01-23-2008

Our final day in Ecuador had us up at 4:00AM to make our way to the airport. There we waited in line for 30 minutes to check in. Then another 10 minutes to pay our 'exit fee'. Another 40 minutes in the customs line. And yet another line near the gate to check our 'liquids and gels'. Our flight out was at 7ish. It was along morning but we made it out ok.

01-22-2008

Another day exploring the countryside. Our guide took us for a hike to visit a lake in a dormant volcano. It was really pretty.

This was after our trip to the Otavalo markets. No pictures from the markets - it was a bit raining and a little underwhelming. Rather anticlimactic after visiting the Galapagos.

01-21-2008

We made our way to Otovalo today. Along the way we stopped off to check out some scenery and buy some Ecuadorian hats.

01-20-2008

Today we visited the Equator. We visited two monuments to the Equator in Ecuador. The first was identified a few years ago via GPS and is the 'true' Equator. Along it is a museum and science park that explores the native culture and some of the phenomenon around the Equator. The second park commemorates a group of French scientists who came to Ecuador in the 19th century. They came pretty close - if I recall they were only off by a few hundred yards. Not bad for pre-GPS technology.


Here Jenn and I are on opposite sides of the world.



Later that same day we visited a volcanic crater that is now how to a village of farmers. It was beautiful.


View from the top of the cater.


We ended our day at the oldest hacienda in Ecuador. We had a rustic room with a fireplace and an oak beamed bed. The food was good and the scenery nice.



Taking pictures from the top of the church.

Jenn and I spent some time relaxing here later in the day before dinner.

01-19-2008

Today we took a tour around Quito. This city of around 2 million people is laid out between two active volcano ranges. The city is much longer than it is wide. We visited areas in Old Town - several churches, ate some food, and wandered around a bit. Our tour guide was knowledgeable but was a little too political for Jenn's liking.

We finished the day off over dinner with some friends we made in the Galapagos.

01-18-2008

This was our last day in the Galapagos. The morning was spent at the Darwin research center. They had some really massive dome-shaped tortoises. We were able to get up pretty close.



And with that last stop, our trip to the Galapagos islands was over. We spent the next couple of days explorer other parts of Ecuador.

01-17-2008

Today we got up before dawn to take a dingy ride to catch the penguins before they went out fishing. It was very challenging to get a shot with the high contrast in the morning.


After checking out the penguins, we climbed to the top of the mountain on Bartolome. It was a long climb but totally worth it.


One of our guides, Mariuxi, enjoying the view. She was very intense and passionate about the Galapagos and her native Ecuador.

A penguin out looking for a meal.


One of the two boats we took twice a day to land on various islands. This afternoon we didn't land anywhere but instead explored the mangroves looking for sharks and rays. Unfortunately, we didn't have much success.
Jennifer captured this as we were heading back out towards our final destination. The birds were flying along along side the ship waiting for scraps from the cook. These shots remind me of the images from 'Winged Migration'.