San Jorge guestbook 2003

Birdwatching Tour Guestbook
Birdwatching Trip Reports
Student Groups Guestbook
Mission Guestbook

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Name: Jenny Parker and Patricia Torres
Country-City: New York USA
Sent: 12/21/03

We really enjoyed the scenic views with all the farms and wild animals . I would definitly recommend the horseback trail.

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Name: Jeff Leifer and David Leifer
Country-City: San Francisco , Ca USA
Sent: 12/29/03

What a magnificent location and what a beautiful group of people! george and his staff made us feel welcome and excited to connect with beautiful country.
Thank you for making our introduction magical and loving.All my deep recomendations for the food, lodging and warm people!!

Jeff Leifer and David Leifer

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Name: Linda Rhoades
Country-City: Elk Grove Cal. USA
Sent: 12/29/03

George , Vincent and José along with all the other staff were excellent in all services and friendliness. A beautiful facility and wonderful food.I would very much like to return.

Linda Rhoades

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Name: Patte Komland
Country-City: California USA
Sent: 12/29/03

George and hes staff were very exceptional in their service and care.A beautiful location and wonderful food!! I hope to return...

Patte Komland

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Name: Jim Matthews and friends
Country-City: California USA
Sent: 12/29/03

A beautiful and magical stay with excellent food and great service!!! Highly recommmended!

Jim Matthews

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Name: Bruce and Annette Spattes
Sent: 12/28/03

We couldn´t have picked up a nice place to begin and end our trips to Ecuador !! It is so peaceful to be up here away from the rush of the city.
Everyone in here has been great!!Good service, nice rooms, and great food.
We will definetly tell our travelling friends.

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Name: Jenny Parker and Patricia Torres
Country-City: New York USA
Sent: 12/21/03

We really enjoyed the scenic views with all the farms and wild animals . I would definitly recommend the horseback trail.

Jenny Parker

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Name: John and Clysta Lemore
Country-City: California USA
Sent: 9/14/03

Jorge-
I promised you this picture that I took of you when we passed through Quito. We were part of the group that was with Ted Cheeseman. We thoroughly enjoyed your Hosteria, and we were very sorry that we could not have spent more quantity time at your property to go along with the quality time we certainly enjoyed. You definitely own a jewel that exists among the Quito attractions.

Thank you and best regards,

John and Clysta
Santa Clara, California

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Name: Dr Nick C. Lever Dr Robert Byrne
Country-City: London U.K.
Sent: 9/5/03

CLIMBERS LOOKING FOR TRAINING and ACLIMATIZATION

Wonderful place to stay, excellent food and service.
Decreated thats aclimatized would be more straightforward
with a bike ride up to 4000 mts o.s.l.
To be honest we moared and complain at times, but the overall experience was exhilarating.
We would highly recommend these place athlete burging or pursuing more physical activies.

Dr Nick C. lever
Dr Robert P. Byrne

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Name: Judie Gorra
Country-City: Southbury, CT USA
Sent: 8/24/03
I had a most wonderful stay at the Eco-Lodge. I enjoyed the beauty of the countryside, the friendliness of the staff, and the exquisite meals which were so professionally prepared and presented. Every staff person was accommodating and seemed to really love their work. My horseback ride was a highlight of my trip. I hope to be able to return for more relaxation and renewal. Thanks, especially to Jorge for creating this beautiful place.

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Name:Peter, Katherine and Elizabeth Harris
Country-City: Houston & London, USA & UK
Sent: 8/14/03
The Eco-Lodge is a really marvellous place in a beautiful setting and excellent food. George is a great host; humorous, entertaining, and tremendously energetic. He's also an inexhaustible fund of knowledge on Ecuadorean botany, archaeology, history, and just about anything else.

In two weeks we covered all altitudes, climates and eco-systems from 1000 metres in the rain forest to 5000 metres on Cotopaxi by foot, car, horse and raft. Our guides were invariably expert and friendly, and all of the tours were well organised. The highlights? - standing on a glacier near the top of a volcano? - camping above the clouds and watching a spectacular sunset? - having a wild squirrel monkey bite your trousers and jump on your back ? All of these and more.

It was a fantastic holiday! Thanks to all at the Eco-Lodge for giving us a great time.

Peter, Katherine & Elizabeth

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Name: John and Geraldine Palmer
Country-City: Toomania, Australia
Sent: 8/13/03

A peaceful, relaxing haven away from the bustle and noise of the city. Comfortable, rustic accomodation, wonderful attentive service from ever friendly staff. Add to this a superb setting in an hacienda buildings perched upon the flanks of volcan Pichincha and you have a perfect escape.

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Name: Rosalind Melis
Country-City: Netherlands
Sent: 8/13/03

To all who are in the happy position to be concerned: this is the greatest place to BE at the equator and 10.000 feet high.
here you can reach the stars and stay in cloud nine.

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Name: Jane Bradley
Country-City: australia
Sent: 8/13/03

The Eco-Lodge San Jorge is a very comfortable place to stay with friendly staff.

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Name: James and Donna Hygate
Country-City: UK
Sent: 8/13/03

Thank you very much for our stay in Eco-Lodge San Jorge. We have had a very relaxing time and enjoyed our stay very much, particularly our room with the open fire and the magnificient views. The horse-traking is to be recommended with our guides Vicente and Elodie. Everybody was very welcoming and friendly. We hope to visit again in the future

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Name: Nub Hyde( wolrd challenge)
Country-City: London. U.K.
Sent: 8/5/03

A very relaxing stay in tranquil sorroundings.
A place full of character and charm, as well as the best beds and showers in Ecuador!

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Name: Yolanda Rosi
Country-City: Ann Arbor, MU
Sent: 8/5/03
We stayed at San Jorge for one night in early March. It couldn't have been more pleasant. George and his wife and staff were very attentive. He picked us up in Quito and took us up to the place. We were amazed at the wonderful place he had created. We had a great horseback ride into the mountains and enjoyed the best food of our entire Ecuadorian adventure. We would recommend this place to anyone.

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Name: John and Laura Laundry
Country-City: Myths and Mountains, USA
Sent: 7/31/03
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Laura and I would like to take a few moments to thank you for a wonderful time.Your hospitality made us feel like family.We enjoyed meeting you very much!! The hike around the farm was very enjoyable.We liked learning about the plants and their medicinal value.We now feel like we need to learn about the plants in our own backyard!!

The food here was awesome .We felt we were like in a feast for every meal.We allways walked away feeling very full. It was great sampling manydiffrent types of traditional ecuadorian food.We had a great time in the Otavalo area. We also enjoyed meeting your son George He was an excelent guide .We were very impressed with his knowledge of the area and his history.Laura appreciated your help in trying to track down the perfect leather jacket. She also enjoyed the extra quick stop in Otavalo market. Gabriela, your handsome daughter, tried teaching us some spanish at dinner. She speaks english very well. Laura was a better student than I. Gabriella had much patience for my pronunciation.

Elody, the french receptionist was always a delight, she is truly a very happy person with a great smile and a nice laugh.She has a way of making one feel comfortable. Your father and Ivan gave us a great tour of the valley and the hot springs.It was a very enjoyable day.We learnt many new things. Ivan, the guide, was a wealth of knowledge and tried to help us with our Spanish vocabulary.

We really enjoyed your dad`s music, the night he played for us at dinner. It helped to round out our experience with ecuadorian culture.

Thanks for helping to make our honeymoon a memorable experience.We will have many fond memories.We appreciatte the blessing "love together" from the Yachag.

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Name: Lyn Roberts-Herrick.. M.A.
Country-City: Massachussets USA
Sent:7/15/03

At San Jorge there are beautiful views, mountain mists, llamas, horses...the food is superb, the staff gracious, attentive and peaceful. I've never felt so comfortable during a stay in Quito, far way from the bustle of traffic, yet conveniently close to the airport as well as business and other needs in the city. Having a fireplace in every room, a pool and saunas makes this get away a real haven. It's antiquity and history as well as the abundance of plants, trees, and birds only deepen the pleasure. It's run by an exhuberant naturalist and his dad who will serenade you with his accordian, charm, and velvety voice if you're fortunate! We also had an amazing experience with a local indigenous healer, arranged by San Jorge - a powerful yet humble man high on my 'shaman scale' as I've experienced such healers the world over. Thank you so much for such a magical stay!

Lyn Roberts-Herrick, M.A.
Director ~ Dream Change, Inc.
www.dreamchange.org
USA

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Name: Helen Francis-Lang
Country-City: San Francisco Ca USA
Sent: 6/24/03

San Jorge is a tranquil haven in the hills above Quito. Jorge and his friendly staff are very attentive and made us feel right at home. The restaurant serves local food in a great atmospheric setting. The Eco-Lodge itself has a wonderful character, the grounds are immaculately kept and beautiful walks abound in the area amongst the wild flowers and birds. There are great views of Quito and the surrounding area. Thanks for the fond memories of your country

Helen

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Name: Joan Grossmann and students
Country-City: Virginia USA
Sent: 8.49 PM - 6/22/03

I am still raving about our trip. Not only is the lodge a beautiful home and
accomodation for travellers, but your personal attention to our every detail provided the experience of a lifetime with respect to our cultural exchange.

I am particularly pleased that you were able to translate our objectives into a practical visit. Our day of service work...making mud bricks, painting rooms and homes, and planting trees proved to be the highlight of our trip to Ecuador. We all enjoyed our time with your friends, family and staff.

Thank you for your attention to details of both hospitality and
entertainment. The food was superb. The service was first class. We enjoyed the evening programs. Hard to say which was best although the shaman was quite special...especially for Mary!

Unfortunately our time in Ecuador was limited, but you managed to give us an overview of a truly wonderful, warm and loving country.
We are extremely thankful for your hospitality and grateful for your efforts to make out trip memorable. Thank you for sharing your culture.

Fondly,

Joan Grossmann Fegely and the Trinity Episcopal School, Richmond, Virginia,
USA

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Name: Roger and Karen Sutter
Country-City: California USA
Sent: 8.16 PM - 6/21/03

Roger and Karen Sutter
Saratoga , California USA

Wonderful place , excellent food and service, a fabolous place that is tranquil in a unique beautiful environment.Everyone should come and enjoy this unique hide a way in the mountains, a must for everyone coming to Ecuador

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Name: Josheph and July Berryhill
Country-City: Saratoga , California
Sent: 8.14 PM - 6/21/03

June 17 2003
We totally enjoyed our stay here.The hike was beautiful, very educational. Also, the live entertainment at dinner was the highlight of our stay.

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Name: Dr James Patterson and family
Country-City: San Francisco USA
Sent: 8.12 PM - 6/21/03

June 2003
My Family absolutly enjoyed our eco- stay. The treatmet was fabolous and the food "5 stars". We felt at home end enjoyed the hospitality emensly. We will come back!!
Sincerily,

Dr James Patterson
Santa Barbara, California

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Name: Lynnex and Bruce Noel
Country-City: California USA
Sent: 8.09 PM - 6/21/03

June 19 2003

Calidex group.

We ALL were charmed by the delightful sorroundings, warm hospitality and delicious food you afforded us during our stay.
Our only wish is that we could move this entire retreat closer to us in California.
Thnak you for all the attention you paid to every detail to make us feel at home here.We SHALL return!!

Lynnex and Bruce Noel
Saratoga, California
USA

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Name Kathelyn and Byron Dare
Country-City New York USA
Sent: 6/3/03
My husband and I enjoyed every aspect of our stay at San Jorge Eco-lodge. The location is breathtaking, the food VERY fresh and delicious, the rooms clean and romantic , and the staff extremly courteous and helpful.

Although the nights can get chily, the fireplaces throughout the lodge - including the rooms , added even greater comfort and warmth to our experience.

One could just stay on the grounds, walking the charming paths through the carefully tended gardens to see a host of flowers and birds.

But taking the paths through the lush highland forest to visit waterfalls and see the ever changing vistas of Quito,country and snow topped mountains cannot be missed. Perhaps what we enjoyed most of all was the ethnobotanical tour we received from our extremly knowledgeable guides of medicinal, ornamental and other plants in the Reserve important to animals , birds and humans alike.

We could not more highly recommend any place to stay in Ecuador. From the restored hacienda filled with beautiful furniture, art and paintings of Hostal owner Dr Jorge Cruz , to the natural beauty that sorrounds it, Hostería San Jorge ia a place we will return to many times!!
June 3 03

Dr. Kathy Fine
Dr Byron Dare
Fine_K@fortlewis.edu

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Name: Deborah Askew and Gene Thibeault
Date: May 30, 2003

We had a wonderful week at Hostería San Jorge , hospitality and service were exceptional. Five great days of bicycling back country roads with amazing scenery, bird life, wildflowers, and an education in history, culture, medicinal plants of Ecuador.
The three generations of the Cruz family along with the Hostería staff, were gracious hosts. We highly recommend San Jorge for those with a love of the natural world and an adventurous spirit.

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Name: Deborah
Country-City: US Air Force American Embassy in Ecuador
Sent: May 1, 2003

We came for a weekend retreat and had a wonderful time! The Hacienda is very charming and authentic. Both the service and the food were excellent--not your typical bland Ecuadorian food. It's a better alternative to the bustling city and you'll feel much more rested.

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Name Adams family
Country-City Seattle _Washington
Sent 2.20 PM - 4/30/03

Dear George, We absolutely loved our stay at your Eco-Lodge. The warm, comfortable atmosphere was exactly what we were looking for. We particularly enjoyed the high altitude hikes and horseback expedition. All of your staff and family were so very accommodating and really made us feel welcome. We will return someday. Please feel free to publish my e-mail as I would be happy to give a personal recommendation to anyone who wanted further information about your Eco-Lodge. Take care and we will keep in contact.

Warm Wishes,
Dean, Lori, Connor, and Courtney
411113@attbi.com

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Name Schawberg family
Country-City Holland.
Sent 9.34 PM - 4/28/03

We Enjoyed our stay here!! From the clouds at the airport, through the brick ovens on the way up, to these WONDERFUL OASIS! But the true surprise came as when we when even farther up! on horseback, through the unspoilt beaty of the Andes scenery! We LOVED every minute of our stay. And a special compliment to the omnipresent Vicente!!"

Johan Schaberg and family
April 24, 04, 03
jws@euronet.nl

Name: The Meyers
Date: April 24, 2003
We recently returned to the States after a fascinating eight-day stay at San Jorge. The purpose of our trip was to research a book, so we wanted quick access to Quito, but also a quiet place to write down the days' notes and assimilate the information. The lodge couldn't have been a better choice, with delicious and safe cuisine, the terraced gardens, the pool, Vicente and Marcello always ready to light us a fire or fetch us a beer or glass of wine. And of course, George, our host, was more than willing to share his vast knowledge of the country, its politics, natural wonders and vast contrasts. Not only did we run errands in Quito and hang out at the inn, we also arranged day trips with George to the Otavalo market and to a nearby cloud forest, learning myths of the local volcanoes along the way, eating typical foods, and enjoying the company of the people we met here and there.

If you're heading to Ecuador, and you don't have a need to be in the city each and every moment, we would highly recommend the eco-lodge! The pollution combined with the altitude can be overwhelming in Quito, so contact George and he'll drive you up the Via Nono road to his inn and treat you like royalty. You'll breathe the fresh highland air, have access to hikes and swimming and be surrounded by the exotic birds of the region bounding from branch to branch...

And if you happen to have a young adult reader in the family... you can pick up my new novel due out June 3, 2003, Hands Across the Moon, set in two worlds: the States and Quito, Ecuador!

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Name IGTOA
Country-City USA
Sent 8.12 PM - 4/13/03

Letter sent to all the members ,before the annual meeting in may 2003

Another New Member as you know, the first two days of our meeting will be spent at the San Jorge Eco-Lodge, and the company recently joined IGTOA as an Associate Member. The Lodge is an 18th Century Ecuadorian farm situated on 200 acres within the San Jorge Botanical Reserve in the foothills of the Pichinchas, about ten minutes from Quito. The Lodge's owner/operator, veterinarian Dr. George Cruz, has an extensive background in archaeology, botany, ornithology and history. He personally guides many tours from the Lodge, which include horseback riding, medicinal plant and sacred-waterfall hikes with live Shaman practices, bird watching expeditions, and mountain biking. The lodge has an onsite Climbers Acclimatization Center and seminar facilities.Here in the US, Cheryl Korowotny is Director of Marketing & Sales for the Lodge. A former resident of Cuzco, Peru, Ms. Korowotny is a private pilot and flew with Braniff Airlines as a flight attendant

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Name: INTERNATIONAL EXPEDITIONS INC
Country-City: USA
Sent: 8.02 PM - 4/13/03

We couldn't have been any more pleased about our stay at the San Jorge Eco-Lodge. It was everything we hoped and more. The setting is beautiful, the rooms excellent, the food outstanding, and the activities interesting and varied. We feel that we got an excellent overview of the highlands and had a number of experiences in villages and markets that were truly unique.

The owner of San Jorge, was our enthusiastic and energetic guide for six days, and we saw and did more than we could have imagined. There were so many small touches that were special. We had the opportunity to spend time with George's family and now feel that we have friends in Ecuador.

Lilla Wise

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Name Alan Pathmore
Country-City United Kingdom, London
Sent 7.51 PM - 4/13/03

A great place to stay and relax, enjoy the tranquility of the mountains retreat, splash out and take in the athmosphere, and superb views of Quito.

Alan Padmore,
manchester, U.K.
alimon@bushinternet.co.uk.

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Name: Lilla Wise
Country-City: California
Sent: April 10, 2003

We couldn't have been any more pleased about our stay at the San Jorge. It was everything we hoped and more. The setting is beautiful, the rooms excellent, the food outstanding, and the activities interesting and varied. We feel that we got an excellent overview of the highlands and had a number of experiences in villages and markets that were truly unique. George Cruz, the owner of San Jorge, was our enthusiastic and energetic guide for six days, and we saw and did more than we could have imagined. There were so many small touches that were special. We had the opportunity to spend time with George's family and now feel that we have friends in Ecuador.The San Jorge and George Cruz are truly representative of the quality of an International Expeditions trip, and I so appreciate that Melissa arranged for us to stay there and have George as our guide I hope many other clients of yours will have the same opportunity.

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Name:
Country-City: Annandale, Virginia USA
Sent: Monday, March 31, 2003 at 15:08:40 (EST) What a wonderful six days! We felt so lucky to be able to spend the first part of our holiday at San Jorge. The rooms were great (we especially liked our fireplace with a warm fire going when we came back from dinner), the food was exceptional and Irina made sure we got to try all of the Ecuadorian specialities, and George was the best guide we've ever had. We've done lots of traveling, and George's energy, enthusiasm, and expertise made our trip very special. There were lots of nice touches--the roses, restaurants with great regional food, tourist and native markets, and visits to villages that were off the beaten track. But the best part of the trip was meeting and spending time with George's family. We now feel we have good friends in Ecuador!

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Name Rosie and Tula Luhr
Country-City Sweden, Stocolm
Sent 8.54 AM - 2/8/03

We had a wonderful ,relaxing stay here.... If you need a perfect breathing spot and some tranquility this is the perfect place to go. Wonderful views,soft green meadows, flowers everywere and best of all, a relaxing swim,Jacuzzi and sauna to round it up….. would like to come back again ,
Rosie and Tuula

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Name Hillel and Charlotte Koren
Homepage: http://www.cep.unc.edu/
Country-City North Carolina , USA
Sent 8.10 PM - 1/16/03

It was very hard to come back to the USA after such a memorable experience in Ecuador. It startet with your welcome at the Airport and the beautiful roses, my favorite flowers. Then it went off to your unique Eco-Lodge with its bella vista on Quito. We all felt very spoiled by your good food and excellent service. Your most welcoming family members made us feel very much at home. George, the trip to Otavallo with your guidance and historical explanations, was a highlight of our stay. We are very impressed with the people of Ecuador, their kindness and natural beauty. The unique Islands of the Galapagos will remain in our memory forever. Thank you again for all your kindness and should you plan a trip to the USA we would be happy to receive you at our place in North Carolina.

With very best regards to all of you
Charlotte Koren
University of North Carolina , Chapel Hill, NC 27599-1105

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Name Allie Almario Homepage: http://www.mythsandmountains.com/
Country-City Incline Village USA
Sent 8.01 PM - 1/16/03

Cheryl, please pass this on to George. The clients loved the lodge and meeting George and his family (the kids loved that George took them on a run up the hills):

Allie:

We are settling back into our usual routines, but we find that we continue to discuss our trip several times a day. (We followed our guide's suggestion that we rent "Proof of Life" upon our return, and the sights of Quito in that movie took us right back there.) You put together a terrific trip for us. The major problem with our trip was largely of our own doing -- not having enough time to do all that we wanted to do, and moving around the Andes a bit too much. We knew that going in, and I think I wouldn't change a thing in our itinerary.

Andy Rogoff

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Name Malcolm and Larissa Gracie
Country-City Sidney Australia
Sent 7.57 PM - 1/16/03

Dear Jorge and family: WE had a fantastic and memorable stay at San Jorge Eco-Lodge. The Hostería is charming, the people friendly,and allways helpful and the food is exceptional. All of these is NEARLY surpassed by the beauty of the location , wonderful views and fresh mountain air!! Highly recomended!

Malcolm and Larissa

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Name Paul Theroux
Country-City New York USA
Sent 7.48 PM - 1/16/03

We have found the staff most pleasent in our stay at the San Jorge Eco-Lodge. The rooms are cozy and the fire at night takes the chill off the air.

Paul Theroux

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Name Dr Thomas Weil
Country-City Michigan USA
Sent 7.36 PM - 1/16/03

We had a great time in San Jorge.Would recommend it to those who want to " chill out" outside of Quito.
Dr Thmas Weil
Proffesor University of Michigan

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Name Prairie Rose
Country-City Santa Monica , USA
Sent 7.31 PM - 1/16/03 13/1/2003

An excellent introduction to Ecuador. A beautiful rural setting with easy acces to the city and the wilderness.Comfortable rooms,warm fireplaces, and beautiful environment. Most of all I enjoyed being a part of the family and relaxing in the gardens and the sauna.

Gracias por todo!! See you soon!!

Prairie Rose

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Name Cathleen Dorinson
Country-City San Francisco USA
Sent 7.36 PM - 1/11/03

"My week in Quito was truly amazing. San Jorge Eco-Lodge is owned and run by Jorge and his wife Irina, two of the nicest people I have met in a long time. The place is so beautiful, the staff so sweet and helpful and the food delicious. And Jorge took me everywhere by himself. Each one of the daily trips was so filled with extra special treats, as Jorge was constantly thinking about all the little details. We were driving thru an area where there were many, many greenhouses growing roses and as we talked about them Jorge pulled over and ran into a building. He came back with an armload of beautiful long stem roses for me. I think they cost all of $5.00!!! Another time he pulled over in a town and bought me an ice cream that this particular town was famous for. When I rode on the train from Riobamba he gave me my own cushions and a bag of food and water for the trip. Every day he made sure that every need of mine was taken care of. The day trips to the markets, on the train, horseback riding, hiking around his property learning about the plants, etc. were each so fascinating. It is a wonderful hotel and a wonderful experience. I feel I really got to know the people of Ecuador and how they live. Thank you so much for setting that up for me. I would highly recommend it to anyone."

Cathleen Dorinson

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