Category Archives: Ecuador

For people like me, that don’t have religion, the Galapagos is kind of like Mecca. It was the birthplace of the evolutionary creed. Complete with God-like idols of Charles Darwin. So for me, at least, this trip was a pretty big deal. But really, it’s hard to look around these islands and not understand what Mr. Darwin was thinking. Each island has it’s own species or subspecies. The differences between the islands lead to different variations on animals that do …

4 responses to “An Introduction to the Galapagos”

Wherever we go, even the most touristed cities, we make an effort to get a bit off the most beaten of tracks. We find the local restaurant and have the set lunch menu, surrounded by families and business people. We wander around the neighborhoods, shop in the weekend food markets, and whenever possible, try to talk to locals. But regardless, we are tourists. In Quito, we’ve had a bit of a different experience, however; here we’ve seen the city through …

3 responses to “Living Like a Quiteno”

In lieu of words, just enjoy the photos of the hummingbirds we saw in Mindo, just north of Quito. Did you like this? Share it:

You might think the middle of the world would be deep within the earth’s core (that is, assuming you believe the world is round). Well, you’d be wrong. Turns out, the middle of the world (Mitad del Mundo, as it’s known here) is just outside of Quito, Ecuador. And my is it a delightful place. You might begin with the Colonial Quito scale model, and follow it up with the model versions of Ecuador’s two other largest cities, Guayaquil and …

7 responses to “Delightfully Tacky”

I have never thought of myself as a book snob. I was an English major and have thus read a large majority of that which is classified as “classic literature,” but I’ve by no means restricted myself to reading just high-brow literature. Along with the Secret Garden and Little Women, I loved, as a child, the Babysitter’s Club and all the R.L. Stine horror books. I cried reading The Notebook, and I’ve laughed at all kinds of low-brow “literature.” I …

7 responses to “Bad News Book Exchanges”

Since we left home in October, we’ve had multiple experiences in which we’ve gotten to see some pretty cool animals: penguins, whales, dolphins, monkeys, llamas, alpacas, lizards, snakes, bugs, and much of what falls in between. But I can pretty much guarantee that not one of those experiences can hold a candle to the animal encounters we’re having right now. Yes, that’s right, we’re currently in the Galapagos. For eight days, we will live aboard the Nemo II, a catamaran …

6 responses to “Off to the Galapagos”

I am not much of a shopper. I don’t enjoy malls or trying on clothes or searching for the perfect gift. Additionally, I’m not good at spending money on myself. My first reaction is always, “I don’t need this.” And though that’s probably true most of the time, the truth is I live a comfortable existence where I have the freedom to occasionally buy something that I simply want, not need. I’m also immensely practical—to a fault in fact. How …

1 responses to “Market Day in Otavalo”

Vilcabamba, Ecuador, is an lovely small town nestled in a narrow valley. The area around Vilcabamba is beautiful for hiking, with a variety of peaks, valleys, waterfalls and riverbeds full of butterflies, hummingbirds and other colorful tropical birds. In addition to being a typical small Ecuadorian town, it’s people have earned a reputation for their longevity. All of this has made Vilcabamba a famous little town, especially among us gringos. And while a popular destination to visit as the southern …

4 responses to “The Duality of a Gringo Town”

I apologize for the lack of recent posting, but we’re currently in Quito visiting a friend we haven’t seen since 1997. That’s a long time, and there’s much catching up to do. Plus she has many places to take us and things to show us, so we’re always on the go. (And we’re without Internet at her place, where we are staying, so posting isn’t all that easy.) But we’re alive and well and we’ve got a few new posts …

6 responses to “Where in the World Have We Been Lately”