I'm home!!!

Well, I am finally home...and glad to be here! Please check out my photos, as well as those of my classmates on our webshots community page:

http://community.webshots.com/user/otavalo08

I will be adding photos throughout the week. Thank you for following me to the Equator. I hope you have enjoyed experiencing Ecuador with me...the mountains, the cities, the islands, the animals, the plants, and everything. It was incredible, and I hope to return in the near future. Ñuka Ecuadorta kuyany!

One more day

Earlier this afternoon, Michelle and I made it safely back to Quito from the Galapagos Islands. Although they were amazing, I am glad to finally be making my way back home. Tomorrow is day number 40. I have had a lot of fun, learned a lot about TESL and the country of Ecuador. I have had so many different and exciting experiences that I can't even count. I have felt safe and comfortable everywhere I've gone. It has truly been a blessing to have had this opportunity.

I will upload the rest of my pictures as soon as I get the chance (and as soon as I get my underwater camera developed). Warning: they might make you want to go to the islands, too. If so, I have a travel agency to suggest. Just let me know.

The next time I post, it will be from the good old U.S. of A. :D See you soon!!!

Isabela Island

Well, the broadband is not sufficient for uploading pictures. Hopefully the wireless will be working in Quito on Saturday when we get back. Another amazing day here in the South Pacific. We went snorkeling with a penguin today, saw some flamingos, more giant tortoises and sea lions, great beaches and views.
Wait, it seems that one photo uploaded in about 5 minutes. It was the ferry ride from Baltra (airport island) to Santa Cruz. A sea lion greeted us with a wave. They are so cute!

¡¡¡Las Islas Galápagos!!!

Wow! Incredible!! Unimaginable!!! These past 3 days have been some of the most amazing in my life. If you ever get the chance, come to the Galapagos! I can't believe the wildlife I've seen, the landforms and features, the ocean! I am trying to upload some pix right now to show you....but the best were taken today, and they are on an underwater camera. You'll have to wait until I get them developed, but we went swimming with sea lions!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I was smiling and laughing so hard that water was getting into my snorkeling gear, but that was ok. It was totally worth the trip just to have that experience. Also today, we rode horseback up a volcano, saw some pretty amazing volcanic formations, got soaking wet from being in the clouds, saw blue footed boobies, penguins, iguanas, a sting ray, fish, other birds, a wild cat, and much more. More cool stuff tomorrow. Home on Monday! See you all soon!

Around Otavalo

Otavalo from above, Lago San Pablo (me and with classmates), the market, Michelle and host mom.

2 weeks from today!

Yum!!!

1. Scorpion in one of our classrooms. That's reassuring!
2. Old indigenous horn.
3. Before...well before being eaten. It was purchased at the animal market that morning....live.
4. During...yum!
5. After. It was greasy, but not bad. Now I can say I have eaten guinea pig...cuy (kwee) in Spanish-Kichwa.

More of Intag Valley

P.S. I forgot to mention the 40 bug bites I got from visiting the eco-pueblo and the coffee plantation. I have tried everything from lemon and cortizone creme, to rubbing alcohol and a cooling gel. Any other suggestions. No worries, they are not from mosquitoes!!!

Here are some shots of our cabin, a cool butterfly, a bleeding tree (the "blood" apparently heals cuts, poison ivy, and gastritis), a cool waterfall, and pre-roasted coffee.

Enjoy these until the next time!

Only 18 days to go!!!

Intag Valley

Intag is a region of Ecuador where there is still virgin cloud forest left. It is unique because in a matter of 20 miles, the elevation changes rapidly. Therefore, there are more species of plants and animals in this valley than almost anywhere on earth (it's in the top 10). There are some views from the drive and from our visit to the eco-pueblo (Pukara), the coffee plantation (Café Río Intag), our lodging near the thermal pools, and our hike through the cloud forest. I bought some of the coffee...let me know if you'd like to try it!

These are a few pix taken in the past several weeks. One is of a church in a small village outside of Otavalo called Peguche. One of my professors lives with a wealthy indigenous family right across from this view. There are a few shots of birds from the Condor Park. There is one of an eagle flying (part of a falconer show), a type of eagle with a red head, and me sitting with a condor. There is also a picture of the Pan American highway. For those of you who don't know...the Pan American Highway is a road that runs from Alaska to the southern tip of Chile. I have to cross this every day to go to my classes at the university. (Anyone up for a road trip?)

Happy Independence Day!

Sorry, no new pix today. I just wanted to wish everyone a very happy holiday. My classmates and I are upset that we are unable to celebrate with our families as we usually do. We had an easy day of classes as our holiday celebration. I have to teach my first English class this afternoon. This should be fun and interesting. I am used to teaching a different language. However, it is more complicated than it seems to teach my own. Anyway, I am thinking about and missing everyone. Be safe and have fun this weekend!

Mojanda and Fuya Fuya

Mojanda is the lake area, and Fuya Fuya is the peak of the extinct volcano. The whole hike was just under 2 km, but the ascent was 1000 meters! Overall, we were at about 13,000 ft.! It was the most physically demanding thing I've ever done. I had a lot of trouble with the altitude, it was freezing, and we got lost on the way down. Sliding down the páramo (a high grass-like plant that covered the volcano) was fun, though. Unfortunately it was very cloudy, so we were unable to see to the coast like you could if it were clear. Let me put it this way, it's like Thousand Steps X 20, and a lot steeper. I am not sure, but I think "Fuya Fuya" might be a bad word in Kichwa! It was awful, but fulfilling.

Otavalo

I haven't really written much about Otavalo, the city in northern Ecuador where I am living for the time being. It is a city of about 43,000 people, mestizo and indigenous. It is most famous for its handicraft market where hundreds of vendors gather to sell their hand made and not so hand made crafts. I don't have any pictures of this right now, but I will be going next Saturday. For now, I'll upload a few pictures from around the city, my homestay, etc.