But Ecuador's architectural history goes back much further. The temple at Incapirca is one of the best preserved Inca sites.
In our newsletter we talked about the group who are investigating the incredibly accurate solar calculations made by pre-Inca civilisations in Ecuador. The group are building their own monument to illustrate and commemorate their Ecuadorean heritage. When finished the single orange pillar which is EXACTLY on the Equator will cast shadows onto a stone solar calendar on the earth beneath.
Many of Ecuador's attractions are not man made. Ecuador seems to have every type of landscape imaginable, from high mountains to lush jungles, from beautiful beaches to rolling fertile countryside. On top of that it has more than 1500 species of birds, 300 species of mammals and more insects and reptiles than anyone has managed to count! We knew we couldn't see it all, but we did our best!
One of the more unusual landscapes is at Cajas National Park, near Cuenca. The park is at 4000 metres above sea level. The terrain is rugged and harsh, but the whole area is dotted with lakes which shine like jewels on the rare sunny days. We were lucky and visited it on one of them!
In the few sheltered spots are small forests of quenua trees. These trees grow at higher altitudes than any other tree in the world, but they are stunted and gnarled and you feel as if you have found your way into a Grimms fairy tale wood!
There are beautiful flowers among the tough grasses
but we were amazed to see that this gorgeous spiny plant was obviously irresistible to flies!
Mindo, in the north west of the country is a wonderful place for bird watching as well as being a spectacularly beautiful area. We were lucky enough to see 2 of Ecuador's more splendid birds. The first was the Cock o' the Rock, so named because they nest in holes in cliffs and the male announces his claim to the area at the top of his voice. We saw them from a hide on a steep hillside.
The second was the Quetzal - a bird we had been trying to see since our first visit to Central America in 2001. We decided that it had been worth the wait!
We stayed in a small lodge, owned by a man who knew both the area and the birds really well and he took us out each morning before dawn to see what he could find for us. We have never minded early starts, but in Mindo they were a positive pleasure for the early morning mist rising over the valley was an unforgettable sight.
Toucans are among our favourite birds
but Mindo introduced us to the Toucanet...a smaller version!
and of course there were lots of parrots - surely the noisiest and funniest of all the birds!
However in Ecuador it's not just the birds that get to wear the coloured feathers! Ecuadorean women are very clothes conscious and while their fashions are not what we are used to they do have a certain flair!
No well dressed woman ever goes anywhere without a hat
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And shawls are both a highly decorative item
And a very useful one
Ecuadorean men are less colourful and are also often very short! We're sorry to have caused cricks in many necks but glad to have been the source of much hilarity as we tried to squeeze our overlong bodies into Ecuadorean sized buses, beds, tables and even.....steam boxes!
Our bath attendant was more the size that this particular torture was designed for!
We are always keen to explore new cuisine when we travel and Ecuador had its share of surprises. Meat is important in Ecuadorean cooking and local markets, like this one in Otovalo in the northern highlands, are the place where the raw material is selected.
No part of any animal is wasted...
Soup is served at every meal and is invariably delicious, in spite of a few less than appetising looking ingredients!
Many restaurants are keen to cater to the tourist trade and offer English language menus with some interesting selections.
We did get a taste for the special local toffee in Banos. The men who make it develop great arm muscles as they stretch and twist it into shape!
Another completely different local custom that we adopted was the mobile phone! Ecuador has incredibly good mobile phone coverage and the call charges are wonderfully cheap. As you can see sometimes it was hard to get John off the phone....
But perhaps the thing we loved most in Ecuador was the local music. Not only do they make a wonderfully happy sound, the musicians always seem to be enjoying it as much as their audience! We only wish we could persuade them that every "gringo" doesn't want to hear "El Condor Pasa...'!!
