Ecuador - Papagayo

Hostal Papagayo, not far from Cotopaxi, run by a young and helpful Israeli, with everything from cheap dorms to stylish rooms - but the food is always expensive (and delicious). A great jumping off point for climatizing in the local mountains.

Ecuador - Cotopaxi

The mountain's snowy peak was stark against the blue sky, when I first saw it. Cotopaxi had a fantastic appeal. We're already at 3000 meters, and Cotopaxi juts up to 5900 meters, like a proud throne. We camped at Laguna Limpiapunga across from the tallest active volcano.




The night was cold and a light drizzle came down. The cows, bulls, deers, and birds all migrate to the lagoon edge at dusk and seemed to crowd around us.



Earlier in the trip, we did go to Banos, the famous town that cradles the jungle/mountain boundary; and had quite a good time riding bikes through the "rota de las cascadas", but the camera broke.

After the Galapagos, Scott and I returned to Quito, and spent 12 days roaming the Andes and mountain towns. We started at Isinlivi, a little village on the "Quilotoa Loop", after a slightly harrowing bus ride.



The landscape was a patchwork of family farms on steep slopes. One gentleman escorted us to the river, and we had a picnic together. After some prying, he revealed worry about his kids' schooling - the uniforms were expensive, and the school was far away. We contributed to their education fund, as best we could.



The land was completely but sparsely occupied; the region made for better hostel hopping than camping, but after the Galapagos' strict regulations we were excited to sleep under the stars.

Diving at Cousin's with Sea Lions and Rays

Diving - Cousin's Rock

Cousin's Rock is north of Santa Cruz Island, 1.5 hours from Baltra. Super clear and vivid diving peering into the rocky shelves to uncover some gems.







Afterwards, we went to Bartholome Island, which has a famous vista, but nowhere near the underwater beauty at Cousin's Rock.

Isla Isabella - Sea lions and Mangroves

An amazing wetland where we played with sealions for 25-30 minutes, in the middle of the mangroves.

World Heritage mangroves enroute to the Concha de las Perlas snorkeling lagoon.

Our accommodation at Isabella, at the end of the sandy road - the bar was on the beach, the bungalows were on the lagoon with pink flamingos.

The beach at Puerto Villamil in Isla Isabella, a short walk from "Bar do Beto".

Mural.

Artwork in a lady's house.


The trio: Scott, Kym, and I.

Isla Isabella - Baby tortoise, flamingos

Baby giant tortoise ontop of an egg at the breeding center in Isabella. Males can be differentiated from females only after about 5 years, when their tail becomes thicker and longer.

Behind our room at "Bar do Beto" we had a view of the pink flamingos in one of the many lagoons in Isabella.

Isabella is a fantastic island. Funny thing, most Galapagos cruise boats don´t stop here; those people who do visit come on a 2 night "tour" and wish they had stayed longer. Scott, Kym, and I stayed for 5 nights and even that was barely enough.

Isla Isabella - Volcano

Our trip to Vulcan Sierra Negra - 2nd largest crater in the world, recently erupted in 2004.

Our trip leader. Everything in the Galapagos requires an arranged tour.

The volcano crater - the bed was like a black sea, flat, with steep cliffs all around in a big oval.

The backside of the volcano had some surreal landscapes.

The moon in daylight? Behind Sierra Madre.

From Galapagos - Isabella

Happy that the lava is not currently flowing.