Ecuador - Final Thoughts

Well, after considerable time and rather extensive contemplation on this trip, my final thought is that Ecuador demands a great deal more exploration than I was able to do on this way too brief trip to an exceptionally diverse and beautiful country.  

Beginning where I left off . . .                                                                                                                       San Cristobal was lovely and I could have/would have liked to spend more time on this small island.  I liked the size of the main town and capitol of San Cristobal, Puerto Baquerizo Moreno.  I believe the population is around 8,000 people for the whole island, most of whom live in the puerto.  It was walkable with many restaurants both local and touristy and the two best snorkeling beaches were also within walking distance.  

Santa Cruz was very nice and it was there I was able to spend a day on a lovely farm full of fruit trees and walk to a lava cave passing at least twenty tortoises including one that was over 150 years old!  I was then taken to Los Gemelos, two gigantic holes in the ground where I'm sure there is a lost world!  These are extinct volcanoes where the cone sunk and became a crater and is surrounded by high cliff-like walls with incredible flora (and possibly fauna?) existing on the floor.  I'm not sure if it's accessible but it certainly wasn't for me - not enough time!  Other than that, Santa Cruz is big, more populated area (around 25,000 people) and more touristy too so, despite the tortoises, the kind people I met and Los Gemelos, I preferred San Cristobal.  

Quito is a nice city, built in the mountains and surrounded by mountains and at 9350 feet above sea level.  I liked what I saw of it but didn't spend a whole lot of time there so . . . ?

The jungle area around Tena (I was in a lodge in Cotundo near Tena and I really liked it there) was so cool!  There were Oropendola - two species.  These are the birds that build hanging nests and I spent a great deal of time watching them fly back and forth getting food for their babies and arguing with neighboring birds who wanted to invade their nests.  We went on night walks looking for animals and found several, including something that the locals referred to as a possum but had a long tail and a pointy face and looked almost like a lemur from my view on the ground as it was also raiding an Oropendola nest!  We saw tarantulas, sleeping cachalaca's (birds), and many weird insects.  During the day we hiked to a beautiful waterfall where I slipped in the mud and ended up with some VERY muddy pants!  The waterfall is a site for conducting ayahuasca ceremonies conducted by local shamans. Earlier I sat in a hammock on the porch of my bungalow and watched the most intense rain fall all around me!  Amazing!

However, if I had to pick one area to return to in Ecuador, it would be the cloud forest!  I was so drawn to this area both for its amazing beauty and, of course, the wildlife!  There are even bears, although we didn't see one.  But the mountains, the hot springs, the clouds, the birds and WOW!! the beauty of this area around Papallacta was just breathtaking and I hope I am able to return and spend some time here looking for the odd species of wildlife that inhabit this region. (Look up Cock of the Rock if you don't believe me!)

All in all, if I have a complaint about Ecuador, it's that I didn't spend enough time there!   

A Cachalaca

Hummer in the Cloud Forest

Hummer in Quito

Blue-footed Boobie

?

Night Heron

Galapagos bird at Los Gemelos

Oropendula

 

 

A pair of Frigate birds

Galapagos Tortoise (I say at least 20)

Galapagos Crabs - They are everywhere and beautiful!

Marine Iguana

 

Los Gemelos

Three waterfalls in the cloud forest

A hike to a magical place

Oropendula nests in Cotundo

A lava tube

Kicker Rock (I may have already published a photo but it's magnificent!)

Papalacta Hot Springs

Another view of Los Gemelos

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Quito, Ecuador + Amazing San Cristobal in the Galapagos!

 I had planned to wait until I returned home to do a blog but so much has happened and I fear I may forget.... In fact, I most likely will forget!

While I have been to Quito I haven't really seen it. That is in a few days. I have been to the Intenon museum at the center of the world which is right on the equator. What a cool place! You can stand with one foot in the southern hemisphere and the other in the northern hemisphere which is pretty cool. We also did experiments with standing and egg on the head of a nail. Don't know why that works but it was cool. We then poured water into a basin and watched on the equator as it went straight down. Moved the basin and it went clockwise in the north and counterclockwise in the South. It really did that! There were many other cool things about that place too numerous to mention but it was fun.

We then went to an Agave museum and learned about all the different varieties of agave and their purposes. There is a delicious drink. That's sweet that comes straight from a plant and then we learned how mesquite is made which is the Ecuadorian version of tequila. I got to practice being a bartender and made a very delicious tiny little margarita or should I say Miskerita? This was also really cool and fun.

On to San Cristobal in the Galapagos with a stop in Guayaquil.  This island is just incredible and also the hottest and most humid place. I think I have ever been. Yesterday after an amazing morning snorkeling trip it rained harder than I have ever seen. It rain with all the drainage ditches and small streams turning into raging muddy torrents of water. Someone compared it to chocolate milk but it looked much nastier than that! However, the cool thing about the tropics is it rains and then it's sunny again! I have seen more amazing things snorkeling here than I have seen anywhere! I haven't seen any corals. I know they're here somewhere but not at the beaches. I have inhabited. Today's trip was to kicker Rock which is also called the sleeping lion rock. It is at least 150 ft tall and is a massive and beautiful thing. Thai rock is really better for diving than for snorkeling as the waters are deep. However, I did see a spotted eagle Ray lots and lots of fish, a turtle and supposedly a Galapagos shark swim right by me, but I missed it! Darn! The snorkeling was unlike anything I have ever done. It was deep water. In fact, most of the people on the boat were divers. However, it was okay until we rounded a corner and the waves hit us and that was it for snorkel trip number one. Did I mention that it was pouring down rain this whole time? It did clear up and the sun came out after a bit but that was interesting and something that I've never experienced before.... Snorkeling and pouring rain! The other problem was that a couple decided to leave their 11-year-old to go snorkeling with us while they went diving. Who does that? So I felt like I had to keep an eye on the kid, but it turned out he was probably a better swimmer than I am and he was fine. Fortunately, when the 6-year-old decided he wanted to go, he decided the water was too cold and turned back. Thank goodness! Just what I want to do while snorkeling is watch a 6-year-old!! On the second trip I spotted an eagle ray which was just beautiful and we saw a turtle and so many fish of all sizes that it was like unlike anything I have ever seen!

So much else about this place, but I'm talking too much so I'll just mention that the downtown reminds me of some cross between a town in Mexico and a town in Thailand. It's lively and fun and surrounded by the most beautiful scenery and animals! Did I also mention that San Cristobal is known for having a very very large seal population? They are everywhere and I do mean everywhere! Very cool!

Tomorrow off to Santa Cruz island and tortoises. 

A local crab 

Hiking to Point Carola and Darwin Beach

Downtown beach Really! They're everywhere!

Wetlands near La Loberia beach which is where the marine iguanas were photographed as well as all of the fish and turtles.

Guayaquil from the air

Me and Amanda making Miskete cocktails

At the Agave Museum 

A foot in each hemisphere

Two views of kicker rock

Morocco - A Country That Captures Your Heart

Where to start?  I had no idea what to expect and was a bit apprehensive with the world being what it is currently as well as being on a tour bus with a bunch of people I didn't know.  It turned out my apprehension was unfounded. I really thought this would be a one up (and it still may be with time constraints) but I do hope to return to this amazing country.                                                               

What I didn't expect was that I would end up just loving everyone on the bus!  I really feel I lucked out and having met some people from other groups, I KNOW I did!  We all got along well, laughed a lot and had amazing experiences together.  I will miss my new friends.

So Morocco.....

I did a brief blog on Casablanca and besides the Hassan II Mosque and the fake Rick's Cafe (made after the film and I didn't go there), there is really not that much to see and we left to head out to our next destination fairly quickly.

I cannot possibly go through all that has occurred in the last 10 days so a very brief synopsis (and many photos) will have to do.  One thing I would like to mention is the people of this country and how friendly and accepting they are.  There is a mix of Muslim, Jewish and French people living here as well as Africans and other Europeans in what seems like harmony and peace. The country is literally alive with culture and the art, smells of spice, activity in the souks, food, and genuineness of its people cannot be explained in this blog.  It affected and impressed me deeply.

After Casablanca we visited Rabat's Kasbah of Oudayas where many people still reside and is on the sea, the Phoenician city of Asilah and spent the night in Tangier where I wish we could have spent more time. It's on the sea and is beautiful. 

Kasbah of Oudayas

Also the Kasbah of Oudayas

Royal Guard Outside the Mausoleum of Mohammed V just before the horse on the left went crazy and almost ran into me and Gim

A View from the mausoleum of the new Mohammed VI Tower - Third tallest building in Africa.

Sunset in Asilah

Tangier at Night

From there we traveled over the Rif mountains to Chefchouen high in the mountains then on to Fez where we saw the royal palace and the Medina as well as the souk and went to a leather factory where everyone was given sprigs of mint when they went in. It became obvious when we entered why we needed the mint and it's too bad no one thought to take a photo of all of us with mint stuck in our noses.  (Just FYI, the mint didn't help with the awful smell of the tanning vats.  Yuk!  I didn't buy any leather!  

The amazing Blue City

A lot of cats.  People in Morocco love cats and take good care of them.  They're even at the airport!

Driving through the Rif Mountains

Leaving Chefchouen

Fez and the Medina . . .

The Semmarin Medina Gate in Fez

A pottery painter

The smelly leather tannery

Next stop - Erfoud where many from our group stayed in a hotel and a few brave (or crazy) souls ventured into the Sahara.  We loved everything about it - the camel ride to watch the sunset, the meal, our beautiful tents (one of my favorite rooms from the whole trip), the music and dancing which started with one of the Berber musicians dancing and was soon joined by a very lively and intoxicated group of Canadians (they brought their own wine as Berber people don't drink alcohol) and finally our group joined (yes, the got me up and dancing too!).  Then we went away from camp to lie in the sands of the Sahara and stargaze.  Magical!! 

 

Berber man dancing around the fire

The best night sky photo I've taken

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

If I remember correctly we then went to Ourzazate which is used as a location for many films. We went to a film museum there to see props from many films from Lawrence of Arabia to Gladiator, parts of Star Wars, the Mummy, the Raiders of the Lost Ark films and others.  The museum was interesting props and fun but the highlight of the day was the kasbah Ait Benhaddou, a UNESCO world heritage site and very cool.  Then once again through the High Atlas mountains and on the Marrakech.   

Todra Gorge in the High Atlas Mountains

Along the way

Some movie props and rooms from the museum

Tifoultoute Kasbah which we were unable to visit due to renovations.

Kasbah of Aid Benhaddou

There are many photos (too many) of Marrakech but I'm just adding a few.  There was damage sustained from the earthquake and the country is working hard to repair the wall, the palace and other areas that were damage but the photos are mostly of the Medina and souks which are different than those from Fez but time to stop - at least for now.  

Water Sellers in the Marrakech Medina

Spice Market

A very talented Marrakech street musician

Riding through the High Atlas Mountains - So beautiful!

Sorry to make this so long and I haven't included half of what I'd like to.  Morocco = Incredible