Ecuador Photos

Amazonia

  • photo of the pointed tip of a white canoe in the foreground on still black water with wooden steps leading to a wooden plank walk way over wet grass, with thatched-roof huts on stilts and palm trees in the background.
    Waita Lodge, our home in the jungle for four days, is one of just two lodges in the Cuyabeno National Park, near Peru and Columbia in the northern end of Ecuador’s “oriente” region, whose rivers feed the Amazon. Local guides provide endless knowledge about the surrounding flora and fauna.
  • photo of light brown water in the foreground, turning into black water mid-way across the river, and a light gray fin cresting the water in the background, with thick green leafy trees behind it.
    Where the muddy Aguarico River with its Andes runoff meets the black-water, inland Cuyabeno River, there is a visible color line. Schools of fish gather here, so the famous pink river dolphins come to feed. The silver top of one is poking through the surface of the black water.
  • photo of a wet, furry dark brown Sloth sitting in the crook of branches on a leafy tree, looking down at the camera.
    This two-toed sloth, its shaggy coat soaked from recent rains, watched us as we peered up from our canoe. We learned that the fur of a sloth is itself an ecosystem, chock full of moths, insects, fungi, and algae that often give it a greenish tinge. We did not pet it.
  • Photo of a woman looking up at a towering brownish green tree with wide roots angling out from its base, vines and leaves all around.
    Giant kapok trees are considered by indigenous people to be sacred pillars connecting earth to the spirit world and containing wisdom and energy healers tap into. They are now protected, at least in the national parks.
  • Photo of a hazy ball of sunlight amid a sky full of clouds, behind the wide, spreading, bare branches of a tree above other nearby trees. In the foreground hangs a nest shaped like a dangling ball of string.
    We climbed a wooden tower to see the Amazonian sun setting above the rainforest canopy. Hanging from the tree is an oropendola bird’s nest created of vines, leaves, and sticks that is used for one breeding season, vacated, and used again by other bird species until it drops from the trees.
  • Photo of large brown snake with yellow speckles pressing its head against the leg of a wooden chair, curled up on a wood-plank floor.
    The only other guests at Waita were a group of six friends with a shared interest (obsession?) in herpetology. They caught, bagged, photographed, and returned to its habitat this giant green anaconda. It is not venomous but has a powerful bite and is essentially 8 ½ feet of raw muscle. These friends caught it with bare hands… in the water… in the pitch dark… Yikes.
  • three photos (l-r): a bright green frog with yellow belly and feet on a human hand; a gray, armored millipede stretched across a human hand; and two hands gripping a small brown and white fish with its mouth open, revealing sharp teeth.
    We saw 42 species of birds, including toucans, macaws, kingfishers, and falcons. And what trip to the Amazon would be complete without colorful frogs (only some of which are poisonous), a gigantic millipede that oozes cyanide for protection, and a piranha caught with bait of raw meat?
  • Photo from above, looking down on a long, narrow, white canoe next to a brown dock attached to a thatched-roof hut, sitting on reflecting, brown water and surrounded by leafy trees.
    The Amazon basin here is less a river than a flood plain. The region averages more than 11 feet of rain per year. Whether we used this motorized canoe or sloshed through calf-deep water on the “trails”, the landscape looked flooded. But we were told this wasn’t even the high-water mark—it can be much higher or lower at different times of year!

Avenue of the Volcanoes

  • photo of a snow-capped peak rising above low-lying clouds. In front are rolling green fields, a fence, and grazing llamas.
    Mount Cotopaxi, one of the tallest volcanoes in Ecuador at over 19,000 feet, was shrouded in clouds most of the time we were at a nearby hostel, but one morning dawned clear. This was the view from our cabin.
  • photo of a rider on horseback, wearing a brown and white poncho, crossing a stream
    Riding horses was a great way to see the high plains and get across the many rivers and streams that bring snowmelt and rain down from the peaks. We also discovered the value of alpaca ponchos to keep us warm and dry!
  • three photos of llamas (left to right): a white baby standing awkwardly on bent legs next to a mama grazing; the close-up nose and eyes of an adult, and an adult with shaggy brown fur baring its teeth
    Llamas are everywhere in the high sierra, including (l-r) a baby born the day before we arrived at the Secret Garden hostel, a very curious and friendly one at the Black Sheep Inn, and a furry fella who seemed to grin confidently at us.
  • photo of a bright green lake in the crater of craggy ridges
    The Quilotoa Crater hike is a must-do. The spectacular vivid green color of the lake is breathtaking, whether hiking the rim trail that runs across all of the near ridges you see here, surrounded by wildflowers and fields (note another snow-capped volcano in the distance) or kayaking in its quiet, clear waters.
  • photo of two women, one in a teal sweatshirt and dark fedora, the other in a multi-colored hiking shirt, violet scarf, and blue cap, standing in a kitchen with wheels of light yellow cheese in the background.
    We hiked about 3 hours each way to reach the San Miguel Queseria, where this lovely woman makes 15 wheels of cheese in her small kitchen every day, then ages it for 5 months until it’s got a strong, sharp flavor. Her husband travels Ecuador selling the cheese, and together they are raising 9 kids.
  • photo of a steep green hill with rows of planted vegetables and a brown patch washed out
    The incredible strength and resilience of local subsistence farmers is evident in the fields that line every hill, no matter how steep, all tilled by hand. Note the mudslide that wiped our a portion of this field, taking a piece of their livelihood with it. Mudslides are an ever present part of living in these hills.
  • Photo of a white cascade of water plunging into a pool and spraying up.
    Pailon del Diablo (“Devil’s Cauldron”) is a powerful, 250-foot waterfall a short bus ride from Baños de Santa Agua. We got a good soaking from taking a path for tourists up next to—and even behind—the falls at their peak.
  • photo of a mountain ridge on the horizon, surrounded by clouds, with rolling green fields in the foreground
    These volcanic ridges are not as tall as Cotopaxi and so do not have year-round snow at the top. But their craggy beauty is representative of the Andes and the view from our hostal, Secret Garden.

Galápagos—Isla San Cristóbal

  • Underwater photo of two sea lions circling each other.
    San Cristóbal is known for its huge colony of sea lions. Our most memorable encounter happened on our first day, while snorkeling in a lagoon known as Tijeretas. We floated a few feet away and shared the joy and love of this playful pair as they twisted and rolled and encircled each other.
  • Photo of 11 sea lions, each on its own step of a staircase ascending from water.
    Even in town, sea lions are everywhere—every step of this stairway up from the harbor has an occupant. At night, hundreds of sea lions crowd the beaches in town, barking and braying, nursing pups, snuggling and battling as they cover every inch of sand in a living blanket of mammals.
  • Photo of two towers of rock separated by a small channel, with blue skies above and blue seas below.
    Kicker Rock, aka León Dormido (sleeping lion), rises 500 feet up and many hundreds of feet down. We snorkeled through the small channel, where shadowy hammerhead sharks patrolled the depths below us, and around the cliff, where fish darted away from a hunting sea lion.
  • photo of two dolphins playing in the waves next to a powerboat.
    Near the end of a “360 Tour” around the island by boat, Rachel spotted a pod of dolphins, calling out “delfines!” to the passengers and crew. The captain quickly spun the boat around, creating a wake that a dozen or so dolphins began to leap out of, surf on, and play in.
  • Photo of a white and black bird with bright blue, webbed feet, standing on white rock next to black rock, with bright blue ocean behind.
    Blue-footed boobies are iconic in Galapagos. They can be found elsewhere in South America, but rarely as up-close as here. This one was on a cliff we hiked to from town, where red- and blue-footed boobies were nesting, fishing, and fighting off other birds when they came too close.
  • Underwater photo of two orange fish looking straight toward us, showing bright white, rounded teeth.
    There are many species of tropical fish, but these parrotfish seem to be having the best time. Or are they laughing at the clumsy giant that needs to float near the surface and breathe through a tube?
  • Close-up photo of a white and yellow barnacle, shaped like a cone with fanned-out legs on a black, pock-marked rock.
    There are so many unusual creatures in Galapagos that it’s possible to overlook the littlest ones, yet they can be equally amazing. Barnacles like this are small animals that come in seemingly infinite varieties. Darwin himself tried to categorize and classify them for seven years!

Galápagos—Isla Isabela

  • photo of a table and chairs on a sandy beach with one leafy tree and one bare-branched tree in the foreground and teal-to-blue ocean and clear blue sky in the background.
    The beach is the focus in the ultra-relaxed, nature-appreciating town of Puerto Villamil on Isla Isabela. We were feet-in-the-sand nearly all the time, with small bamboo-roof bars and restaurants like this one lining the beach near town, and a mile-long stretch of white sand, teal water, waves gentle enough for beginning surfers, and gorgeous sunsets.
  • photo of three dark gray marine iguanas on a black rock with small waves in the background and two more iguanas on rocks in the foreground.
    You’ll see more marine iguanas than people on this beach, though they blend in nicely with the rocks. They often hang out in tight groups, even lying on top of each other, but not playfully like sea lions. “Resting iguana face” would not be a compliment.
  • Photo of an underwater tunnel through brown rocks, with fish swimming through it and a sandy bottom.
    One of our favorite outings on Isabela was to Los Tuneles, a marine landscape where multiple tunnels have been carved out of the sharp volcanic rocks. It’s shallow and protected, so it’s filled with marine life and interesting rock formations, perfect for snorkeling. It can get crowded with people, unfortunately, but still well worth the boat ride there.
  • Photo of a brown, sunlit sea turtle swimming through green water.
    Swimming sea turtles like this sun-dappled Hawkbill are among the most peaceful sights you can experience, as they glide effortlessly, slowly, and without malice or fear. We saw dozens of various shapes, sizes, and species at Los Tuneles.
  • photo of six gray sharks with white-tipped tails and fins on the ocean floor.
    Two of the more exotic sights at Los Tuneles: a spiny lobster battling a moray eel and a nest of sleeping white-tipped sharks. We saw white-tips swimming as well — they can be 4-5 feet long but did not seem especially interested in us!
  • Two photos: a black and white penguin standing on craggy gray rocks; and the shadowy black back of a penguin with its wings flapping underwater.
    The famed Galapagos penguins, which have adapted to the non-polar climate, are harder to find near land at this time of year when the water is warmest. But we did see one on the rocks while kayaking at Las Tintoreras and one fleeting underwater glimpse at Bartolome Island (technically part of the Santa Cruz portion of our trip but these are the only two sightings we had!).
  • photo of dark red craggy rocks on the left, a curving border, and on the right, black craggy rocks.
    Isabela was formed by six volcanoes. This one, called Sierra Negra, is closest to town and last erupted in 2018. This photo shows the black rocks from the 2005 eruption bordering the red rocks of an earlier one. Sierra Negra has one of the largest calderas in the world, at 6×10 miles wide, as well as a vast expanse of moonscape-like rocks and multiple conical fissures and vents that also spew lava.

Galápagos—Isla Santa Cruz

  • photo of a large gray land tortoise looking warily at us from under his rounded shell
    We first saw giant tortoises at the Darwin Center in Puerto Ayora, but our best sightings were in the highlands at El Chato Ranch, a tortoise sanctuary, where this one gave us a wary eye and we saw another 550-pound male try to mount a smaller and less-than-enthusiastic female (who escaped).
  • photo of teal ocean with two islands in the distance and a wave breaking over rocks in the foreground, about to rush over three red crabs.
    The water here is Caribbean teal and warm for swimming. The beaches have the finest, softest sand, sharp volcanic rock, and legions of red Sally Lightfoot crabs. The power of the sun is like a weight, but breezes are near-constant at the shore, and the highlands often attract clouds and rain.
  • photo of two gray sea lions
    Sea lions are everywhere, from the ferry dock near the airport to the crystal blue waters. They play, they fish, and they sleep on piers, anchored boats, and park benches. We even saw one that appeared to be aqua-dancing to the music of a pier-side Carnaval fiesta.
  • photo of people standing at an open-air fish market on a harbor while women scrape and bag fish and a sea lion sits up at the edge of the table.
    Did I say sea lions are everywhere? Look closely by the table of this harbor fish market in Puerto Ayora, where the daily catch of small-boat fisherman attracts local people (and hopeful animals) as well as tourists.
  • photo of dark gray swimming iguana slithering past rocks in clear water with a sandy bottom
    Marine iguanas are also everywhere, from beaches to coastal hiking paths to restaurant decks. They swim like snakes, tucking their limbs next to their bodies, sleep flat on their bellies with legs splayed, and walk on clawed feet, swaggering side-to-side and dragging their tails through the sand.
  • Three photos showing (left) two blue-footed white and gray birds, (center) one white and gray bird sitting gently on two eggs, and (right) a black bird with a fully inflated red pouch.
    A short boat ride away from Santa Cruz is North Seymour Island, home to the famous blue-footed boobies (left and center) and frigate birds that inflate their red throat pouches to attract mates (right), as well as big yellow land iguanas. Notice the boobie on its nest is sitting on two eggs (center).
  • photo of a rock spike poking up out of green-blue water next to brown rocky hills and a yellow crescent beach, with red rocks in the foreground and brown hills in the background.
    This iconic view of Pinnacle Rock on Bartolomé Island, a two-hour boat ride from Santa Cruz, shows the volcanic rock that built the islands. Galapagos were never attached to any mainland, but sprung up from undersea volcanoes and fissures.
  • photo of a large school of gray-blue fish with yellow tails swimming left to right.
    As unforgettable as seeing sea turtles swim under your kayak was snorkeling with huge schools of tropical fish like these blue surgeonfish at North Seymour and Bartolomé, where we also encountered a spotted eagle ray, a sea turtle, and, for one fleeting second, a small Galapagos penguin.

Feliz Navidad from Cuenca

  • Photo of blue church domes above a courtyard with white lights in the shape of an angel.
    The iconic, blue New Cathedral domes are always lit at night, but in December the adjacent Spanish colonial courtyard includes this angel and a créche.
  • Photo of leafy green trees against a blue sky with red and green flags and other decorations strung between them.
    Some parks have Christmas fairs for families where the leafy trees are decorated for daytime festivities, but not lit at night.
  • Photo of a small shop selling items on the street.
    The little tiendas (shops) sell anything red and green this time of year—in addition to Santa hats, there’s Spiderman, Little Mermaid, and Mickey Mouse.
  • Photo of a plastic snowman with a black top hat in front of a store opening onto the street.
    In a place where the temperatures almost never leave the 50-80 degree comfort zone, it can be surprising to see a snowman!
  • Photo of a white star in the foreground with a lit cathedral in the background.
    Cuencans do not go overboard with Christmas lights and decorations, but those they have, like these in a courtyard in Old Cuenca, are beautiful at night.
  • Photo of a street-front shop with mannequins in it wearing Santa caps and red pajamas.
    Of course, not all Christmas decorations are sacred, just like in the U.S. Apparently red negligees and PJs are also part of the festivities!
  • Photo of a cutout Santa face with "Oh Oh Oh" written on his beard.
    In Spanish, the “h” is silent, so there’s a different spelling for Santa’s laugh on this display in our language school.
  • Photo of a stack of human-formed dummies in a vacant lot.
    Firecrackers are common at Christmas here, and on New Year’s Eve, these monigotes (effigies) will be burned, exploded, or cracked open like piñatas to destroy the bad things from last year and make room for the good.
  • Photo of a decorated horse in a parade bearing a young child in red, white, and green dress and a festive hat.
    Unfortunately, we did not take this picture. Covid precautions canceled this year’s Pase del Niño parade, or Passing of the Child, which is one of the biggest events of the year in Cuenca. We’ve read that it starts at 10am on Christmas Eve and continues for hours, mixing a traditional celebration of baby Jesus’ journey with modern twists like the Three Wise Men on Harleys!