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Our program will take you to see all the handcraft centers in the north of Quito. Being the landscape en route so attractive, we have arranged a few photo stops to see unusual farmland and lakes on the skirts of "Taita Imbabura”, mythological father of the otavaleño communities. Continue on to the "Awakening valley" in Otavalo. Their crafts market will captivate you with fine woolsacks, gold work, leather clothes, woodcarvings, straw hats, and jewelers, antiquities and other handcrafts produced in the different areas of the country.

Visiting the National Park led by a Naturalist guide is a different experience. This is the habitat of the Andean Condor and the Ecuadorian Hillstar hummingbirds. Various treks at different altitudes will give the opportunity to see unusual flora and fauna of the upper Andes. If the climate permits it, for those with most adventure spirit exist a mild ascension until the Refuge and the glacial at (4.800 meters). There are other attractions as the Inca Ruins of El Salitre and remote areas of wild life. Later you will be taken to famous 1736 state and historical monument “La Ciénega” for lunch o our exclusive feature the Inca Treasure House.

On the western slopes of Pichincha at the edge of the Chocó bio-geographic region and right where the cloud forest begins, our head ornithologist found 60 acres of land and turn them into the sanctuary of hummingbirds. There are days where you can count 3000 individuals of 39 species in his back yard. There are hundreds of little birds of all colors and shapes flying around your head. Lunch will be served in the area at an incredible tree house. In the afternoon and on the way back we stop at the “real” equatorial line to experience what is it really about.

FlashTravel just designed starting spring 2006 the ultimate “in Quito” adventure. This will be a full day tour that includes: Quito cable car, a horse back ride to the top of Pichincha and a moderate climb to the summit of this volcano.

After and early hotel pick up, we head to teleferico, Quito’s cable car up to an altitude of 4.100 mts. We espect to have spectacular views of Quito, and also the 9 volcanoes that can be spotted from this altitude; next we will ride by horse through the Andean paramo until the base of volcano ruco Pichincha, prominent lectures about flora and fauna of the upper Andes will be give. Finally we have a mild climb to the summit of Ruco Pichincha at 4.700 mts. Box lunch will be served and deliver back to your hotel.

We will provide also a typical Poncho so you can feel like the traditional Andean cowboys; we call them “chagras”. Program will be escorted by a naturalist guide with knowledge of horse back riding and a real chagra expert in riding.