Giant Hummingbird, photo by Ian. Note the size of this largest of all hummingbirds compared to the barbed wire.
About this Post:
Tuesday, January 6th, 2008 Janet, Ian and I drove with Fausto to Otavalo on the Panamerican Highway. We stopped at many places on the way, a lovely drive through the Avenue of the Volcanoes.
Today, January 18th:
Arriving home last Thursday night to Boston after an easy day of travel, we found snow on the ground and a taxi with a partition between us and the driver. $45 for a 15 minute drive, OMG culture shock! In Ecuador it would have cost $5, and we would have talked with the driver...
Joe came home on Friday for a week as there are no hotel rooms in DC due to the festivities of the Inauguration, great timing for us. Luke, Ian's friend from Maine arrived on Friday for a few days of birding with Ian, and they were so lucky to find the rare Ivory Gull at Cape Ann, specifically Eastern Point in Gloucester.
Ian's Ivory Gull images: http://picasaweb.google.com/goshawk227/IvoryGull#
I'm happy to be home and be with Joe again, looking forward to seeing friends this week. A great quote from my friend Susan "I love the experience of returning home from far away places: the familiar is brand new for a few bright moments."
Ian and I did indeed have a most excellent Ecuadorian adventure, it was fantastic and I hope to go back again many times!
I'll post the rest of our trip in the next 2 weeks, Ecuador has so many fascinating images to offer, I just need to edit the 8000 or so pictures into manageable groupings.
Janet and Fausto at the place we found the Giant Hummingbird, just outside of Quito.
The runway location of the new Quito airport, 45 minutes north of the old one, on the Panamerican Highway. Due to open in 2010.
Janet happily birding.
Landscape just before the crater.
Puluahua Crater, an very old volcano that is now a lovely pastoral home to a small village.
Locals enjoying the view from above the crater.
Close-up inside the crater.
A restaurant overlooking the crater, for special occasions.
The donkey turned his back on us at the last minute. The donkeys can be hired to take you down to the bottom of the crater. Photo by Janet. Ian, me and Fausto.
Street vendor, in the highway, selling Guabas.
We bought all this for a dollar!
Inside the Guaba, you eat the white fuzzy stuff, kinda sweet, and spit out the black seed.
More yummy fruit, sucking mangos. Para chupar.
Delicious!
Chirimoya also sold on the way to Otavalo, a great drive sampling all kinds of food.
A different Equator stop than Ian and I did a month ago, much less touristy, nice views and we were the only ones there.
Janet, Ian, and Fausto checking the GPS to find the exact Equator.
This area is known for it's flower growing, exported all over the world.
Cayambe is known for it's Bizcochos, melt in your mouth little morsels of dough resembling pie crust. A big hit with all of us, too.
Ian checking out the Bizcochos.
Scenery as we approached Otavalo.
Hi Amy and Ian I had a good time with you, I could check Ians pictures at Antisana and they are really amazing, he is an excelent birdwatcher. I hope to see you again in Ecuador, thanks for your comments about Ecuador I could feel how you enjoyed the nature.
ReplyDeleteFausto (Tzanza Senses Ecuador)
My friend and I ate at that same pizza restaurant! The waiter even corrected my Spanish grammar!
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