Hi Reader,

We leave for Ecuador on November 3, which means our packing list is happening in real time, and we're already second-guessing it. We’ll miss Día de Difuntos by a day this year, but the timing felt too good not to start there.

1. DÍA DE DIFUNTOS: ECUADOR’S DAY OF THE DEAD

What Day of the Dead looks like in the Andes

On November 2, Ecuadorian families head to the cemetery with flowers, guaguas de pan (bread shaped like babies), and colada morada, a spiced purple drink made from blackberries. We’ve spent the day with friends in Peguche and Otavalo, where it’s less about mourning and more about weeding graves, repainting iron fences, and sharing a long meal. One thing that stayed with us: a vendor once wouldn’t sell us a guagua de pan for a photo, because those breads are for family graves and nothing else.

Read more: Andean Traditions: Ecuador's Day of the Dead

2. MAMA NEGRA IN LATACUNGA

The festival that’s part parade, part blessing, part party

Each November, Latacunga hosts a parade where hundreds of dancers, musicians, and costumed characters pass by for hours before Mama Negra herself appears on horseback, blessing the crowd. We watched four hours of it before we caught our first glimpse of her. Even locals debate where the tradition comes from, and like Día de los Difuntos, it’s one of those Ecuadorian celebrations that’s more layered than it looks.

Read more: Everything You Need To Know About Mama Negra​

3. BIRD WATCHING IN THE VALLE DEL CAUCA AND QUINDÍO

Colombia’s birding region, from Jacquie

Jacquie Granda, an Ecuadorian travel designer who writes for us, joined a press trip through Valle del Cauca and Quindío last June and came home with a birding story. Her piece takes you from an Andean cock-of-the-rock at Parque Nacional de las Heliconias to bird murals at the bus stops in Cali. It also describes an inclusive birding program at Hotel La Aldea, where blind guests listen on a forest walk and then identify the birds through marzipan figures. Her takeaway: you don’t need a remote reserve to start paying attention.

Read more: Avitourism in Valle del Cauca and Quindío ​

4. WHAT A SMALL TOURISM BUSINESS ACTUALLY NEEDS FROM ITS WEBSITE

Behind the scenes: a conversation from Southern Ecuador

We recently had a conversation with a community tourism operator best known for stays and tours in Southern Ecuador, who wants to start selling tours across all of Ecuador. Our biggest takeaway was how much of the marketing work is entirely in the owner’s own hands: collecting reviews, keeping profiles current, and making the brand look and sound the same everywhere. SEO is about more than what is on your website.

Read the article: Improve Your SEO Without Touching Your Website ​

5. BEFORE YOU GO: OUR FIRST AID KIT

We’re packing for Ecuador, which means restocking the first aid kit we’ve owned so long its name has worn off the bag. In the article: what we bring (including a new facemask recommendation), why we buy it at home instead of there, and the one item I’d rather not explain to a pharmacist in Spanish.

Read more: Travel First Aid Kit Checklist: What We Pack for Ecuador and South America

Before we go, we will be ordering our HOLAFLY ESIM. Landing in a new country with data already working is one less thing to sort out at the airport. Use our partner link for 5% off. And Scott is doubling up on the Zaca Recovery Chewables. He really does swear by them for adjusting to high altitude. Angie just likes the way they taste, a little like the Sweet Tarts from her childhood.

Thanks for traveling along with us!

Warmly,
Angie & Scott

P.S. Our Adventure Medical Kit has been on so many trips that the name has nearly worn off the bag. If you’re building a kit of your own, here’s the current version on Amazon: https://link.amazon/B03CC6zr5