New Idea's astrologer Karen Moregold goes on a thrilling South American journey of discovery to Ecuador with her son.

 

Ecuadorians believe they are born under a lucky star - the Sun. In this land divided by the equator, where the majestic Andes reach proudly or the sky, Incas and pre-Incan people honoured the Sun god. It was here on these mighty mountains that they could get closer to their god than anywhere else on the planet.

This South American country has something for everybody. The awe-inspiring immensity of the Andean mountains took my breath away. The different climates, ranging from the rainforest to the high elevation paramo - the neotropical ecosystem between the upper forest line and the permanent snowline - offer a dazzling diversity of landscape, beautiful bird life from hummingbirds to condors, and magnificent waterfalls. It is beautiful, friendly and easy to enjoy from top to bottom.

Ecuador has energetic, modern cities with cosmopolitan people and the blessing of bountiful nature - with rivers of fresh water from the Andes, lush valleys for farming, a coastline that yields abundant seafood, and a growing tourism industry.

My son Kieron and I stayed at Sacha, a privately owned 5,000-acre lodge. The thatched huts and amenities offered a comfortable experience amongst the lush forest. Here you can swim with piranhas. That's right, piranhas! Both Kieron and I had false starts as we lowered ourselves into the black water lake. Apparently, the piranhas will only attack if you are bleeding, so we were scared that if we stepped on something sharp and cut ourselves we might end up dinner for the fish. For this reason, we kept our shoes on.

We were glad that we had our swim before the piranha fishing demonstration. Meat is placed on the hook of a fishing line, and although the piranha are only small fish, they are powerful. They swarm, bite and tug at the meat from all directions. Our guide caught one momentarily to show us the sharp teeth; when there are schools of them, not much is left after a meal.

Animal lovers can listen for the eerie calls of the howler monkeys and see other monkeys including the tiniest pygmy monkey, which is only as big as your thumb.

You can linger in the butterfly house, which cultivates many dazzling Amazon species, watch parrots as they flock to a clay lick and see masses of amazing birds including wonderful toucans. The Amazon forest is magnificent but so thorny, dark and intimidating, with enormous insects and many dangerous and poisonous things for the unwary.

At Sacha, it is possible to explore waterways in canoes or sway gently on the rainforest canopy walk, which is suspended a dizzying height above the forest below.

Hop across to the Galapagos Islands
This amazing province of Ecuador - a short flight from the mainland - is amazing. You can swim with sea lions in clear, calm waters, snorkel with turtles, stand in the surf with small stingrays around your feet, and watch the mating dances of blue-footed boobies and waved albatrosses. You'll spy whales, marvel at giant tortoises and develop respect for iguanas and their ability to survive in such harsh conditions. I often thought of Charles Darwin, who spent two and a half weeks there while he developed his theory of evolution.

To go
For information on tours through Ecuador and the Galapagos Islands, visit www.intrepidtravel.com and www.peregrineadventures.com. LAN airlines flies from Auckland to Santiago and onward to Ecuador. Visit www.lan.com for details or to book online.

Ecuadorian Must Dos

• Ride a bike down Cotopaxi, a perfect snow-capped, cone-shaped volcano, for a fast, fun and challenging experience.
• Stand with a foot in each hemisphere.
• Samba the night away in one of the many bars - Ecuadorians love to dance.
• The Devil's Nose train journey to see the canyons and ravines is one of the world's best rail trips.
• Visit Ingapirca, Ecuador's most important Inca ruin.
• Bargain hunt in the market towns.
• Birdwatch in Cajas National Park - a chilly, high-altitude nature reserve with more than 230 lakes.

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