Day 4 - Monday - June 4. 2012

The wake up call today is 5:45 since we have to meet Nelson by 6:15 for our morning hike. So, off we go to look for birds since they are most active during this time. We hike around and see some really beautiful birds of all colors but of course even though Nelson knows all their names, I don't remember much.
Next we head for breakfast which is fruit, granola, bread with jam and scrambled eggs. Yummy!
We are scheduled to do one more hike this morning but Dave and I decide to hang around on our balcony for a while and then we take a short hike on nearby trails. I have to admit that my legs were feeling a bit sore and I don't know if I could have handled another three hour hike.
Lunch for today offered a choice of rainbow trout or chicken and I chose the fish and Dave the chicken. The chicken was served with a warm fruit sauce that tasted like berries but it also had pieces of pineapple and peaches in it as well. It was very different and Dave enjoyed it very much. My trout was grilled and did not have any sauce today which made it even better as I could taste the true flavor of the fish and it was delicious.
It is so nice and tranquil at the cloud forest and we truly enjoyed our time there.
Well, off for our two hour ride home which was uneventful and my stomach totally cooperated.
Back at La Rabida, we settled into room 10 which has a nice garden view, too bad we are only here for one night this time.
For dinner we head off to Achiote which I had read about on trip advisor but we did not enjoy that much. I had grilled fish which was I think a white fish that was cooked well but had no flavor at all and Dave got the fried pork which turned out to be kind of dry. Oh well, it was edible and once we were done we headed back to our room to get our packing sorted for the Galapagos.
Up again early tomorrow but it is sure to be the start of something good.

Day 3 - Sunday - June 3, 2013

Today we got going with a 6:00 am wake up call to get ready for our ride to Bellavista Cloud Forest. We have a nice continental breakfast and then our ride is here to take us along with two other groups to the cloud forest. The ride is two hours long and about an hour in my stomach is starting to threaten a revolution as we continue along some very windy roads but I let it know who is boss and as I close my eyes, and fan my face to keep cool, I miss most of the scenic ride up. But I am back in control and can open my eyes for the last 20 minutes of our ride which is on an uphill winding dirt road. I'm not sure why my stomach didn't rebel here but I was glad to make it in one piece with my breakfast still safe inside of me. And to think I was worried about seasickness - ha!
We get settled into our room and meet out guide Nelson. The reserve is so nice and tranquil with several hummingbirds racing about and feeding around us and we are instantly relaxed.
Nelson explains to us the agenda. We are to go to the mud room and find appropriate boots and then we will meet for our first hike which will be 3 hours long. Dave gives me that look and I know he is again wondering why he let's me talk him into anything!
But, we find boots that fit, grab a walking stick and head out with Nelson and the other 2 couples that we rode up with. One of the couples is from Seattle and the other from Hong Kong.
Nelson starts by telling us all about the hummingbirds and that they have 10 species at the cloud forest. He rambles off the names of many while we are at the feeders but I don't remember any of them but they are all beautiful and some are quite large with a few smaller versions and one that has what looks like white boots and a really long tail with blue on the end. Trying to get pictures while they buzz about proves challenging but we may have gotten a few.
Overall the hike is not too bad and there are not too many steep areas which is not really for Dave and I. Nelson shows us many of the plants and how some are used for paint such as red, purple and yellow and other are medicinal. We use the berries from one plant and crush them and use it for bug repellent. We cut into the bark of a tree and reveal devils blood (yes, it looks like blood) which we rub on our skin and it turns white and we're told it is like an antiseptic and it is instantly sticky and then almost immediately smooth on the skin where it was rubbed. There were plenty of vines, ferns and moss growing everywhere including all over the trees. Among some of the plants and flowers is one called Mother-In-Law tongues which is a round cropping of leaves that look a bit like tongues and at the ends are red and underneath this group of leaves are these spectacular tubular flowers that grow in such a way under these leaves that you do not see them otherwise and only the birds with very curved beaks can get to the nectar of these flowers.
After a long but enjoyable hike we are back at the lodge and lunch is served. First is a vegetable soup with clear broth and several veggies such as carrots, squash, cauliflower and radishes and it's quite good. The main course is rainbow trout caught down in the village with some sweet teriyaki type sauce on it and it was very good. This was all topped off with chocolate pudding.
Lunch was very good and we had a little time to rest before our next hike.
We meet at the hummingbirds again and Nelson tells us that we are taking a difficult hike to go see this nocturnal bird that they recently found that camouflages itself in this tree. Once again I can feel Dave staring into my back. So, we head out onto the road and Nelson shows us this trail that looks like it is completely vertical but he does tell us that we can go around and it is a little less steep so we opt for that route. The trail that we take is still a bit steep but we make it OK and we get to the area where this bird is and at first we're looking towards him and he is perched on this dead tree stump but he's high enough up and far enough away that it looks like all we can see is his little head and beak....well, that was a waste of hike. Then we start to angle past him and he comes into shape and what we thought was tree from the frontal view clearly shows us now that the bird is actually quite large and perched on this tree and now we feel a little better about taking this long trek to come see him. It really was amazing how well he blended in and the once you could really see him, how big he was.
Now we are a bit tired and get to take a break before dinner and Dave and I jump on the chance to chill out in the room for a while.
Dinner is as good as lunch with a creamy potato soup and then a nice shrimp and linguine dish that had a sauce made of local flavors. Dessert was a type of banana bread cake that was very good as well. We had nice conversation with the couple from Hong Kong as they had also been to Africa but in Namibia and they did a self drive safari. We shared stories and pictures of our trips while we enjoyed dinner.
Nelson then told us that we had to be at the hummingbird feeders at 6:15 tomorrow morning and once again I feel the grief from Dave who is confused as to why when we are vacation, do I have him working so hard! But it should be worth it because this is the best time to see the birds.
So, a nice hot shower and then it is time to get some rest for another filled day tomorrow.

Day 2 - Saturday - June 2, 2012

After a good night's sleep Dave and I are glad that we don't have to travel anywhere today. We will check out the New Town area of Quito, better known as "Gringoland". First we have a nice breakfast at the hotel where they cook us eggs to go with the toast, yogurt and fruit they have out. They also have some yummy strawberry juice that really hits the spot. We also are learning to drink "cafe con leche" (coffee with milk) which for us extra cream people that is a stretch but they use warm milk and it is not so strong that we don't drink it.

The hotel is a quaint bed and breakfast type place that only has 11 rooms and the staff has been very helpful in telling us where to visit, where not to go and what not to carry around.
So, after we are full from breakfast and we have our map in hand from gloria, we head out. One turn later and we are lost!!!!! We are so bad, but we quickly right ourselves and head to the Mariscal Sucre that has restaurants and shopping in the main square. This is also were I have to go to Happy Gringo to pick up the rest of my documents. We meet Daniela who has prepared our trip with me and get everything we need for the rest of our trip.
There is a small market in the square so we stop and I test some of my very limited Spanish and find that some things I can understand pretty well, others not so much but the people are very friendly and with a little patience I am able to make a purchase, a little souvenir for my Mom.
Next we continue, without getting lost, to the Cass de la Cultural Ecuatoriana. There is an outdoor market nearby which is much larger that the one we visited in the square and we walk through. I once again master my Spanish and buy a cute scarf for my Spanish teacher. Then we head into the cultural center which houses the Museo del Banco Central which houses exhibits surrounding Ecuador's history and was very interesting.
Thanks to the map that Gloria gave us, we were able to get a taxi and have him take us to the Parque la Carolina which has the botanical gardens that we wanted to see. Because it's Saturday all the families are in the park and there are food vendors around. It's around lunch so we decide, "when in Ecuador..." and I get a bowl of cerviche that  is made with beans and tortillas and a bunch of different sauces and it is interesting to say the least but good still. Dave tries this dish of potatoes and I don't know what it was, it seemed like maybe it was just pork fat and not crispy but cooked in a sauce. It wasn't bad and actually the potatoes were very good, so overall not a bad experiment.
The botanical gardens were nice and we saw quite a few different plants and flowers and they had an amazing orchard greenhouse too so overall this was a nice relaxing stroll for us.
Between the travel and all the walking we needed a break so we headed back to the hotel to relax before dinner.
After a bit of a rest we decided to head out to dinner but it only 5:00 which is a bit early especially for Quito BUT today the national soccer team is playing Argentina in a world cup qualifier and the streets are filled will everyone trying get into a place to watch the game. We find a place called Q which is right in the middle of the action. We get this dinner for 2 plate that has empanadas,  plantains, some pork and beans and these mashed potato cakes filled with cheese. Very good food and with a couple of beers and a great atmosphere watching all the proud Ecuadorians root for their team. Unfortunately the game didn't go so well and the team was down 3 goals at halftime so we decided to sneak out before the locals expressed their displeasure.
Just to prove how swamped it was, while walking back to the hotel we passed by a Subway, yes the sandwich place, that was packed with people watching the game.
Well, tomorrow we are off to the Bellavista Cloud Forest which should be quite a treat.

Day 1 - Friday, June 1, 2012

Who ever said that "getting there was half the fun" didn't travel in our times and have a day like the following:
Get up at 4:30 am to get ready for the shuttle ride to Logan that picks us up at 5:00.
Travel to Logan during Friday morning traffic but still arriving at the airport well before the suggested 2 hour international arrival which I don't really get because things just don't move that slowly.
Finally board for our first leg to Miami at 8:40 and take off pretty much on time. Fairly uneventful flight to Miami.
We have a 3 hour layover here...never easy getting out of Miami but once we arrive we notice that our flight is already delayed by 1/2 hour. Not too bad, we grab some lunch and hang out. Next check of the monitors shows that our flight is now a full hour delayed. I check with the gate agent who says they are waiting on the crew, but the l,and is here and I can see the plane outside so I feel a little better.
We're off to get a drink while we wait for the crew.
Next check yields one and half hours delay now....UGH!!!!! We look out the window and our plane is now gone...so it appears that either the gate agent lied or they switched our plane because of the delays.
After a while, we see the crew come over, good sign. A little while later the gate agent comes on the PA and announces that our plane has landed and they will get the current passengers off, clean the plane and get us on as quickly as possible. He also informs us that there is a storm brewing and we will have to hurry if we have any chance of getting out before it. Well, he obviously jinxed us by saying that and as people are still boarding, Dave and I see lightning out of the window......DAMN.
Sure enough the outside crew has been called inside and cannot work outside with the lighting so we sit on the plane for about an additional 20 minutes. Finally the storm passes the crew is let outside and they finish getting us ready to go.
Now they push us back from the gate and the pilot starts the engine.....what was that noise and why is the power out on the plane?
We are pulled back to the gate where they check things out and it appears that the auxiliary power blew when the pilot was starting the engine but he tells us that has never happened to him before which I'm not sure if that is a good or bad thing.
Maintenance comes along and checks everything out and finally everything is back in working order and we try again to get off the ground but of course between the weather and the electrical issue we are now in a line for take off. Finally we are off and we are about 4 hours late at this point.
The rest of the ride is non eventful with just a little turbulence here and there but nothing too bad. We land in Quito and everyone cheers....people don't do that anymore, just clap when the pilot lands the plane safely...times have changed.
Immigration takes about 50 minutes and we breeze through customs and find our transport in the airport which for midnight is mobbed as there were many planes coming in at that time.
We are safely delivered to the Hostel La Rabida  where we are speedily checked in and get to our room.
There is nothing much to do at this point but hit the sack from our adventurous day of travel.
Tomorrow will surely bring better surprises.

Pre-Trip Planning and Pondering

So, once again I am dragging Dave out into the big, wide world to be my companion on what will surely be a great adventure.
This time we are off to the South American country of Ecuador visiting it's capital city, Quito as well as the Galapagos islands made famous by Charles Darwin and his theory of evolution although his theory was not published until sometime decades after his visit to these remarkable islands.
Per usual, I start my planning by getting a decent guide book and looking for travel forums for my location. I quickly find out that much like our trip to Africa, my head is getting light and I realize that I have forgotten to breath.....whooooosh...There are so many choices of how to visit the islands; land trips, cruises, small cruises, larger cruises, different islands to see, different animals at each.....Stop, I need to get off!!!!
Regroup, gather more info, and finally I am feeling a bit calmer.
Originally I was really just interesting in visiting the Galapagos and to be honest, I really had no idea that they actually belonged to Ecuador or that we couldn't just get there in one day and get started. Most everyone that visits the islands must first land on the mainland of Ecuador which usually involves at least one days stay. So I decide that we will stay on the mainland for a couple days before our trip to the islands and because of flight times, we'll stay another couple of days at the end as well.
So, next is the daunting task of finding a travel operator to help arrange everything. I find a great person, Daniela who works at a company out of Quito Ecuador called "Happy Gringo". Now I can't really believe that I actually booked a trip with a company with such a name but they were highly recommended and as far as pre-trip assistance they have been right on the ball. She helps me arrange the following trip:

Fri Jun 1 - Arrive Quito stay overnight in Rabida hotel

Sat Jun 2 – Free day in Quito. Overnight at Rabida hotel

Sun Jun 3 – Bellavista Overnight

Mon Jun 4 - Morning at Bellavista - return and overnight at Rabida in Quito

Tues Jun 5 - Depart for Samba Galapagos cruise - 7 nights

Tues Jun 12 - Return and overnight in Quito Real Audiencia

Wed Jun 13 – Free day in Quito overnight in Quito Real Audiencia stay

Thurs Jun 14 - Day trip to Otavalo. Real Audiencia stay

Fri Jun 15 – Mitad del Mundo ½ Day tour departure 9am. Real Audiencia stay

Sat Jun 16 - depart for home

Planning for this trip has caused me a little more anxiety than planning for most other trips and for so many different reasons.
The climates in the 2 areas that we are going to are so different. Quito happens to be a bit more than 9000Ft above sea level...really??? So there is some discussions on altitude sickness as something to be concerned about. OK, but then, the cruise is a smaller catamaran cruise and we might get seasick...crap. OK, then, because the climates are different, we really need different clothing for each area, warm weather clothing for the islands and warmer clothing on the mainland..UGH.
OK, then there is the issue of money, I read that things are slightly cheaper and no one has change for larger bills so we should be aware of this, then I also read, but don't carry much on you in case you get pickpocketed or even mugged....really, Dave is not going to like this!!!!
So once again, I start to breathe and remember that I am going for a once in a lifetime adventure and that I should just stop thinking so much, and although it is hard to do, I resolve to do my best at not overthinking the little details.
I visit the doctor to get some altitude sickness pills, some seasickness patches and some all important Cipro just in case my stomach doesn't take nicely to Ecuadorian food. I settle on how much and which denominations of bills and that's it......we're done!
Tomorrow we will set off on what I am sure will be an interesting, educational and as always fun adventure!!