Francisco Jarrin

Francisco Jarrin was our guide in Ecuador for almost 2 weeks this spring. He immediately understood what we wanted to see and how we wanted to travel the country. He found us the perfect lodgings and took us to the places that we would have never seen without him. His vast knowledge of Ecuador and it's history, culture, art, lifestyles, plants, birds, animals is amazing. Walking through old town Quito was a joy as he knew all the details of Quito itself and it's history. Beyond Quito we traveled through the Andes to Cuenca and to the cloud forests of Mindo. Again his knowledge was amazing. He knew about the different Indian Cultures, their life styles, the wild life, the plants and where to stop for the best scenic view. I love photography and all I had to say was stop and we were over to the side of the road so I could get out and take photos. One of the highlights of our trip was a stay in Zueleta with a Quechua family. Actually living with the chief's family and helping to cook dinner in their adobe kitchen with dirt floors and a cook fire in the corner. Francisco arranged this for us and for that I will always be grateful. He also took us to the cloud forest and we stayed with a family of Botanists that are returning their land to an indigenous forest. We saw 15 different species of Hummingbirds and 3 species of Tanagers (bright yellow and black birds) and we had a guided walk through the forest learning about the trees and plants of the cloud forest. We saw an Ecuador that most people don't even know exists and it was all because of Francisco. Because he is licensed as a guide and naturalist he personally guided us through National Parks and Archeological sites. Without him we would have had to join a group tour or hire a guide. Thank You Francisco!