In a park in Quito, pointing the way to the observatory.
Overlooking Quito (pop. 3.5 million).
Jen admiring the view over Quito.
The Virgin of Quito, on a hill overlooking the city (read Revelations 12 for details on the symbolism).
A ball of plantain stuffed with various meats and veggies. Tasty.
Cream cookies, produced by Nestle.
The rear end of our river boat, loaded with gear.
Unloading after our river boat ride; we next walked through the forest and then took a brief canoe ride before reaching our destination: Sacha Lodge.
Jen atop the overlook in the lodge. The roof in the background is the roof of the boathouse.
Jen lounging by the bar; the staircase to the left leads up to a small observation deck.
The interior stairway to the observation deck inside the main lodge building.
The main lodge building; dining hall on the first floor and bar/lounge area on the second.
Jen, at the blackwater lake in front of the lodge.
Jen lounging at the lake.
A leap into the water!
Kathy, inching into the water slowly.
The patio in front of the lake; the small diving board was used often by an Australian family with 4 boys.
A series of cabins; ours was the first on the left. The lanterns (see foreground) were lit at night.
The elevated walkway that connected the cabins to the dining hall and the rest of the lodge.
Jen, on the walkway to our cabin.
Suspension bridge, 43m above the jungle canopy. Absolutely excellent!
No fear of heights, evidently...
Kathy and Andres, one of our guides.
Across the bridge above the forest!
The view of the forest from the canopy suspension bridge.
Views of the forest; the line in the foreground is part of the bridge we're standing on.
Forest views; note the diversity of tree species.
Mist in the forest.
Bird-watching from one of the 3 platforms on the suspension bridge.
A lizard on the suspension bridge.
A centipede in the jungle, about 2 inches long.
Butterflies in the butterfly house.
A large (3 inches across) butterfly.
In the butterfly house.
Dining on a banana.
The green butterfly on the right was a rare one; the spotted one on the left was brilliant blue on the tops of its wings.
Reclining in the hammock on our patio.
A "devil's face" mushroom; its surface is easily scratched and can be used as a message board. Here we have written our names: Pancho, Jennifer, and Kathy.
BBQ in the boathouse.
The meateaters did not go hungry at the BBQ.
Ready to go piranha fishing - all baited up with raw beef...
Paddling from the main lodge past the boathouse; the lake is directly in front.
Leaving the main lodge, going toward the lake.
The boathouse, before a rainstorm.
Entering the lake.
On the lake, with the boathouse in the background.
Spotting a monkey (center tree trunk; near the bottom).
Monkey, midflight.
A monkey, dining on something.
Paddling through a narrow channel.
A water bird.
A spider spotted on a night hike; its body is about 3/4 of an inch wide.
The underside of the same large spider.
Jen, at mid-day siesta.
Jen and Pancho.
A street in the town of Coca, our departure point for the jungle.
A mountain peak above the clouds, taken from the airplane. Ecuador has the highest mountains outside of the Himalayas.
Flying from the capital city of Quito, to Coca.
The sprawl of Quito, from the air.
Ecuadorian countryside, on the bus ride from Quito to Otavalo.
Views of the countryside; high peaks are visible nearly around the whole horizon.
Guinea pigs, at Otavalo market (meals, not pets).
Chickens and ducks at Otavalo market.
Jen, with llamas.
Kathy, with cows.
Pigs on leashes in the background.
Kathy, blending in with the crowds.
Small chickens for sale (5 for $1), in the background.
Kathy, eyeing the grapes for sale (but resisting).
Bananas, in the food market at Otavalo.
Jen, with fresh produce.
Various grains for sale.
Kathy, drawn to the jewelry for sale in the crafts section of Otavalo market.
Jen, admiring artwork for sale.
Jen, in the gardens of Hacienda Cusin (on the outskirts beyond Otavalo market).
Flowers at Hacienda Cusin (a restored 17th century hacienda).
A building at Hacienda Cusin.
The small cemetery near Hacienda Cusin.
The grounds of Hacienda Cusin.
Jen at Hacienda Cusin.
The main course at lunch at Hacienda Cusin: fish with vegetables grown on-site.
One of the many buses running between Quito and outlying cities. Bus fares were typically $0.20 for short rides.
Dinner one evening at our hostel in Quito: a meat/veggie ball from a street vendor, apple juice, and fresh pineapple.
