Named as a top destination by Lonely Planet, Ecuador has been high on the bucket list of many travel journalists. In fact, Seth Kugel of The New York Times has recently written a great article about how much he enjoyed his own special trip.  The New York Times sent him to this destination as a thanks for his final work as that publication’s Frugal Traveler. Click HERE to read more about his experience.

So I was understandably delighted to be invited to travel on JetBlue’s inaugural direct flight from Fort Lauderdale to Ecuador’s capital, Quito. This new air route was considered a very big deal because JetBlue would be the only airline to operate daily flights between Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport and Quito’s Mariscal Sucre International Airport. Ecuador would become the 22nd country served by JetBlue which operates nearly a third of its flights in the Caribbean and Latin America.

After a wonderful night at Fort Lauderdale’s luxurious Sonnesta Hotel, I met up with VIPs from JetBlue, Fort Lauderdale, and Ecuador as well as other journalists from around the country to celebrate this event. The festivities included a beautiful cake,

Ecuadorian food,

 

and a symbolic ribbon cutting ceremony.

The almost four hour flight aboard the 150 seat Airbus was enjoyable with comfortable seats, unlimited snacks, and beverages.

After we landed in Quito and went through immigration/customs, we attended a welcoming party hosted by JetBlue and Quito officials. To mark this momentous event, the attendees received a preserved rose dyed in JetBlue’s representative color. Ecuador’s roses are an important export of this country and there are over 90 varieties. The roses are said to be of the highest quality, in part because of the rich soil that is fertilized by volcanic ash and the position of the sun over this destination. Because the sun shines directly above, the roses grow straight without the curve that other countries might produce.

It had been a long day so I was happy to finally settle into our our beautiful hotel, the JW Marriott. It was important to rest because early the next morning we would be leaving to take this country’s legendary luxury train, the Tren Crucero.

 

 

Next: A luxury train ride through Ecuador.