco friendly and adventurous retreat of Baños to bike through some of most beautiful scenery in Latin America. After taking in the luscious green valleys, cascading waterfalls and active volcanoes Rob does some canyoning before getting up the nerve to bungee jump.
The journey continues through the tiny indigenous towns of Riobamba and Alausí to catch the legendary train Nariz del Diablo or Devil’s Nose, where the crew travels through some of the most dangerous, but beautiful, Andean mountain peaks and valleys in the world.
Then it’s on to Ecuador’s third largest city, Cuenca. Here the crew visits the Homero Ortega hat factory to learn why a hat named after Panama is made in Ecuador, and later, they visit the ancient, pre-Inca ruins and museum of Pumapungo.
The crew buses to the coastal city of Guayaquil to visit the famed Malecon and get a feel for life at the turn of the last century at the fascinating Parque Historico or Historical Park.
The crew winds up the trip by spending time with some hippies at the little beach town of Montañita. People come from all over the world to surf Montañita’s killer waves, so Rob tries to hang ten by getting a surfing lesson form one of Ecuador’s best surf instructors, Eusebio Rodriguez.
