The final bus ride, out of Colombia and into Ecuador, wasn't any easier than the previous few I'd taken recently. We were stopped for about 2 hours while a bike competition passed through, so we didn't arrive until about 6 p.m. After starting to stress when the bus driver couldn't find my checked bag, he finally found it and I was on my way to the hostel.

As I was still suffering from some mystery bug or virus, I was quite looking forward to doing nothing in Quito. I'd almost resigned myself to staying in bed on my 27th birthday, until I was convinced by Carolina to meet up with her and celebrate the day. She kindly bought lunch for me at a sushi restaurant, then we went to the Quicentro shopping mall so I could replace some clothes that in truth should've been thrown out months before. We shared some ice-cream and a juice in the afternoon before I headed back to the hostel and in to bed. Considering I'd never met Carolina before (we'd only met and talked via Couchsurfing), and the fact that she'd been up since 2a.m. that day working at the airport, it was an incredibly nice gesture from her that not only made me feel a little better, but made what could've easily been an unforgettable birthday into a really nice day.

The next day I met up with another friend off Couchsurfing, Keika, whom I met when I was last in Quito in September 2015. For the second time in two days I was spoiled, this time Keika and her boyfriend buying me a birthday cake after our lunch together. Again I was made to feel incredibly lucky by the awesome people that I've met whilst travelling.

In between this I spent a lot of time laying in bed and watching tv shows, while recovering. I've been pretty lucky on this trip so far in terms of getting sick, never having needed to go to the doctors. But even the mystery bug/illness aside, travelling for one year certainly takes it out of you.

When I first started this trip, I met other travellers who had been going for months on end, and they would tell me, "I just feel tired all of the time". I didn't get it then, but now I can certainly appreciate the feeling. And not only is my body tired, my clothes and luggage look tired too.

It's been great to settle down in Quito for a few days, see old friends and make new ones, and recharge the batteries. I needed it, because I can't see myself getting much of a rest over the next few weeks during Carnaval in Brazil!

The last stop of my travels within Ecuador brought me to Quito, it’s capital. As was the nature of most of my experience in this country, I had a limited amount of time to try and see as much of this place as I could.

On Monday I ducked out of the hostel early to get a well overdue haircut for the measly price of $1. The perks of travelling in South America. Surprisingly, the price did not reflect the quality of the job and I was able to, without embarrassment, show my face in the hostel again. Later that morning I took the free walking tour around the city, which culminated with a cheap lunch at the central market. Whilst there was a variety of local dishes on offer, many containing every part of a cow you could imagine, I opted for the safety of some fried pork.

In the afternoon a group of us visited the place where the equator line cuts through Quito - “The Middle of the World”. The funny thing is there are actually 2 equator lines in Quito - the real and the fake one. The real one, which has been confirmed by GPS, is where the tourists are shown the exact point for a cliche photo opportunity, then a bunch of “experiments” that are paraded about as if you were at a magic fair. For example, pouring water down a drain either side of the line and seeing it swirl in opposite directions, and trying to balance an egg on top of the head of a nail (it’s supposed to be easier on the equator). The fake one is around 300m away and is home to a huge statue (much better for photos), and is a little tourist town of it’s own, overflowing with restaurants and gift shops.

The wrong (yet more photogenic) Middle of the World

On Tuesday I walked up hundreds of steps to the top of the Basílica del Voto Nacional, then took a cab to the Teleférico (cable car). Both gave some superb vantage points over Quito, which really is a beautiful city to admire from afar.

My spare time was spent with friends at the hostel where there were delicious home made meals prepared by a chef every night, talking with my little nephew on Skype for the first time in as long as I can remember, having ice cream with a Quiteña I met off Couchsurfing and finally getting around to a few sessions back at the gym since I twisted my knee in Huacachina.

Whilst being the country I’ve spent the least amount of time in, Ecuador has been home to some of the most memorable experiences of the trip so far. From seeing nature at it’s finest in the Galápagos, to becoming an uncle for the second time in Cuenca. And many more in between. Whilst I intend to spend the rest of my time on this trip seeing as many new countries, cities and people as possible, Ecuador is the only country I can say that I haven't really had a complete experience of, and need to return to and explore some more one day.

My 27th Birthday

Quito, Ecuador