Picking up from where we left off ... (add link from last blog of the series) we did indeed take a left out of the Panama Canal, sailed about 700nm south, crossed the Equator and arrived in La Libertad, Ecuador. If you followed our later travels, in fact, you’ll find that we did this twice … but for now, let’s talk about getting to Ecuador the first time. Our limited visits to Venezuela and Colombia while in the Caribbean whet our appetites for more exploration of “the other America”. For sure, we had never given travel in South America much thought until I read the sailing magazine article about Ecuador. From the moment we arrived, we were hooked. What a splendid continent, rich in diverse indigenous cultures and Spanish heritage.