I read that getting from the Guayaquil airport to Cuenca was an easy matter of walking to the nearby bus terminal and buying a ticket. This is mostly true, but far from clear on the spot. Walking out of the airport there was a sign for buses so I followed the path across the parking lot and across the street…. Read more »
The last, though technically penultimate, day of the Galapagos cruise was one full of luckily timed sightings. On the morning walk at the red beach, we saw a rare bright red bird which the guide said lives in the highlands and never ventures so close to the sea. At the same beach we had another opportunity to swim with two… Read more »
Retrospective On the visit to Santiago and Bartolome Islands I saw, for the first time, lava that actually looks like what I imagined lava to look like. The Galapagos are incredibly different from the volcanic lands of Iceland. A large area is covered by black streaks and swirls of lava flows. For contrast, heaps of iron-heavy rusted red ash sprout… Read more »
Retrospective On the first real day of the cruise we got out in the “panga” (dinghy) to see the rock formations along the shore of San Cristóbal Island, where the ocean has eroded giant archways into the soft stone. We then went snorkeling off the panga near some rocks a bit out on the ocean. The current was strong and… Read more »
South America Day 33 continued – Retrospective There are nine passengers on the boat including myself. There is a Swedish family of four with two little blond girls, like in Full House. There are two young German speaking Swiss girls traveling together, and another young German girl. My roommate is a nice Dutch guy a few years older than me…. Read more »
Retrospective The Galapagos flight is special security-wise. Despite being a domestic flight, the process is much like going through customs. They want to make sure no organic contaminants make it onto the islands. There is a special checkpoint at UIO to check the bags. They also charge a $20 fee at this point. There are a couple of customs-like cards… Read more »
After a wonderful first half of the day at the museum, the second half of the day presented a bit of a challenge. Poor directions and a lack of understanding of Quito street addresses combined for a 2+ hour walk to a friend’s apartment which was about 15 minutes away from the museum. Lessons learned, purely by trial and error:… Read more »
Parque la Carolina Today I ventured a little further north, to Parque la Carolina, for the first time¹. I am glad I did because it made me feel differently about the city. The reason I went was mundane: to go to the centro comercial, or the mall, of which there are several around the park. I was looking for the… Read more »
Finally got some good hiking in. The plan for today was to go up the gondola called the TeleferiQo up the mountain overlooking the west side of Quito and to hike further up from there to the top of the 4700m volcano named Rucu Pichincha. This would put me almost 2km above where I have been within a few hours,… Read more »
Welcome to my web log on my thoughts and travels. First and foremost this site will be a place for me to write down and share my travel experiences. Second, it is a place for me to share my thoughts on other topics I may be thinking about – life, politics, philosophy, money, technology, and other hobbies. Third, it is… Read more »