I Don't Hike. I Saunter.: Field Trips

Greetings, Earthlings. Any evidence that I've been traveling in Ecuador will be logged here. At least, that's the notion.

Expedition Amazon Rainforest

November 18, 2019

In the Fellowship were six men, there was a woman also and a halfling of great endurance and wisdom. We all knew in our hearts that this quest was going to be bitchen!

There would, of course, be magic.

The camera is following the butterfly so the background has

a panning blur that magically appeared as being painted.

Moonlight in the Afternoon?

Monday

Sights too numerous to clutter with verbiage. Here are some highlights.

Discovered avocados with very small seeds.

How many lamp designs can you make from bamboo?

The Bamboo Boys

I will in the future do justice to this wonderful group working to

keep the indigenous ways of the Shuar alive.

Good news – cuisine is a priority.

http://museoshuar.org.ec/

Play what???

Don't ask.

This was our route, more or less. It was all buses and taxis up to Cumbaratza.

Sorry for the lack of details. Here are the search results of some of the names of places.

This is better. We were on the river on the left. I think.

Tuesday

Minivan. This is more like it.

And this is our road.

Sampling local wine. I went with the blackberry.

It was more of a liqueur than a wine. Tasty.

Then it really rained for real. Arrived here just in time.

The Lodge
Yankuam

This lodge is half finished. I'm getting jazzed about

the sounds of night. I wasn't disappointed.

Perry taking in the morning air.

The expedition continues on:
The Chumbiriatzu River

Click here.

Spectres in the Mist

Finally made it to the reserve Tapichalaca

June 27, 2019

South of where I live there's a reserve called Tapichalaca or alternately,
Casa Simpson. So, of course it's known as Jocotoco. That's the name of the most celebrated resident there – a bird with legs so long it stands upright like a flamingo.

Getting there wasn't easy. Some bus lines have secret schedules or ones that are as reliable as tea leaves. A shared taxi is best but that requires having friends. Then, how do you get back? Maybe the driver likes birdwatching and will chip in to his own taxi ride. But what will we do? After sitting at the bus stop twice and successfully avoiding contact with any bus going south, I finally did get onboard the Oriente Line which would be passing Tapichalaca in about two hours.

Tapi lies at about 2500 meters elevation. Vilca is 1650. At last I will visit the Cloud Forest I've been thinking about for over a year. The clouds sit like hats on the mountains at a particular altitude. The desert-like scraggle of lower climes suddenly turns into rainforest heaven. Lesson 1: It rains. Lesson 2: When it isn't raining, the clouds are wet. Lesson 3: Bring rain gear.

The drizzle and fog made for poor bird photos, so I shot the drizzle and fog.

It was warm and sunny when I left Vilcabamba. Nice hat!

Now entering clouds. Altitude, 2000m.

@8^ )

Dr. Seuss would've loved this one.

It's quiet. Too quiet.

The inevitable tunnel scene.

Time for some hot cocoa. Hasta luego.

The Closest Place on Earth

to the Moon is...

Traveling south from Quito, you pass through a gallery of volcanoes. I photographed three of them as the bus zig-zaged between them. Later, I found out there were as many as a dozen of them in that region alone. This was a hoppin' place a billion years ago. I'll forego naming them. Wouldn't want to get it wrong.

Chimborazo volcano is the closest place on Earth to the moon.

Your Hat, Sir.

In the center of Ecuador, at 7000 ft. elevation is the ancient city of Cuenca. I've been encouraged to visit many times as it is the city where all my visa appointments were. The same trip in which I finally received my Green Card, I visited the sombrero factory of the famous Panama Hat, which was conceived and produced in Ecuador. Apparently, someone asked Teddy Roosevelt where he bought his cool hat and forever has Panama reaped the glory of this modern phenomena. The truth is out there!

The leaves of the Tochilla Palm, which is not a palm are used to make the Panama Hat that's not from Panama.

The finer the fiber – the tighter the weave, the softer the hat and the higher the price.
There are not many people who can even do the weaving. I'm in the other group.
The hat on the left sells for hundreds of dollars. The $25 hat on the right, that's mine.

This one goes under that one

and that goes... yeah, right!