As gateway to the otherworldly ruins of nearby Machu Picchu, many tourists flock to Cusco. Located in a valley surrounded by the rugged Andes mountains, Cusco is a very delightful ‘albeit touristy’ colonial city characterized by its steep hills and old world architecture. At 11,200 ft above sea level, it is also one of the highest cities in the world. A real tourist mecca, Old Cusco (the tourist zone) has many outdoor cafes, trendy bars, chic boutiques and restaurants. Most of the hotels, guesthouses and restaurants offer coca tea to their guests to help them combat altitude sickness.

Two peculiarities about Cusco – old town is littered with so many places offering cheap massages that for a moment I thought I was in Chiang Mai, Thailand. Walking around the main plaza, I was constantly pestered by young girls trying to sell me anything from finger warmers to little dolls in addition to trying to recruit me for a massage. I am assuming that the massages were legit, with no extras offered, but then again, I really don’t know! In addition, many people on the street were soliciting tourists to buy cheap cell phones, and I mean muy barrato. I have never experienced something like this in any other city that I have visited in my many years of travel.

For an interesting and easy excursion from Bangkok, I suggest that you visit the Lam Phraya floating market. The floating markets allow visitors to be transported back in time to experience traditional Thai life and culture of a bygone era. Located in Nakhon Pathom province about 75 minutes from Bangkok, Lam Phraya market was created in 1999 with the objective of attracting more tourists to the area. There are larger and more established floating markets in the Bangkok area, but they area not quiet as authentic and are more geared to foreign tourists. I went there on a lazy Sunday morning with four Thai ladies (lucky me). From my recollection, there were only 2-3 other farangs there that day – which is sort of nice, as I don’t like to go to places that are overrun with western tourists. The Floating market was throbbing with activity and was quite colorful - a vast array of fresh vegetables and fruits, traditional snacks and deserts, meals as well as handicrafts were being sold at very reasonable prices. Many of the vendors sold produce from their longtail boats. I enjoyed a simple but very delicious vegetarian Pad Thai plate for about 40 baht.

The most popular and largest floating market is at Damneon Saduak in Rachaburi province.

Located at 9,000 feet above sea level, Quito - the capital of Ecuador- is one of the most beautiful cities that I have visited. Straddling a long and narrow valley, the city lies at the foot of the still active Pichincha volcano. Old Quito, a UNESCO world heritage site, has a lot of ambiance with its outstanding colonial architecture and steep cobblestone streets. Illuminated by the many street lamps in the area, the buildings in the old quarter have a magical golden glow at night. For an excellent panoramic view of the city, I recommend that you go to El Panecillo, the large hill topped by a statue of La Virgen de Quito. Located a couple miles outside the old city, the view especially after sunset is magnificent

Old Quito throbs with activity during the daylight hours, however at night almost all businesses are closed and the area is literally deserted with the exception of the police who are stationed at almost every corner and the occasional pickpocket who is looking for an easy mark. What must come as a shock to some people, the official currency in Ecuador is the same as the United States – the US dollar; this has been the situation since 1999. Bills come in various denominations - 1, 5, 10, 25, 50 and 100. Quito is also very affordable – a delicious fruit shake or smoothie costs only 50 cents and a strong cup of coffee about one dollar. I didn’t see any Starbuck cafes at all, a welcome relief!

Comparing to Quito to Cusco in Peru - I liked Quito a lot more as it wasn’t overrun with tourists, street vendors, curio and souvenir shops.

After arriving at Hotel San Francisco in old town Quito, I asked the young man at the hotel reception desk “Where can I get the best exchange for American travelers checks?” He directed me to the bank around the corner, about a 5-minute walk. Once inside the bank, I surveyed the scene and there must been at last 300 or more people waiting in line. I had never seen anything like this before in my life. Two minutes later, I bolted out of the bank and returned to my hotel. Shaking my head, I told myself that there was no way ‘in hell’ that I was going to wait in a line like this - it would take at least 2 hours to get serviced. Back at my hotel, I told Fernando, the young hotel clerk, about the mob scene at the bank and asked him if there wasn’t somewhere else I could exchange the monies.

Fernando directed me to a currency exchange bureau about one block from the bank. As it was getting close to closing time, I hurried over to the bureau. Presenting my travelers checks to the clerk, I asked him in my best Spanish - I would like to exchange some American Travelers checks? He asked me how many? I replied three hundred USD. He proceeded to cash my checks, giving me $294 in US dollars and explained to me in Spanish that there was a service fee of 6.00 ($2.00 per check). Shaking my head, I told him in broken Spanish that I did not want US dollars but the local currency. He shook his head, and insisted this was the proper exchange. I kept pleading that I wanted the local currency. In response, he said, “ Senor, I am giving you the local currency” shooting me a strange look. It was then that it dawned on me that the US dollar is the official currency in Ecuador. I was a little shocked to say the least. When I returned to the hotel, I did a little research on the Internet and discovered that the US dollar has been the official currency in Ecuador since 1999. Too bad, I didn’t do my research before I arrived in the country.