We said goodbye to our Galapagos travel mates in Guayaquil as they de-planed to catch their connecting flight back to Canada.  Six of us stayed on the plane and continued our journey to Quito where we were met by a familiar face, tour guide Gloria. We transferred back to the Hilton hotel for a 1 night stay.  On the way we made a stop at a local grocery store to pick up snacks and wine for our stay at the spa.  We arrived at the hotel just in time for a cocktail followed by a delicious dinner at the gourmet El Dorado restaurant.  The following morning we visited the local handicraft market. There’s a large selection of goods; alpaca sweaters, scarves, tops, leather goods, trinkets and more. The prices are very reasonable  Yes, the ladies shopped a little bit or perhaps a lot. Driver Paul couldn’t believe how much luggage 6 ladies could have.

9 am we departed for our 1 1/2 hour drive to Termas de Papallacata, a rustic spa nestled in the foot hills of the Andes mountains, 9,000 feet above sea level.  The scenery along the way is breathtaking.  Once checked in we took a stroll around the grounds. Our cosy cabins are just a few away from the hot springs. The gardens are filled with flowers that the humming birds seem to enjoy.

We didn’t waste any time. After a light lunch we took a dip in the hot springs before heading to the spa for our first treatment of many. I opted for a relaxing full body massage. Just what I needed after an active week of hiking, swimming and snorkelling.  The spa is spacious and welcoming with a relaxing lounge area and many treatment rooms. After our relaxing day we enjoyed a delicious dinner, then back to our cosy rooms for a good night sleep.