Galapa-Baggs

An incredible journey......

2009-10-18T22:41:00.000-04:00

This morning started with us waking up early despite the fact that for the first time in almost a month, we had no reason to get up early at all! We had done most of the packing last night and knew that we had plenty time to get all organised.. So we tied up all the loose ends, watched a bit of tv, played a bit on the computer until we could stand the inactivity no more, and went out to breakfast and then out for another walk around town. I could not get enough of all the little nooks and crannies to be seen here and there always seemed to be something happening...

So off we went. It was lovely to just wander around with no real time limit - we ambled down streets that we had not been before, getting ourselves totally lost and taking many breaks along the way. Being a Saturday, the town seemed to have come alive with little cook-outs happening all around town right there on the sidewalks. There were a good many tourists around, but the organised tours are normally in the afternoon so the town square and streets were totally free of all the busses - lovely, and us tourists all wandered around with an air of slowed down awe. Even the locals were not pushing their wares as determindly as normal.

I sneaked a few photos of those beautifully, brightly dressed ladies without them catching me and demanding payment. They are very insistant and even the kids will demand payment if they deem that they were in a photo one takes. It gets kind of irritating, but hey, its their way of making a living..and they do spend all day long in very hot looking clothes carrying little llama or sheep around for the photos. After a good long wander around, we headed back to the hotel to wait for our pickup. Neither of us was hungry at all - chewing coca leaves does that to one, apparently. We had had a cup of coca tea and taken the advice of everyone around there and chewed the leaves too. It really helps for the walkarounds.

While we were sitting there in the hotel lobby, surrounded by new people coming in to the hotel, I started watching life passing by the window.... The road right in front of the hotel is a very narrow road, built in the 1800's with rock that was cut into the shape of bricks and that road is still going! The traffic along this road is very heavy and each time anyone needs to be picked up or dropped off at our hotel, all traffic stops until the transfer is done. It really is amazing that there is no impatience about this - its just a fact of life and there are no furious honking of horns or yelling at all. Nice. The very narrow pavements suggest that when a bus or bigger car comes up that road, that you turn sideways to stop getting clipped........ very narrow. But the life walking by that window is fascinating.

There are the normal working groups - all in a hurry to go somewhere, others just amble by lookiing at everyone sitting inside looking out at them..... the cars keep on bouncing up that little road, mostly taxis crammed full with people all going somewhere. Sometimes it felt rather like that movie - the one where everyone is an actor, except the one guy who has no idea that his whole life is a movie...... sometimes it felt as if this was all just a play. And then a splash of color came bouncing into the frame - a brightly dressed lady with a very proud looking llama! And they slowly waltz on by, hoping to catch someone who wants to take a photo of them so that she can make a few dollars.........and then a very character-lined farmer, all bent over, dusty and carrying a huge coil of rope..... then more and more taxis... and then all of a sudden - nothing! uh oh - something must be wrong...... but no - instead of cars screaming up that little alleyway - there now came music..... a band playing and much laughter being pushed up that narrow road. So I grabbed the camera and went to the door to see what was going on. Another celebration - this time in honor of Oktoberfest. No one seemed to know why this was being celebrated, but boy was it done with much gusto and enthusiasm - tall, tall stilts and all in beautiful green costumes...... and then the traffic came back as the music slowly disappeared around the corner.

We sat gently watching the world go by for about 2 hours..... it was lovely and gentle and very very relaxing and totally fascinating. And then someone ran in the door, said something, the receptionist pointed at us, we were showed to come quickly - and we did. Off to the van that would take us to the airport. This is how it normally goes - a name that sort of fits ours is muttered and everything happens at high speed. A few times I said to Frank that we might be busy being kidnapped, for all we knew.....but we were ok to go along for the ride - it was something different anyway and there really was no point in asking for ID or anything - it simply does not work this way here in Peru or Ecuador. Not for a moment have we felt unsafe here or in Ecuador - not when we were in the tourist parts nor when we were walking around the 'real streets' of these towns. Yes, it makes sense to be careful, but I walked with my bag and camera and never even had an inkling of feeling even uncomfortable at all. We have been consistenty met with smiles, willingness to help, friendliness and kindness.

After being picked up from our hotel, Casa Andina Koriancha in Cusco and trasferred to the airport there, we were not to leave airports until we ran for the shuttle bus in Atlanta, back on USA soil. The flight from Cusco to Lima was smooth and lovely and those mountains were just as glorious as the first time we saw them.... then we had about 7 hours in Lima before the international flight to Miami. Those hours went slowly and I finally managed to sleep some on the airplane........... Frank did not. We had small seats and they simply dont lend themselves to comfortable sleeping. In a way, I am glad that it was a night flight, or I would not have been able to sleep at all - and I needed to. I found myself quite emotional coming into Miami..... it looked just like the very first time I came to this country - it was the same time of the morning and the lights were all twinkling, spread out from near to way over the horizon. I remembered so clearly all the fears and hopes and dreams and wishes that flew in with us that morning in 1994, but I could never have imagined that I would be flying in again under such wonderfully amazing circumstances. I had to wipe a tear or three from my eyes - I even thanked the customs man for making it so easy this time!. Maybe I was just overtired.

Customs went smoothly and the relative boredom of life, by comparison to the past 28 days, was just wonderful! We had plenty of time between flights, lots of time to do things slowly, plenty of English being spoken around us and we also had learned to recognise more Spanish words now that they were not a constant hum around us all the time. And this all gave me plenty time to start the reflection of this incredible journey we have just finished.......

I dont know how many miles we traveled, but I do know that it was one of the most incredible months of my life... The pace was punishing at times and the constant input of information sometimes put us in shutdown mode, which is a pity, but I know where to get the details I want to find again... A good few people have already asked which part of this trip was our best.... and neither of us can answer that. At first, before we even left home, I fully expected the Galapagos Islands to be the absolute best of it all.... but it was not....... The Amazon riverboat trip was unexpectedly beautiful and that week touched me in ways that I know will be ongoing for a very long time..... but was it the best? And then Machu Picchu - that was awesome in a way that I also did not expect. We had sort of tacked that on to the end of the trip as a kind of afterthought and well, simply because it was there and not because it was a part of any lifelong dream or anything. The different cities - Quito, Lima, Cusco, the towns on the Galapagos Islands and the many other little towns and markets that we drove through and stopped to briefly explore all wove themselves into a part of my heart that seems to vibrate with a special sort of life.

"The more you look at the world, the more you appreciate what really matters to people." These words were along that walkway you walk when getting on and off airplanes in most airports and they have stuck with me...... its so true. The little school kids along the Napo River who are so keen to learn that they will literally walk for hours to get to school, only to have to walk back again that afternoon, the ladies who sit making necklaces out of only plant products of the jungle, or those that weave the most incredible patterns into cloth that we could buy in all the markets, the enthusiasm of all our tour guides who explained their land, their history to us in such detail and with such obvious passion and the family of four all scrunched up onto one small scooter so that they can go and visit..... these are just a few examples of what really matters... its not money, its not possessions - its the passions, the talent the art and the inner music of people who really have so very little by comparison to what we have.

We have a much larger appreciation of what we have at home... firstly, after Cusco and its thin air up at nearly 11000 feet, we are so grateful to be able to breathe, then to be able to get rid of the ever present dust and those blue fumes...we are so spoiled with the luxuries of tv and internet and phones and roads where we have a full lane all to ourselves! Maybe 'spoiled' is the right word as in many ways, with all these things - we so often miss what really matters.... I know that this trip made both Frank and I realise with a deeper sense what matters and it has also given us the opportunity to make a difference to some people far away from our comfortable living.

So - back to the question..... which part of this past month was our best... Well, that seems to change with each memory, with each picture that now plays on a bigger screen on my home computer. It changes as I remember the smells, the heat, the jungle rain or feel the burn of my throat from those petrol fumes. Each time a new photo plays, I honestly feel that that second was simply the best. Oh those reflections of the jungle waters, the see through butterflies, those incredible churches, the history of the different towns, the sight of the people of the jungle fishing on the river islands in the sunset and the incredible treees that lined those rivers. The orange sand beaches in Galapagos and just the thought of where we stood! The incredible contrasts of the Sally Lightfoot crabs on the pitch black lava rocks, the huge tortoises, Darwin finches,or the looks on the faces of others when they saw something that awed them. That bus ride up the side of the mountain to Machu Picchu really made swimming with the piranas a breeze and seeing just how much work and passion and trust and belief an ancient tribe of the Incas did to build that incredible mountain city. The naturals like the sunset between the islands, standing silently in the jungle in the pitch dark of night while listening for life, the huge blue mountains with their white snow tips, the fairyland view of stunning evening clouds and those incredible trees, cute monkeys, colorful birds, swirling butterflies....... aaaah.........all of it.

It was all simply the best. All of it was our favorite and it was all unforgettable - there is not a moment that I can say we did not enjoy and will not treasure. How amazing is that?

I will post many photos in this coming week and will let you know when they are up there. So many of you all came along with us as constant companions, both mentally and emotionally and created some lovely moments just thinking of you from the mountaintop, kissing a huge stone for you, leaving a bit of you hair in special places along the way or in the way you just popped into my mind at different times - each day made me chuckle or smile or outright laugh as one of you joined us for a minute or ten. It was great..........thanks!

And I want to do this - a huge thanks to Alan from South American Vacations.... www.savacations.com. When I first started looking at planning this trip, I bumped into Alan from an advert on a website and I have to say that I am so thankful. We were met at all the airports, except for one easy one, by a guide, we were transferred to hotels, to city tours, given private tours and generally so very well looked after that we are absolutely amazed at how efficient everyone we came into contact with, was. We were given plenty time on our own, to walk around, to gain the confidence we now have to see ourselves through cities and airports, through learning how to communicate with others when there is no common language or culture.. to gain the confidence to plan another trip sometime in the future where we will need less guidance and planned days. Alan organised every step of the way for us - and it was a huge, fantastic success! Thank you so much, Alan - you and all your team here in the USA, Ecuador and Peru - Klein Tours and Viajes Pacifico, were just wonderful.

Our guide in Quito, Ecuador - Gustavo, was absolutely wonderful. He has a passion that I have not seen in anyone for a very long time. He has been in the USA to learn English and is hoping to come back for a year with his new bride - but he is adamant that they will only come here with the understanding that they go back to Ecuador. They will not consider living anywhere else but their country - it was easy to see that he would be lost without Ecuador - its in his soul and literally pours from him as he told us as much as he could in the short time we were there.

The guides on the Manatee Amazon Explorer on the Napo River were simply amazing.... Ernesto, Marco and Raol are so at home on that river, with the people of the jungle and the wildlife. They have a sparkle and sense of humor, a zest for life and a love for this jungle that so obviously runs soul deep, a gentleness and sense of fun that made this part of our journey simply lovely and totally unforgettable. They are a big part in my realizing that we can make a difference to people of a different world - a possible dream. All the crew on the boat were just absolutely wonderful and each of them made a huge and positive impact on this part of the trip.

On the galapagos Legend we were divided into groups of about 16 and allotted a very knowledgeable guide. Ours was born on the Islands and been a guide for the past 14 years and so obviously loves it there! I dont know how he managed to keep all that information in his head, but I do know that he had a really great way of sharing it all. His bounce, sparkle and way with all of us of all ages was very easy and fun. He was patient, joking, serious and a really good person to have to teach us all about this incredible place on our planet. All the crew on this boat were also just the best - really great!

The guides that we briefly met and who drove us to and from airports were all very kind, polite and knowlegeable with a good understanding of English.... Updon, who took us to the Sacred Valley of the Incas was one of the best too and the way he made history come alive, really stunned me. The way he explained things, made it all come out of the past and into the very moment, was just lovely and I just know this is the start of more leaning for me..

We really did expect to have at least a glitch or three, but not one! Not a single thing went wrong at all! No major flight delays - 35 minutes at the most, no missed connections, no lost luggage, no damaged stuff and even the weather was absolutely the best - from the Amazonian downpours to the beautiful days we were handed everywhere along the way. Everything was just perfect

This has been a simply incredible trip that will live in my heart and mind forever. We are so fortunate, blessed and simply darned lucky to have the opportunity to have been to these places - a journey through a good many different cultures, beliefs, religions, countries and unending stunning beauty.... an incredible journey.

Thanks for riding, flying, sailing and walking along with us once again.......All of you that came with us and all those we met along the way made this so very special.

And U3, we have spent more of your inheritance, but have left you with dreams to dream of for yourselves. I hope you get to live these, and much much more. Thanks for being everything you are - you are such a huge part of what matters to me - each one of you.

love and light

till next time

Annie and Frank

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Ancient Andean Mountains and Macchu Picchu......

2009-10-17T00:45:00.001-04:00

Today started bright and early, but I want to start this email almost at the end of the day as we were careening through the darkening skies of inland Peru in a little tourist van driven by a guy who was obviously trying to make up for lost time somewhere along the way. It's best not to look forwards and see what is coming at us, so I leaned back and took control of my side window........and what a view it delivered. The clouds rose high into the sky, almost wanting to become storm clouds and the sun set somewhere far enough away so that we were given only the soft and gentle hues that tipped the tops of both the mountains and the clouds and turned the rivers into molten silver. As the sun set lower, we could see many fires burning all over the hillsides and the smoke gave a lovely dimension to the photos.

And then it was dark and we were hurtling along this road with me holding on to the bottom of my seat to stop myself falling off. Frank was in the seat behind me, pretty much doing the same thing. But as I looked outside and saw the incredible towering and now pitch black mountains against a deep grey sky, I felt like the luckiest woman alive. We had just had the most incredible day and here I was in a place I never dreamed to be, watching the stars pop out, one by one, creating the milky way just for us to see! Totally amazing. We drove through the darkness, every now and again finding a spot of light gently glowing in the darkness - the single light bulb in someones home.... and then it was gone again - back into the darkness. And I thought about the day we have just been given.....

It started at 5am with the horrendous sound of a wake up call and a mere hour later found us in a bus on the way to Poroy Station happily chewing coca leaves - they say it really helps with the altitude and I was really happy to try it - I swear it works too! How much can we bring home? Anyway..... after about 30 minutes we arrived at the PeruRail Station and found our blue train with the windows in the roof - Vista Dome. We were given seats a few rows apart from each other, but Frank remedied that by simply moving next to me....... I was not moving - I had a window seat :) The horn blew and we were on our way to a three hour journey through the most incredible scenery that I have seen.

Oh wait, the inside of the train - each seat sat two people with a table in front of us, like a little resturant, and soon out came some cute little cups and glasses and plates and we were served a second breakfast of the day.. The orange juice was outstanding.

We started off through the rural areas, passing literally feet from kids and dogs playing, tied up cattle and donkies and farmlands everywhere with the mountains surrounding it all..... Then we found the grown up mountains and they were absolutely amazing - they were more peaked and darker in color - blue-ish with almost a foreboding feel to them. Only very few mountaintops had any snow on them but the views with the valleys, mountains and Urubamba River was just glorious..... the camera clicked continuously. At one point, the mountain is just too steep for the train and a switchback system has been designed to deal with this issue. So there we are, trundling along happily and see another track leading in to the rail.... our train goes a little way past the meeting of these two rails and then backs up, reverses, down the second track till it finds yet another one going in the original direction again...... think of a zigzag/switchback road - its the same idea, just very interesting to do while on the very edge of a cliff.

And further down we were taken, the scenery became very green and those Andean mountains! Well, they sort of bring tears to my eyes. And then there we were, back in the jungle again! Lush green, deep shrubbery and strange trees and plants and flowers all over the place. I saw two beautiful blue birds but was too late to catch them with the camera.. The train passed only inches from the side of the mountain on one side, our side, and on the other the river showed her glory in the early morning sun. Right then I became determined to sit on the other side on the way back.

The deeper we got into the jungle the more those mountains grew.... now they were not the 'adult mountains' anymore - now they became "The Ancients" in my mind...They seemed to peak in such a majestic way - to reach right up to the sky and shake hands and become one with it..... I thought of that movie Neverending Story and its mountains and realised that this is definitely a different kind of world.

I wonder why on earth anyone, ancient Inca or not, would even wander this far into this place..... Its miles and miles from anywhere and quite intimidating. But, obviously they did.

After the absolutely fascinating train ride, we were taken to a plush bus for the ride to the top, and Macchu Picchu... The valley we were in was beautiful and full of tourists and sellers and colors and noise and building and ..........well, it lived! And so we headed for the bus, promising ourselves time here on the way back down later in the day..... the bus ride - now that was something too! Those switchbacks, zig zag roads you see on google earth? Yup - thats the road we drove! Its a narrow, dusty, no barrier, two way path that zigged and zagged us up, sometimes only millimeters from certain death if one of the wheels went off the path. A good many times we passed other busses and all of us on the bus sucked in our hips to make space for it to pass by.. But that view! As we wound our way up that mountain, the train station became smaller and smaller and the view more spectacular. All along the mountains we could see other smaller ruin and agricultural sites and we were in awe of what the Inca's had achieved.

And then we came to Macchu Picchu and ten million people. We were terribly disappointed and we were shuffeled, elbow to elbow, butt to face, up the steps and along the path to the entrance. I could almost not bear to share this experience in such a crowd..and then we passed through the entrance way and it all opened up!

Macchu Picchu is absolutely stunning! Our guide was brilliant at keeping us away from the crowds and taking us other ways around to get to the great vistas and views without even realizing how many people were around. But - back to Macchu Picchu itself...... It's totally unbelievable that people of so many years ago created this all...... those huge steps you see in all the photos is acutally the agricultural part of the ruins...there they grew all thier crops to feed the people. There are many normal sized stairs all over the place linking the different levels, houses and worship places. It's quite a maze and it was totally fascinating to walk through there, touching those ancient stones knowing that each and every one of them was hand carved, moved, polished to fit and placed right there.... its totally wonderful.

The "common workers" lived in houses separate from the chosen, the rich and the upper class....and in an area closer to the crops too. Its really beyond words to describe this place.. When we see a house today, whether built from wood or brick, we can almost see the truck bringing all the building supplies right to the building site...... and its all level and cleared off and neat and tidy too. Not here - many of the structures are built around huge bolders, natural geographical faults and especially around the sun. Yes, many of the main buildings were lined up with the sun, summer and winter solstice being critical to the Incas. Other mountains, in conjunction with the sun, were used to find the right dates and the sun would shine at just the right angle through a small space and then the celebrations could begin or the planting of the new set of crops. And none of the stone or soil arrived by truck - it was all hand done.... every stone hand picked, carved, shaped, polished and made to fit exactly with its mate, with no cement of filler or anything most times.

All the steps are slightly angled sideways or down to help with the drainage during the six months of rainy season and there are natural water gathering places where the water is then directed to fountains for different uses. The Incas could not look at thier gods in the sky directly, so they had stones made round and flat in which they then poured water to use as a mirror to look at the sky and stars....Pachamamma, Mother Earth, is of absolute importance and even today, in town, when one of the Inca people open a bottle of water, the first few drops are given to Pachamamma, sprinkled on the ground.

High up on this mountain, the Inca's had incredible views and could see for miles around if anyone was approaching. The Inca trails can still be seen and a new one was just discovered just two months ago! Just a few months before Macchu Picchu was discovered, another group of people mapped out this area, the valley and the mountains, but they totally missed the fact that there were any ruins up there! It was all so totally overgrown. A little while later Hiram Bingham found this place and the cleaning began. Him and his crew took all the pottery, all the utensils, anything that could be moved - he took it all to the USA. Its all still at Yale and there are some attempts to get it back to Peru. In my opinion, this is where it belongs - in Peru! After seeing this place and feeling the spark of history interest raising its head again, I honestly feel that these treasures much come back home.

Macchu Picchu took 100 years to build and it was never finished - the Incas left before it was all done - the reason for leaving is still not clear - probably never will be. But what they did was to leave behind an incredibly special place. The design is brilliant, the agricultural trellises totally amazing and the feeling of wandering through those ruins, even with many other people, was just incredible. A good many times I would stand at one of the many windows and look at the view and wonder what those ancient Inca's thought of when looking at the view...... did they see the wonders of those towering, ancient, all knowing mountains or did they simply see them as a measure of time.... With all the building of this place, was there even time to think about the surrounding beauty?

Huge boulders hand carved and shaped, rooms with views at all angles, stones placed just so for reasons that no one really knows, but seem to each have a function of sorts. Tiny narrow rock staircases everywhere and the soil for the crops brought in from the Sacred Valley, many miles away. There are temples to the Condor and the Sun - these are huge boulders and other rocks shaped to compliment the whole effect - I will post one of the Condor - its magnificient.

People of all ages wandered over these ruins, mixing in with the llama who happily wandered just where they wanted to... Everyone carried the look of awe that this place creates and cameras never stopped clicking. There is no way to fully capture the feeling or the vision of this place.... It would be stunning to be here when there is no one else around. Occasionally we would get into a section that we could not see or hear anyone and that was so special! It must have been one glorious place in its day.

And then, all too soon, it was time to go. We had spent almost three hours wandering through the ruins, soaking in the views and total awesomeness of this place..... there is nothing quite like it and still, no photo I have seen can fully explain what it is. It was much easier to walk around here than we expected.. no harsh climbs or very long stairs - lots of resting places and always a wonderful view to admire - neither Frank nor I had much of a problem at all. There was a breeze too which helped cool everyone down too.

This is definitely somewhere to see - all the way from Cusco, the train ride, the bus and the crowing glory, literally - Macchu Picchu! I have briefly gone through some of the photos - and WOW........I cant wait to see them on a screen bigger than 10 inches!

And so off we went to lunch at the Sanctuary Lodge..... it was good but we did not stay long as we wanted to spend some time at the market at the station - we still had soles to spend.... that does sound weird. And so we headed for the bus and back down that hair raising road! We really got close to the edge at times and I could feel myself breaking out in a sweat..... but it was part of the big picture that I would not have missed for anything. I do think that swimming with the piranas was less risky though.

We stimulated the economy at the market to a goodly extent, and caught the train back home - this time with us on the river side........what a joy that was!! We only took the train half way home and all got off at Ollytaytambo station where the mini vans took us the rest of the way - I have no idea why, but hey - it was fun too. So, about 4 hours after leaving Macchu Picchu behind, and that glorious night drive back home, we were stuck in a wonderful traffic jam in the center square of Cusco, so bad that I had plenty time to hop out and take some night pictures of the two main Missions on the square... just lovely.

It was truely one of the lovliest days today... the awe started early and just never let up. We got back to the hotel with very full cameras and have just finished copying them all to the computer........ We also went through all the goodies we have bought along the way, packed our bags, showered all the Peruvian dust off and are ready to start the long road home.. Check out time here is around 11.30am but we are only getting picked up around 3.30pm for the flight back to Lima.....This gives us a lovely few hours to wander around town, gently and with no rush and see what else there is to see. We have about 5 hours in Lima airport to wait for our overnight flight back to Miami, Atlanta and then a short two hour bus ride back home again..... its going to be a long couple of days.

What a trip this has been........ I feel another email coming on, but probably only after we have landed home again... I need to wrap all of our adventures up and think about them and savor them and try to soak them up - maybe the long flights will help with that.

Its been totally amazing.... and its not over yet.

love and light

especially to U3

Annie and Frank

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First, Cusco.....

2009-10-16T23:23:00.001-04:00

I dont really know how to begin to descibe this totally amazing little town and its surrounding areas... but, as you know by now, I am going to give it a darn good try :) I am just going to ramble as things come to mind - there are so many different aspects to this place and I really wish we had more place here. There are the huge and very ornate churches, or Missions, as they are called, bells hang from many little turrets all over town, crosses stand erect on many buildings, old and new and also on many houses is a little statue thingymabob consisting of two bulls, a ladder and a cross. this is all to do with the strength of the bull, the hope to climb to higher success, the ladder, and their religeon which is very often a mix of the Catholic and Inca religeons. Many of the roads are built way back when the old buildings were built - sometimes in the early 1800's. They are made from the stones of the mountains and are still in excellent shape - this is something everyone should do - no road repairs or potholes......sounds good to me. These roads are mostly incredibly narrow - no, no, narrower than that even and have doors every few feet along the way. Some lead to banks, shops, eateries, or simply lead way back to someones house. The color is incredible and vibrant and the noise is constant - not too bad a noise at all - I quite like it...... horns honking, people talking louder than the others so that they can be heard, whistles being blown by frantic traffic cops with no chance at all of keeping any order.

Tonight on the way home, a cop told a car to stop and it did not, so he ran after it and made it stop by blowing that poor little whistle into another dimension! Then he looked back at the mess he had just left, shrugged and waved his hands around in about 4 different ways indicating that we should all just keep on sorting out the traffic mess ourselves. Even the driver of our van just burst out laughing! Earlier we got into the most incredible traffic jam imaginable........ it was a small area that we were headed out of and other vehicles were coming in - all mixed in with huge tour busses, tiny three wheel taxis, ordinary cars and tour vans.... somehow, everyone managed to get totally locked up and even the locals stopped trying to sell their wares and just stood laughing along with all the rest of us. After about 10 minutes, one car, somewhere where we could not see, moved and the puzzle started unlocking.

The houses are mostly adobe style houses, but none seem to be finished, all have numerous dogs hanging around them, at least two pigs, a donkey, llama and chickens and the ever present cow or bull too. The houses are so often built with a comon wall and on the hills they are literally staggered up, seeming to be one on top of each other with a set of impossibly steep steps all the way to the top every now and again. Washing hangs in the back yards and from some unfinished roof tops, creating a wonderful splash of color all over the place. Outside many of these places are bicycles with a big enough basket to hold a complete fruit stall.....

As we were driven through the countryside, outside Cusco, we noticed that all the cows and bulls are tied up and have someone watching them. Mostly these are the native women in their beautifully colored outfits.. the man of the house is out working so she takes care of the cows and that means sitting outside with them for hours while they graze.

I realized tonight what it was about this place that I really liked..... in many ways the kids have the free style of upbringing that I had. In no way did we grow up in the poverty of this area, but I am talking about the playing outside, the school uniforms, the common sense, the playing ball in the street, the cars honking their horns to get you out of the way as they come screaming down the road. The ability to walk alone down the road - even after dark! Many children, small ones, still walk around alone after dark without a problem, or so it seems. I realize that it always looks better from the outside, but this freedom to be a kid is everywhere here! Along with this comes the obvious chores so many of these kids are doing too - its all part of life as a family, a necessity in order to survive in these harsh conditions.

The markets we went to, both in Quito, Ecuador as well as the one yesterday, were not just markets for the tourists at all. They were filled with things that are used every day by the locals, the colors as vibrant as those sold to the tourists and many very un-touristy things everywhere. It was really lovely spending time away from the organized tourist places and tomorrow we are going to wander around town a bit more and explore some more of those fascinating little allieways all over the place.

This town has grabbed my attention in many ways..... it calls for a good long time to wander around, get to know the locals and a good black and white camera! Its a town that has such lousy beer that you have to have two, just to make sure that it really is that bad. It has water that is labelled 'sin gas' and 'con gas' and when I asked what the difference was, I was told that the one was on one side of the fridge and the other type on the other side. Ok then. The bread is simply delicious and the fruit unbeatable - no guavas here though. There are ''bicycle fruit stores" all along the roads in town and everywhere, where you can buy all sorts of fresh and simply delicious fruits and other things. And on almost every corner is a magazine shop too that also carries sweets, chips and other stuff that we still have not figured out what it is. It is a place that no matter where you look, there is almost too much to see to be able to take it all in at one look. It's a place that has such an incredible mix of old and new, rich and abject poverty, color and adobe drab......and I love the adobe style.

Oh, the doors of this place... and the balconies - everywhere! The doors are sometimes huge, but with only a part of it actually opening, so it looks a bit like stepping into a storybook when you duck into one of these 'small doors'. The balconies and odd and old windows have really captured my attention too. The balconies are on almost every upstairs window or door and so often very ornate, all carved from wood and even on the poorest looking houses. They just caught my eye. The window frames have also got so much character.. a cross of wood often squifly nailed over them to act as safety bars and all different from each other. Can you tell that I like this place?

Most of the fields are plowed by two oxen and a hoe between them - or simply done by hand. The hills are just too much at an angle to even allow for a tractor and even if they were flat, I dont think that most of these places could afford a tractor at all. The most seen crops here are potatoes and maize. There are a surprising number of different types of potatoes and we tasted abotu 7 of them yesterday at lunch.

Al Paca's and llama's are everywhere - some of them in back yards and others in areas where we as tourists can walk through, see and touch them and see the women actually weaving some of the works of art that we buy so casually at the markets. Each weaver designs her own work and then puts it all together with natural dyes..... and it way outshines the synthetic stuff that is everywhere. I fell in love with every piece of work I saw and would easily have taken them all home with us.. but we made some careful choices of old and new stuff and have a goodly selection.

The local people are very different from the tribal people..... well, they are not really tribal, just Inca, but also not pure Inca anymore apparently.. The local people are very much modernized and go about life in ways that are more familiar to us all. The Incas dress in traditional clothing, look very austere and if you photograph them they will quickly hold out their hand and demand payment. I took a photo of a very narrow alley way yesterday and only afterwards realized that there was a lady waaaaay at the other end - she was huffing and puffing her way to us with outstretched hand. Their kids are totally beautiful and also dressed in the amazing fabric - especially the little girls - it pulls in a lot more money and even more when they carry tiny llamas with them to really tug at tourist heartstrings..the huge dark eyes of the kids hold so much laughter and mischief.. I would love to spend some time with them and a camera and a project.......

Cusco has become one of my favorite towns, despite the altitude, and I hope to come back here one day sometime.

Now, let me move on to Macchu Picchu and today........ in another email.

love and light

Annie

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Over the Andes into Cusco

2009-10-15T21:18:00.001-04:00

The flight over the Andes was just beautiful. We were crunched like sardines into a tin can in the airplane, but I had a window seat again. At first we were set to be in vastly different rows so when we checked in I put on my pleading face and asked if we could 'pretty please' be together - and that a window seat would be just lovely. And we got it....so no complaints at all. There was not much snow at all on the mountains, but what was there, was beautiful! There are little towns dotted in totally impossible places all across the mountains and my camera just would not stop clicking away, trying to zoom in really close to try and figure out just why people would live up there. We found out later that there is actually a road from Cusco to Lima but that its very steep, curvy and takes at least 20 hours to drive it....... no Frank! The motorhome is NOT going here.....just imagine what Blondie would do to us.

Anyway, it was only an hour flight to Cusco and really strange to drop down low inbetween the mountains well ahead of any site of houses or landing strip. We were quickly met by..... oh heck, his name has left me..... and taken to our hotel where we were quite happy to lay down for an hour or two. We found ourselves both totally exhausted by the thin air way up here at around 11000 feet in the sky. After a good cups of coca tea that they say helps with altitude issues, we headed out to see what there is to see........ Oh boy. This is lovely. The road that the hotel is in, is very narrow. Only one car fits between the sidewalks and the walkers are wise to turn sideways when the cars pass by......and they keep on coming! There are the most delightful little shops and stores and resturants all along this road - with beautifully colored cloth and clothes, caps and so many other hand made crafts. We were almost literally pulled in to some of these stores as we walked along, the owners trying to sell as much as they can. Now we have learned a very difficult thing for us to do...... no eye contact at all! If you make eye contact, you might as well get your purse out. And on we walked to the main square which is only a few blocks away.. We walked slowly, breathing heavily and swearing to exercise more once we get home again.... many stops were made to admire something or other - even clouds, at times, just so we could catch our breath.

The town square of most places we have been is the main hub of beautiful and majestic buildings and this time was no different at all. The presence of security guys is great here too and this time they all had pepper spray and some other goodies too as there was a gathering or protest on the opposite side of the square. It was not rowdy or anything, just a lot of people with banners and things and loud chanting. We walked past them trying to figure it out, but never did. Up and down a good few more roads, in and out of many more shops, even into a money exchange to get some souls - no no, not that type! The currency is 'soul', pronounced so-ool. 3 souls to a dollar. I dont think we bought anything that first day here and soon headed very out of breath and feeling a tad tender, back to the hotel. On the way, we saw a resturant that looked good and inviting and we shared a lasagne and three scoop icecream - simply delicious. We were laughed at as we shared the meal, but hey, thats all we wanted. Then back to the hotel for another much needed rest before the afternoon city tour.

The first thing we noticed on coming outside again was the smog...... almost all the cars belch out a blue haze of differing deepness and it swirls behind them only to be chased away by the next blue cloud...and on and on. Our throats literally burn from this and I am almost willing to find a mask to wear, but I dont think they have them here. And so the afternoon Cusco City Tour started with us being called out to the bus that waited in this single lane, holding up all the traffic for us. We jumped onto the bus only hearing "meester fwank? go dis way!", and off we trundled once again to the square we had walked to earlier. Here we were to be sent to the English group of about 18 altogether, led by a short and very straight guide. Someone complained about the size of the group and he promptly said that he was not the complaints department - just our guide. He firmly said that he was not in charge of any arrangements we had made as to which tour we joined, any tickets that we should have or anything other than guiding us along a pre-determined route. There was a short but absolute silence, then two people walked to the 'complaints dept' who stood with big eyes three feet away and the rest of us clapped. Maybe mean, but the complainers were not nice in the way they spoke to him.

By now both of us felts as if we could just go beck to the hotel and go to sleep - easily, but we wanted to see all the things there were to see - so we stayed on the bus. We went through a few other churchs and its sad that one can only see so many churches before the upper case 'oooh' wears off to be replaced by simple awe. They were really lovely and its sad to see just how much has been destroyed by fires, earthquakes and humans. In many cases, the churches have been repaired, but not to their full glory. Any church with paintings in it, forbids photographs, with or without a flash and my finger gets a swerious case of the itches all the time we are there.

We went to the main Cathedral in the square, to the Koricanchs (site of gold) and four of the ruins that surround the city. The Koricancha has been stripped of all its glorious gold and silver, but some of the hand carved ceilings remain and many of the huge paintings have been restored and still hang all over the place. It was interesting to see how the original walls and buildings were constructed and the huge stones they used are just mind bending in size. They all fit together without anything other than a good fit and lots of polishing. Then off we went, in much of a daze by now, to Sacsayhuaman - pronounced 'sexy woman'... seriously. Its got nothing to do with a woman though, but everything to do with a puma and ruins and a gazillion steps and the most amazing stone work. This is all set in a huge, huge gently undulating field that overlooks the town of Cusco. In the middle of this field were a team of about 8 young boys in incredibly colored clothing with very strange and beautiful instruments playing the most amazing music... Camera finger went into multispasms as I tried to capture all their expressions as they entertained us with not only the music, but beautiful smiles and mischieviously twinkling eyes... and then they came crowding around with their hats ready for the tips we were all only too happy to part with. It was simply beautiful.

And then there was another set of steps that from the top, delivered a tremendous view... with an already pounding heart and shaky legs, I left Frank on an ancient yet comfortable rock below and crawled my way upwards...yes, the view was worth it....... definitely. I found another way off that hill that did not involve steps and met up with Frank at the bus again. We went to a few other places, but sadly I have to admit that my enthusiasm was buried in a pillow back at the hotel by now. I did go with the group to see what I thought they said was a waterfall - you know me and waterfalls, just cant pass them up.... but it was not quite what I thought and I swear I almost know what a heart attack feels like! I was determined though, especially when the kind gentleman in front of me hung back and walked all the way to the top with me, pretending to huff and puff just as heavily as I did. On second thoughts - maybe he needed a reason to slow down :) The top delivered another amazing ruin with still flowing ever clear water, but in three tiny strands. If you wanted twins, you drank from the first trickle...... pass! If you wanted to live forever, drink from the second trickle - pass again - I just was not interested in that at all right then. The third trickle had another promise that I dont even remember and the big pool delivered all three promises. I walked back down that mountain with a dry mouth - not taking any risks at all!

By the time we got back to the hotel, we were both ......well, sick. The tour lasted almost two hours longer than it should have because people kept wandering off from the guide, getting lost, getting sick and generally creating a lot of waiting time. I think its a combination of being very tired after everything we have done this trip, the altitude and the heavy thick blue fumes from the cars everywhere, but last night was no fun at all. We huddled shivering under a heavy down duvet and other blankets, with the heater on as high as it would go, visiting the bathroom for all the wrong reasons way too many times.

But.......this morning we both felt up to todays tour of the Sacred Valley of the Incas.... and it was glorious. Our tour guide, Updon, was fantastic and the driver, Louis, did a better job than I could imagine in this traffic.. just how he stayed so cool and collected is beyond me. And so the day started with a gentle drive of about 45 minutes to the Fortress of Ollantaytambo. Oh this place is really something else. Everytime you blink you see some more steps and then some more even higher up. Franks mouth fell open in protest and he did go up with us the first 30 steps or so, but was not going to make it any further. I was happier that he went back down, found some shade and another soft rock to enjoy the view from. I, of course, being just plain damn stubborn went all the way to the top. Some steps are nice and low while others are as deep as your knee is high - boy those are the tough ones! But with the gentle and slow climbing of Updon and the many stops along the way, I was treated to a simply amazing experience. The steps we were climbing on were inbetween the many terraces that were used to grow crops on many years past. And then we walked across the top of all this to the temple which was built with absolutely enormous stones brought in from a quarry seven miles away over the river and way up on another mountain! I have never been one much for history - flunked it badly in school - but this sort of got my mouth hanging open in awe and wanting to know more. Huge stones were carved out for ceremonial chairs and .....well, it was sort of overwhelming to see this place from up here.. the views were totally perfect and beautiful and the number of years and the amount of work put into this temple of the sun was just incredible and it just went on an on!

We could see Frank laying back on a rock waaay below - he later said that the rock was perfectly made for him and was totally comfortable. We saw him taking a good many pics and a really quick scan of them tells me that he is starting to get like me! No wonder we have close to 15000 photos already....

And then off to a true Peruvian lunch which was delicious and then off to the market. I just love driving around here - the roads are all narrow and winding and most of them built with the stones of the mountains and the adobe style houses are everywhere, often dotted with the original Inca buildings that are still being used. All of the original houses built in Ollantaytambo are still being lived in! Some of them needed repair, but the original layout of the rooms is still there - I find its awesome that they are all still being used. Anyway.. the drive through the little towns is just fascinating - the color of the clothing, the brightly painted doors, the kids playing in the roads and life just as if should be. I really like all this natural living without all the 'be carefuls' or potential lawsuits laying around. I know it always looks better from the outside, and I am sure I would not enjoy living here full time.

The market was just amazing - again, the colors, the different things, the materials and everything........... we did not have enough time to wander around there at all, but did manage to spend some money and have a wonderful time.. One of the places in the market had cooked guinea pig, which we politely declined, and we got to see another part of the original old town - and there was the most rediculous chicken and a house full of live guinea pigs just waiting to become dinner! They were all cute and the lady of the house gave me some grass looking stuff to feed them... I did silently apologize to them as I ripened them for the waiting pot. I could have spent hours at that market, mostly just looking around at the incredible stuff for sale.

And then we headed home, with just one more stop along the way at a place with Llamas and others.... they were all pretty and interesting but it was time to come home again with our many packages, happy memories of totally amazing places and a good many photos again. Today we were at an altitude about 2000 feet lower than the hotel we are in, and we could definitely feel the difference as we headed back up the hill. So now we are being two lazies again, Frank has been asleep for a good few hours already and I tired myself out just going down stairs for the beers!

Tomorrow is Friday, our last full day here and we have a 5am wake up call so that we can go to Macchu Picchu which is in the middle of the cloud foret overlooking the Urubamba River (find it mom!). Its about a 30 minute drive to the Poroy train station, then a 3 hour train ride through these incredible mountains and I just know another gazillion steps wait just for us! I will go to the top. I will.

It's been a really good day - thanks largely to Updon and Louis who were really great! After we got back into our room, the phone rang and Updon had come back because I had left one of my market buys in the car! That was really special.

And now, off to bed - its going to be a looooooong and wonderful day again tomorrow - at an even lower elevation. I am already practising my slow and even breathing for those many many steps...... I will make it!

Love and light

especially U3

Annie and Frank.

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oooooooooooh :(

2009-10-14T20:38:00.001-04:00

We are SO sick - both of us. I am puking and feeling absolutely awful and Frank has it all except the puking. Apparently it is altitude sickness and we both got it good. Damn! We did the city tour today but did not enjoy it at all what with feeling so lousy and it was a big group on a bus so we could not even get them to bring us home early!

The buildings are beautiful, the churches are amazing, the views stunning the town fascinates the heck out of me but ........going to greet the toilet bowl again!

Ok - thats it for tonight - a miserable little "we are definitely sorry for ourselves" email. Hopefully we can sleep this off and enjoy the tour of the Sacred Valley of the Incas tomorrow - its at about 2500ft lower than the 11 500 we were at today.

Night

love and light (just a dim little one tonight)

Annie and Frank

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Clouds to Catacombs.......

2009-10-13T23:10:00.000-04:00

And so we left the Galapagos behind us, flew to Guayaquil (pronounced why-a-quil) where we split off from everyone else and headed to the international lounge for the flight to Lima. The flight from the islands to the mainland was smooth but we had a Dutch guy behind us with one very serious case of verbal diarrhea! Both of us took turns in holding the other down so that we would not jump up and tell him to be quiet just for 15 seconds! He spoke loudly, very loudly to his friends and sometimes punctuated his remarks with a blow to the back of my seat...... very irritating and we were glad to get off there. On the boat, he was fine, but I guess that we were never that close to him for that long a time. When we checked out baggage in at Guayaquil to go to Lima, thinking only to get rid of our heavy luggage, we were told that we had been put in the Business Section for this next flight and were also handed a ticket to the VIP lounge for a free lunch and beers... Oh it was a wonderful surprise - comfy chairs, ice cold beer - a quiet and gentle place where the hours melted gently past. But it was funny walking in there ........ As I said in the last email, I stood in fresh sealion pee right as we got off the zodiac at the Galapagos (funny how many people laughed at me then) and my other shoes were in the checked in baggage and well........ the smell had ripened somewhat seriously. So there you have two very tired and now very smelly people, looking rather haggard and walking into the VIP lounge. Noses were wrinkled up, eyes shot open in slight surprise and chins were hastily pulled inwards as we passed by.....and we had a very hard time keeping a straight face..... but what was I supposed to do? I bet no one here had smelled ripened sealion pee before!

After sitting down and realizing just how bad it was - and being totally ignored by all the waiters, I went to the ladies room to see if I could at least rinse some of the smell away. I was not going to spend $100 on a new pair of shoes at the airport. The basins in the VIP bathrooms simply dont lend themselves to shoe washing at all - I need to talk to them about this! So I did what any self respecting Business Class Person would do - I decided to wash the shoe in private. I locked myself in the toilet, flushed to check how high the water level rose and also to make sure that the water in there was as clean as clean could be, and then....... yes! I dipped my foot into the toilet, swished it around being very careful to only wash the outside and bottom of the shoe off..... It worked, so I repeated it twice more, did the other shoe too seeing as I was having such great success, and then used a good dollop of toilet paper to dry off so that I would not leave tracks back to our table! It must have worked because when I sat down again, Frank actually remarked that I had stopped stinking! LOL.... I think everyone was very relieved.... and the shoes got a really good wash here in the hotel room and are drying in front of the air conditioner right now. And we even got served beers and coffee after that....

We had the most glorious clouds on the flight to Lima - it was like a fairlyland, like a different dimension and I could almost feel the stories weaving themelves into existance just by looking at those clouds! I taped a good many minutes of it, wanting to share the experience with my grandgirls - maybe they will find the stories hidden in there. The sun was setting and the different layers were different colors, moving in different directions with strange patterns, shapes and just beautiful fluffy formations. Orange sunset lit up the windows on the other side of the airplane as the sun gave the most amazing display as it set over the clouds - I just could not work up the courage to lean over others to get those photos..... so hopefully it will happen another day. Anyway, this was a perfect flight - champagne and nuts to start off with even before take off, a good movie of my choice, reclining chair and only faintly stinky feet faaaar away and a really great take off and landing - now this is what I call flying - I could get to looking forward to it even. We had first class seats on the flight to Galapagos too, but just did not fully appreciate it as the excitement of going there was still too great. Also no champagne on that flight..... ah well.

On landing in Peru we sailed through the customs and immigration a whole lot easier than we have in the USA and headed out to get our luggage and then on to find our guide for this part of our stay..... and there he was and tall guy holding a paper with our name on it. I had to laugh - there stands a whole row of very hopeful, very tired looking guides, all hoping their clients are on time and the relief in the face of our guide, Ruben, was a beautiful thing to see. He quickly led us outside and we started the most incredible drive of my life. I thought Ecuador was bad, but that is cheese by comparison! "Pare" means stop and is pronounced "par-ay", and is totally ignored - totally! We asked why they even have the signs there and he just shrugged in response, together with a laugh. Its a suggestion. Maybe, if you feel like it, which no one ever does...... When approaching a stop street, the trick seems to pick up speed so that you can get your front bumper to the line before the guy coming from the other side, then you honk the horn just once in gentle warning that you are coming and again, louder and longer, if the other car seems to challenge you. By this time my molars have cracks the size of canyons in them and the sweat is starting gently at my temples, creating a new water source for the city..... The white lines in the roads - you know, the ones that you are supposed to stay between? Well, they are not even suggestions, merely white lines that happen to be in the road for some reason. Most of the time there are at least two cars trying to get in the same lane, and again, it seems to be a bumper law here - if your front bumper is a mere 3mm ahead of another - you have right of way..... even to randomly swing across two lanes to turn to the right after being in the far left lane... There is no yelling, no screaming and no gunshots at this behavior - also no crunching of metal on metal - apart from that in my head... I swear there is only a hairs width between cars most of the time and pavements are there to be driven over, parked on and generally used to bypass someone that is taking too long. The constant honking of horns is amazing... the taxis give one sharp honk to ask if you want a ride, as do those wanting to go over a stop sign. Two or three honks say something a tad more urgent - its like a very loud, very constant secret language around here. Only the red light is slightly respected, if there is nowhere urgent to get to and if the traffic is really heavy and if a slight feeling of obligation happens. Mostly it seems that all the cars just go, and keep going, until another one pushes inbetween and eventually everyone will get where they are going to. I will never, ever drive in this country - I think I could easily cause a national disaster by doing so..

The smog in Lima is absolutely horrible. This morning we had a good many free hours and used them to walk to the bay area and then across town to a very pretty park. There are many little shops along the way but they are all geared to the tourist and very expensive. Crossing the roads, even at the pedestrian crossings, is a dicey deal and the cars just keep coming - but we made it. After a few roads one tends to learn how to pull your butt in quickly or huddle with the other people dashing across the road. As the day wore on, the air became thicker and thicker and by this evening when we got back from the city tour with the guide, our throats were burning. After walking a ways to the resturant tonight for supper we both drank a goodly amount of water to sooth our raw feeling throats....

Anyway - this afternoon we had a city tour with a guide - part of the package, and even had a separate driver for the day.. They showed us some simply beautiful places around here and again, the churches were the best for me. There are so many old buildings around and a good many of them are empty. When I asked whether they were abandoned, Ruben was quick to say that they were not - they were just waiting for better days......and a multi-millionaire to fix them! Many of the older buildings have balconies, lovely elaborate and very decorative balconies - just a pity that no one uses them any more. We went into two huge churches - one we were allowed to take photos, the other not. They were both just beautiful, so ornate and rich in color and warmth and the carvings were just totally amazingas were all the glass work. The one that we were njot allowed to photograph had many original paintings which apparently get damaged with the flashes from all the cameras, so they have banned all photo taking. It was in this church that we were taken to the catacombs. Katie - it reminded me of Yotgrot - minus the bones, of course! Oh there were tons of bones and skulls all over the place, mostly neatly piled up for public display and oohing and aahing but sometimes they were piled 32 foot deep! These were not people that were killed, but rather those that naturally died and were buried under the church. It was quite amazing and also, surprisingly, not morbid, weird, spooky or horrible in any way.. just a part of life as it was back then.

We also visited the bay area again where they took us to the Park of Love where there is a huge statue of a kissing couple in a very passionate embrace and beautiful mosaics of little tiles all over the place together with a beautifully laid out lawn and flowers... The ocean did not smell like ocean, come to think of it and we could not get to it as there is a huge motorway between the area we were in and the water. Its really pretty though and our view was from fairly high up as there is a huge bank dug out and the city starts from the top of this hill area... Apparently it has not rained here since the 1980's when it rained for three days solid... Today's guide (who's name we still did not catch after asking 3 times) said that he had not felt a drop since then, but Rubin from yesterday said that he felt about 5 drops about 6 months ago...... There is a lot of mist around from the ocean and quite a water problem apparently with the glaciers receding in the Andes and the city water being reliant on the rivers from those glaciers. Many areas around town have green grass and flowers and there are names made out of different grasses or from flowers within these pieces of grass..... these are advertisements. If a company pledges to take care of that patch of grass, they get to 'write' their name on it too. Quite a unique idea and actually very pretty as there is quite a bit of competition to make each as beautiful as possible. Many of the signs around town that we took to be road and directional signs are actually advertisements - its very strange to have an advert right next to a stop sign and I wonder which is more often noticed!

Most of the buildings, shops and houses have serious burglar bars/safety bars around the properties as well as over the windows and doors of the buildings. These are often very serious spikes and glass and other metal things that one really does not want to mess with - often together with electric fences above those too. It's only been a very few years ago since this area was plagued by really big problems and the Shining Path terrorists sort of ruled the area. This is not forgotten at all and the police presence is really heavy everywhere. They stand at every corner, and inbetween, with bullet proof vests and full body size shields at the ready. They are all relaxed and greet one happily, but we are not sure whether this is comforting or reason to be more aware than we are. We have learned that no place is totally safe but we did not feel unsafe here at all - we both carried our camera's and never for one moment felt targeted or scared at all, but all this police presence reminds one to be a tad more vigilant which is not a bad thing at all. We did make a point of getting back to the hotel tonight after dinner, before dark - even though we did see a good many people walking around last night on our way here.... its just not worth pushing it - not anywhere.

As you gather, we have had internet here and I have managed to catch up a bit. Tomorrow morning we leave here around 6.15 for our flight to Cusco, the Sacred Valley of the Incas and Macchu Picchu. I am not certain if we will have internet while we are there - but it is way too slow to upload any other photos anyway. So you will have to wait till early next week for those.

I just found a huge black spider walking on the bed and hope that I killed him when I swatted him with the city map!! I really dont feel like crawling around on my hands and knees looking for him and Frank is not being helpful by reciting 'Inky Pinky Spider" from the opposite side of the bed! And then there appeared an inch worm, slowly creeping upwards towards my pillow......... aaaaaarrgggggghhhh - now everything itches and I know I am going to be awake a million times tonight and dream of all sorts of creepy crawlies!

It's lovely to be here, it was lovely to wander around town, surrounded by the swirling masses of people who live and work in the city, to hear the sounds and feel the pulse of life here. It was great to be away from tourist places and its weird to sit in a resturant and not hear a word of english for hours at a time. It's lovely that no matter that there is often not a single common phrase or word between us and the Peruvian people, we can make ourselves understood, find our way and even buy a twirly whirly icecream in the middle of Lima, Peru. These are such incredibly special days.

I had a lovely chat with both my girls on instant message tonight - what a treat! Now just to get Steven online and up to speed before next time we go somewhere! And now, off to sleep. We have not yet packed up our bags so have to do that before leaving in the morning too. I am even looking forward to the flight :)

Till Cusco.....hopefully

love and light

Especially to U3

Annie and Frank

ps - Welma, I left your note at the Charles Darwin Center - I hope they contact you!

and Bea - a part of you is still in the Business Class section of that aircraft - happy travels :)

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l - Tunnels and Tortoises........ and more goodbyes

2009-10-13T00:15:00.001-04:00

And so our last full day on the Galapagos Islands started early again.... The breakfasts are glorious with fresh watermelon, huge pineapple pieces, melon and even guava juice! There is a wonderful spread of things to choose from - its always a buffet for breakfast and lunch and then we are served dinner....... Always way too good. And then we are off to the zodiacs, lifejackets firmly clipped and camera strung around my neck with a waterproof bag over it. this morning the swells were really showing their thing and we really had to time the short hop to the inflateable very carefully. Some of us made some really interesting steps and landings, but all stayed dry.

The island was Santa Cruz and the town Punta Aroya, a fair sized town where most of the guides live. The harbor is home to a good many very delapidated boats of all shapes and sizes. Most of them have hand painted names on them. The sealions pick a boat to lay on for the day and hop right on up, sometimes apparently tipping the boat over! There were two really big three masted ships in there - they were probably really pretty in their heyday, but would take a millionaire to even start thinking about fixing them up. It was lovely taking a slow wander through the harbor and getting a close up of the boats.

Then it was onto shore and ito busses where we were taken to the Charles Darwin Center...... It was all closed up, but we were able to walk around outside and see the tortoise breeding center and get really close up to some really humongeous tortoises! Lonesome George was there, looking really sad and tired.. He is a lowlands tortoise so does not get as big as the others we saw, but his shell was still as high as my knees! He is the last of his type of tortoise and is around 90 years old. there is a hunt on for a mate for him, but they are not very hopeful..... In the meantime there are efforts going on to breed him with another type that is really close to his dna strand and they should know in the next two weeks whether those eggs are fertile. Lonesome George still has a good 70 - 80 years ahead of him, but he sure looked as if he could do with some livening up!

The other tortoises there were also really huge and surprised us that they could move as fast as they do. The one male was making eyes at a female and the race was on! She waited till he was exactly on the opposite side of the tree and then she kicked herself into gear and headed out into the forest with him screaming behind her.... we stood and watched for a few minutes and then as they reached the first set of trees, a full 10 feet away, we all left and gave them some privacy... Many tortoise eggs from the different islands are collected, successfully bred and the babies raised till around 5 years old and then they are released back to their own islands.... In the breading center the little tortoises wander around with color coded numbers on their backs so they can be easily identified.

And then we were left to wander around the town for a couple of hours. Most of the shops along the main road are tourist shops with widely varying prices on all the same type of stuff. The really nice stuff is really pricey and .......well, we bought a few little knick knacks for the grandkids. It was good to wander away from the group and not be organized for a while and explore a good few of the side roads. I gather this is not often done as the locals seemed surprised that we had wandered away from the main drag. This is the only way to see the Galapagos Islands...... all tourists here are in groups that are led by licenced naturalists. No one is allowed to independantly roam the islands, unless you are born on the islands.

The afternoon excursion was again back to the same island, Santa Cruz, but up to the highlands to see the really really big tortoises! What a beautiful drive that was. The bus kicked and screamed, moaned and groaned all the way up to the top - sometimes slipping gears and a few times we felt as if we should get out and help push, but she made it. The highlands of this island is so absolutely and totally different from the lower levels...... that is all brown and dry and hardly ever gets any rain, but a mere few miles up the road and everything changes. The trees grew tall and the spanish moss hung from everything that was more than a foot off the ground. The grass grew in huge lush rich green tufts all over the place and the bushes and ......well, everything was just amazing.

And then there we were with this huge field in front of us with the most beautifully rounded boulders dotted everywhere..... only they were tortoises! And we thought the others were big - these were just purely incredible. They moved around slowly and surely, knowing that this land is their land. Even the farmers around here have to leave a big enough gap under their fences so that the tortoises and roam free. As we approached them, they just lift their heads and watch us looking incredibly like ET. i got some really lovely close up photos of them looking straight at the camera as well as with them happily munching on the abundant greenery that was everywhere. It was almost surreal to see these fields of slow moving tortoises that weighed hundreds of pounds each, and really lovely to see them so protected.

Too soon it was time to head out of there - but I was keen to see the lava tunnels and they were not too far away. These are huge tunnels that the lava used to run down to the ocean in. It was totally incredible! We went to a part of one tunnel that was just under a mile long and we could walk through for a fair way. This particular one was discovered only 40 years ago when a farmers cow fell into the entry hole. Now there are stairs to go down and some soft lighting so that we could see where we were going. I just loved it! The tunnel was very high - I dunno - 60 feet high maybe and it curved around corners pulling me down its length until the guide, Roman, told us to come back. Water dripped through from the ceiling and sides, keeping everything damp the ground all wet. Some people were scared to be in there, but it really fascinated me and I was sad to have to leave there. We had spent longer at the giant tortoises than intended and had to get back to the Galapagos Legend before dark.

After a really interesting ride down the mountain at high speed and us all spotting giant tortoises along the way, we safely boarded the ship for our last briefing and instructions for leaving today. It was sad, but also time for us to go...to move on to the next stage. And so the goodbyes started - happy goodbyes and lots of hugs and handshakes. I went to sit and chat to the Sri Lankan's and really enjoyed chatting with those ladies - what a sense of humor they have! And then, to the tune of the song "Its time to Say Goodbye", we all boarded the zodiacs for the last time and headed for shore........

The sky was cloudy and we did not have a good view of the islands as we flew off, but I did get to stand in sealion pee for the last time as we jumped onto shore, and we had to walk really carefully past the big ones guarding the walkway and steps... We stood outside looking around, right before going into the airport building, which is not a closed building at all... and we thought again about just where we stood, what we had seen and how incredibly fortunate we have been. During the past week, it was easy to be so busy and tired that you kinda forget where you are. Everything just moves along with very little time to reflect, which is also why we passed up the last shore excusion to Bacchus Beach early this morning. In stead, we packed and spent the last few hours on the boat, just wandering around enjoying the quiet, the birds and the ocean breeze. It was lovely.

We have come away with some incredible memories and hopefully many good photographs too - it will take a few days for it all to sink in and for me to really put into words what it meant to be at the Galapagos Islands.... it was beyond incredible, totally special, unforgettable and so much more!

And now, here we are in Peru - but thats a whole story in itself...... and for tomorrow, hopefully :)

nighty night

love and light

Annie

http://galapagobaggs.blogspot.com
http://s761.photobucket.com/albums/xx257/GalapagoBaggs/

k - Good, good days.....

2009-10-11T00:05:00.000-04:00

The days are screaming past and we do so much that its impossible to stay awake long enough to describe it all. We are woken up at 6.45am every day and breakfast is at 7am, then we get onto the zodiacs at around 8am headed for the island of the morning. Normally I wake up somewhere between the Galapagos Legend and the landing on an island. Fortunately I have not fallen or made a total ass out of myself - yet, while getting on or off these little boats that bounce around precariously on the ocean waves. Somewhere around 16 of us are perched on the soft cusions of the the zodiacs, all squished together with our bags at our feet. If we have a wet landing, then there seem to be tons of shoes littering the floor of the little boat, and it takes some co-ordination to pick them all up or else there would be a massive bumping of heads.. So far so good.

We have walked on islands that are literally barren, where it is strange to see even just a few green leaves... The cactus seem to thrive here and the iguana are fat and healthy too.....these are the land iguanas. And then other islands are much greener or just almost totally sand and lava. Today we spent some time walking through the tide pools at Egas Point on Santiago Island. That was just lovely - there were the normal little tide pools, littered with the bright orange and blue Sally Lightfoot crabs, iguanas and lounging sea lions and then there were those pools that were still connected to the ocean and each wave brought a whooshing sound, a spray of foam and water and very often a sea lion with it. It was already quite warm this morning and most of the sealions just lazed away in the water, bobbing around with the waves and swells, just popping their heads above water to breathe occasionally...... sometimes it looked as if they were dead, they were so relaxed! We have to be so careful where we walk as the iguana, land and water iguana, literally lay all over the place and only move if they really have to. Some seem to have a bit of an attitude, despite the permanent smile on their face - funny how a smile definitely looks like a smirk at times....... a "come on, make my day!" look. We try not to!

The pelicans, sea iguanas, LYB's (little yellow birds), boobies, crabs and yes, even a (say it softly please!) mocking bird, or two, are everywhere. That was funny - first thing this morning, literally as we hit the first corner of the path we were walking, the Sri Lankan gentleman behind me asks "is that a mockiing bird??" I nearly screamed! Fortunately the guide quickly told them that it was an Ani and not a mocking bird and they let it go at that. Later in the day, Frank spotted two of them, the MB's, at the waters edge and started to point them out to me with a grin on his face..... he was heavily threatened and not even allowed to point at them in case that was seen too! I am getting mean, but.....

Anyway - the walk this morning on the rocks was lovely - we watched as the pelicans dove to catch the fish right next to the rocks and it was not too long before we found a pelican that has misjudged and hit the lava........ natural selection is hard to see sometimes. There are many little lava lizards running around and ...... well, most of us have decided that everything here carries the names of either Darwinian, Lava, endemic, Galapagonian or rare......Many jokes are made about the different names. This is a fascinating place, its totally humbling to stop and think of where we stand and walk and what we are seeing - but everyone agrees that its very different from what we expected. No one can quite nail what it is that we expected, but still. The guides are very passionate about their islands and rightly so and its got to be very scary to be so totally reliant on the tourist trade in the world's economy of today. The government of Ecuador is not 100% focussed on what the Islands need to survive and many of the aspects of protecting this amazing piece of the world are just not functional. The tourist industry here is very controlled and apparently has very little impact on the islands - and this certainly seems to be the case. As a matter of fact, the more tourists come here, the more money will come in and the better the Islands can be protected.

This afternoon we had another chance to snorkel and we passed on it again. The water water was choppy, it was overcast and I still have the sniffles which would just not work at all in a mask.... so instead we went on a hike around Rabida Island. This island has a red sandy beach that is liberally littered with sealions - the colors make for some lovely photos with lovely contrasts. The male sealion patrols the waters just feet from the beach, barking at all his ladies and little ones. Occasionally he will come rushing out of the water to make his point and we all back off really quickly.

Most of the people on the boat now have not seen the pink flamingo's, the blue footed boobies or the red breasted male frigate birds, or the albatross..... Wow, we have been so fortunate to have done that first set of islands too! Tomorrow we go to the Charles Darwin Center where all the scientists work away at trying to figure out at least some of what goes on here (I will give them your note, Welma, and hopefully you will hear from them). We will see the huge giant tortoises as well as have time to walk through the town and buy some goodies and maybe even have a beer or two. We then get to walk through genuine lava tunnels..........but I will tell you more about all that in the next email.

This afternoon when we got back on board there was an ice cream fest going on which was just lovely - except that I was being kind, trying to make up for my Sri Lankan lapse, and let another couple go in front of us and, yes, they got the last of the chocolate icecream! And then tonight, after crossing the equator 4 times in two days, we had the King Neptune Party. That was really sweet. They were all dressed up, lights flickering and deep voices booming and the King was appeased and the dancing began. It was fun.

I love the evenings when the boat is moving and the wake races past my window that is choc a block full of twinkling stars, and she rocks us to sleep. I love the sound of the ocean and the cold breeze when we walk outside late at night.......We have not had many good sunsets as there always seems to be a bank of cloud right on the horizon that spoils those final moments of the light dancing across the waters, but the colors have been great and its just lovely to sit and watch the day come to an end like that.

Except that tonight was different in that aspect too. After finishing our icecream and warming up with a shower, we headed back outside to see what we could see.... and there were three of the crew with a broomstick and some wires attached to it, trying to make the stick stand up straight by hooking it into some of the ropes of the dingys that were now stored on the bow of the Galapagos Legend.... We wondered what that was about - until we got to the stern, where about 80% of the crew were gathered around a huge tv screen. On the deck right above them was the most magnificient contraption I had seen in years......... two broomsticks joined together to make a tall stick, a cross bar all wrapped with tinfoil, with wires and cable sticking out from all angles and....... well, you will just have to wait for the pictures. This was an antennae that the crew had made to try to find a tv signal for the big inter-country football game! It was just hilarious - but they got a signal for a good part of the second half of the game - each time the boat swung on its anchor and the signal was lost, one of them would dash up to the top deck and swirl that fancy piece of artwork until the snow disappeared on the tv and the game began again. It was sad, but Ecuador lost to Uruguay and the mood was somewhat somber for a while. And the sun set while we sat with our beers and watched the crew have some downtime while the game was on. The crew watched the game and us passengers watched the crew.

And so another amazing day ends.with my window full of stars, music still playing upstairs and the promise of another good day ahead.

love and light

Annie

http://galapagobaggs.blogspot.com
http://s761.photobucket.com/albums/xx257/GalapagoBaggs/

j - wild life viewing........

2009-10-09T23:14:00.000-04:00

Ok - so here we are, many days into a trip that is just absolutely amazing. We have seen so much, learned so much, seen birds and animals, views and vistas that I only ever thought we would see on tv........ and again, I am sitting in my bed with the ocean spread outside my window, cruising along at a good old clip back up on our way to re-cross over the equator - twice tonight.

For many days we have seen amazing things and yet the more mundane and sometimes equally amazing things are the people we have shared this journey with so far. I dont intend to be mean to anyone at all, just writing down how I see things from my sometimes weird and always whacky perspective......... so here goes.

When the old passengers left the boat and the new got on, we were much more comfortable with our surroundings and could spend more time seeing things other than the blue footed boobies and frigates flying by and we started noticing the other wild life - the people. In our group of the last passenger load, we had a good many younger people - not the flippy young folks of the late teens and really early twenties, but those that were still in the, what I will call, the 'flippy butt' years. There was one rather well built guy of about 30 years old that wore the tightest of white shirts with the tightest of short shorts - yes he had an incredible tan and we always found him draped languidly over a bar stool somewhere on the ship. No, not drunk, but apparently heavily involved with his cell phone that never seemed to have a signal. His dark mop of curly hair gave him a cap to peer out of at the flippy butt girls that would miraculously be positioned somewhere in front of him, either stretching up or down to pick up something or simply being louder than at other times. He, the real cool cucumber dude, always kept this very slight smile on his face, not encouraging and not quite dismissing - and it was interesting to see that neither he nor the girls ever actually approaced each other and the girls seemed to leave the area with a slightly miffed expression.

Two of the new women on board have earned the title of Estranged Mermaids.....they wander the decks restlessly in long sleeve shirts and loose fitting long pants, one looking a bit like a very tired Farrah Fawcett with her long curly blond hair. They dont seem to be totally at home out of the water and seem to try to get as much liquid inside as possible, in the form of beers, which just adds to the vagueness of their expressions. They have huge floppy hats and kinda float around, not talking to anyone really at all, but wearing weak smiles that seem to float right by your ear as one gets closer.. Then we have the Sri Lankans who are in our group - the Albatros group. All the passengers are divided up into different groups, as I think I told you earlier, and we are the Albatros group. Anyway - we were the only 'survivors' of the last group and so we have all new members.....all very nice people again. But the Sri Lankan group are very very enthusiastic.. Two of the ladies have a way of walking that is like a penguin - feet slightly turned out and a clomp-clomp style of walking with the knees also slightly pointed outwards, which helps the feet connect with each and every rock and stone that is higher than 2mm - each and every one! This, in turn, makes for a stumbling action and some very fast and fancy penguin-like footwork to maintain balance, and then back to the standard clomp-clomp for the next few steps. It's not easy walking behind this type of walker as I am constantly expecting the crash - especially when they walk like this with their video camera held out in fully extended arms with ever so slightly outward bent elbows,' in front of them being waved from left to right rather like a metal detector capturing each and every leaf and stone around. I often catch something they say that is not in english and I wonder how bad a cuss word it is.

They are full of wonder and enthusiasm which is just great and again, I am not knocking them but heck, this morning got a bit much....both Frank and I had a hard time stifling our giggles.. Here we all are, walking in single file down this rocky path - fully expecting at least one of them to fall flat, (there are 6 of them in our group) when a mocking bird is spotted. Again, For the 5th time today:

There's a mocking bird!

Rrrreaaallly

Where?!

There!

Ooooh- thats a mocking bird?

yes, yes........ its a mocking bird

its a mocking bird.....aaaaaah.

Where's the mocking bird? I cant see it!

There's the mocking bird - in the tree.....

oooooh, a mocking bird!

Really?

Yes yes! Its a mocking bird!!!

Vy is a mocking bird called a mocking bird?

And so it goes, up and down the line - until the whole issue is complicated by a yellow warbler flying into the same tree.......

Is that also a mocking bird?

No no - dats a little yellow bird

A little yellow bird?

Where??

there, there, next to the mocking bird...

Oh there.

Its not a mocking bird?

no no - the mocking bird is........vell, he vent avay!

He did? Vere?

and boy, you should have heard it when a nest was found! It's totally hilarious listening to the talk going up and down the line of us and the video cameras are all zoomed into full zoom. And yes, it all starts over again at the next mocking bird! I just love the enthusiasm, but after a hike of two hours it gets to a point where I find myself praying that all mocking birds as well as LYB's (little yellow birds) disappear for good! Maybe thats why our guide is almost bald...

And then there was a guy from the UK who wore a hat with pointy ears. The only reason I think he did this was because he could. He wandered around telling everyone that he could get to stand still for longer than 3 seconds, how impressed he was with something or other totally irrelevant to what we had seen for the day. He wore bright pink shorts had a perpetual smile with lovely round chubby cheeks. He was a total hoot - one of those guys who was obviously kind and a softie, but who was straightforward as an arrow too. One evening at the briefing for the next day, the guide asked our very tired group why we thought an albatross would want to come back to land if it could fly and glide for days at a time..... there was this fog of silence as everyone cranked their brains to remember what we had been told earlier - and into this silence he yells very loudly 'sex!' Oh boy - talk about drinks squirting out of mouths, and screaming laughter - the meeting nearly ended right there as everyone packed up laughing. Of course he was right and no one else had dared to say it as straightforwardly as he had. But the best was the surprise on his face as he saw what a stir he had caused. And another beer was ordered in celebration.

There are the people that talk endlessly about themselves and you always find them with new people at their table, for one meal, and then those people find somewhere else to go... and then you find a group like we did when we first came on board... a group of eight who have done a lot of travelling together and have a wonderful sense of humor and a lovely way of looking at life. They gave us many tips and tricks of the boat and were a great group to share out meals with. Now we are at a different and much smaller table - only four of us. The other couple are not in a tour group either and we get along very well. They are also off to Macchu Picchu after this, but not on the same schedule as we are.

It's like a whole world on this little ship - people of all different cultures, languages, habits and most of them very well travelled. Some seem to be on the ship just to be able to say they have been here, as they show little enthusiasm for anything much at all apart from the food. Others want to be in the front of every line, and stay there, which stops the others from getting a good view at times of whatever it is we are all stopped for. I dont think they do this on purpose, its just that they want to soak up as much of what is here, which is what its really all about.

And then there are the other two ladies that, for me, stand out in this group of people.... one is an exact duplicate of a friend of mine, Tilda..... everything! She walks like Tilda, has the same facial expressions, the same elegance, hand movements and all - its very spooky in a way, but at least she reminds me of someone I like! And then there is a lady who just finished her last chemo treatment on Monday and joined the ship on Wednesday - she carries the biggest smile of everyone, the quickest to hold out a hand to help someone from falling, she laughs with a laugh that comes from her toes and the twinkle in her eye is better than the glorious sunset we had tonight.

It amazes us that some people did not know what a manatee is, have never seen a pelican, literally jump up and down in absolute ecstacy at the sight of a tortoise - I am serious........but it makes me so incredibly grateful for the things I have been able to see, the things I have grown up knowing, learning about and experiencing.

So, the wild life viewing is not just about the birds and animals of the Galapagos at all, its all happening right here on board too. I wonder how others see Frank and I?

And now - with a pitch black night outside, the stars very bright in the sky and the gentle rocking of the boat as we head off into the northern hemisphere again, I am going to end the day.

Love and light
Annie

http://galapagobaggs.blogspot.com
http://s761.photobucket.com/albums/xx257/GalapagoBaggs/

i - Wingspans....and so much more.

2009-10-09T18:22:00.000-04:00

Today we covereed Espanola and Christobel Island....they are so incredibly different in so many ways. We started off on Espanola Island and were met with thousands of Sally Lightfoot crabs all over the pitch black lava rocks. The mature crabs are brilliant red with blue and black markings, the young ones are pitch black and are only easy to see when they scuttle off if we get too close. Pelicans were diving right there off the end of the jetty and a miriad of other birds whirled screaming obsceneties at us all. The sealions lay sleeping on the benches and a good few of us almost stepped on them. The big males kind of bark if we get too close and we have no issues staying well away from them - they are totally solid!

There are little paths along the islands that lead us from one part of the island to the other and back again. We are not allowed to wander far off on our own but each group has a maximum of 16 people so its not too bad and we have learned to stretch out for a good long distance. Anyway, it was soon after getting off the zodiaks that we came upon a little beach just littered with baby seals playing. One mama and baby spent all the time barking at each other - it was a relatively new born so was probably getting a bunch of life lessons right there. They were not afraid of us at all but mama did move between us and baby...... We watched the little ones play for a good while - one set was in the water and the others on the rocks and sand. They really are very sweet and all covered in sand as they chase each other around.

Further down the path we came across an albatross sitting on a nest. It just sat there and looked at us. Its very weird that they dont move away or fly off especially as we were probably no further away than 8 feet. A short distance away was a huge flat rocky area liberally dotted with the ugliest chicks. They looks like a wet feather pillow turned inside out, with eyes and a beak. These chicks soon turn into the elegant albatross, but it was totally weird seeing just how ugly their start in life is. They also were not bugged at lal by us being there.........

And so the walk went on for a good long way - many birds and colorful iguanas to see - the marine iguanas have different colors, red being the prominent one and we have to be careful not to step on them as we walk around. Some of them are really big - as in an easy 4 foot from tail tip to smiling snout. They all look as if they have a smile or smirk on their face and their claws look as if they really could do some damage if they wanted to, but mostly they just lay there, waiting for one to pass by. They sometiems seem to congregate in huge groups, all crawling over each other without seeming to mind much. Even the seallions crawl over them and bite at their tails without much of a response from the iguanas.

The most beautiful set of cliffs waited for us right around the corner - the waves turning from deep blue to turquoise with huge white frothy frills right before crashing onto the dark black cliffs! Pelicans, frigates, albatross and a good many other birds wheeled around, diving and riding the airwaves as the constant crash of the waves kept us all quiet and in awe of the power below us. There were baby albatross perched right at the edge of the cliffs and mama birds seemed to keep a beady eye on us all, but again, they are not concerned about us thing there. There is a humongeous blowhole there and every 30 seconds or so, we could hear this explosion building and the water would be forced out of the hole in an incredible display - just lovely!

As we walked further along, there were many blue footed boobies, albatross and other birds nesting in the weirdest of places. the boobies make a circle of guano/bird poop and its here that they lay their egg and the chick apparently knows not to cross the poop line. It certainly seems to work. The rocks along this path have lost their black lava look and are all white from years of being home to all these birds. One can definitely smell it, but its not too bad at all. Its rather like walking in a different world where we are definitely not in charge at all. There, in the middle of all these now white rocks and nesting birds, lay a sealion that had a huge chunck bitten out of its back by a shark. The guide said that he would survive as it looked as if it had started healing already..... poor sea lion.

The islands are very differerent and I want to say different from what I expected, but then i dont really know what I expected in the first place. Its lovely with the ocean and the breeze and the birds wheeling all over the place, and very different from anything we have seen before.

In the afternoon we went to the highlands of Christobel Island..... we were taken to shore then all boarded a bus for the 30 minute ride up into the mist and hills. Oh my, what a ride that was... That poor motor screamed and chocked and chugged and coughed all the way on incredibly small roads where each corner was a blind one and kept us heading way way up. I did not look out of the front window at all - figured that if I could not see where or how we were going, then it would be much more relaxing - and it was. Frank spent some time looking forward and I could tell whenever a curve was coming up - he would tense up and hold his breath! Anyway - we got there safely as I am sure most of the busses do. And then off for a walk in the area where they breed the giant tortoises. We quickly came across one almost jogging along the path - he was not slow at all, but after some determined people caught up with him, he withdrew into his shell and hissed loudly at us. We saw a good few of them either slowly plodding along or with their heads firmly planted deep in their shells trying had to ignore us all........and then went to see the little bitty baby ones...... boy do they start off small and have a lot of growin to do. Then it was back on to the bus for the ride down the hill again. Unfortunately most of the view was cut off by the mist - or maybe that was fortunate that we could not see much at all.... dunno. Anyway, about half way down we got a flat tire and the poor driver was watched by all 17 of us as he used a rock for a jack and changed that tire in 10 minutes flat.

Most of the passengers were leaving the boat the next day, so it was back to the island of Baltra for their morning flight to the mainland. We had become friendly with the group at our table and it was sad to see them all leave. They had a great sense of humor and had been on the boat for a week already. So, early on Wednesday morning, there was the opportunity for anyone to snorkel again, but it was way too cloudy and cold for us, so we stayed on board and enjoyed a slow breakfast. Soon after that the boat became a teeming mass of people with luggage, final bills, lost property and swapping contact numbers and emails... there were hugs all around and also a good many laughs floating around. And then they were all gone. We watched from the top deck as they all loaded onto the zodiacs for their final ferry to the shore - and yes, I got pictures of the waving and shouting goodbyes. The boat was gloriously quiet for a few minutes and then it was announced that if any of us remaining passengers - all six of us - wanted to go snorkeling or walking on the beach we could. So Frank and I quickly headed for the next zodiac and went to the beach where we walked in the beautiful silence in crystal clear water - all by ourselves for the first time in weeks, it seemed. On the way there we saw a pair of huge sea turtles swimming and an "endemic penguin" as well as the 'endemic lava seagull'. It was not too long before we saw the airplane bringing in the new crowds and we headed back to the boat again... but it was a good break.

The 'newbies' came on board, all bright-eyed and busy tailed with excitement and expectation and lots of confusion too...... It was good to see what we looked like just a few days ago - that seems to be largely replaced by sheer exhaustion much of the time. nice, but really tiring. We had the decks to ourselves as they all has their briefing about rules of the boat, general stuff and an evacuation drill. We had started motoring again and it was just wonderful to be on the deck as the Galapagos Legend plowed her way through the water... just lovely!.

The afternoon promised another opportunity to snorkel and also a climb to the top of Bartolome Island for a magnificant view. I have been feeling a bit cruddy with a sore throat for the last few days and did not want to push it, so again, we did not snorkel or swim. Instead we went to the one end of the beach to sit and relax and watch the sealions play and the time go by....... but the mozzies had a different idea and a simply great feast! There were clouds of them hovering over each and every persons head, shoulders, legs and arms - worse than the the tundra in Alaska! The little buggers bit with a sting too and soon the beach was filled with hopping, squeaking and slapping tourists some of them even breathing mozzies through their snorkels! It was rather funny - but only after every open space on our legs and arms were already bitten.. So there we had all been awed by the wingspan of the albatross and were now all being literally moved by the mozzie - possibly the smallest windspan on the islands...

Then we headed up those 365 steps to the top of Bartolome Island for one really incredible view. The sun was setting and every 100 steps or so there was a staging place that we could stop and and pretend to take pictures and admire the view, all the while huffing and puffing as quietly as we could, trying desperately to catch our breath for the next 100.... Seriously, it was lovely...... very other-wordly with lava everywhere and small lava tunnels and openings where the lava once spat itself out and covered the land. I almost expected to see one of those flying dinosaurs that I cannot spell but that always seem to start with a 'p' or something.... lovely. There are some cactus that grow here that make soil by cracking the rocks they grow on - very weird stuff. There was not much else living on this island, just some lava lizards and, of course, all those mozzies at the beach.

On all the islands where there are many little beaches, one male sea lion lays claim to that area and almost constantly barks his possession of this space. A good many female sea lions lay around or swim , all assured of their protection by the Main Man of the area. We stay pretty much clear of this male as he is normally quite large and sometimes does a semi charge towards anyone getting too close. There are also a good many little birds all over the place. After the Amazon cruise, we have given up on naming them and they are now commonly known to us as LBB's = little brown/black birds or LYB's = little yellow birds...That works for us.

Today on the way back from Urbina Bay on Isabela Island, we saw some rather big fish jumping and a good many birds going after them and also the smaller fish around there..... someone asked what sort of fish it was and before I could stop myself, I answered "it's a SBF!". It's a what??!! A SBF - Stupid Big Fish........ Everyone laughed. Well, why on earth would a fish want to jump right there where the birds that would eat it are flying?

This afternoon Frank and I decided to go awol from the shore excursion...... so we had a good few very quiet hours wandering around on deck, caught a good snooze a great shower and generally relaxed for the first time since leaving home. We have been so on the go all this time, trying to absorb so much, see so much, not miss anything that I think it was necessary to stop for a few hours. It was just what we needed. So now, its only a few minutes till the passengers all get back on board, we feel rested and generally recharged. It's cloudy outside and for supper we have a bbq on the back deck again. Tonight we well be moving north again around Isabela island, back over the equator and down to Rabida Island for the morning. The ocean is much rougher around the northern islands and its lovely watching the bow wave glowing at night and the birds cruising past our window being lit up in some of the running lights on board. I really love it when they open the motors wide open and we rock and roll throguh the night - also funny to see a good few green and very tired faces the next morning. ok, so maby that was mean, but still.

Now off to shower and off to the bbq. More tomorrow.

love and light

Annie

http://galapagobaggs.blogspot.com
http://s761.photobucket.com/albums/xx257/GalapagoBaggs/

h - Catching up......from the Galapagos islands!

2009-10-09T17:34:00.000-04:00

Here I am, sitting in the pitch dark of our cabin, with Frank gently snoring next to me and the lights all off so I can see the nothingness outside..... Well, not really nothinigness at all. The stars are out and the huge wake from the Galapagos Legend sends ligh into the utter darkness out here. The boat is rocking away beautifully, up and down, side to side and the wake is making that lovely swishing noise. We have huge windows in our cabin and no walkway on the outside, so the curtains stay open at night too - pretty much all the time.

I really dont know how to describe these past few days - we are exhausted, but in a good way. There is so much to do, so much to see and so much we just refuse to miss out on, that we fall exhausted into bed before I can even try to write it all down.

The two days in Quito before we came here to the islands, was just amazing. If any one of you ever want to come to Ecuador, please ask for Gustavo - he is an excellent guide and really gave us two amazing days. We went to Otavalo Market on Saturday which was just amazing. He left us there alone to wander through the colors and smells, weave through the indigenous people and soak up some of the culture here. What a lovely time that was....... open sacks with spices, dead chickens with their feet still on, pork cooked whole and smelling delicious - but still looking at us which prevented any thoughts of eating them! We found guavas and happily bought 4 to munch on right there and then. It was such a happy time just wandering around and finding small little treasures. There were tons of tourist things, but this was also a market for the locals and it was very well used too.

There are a good many "social programs" going on here to help the locals - one of them was that we pick up one of the girls selling beautiful cloths, (they know the guides already) and take her a few miles down the road to another market area where she would catch the bus back to place one again. The point of this? Well, along the way, this 15 year old indigenous girl sang songs to us that brought tears to my eyes. There she sat in the back seat and gave us something that no money could really buy - it was just totally awesome. Christina was simply beautiful and it strikes me now that she probably had a different name and I never asked. And then we looked at the cloth she was selling - so soft, vibrant colors and just irristable, and we bought 4 of them. Just lovely.

After the market, we went for a simply delicious lunch at a 300 year old building that .......well, it had something to do with the wine making many years ago - no wait, not wine... Oh hell, so much information in so little time has me all befuddled. I will think about it and hopefully will find the right thing sometime - but it was a beautful place to sit and have lunch. Another good choice, Gustavo!

And then up to the Sacred Waterfall in the area. There was not too much water in it, but it was still beautiful. Apparently the locals come here to the ceremonial masks blessed before ceremonies and such. Yes, this still goes on here. Life here is so very different from the USA. Its much more basic and closer to the real roots of life. Herbal medicine is well used and well combined with modern medicine as well. Not everything is pre-packaged, safe or perfect by a long way. Walking around from the hotel at the end of the day was lovely - we would wander down the road in search of somewhere that we could buy fresh fruit and bread - we were always way too full up after lunch to want a full supper. We never felt anything but totally safe. Of course one is careful but there was no need to take off my earrings as someone suggested. It's lovely here, really lovely.

On Sunday we headed out early again - this time to Mindo. We went to see the hummingbirds and also the butterflies. We had heard that this drive was about a 2 hour drive - "depending on how brave your guide is".......... We took just over and hour and a half, winding our way through the most incredible scenery. The hills towered waaaay above us, filled with a mess of different plants and trees, all placed perfectly by mother nature. It was just amazing. The traffic on the way there was not too bad, so passing on a solid white line on a blind curve was not too bad...but on the way back - well that was different. No, seriously - I was not worried for a single moment, give or take a few, but the driving in this country is definitely something different. Gustavo was excellent, but I just know that there is absolutely no way that I would ever be able to drive here and live to talk about it - Frank neither!

Anyway - off we went to see the hummingbirds......and they gave us a simply beautiful showing. There were so many of them that I could literally just point in the same place and happily click away and know that I would get some really good shots - and thats how it worked. This allowed me also to look at the whole picture, not only through the camera lens. And then we went for a walk through the Cloud Forest.

It's called the Cloud Forest because the clouds come from the coast, hit this range of mountains and go no further. The forest is lush and green and filled with many different birds. We huffed and puffed our way up high into some hills, seeing a stunning toucan along the way, many flowers and some really amazing scenery. We used many stops to catch our breath. I know, the elevation cannot take all the blame for our short windedness........

And then we met up with the crowd from the Manatee Amazon cruise! There they were, all gazing in expectation high into some or other tree and when I yelled hello, a good many sets of binoculars left the trees and were focussed on us. It was so good to see them again! We hung with them for a few minutes and then moved on down teh road..Funny how accustomed one becomes to people after just a week, and how easy it is to miss them afterwards.

Then it was off to the butterfly place.. I really wanted to see some transparent butterflies. I had told a friend of mine that I was going to photograph on just for her, but she passed away just before we got here.... but I was still determined to get one for her. And we did! We saw the most beautiful butterflies - blue morphos, transparent ones and other really pretty butterflies... Its so quiet in that area where they are..... The butterflies are being bred there and then most of them released into the wild. Many hummingbirds whirred around as well as we sat and had lunch. Just a magic time.

And then, with all three of us really tired, we headed home to the hotel in Quito again... We had planned on going to a resturant where they had a show planned for the evening, but neither of us could do more than a short walk to the local store again. We did go up and have a glass of wine in the hotel lounge where we could look out over those magic city lights again. Then off to pack and fall exhausted into bed.

And so now we are here, miles and miles away from the mainland in an incredible place. The seas here are picking up, and when I look out of my window I can see the moon shining through some fairly weak clouds, but casting a simply beautiful silver road across the ocean right to my window...... This is just glorious.

We left Quito at around 6am on Monday morning, flew via Guayaquil, which is further south in Ecuador, and then out to Baltra airport on the gALAPAGOS ISLANDS. iT WAS CLOUDS MOST OF THE WAY, BUT WE MANAGED TO SEE SOME SIMPLY AWESOME VIEWS OF THE ISLANDS RIGHT AS WE GOT REALLY CLOsE IN. tHE PEOPLE ON THE BOAT SAID THEY WATCHED OUT PLANE COME IN AND SAID THAT IT LOOKED LIKE "AN INTERESTING RIDE"... HMMMMM. i REMEMBER THINKING THAT WE BANKED A BIT STEEPLY AND CHOSE NOT TO ASK FOR ANY MORE DETAILS. wE LANDED SAFELY AND WITH MUCH EXCITEMENT.

Ok, I have just noticed the caps - but you get it like that - its dark in the cabin and I have the lid of the laptop pulled almost on to my fingers so that I can look outside at the ocean going by without too much light disturbance.... So I am no9t going to correct all those caps - but I was not shouting... just in awe of the fact that we are here and that it is totally amazing.

Anyway - after landing, we had a short bus ride to the jetty where we got about the pangas/zodiacs that would take us to the cruiseship. We had a welcoming party of a few sealions lying on the bences there, all sleeping way and not bugged by us at all. Then off to the Galapagos Legend where we were shown to a lovely cabin with two HUGE windows with a never ending perfect view.

Its a whole lot different on this big boat, especially coming from the Manatee where everything is a whole lot more personal. The Galapagos Legend is not too big to be impersonal and we quickly learned to recognise faces and after day two, we feel quite at ease.

Anyway - we have been on a good few walks, have seen frigates, frigates with that huge red baloon under their beaks, baby frigates that are all fluffy and white and quite happy to have us so close, The blue boobies are really odd with really blue blue feet and sharp eyes that just sit and look at you with no fear at all. They fly by really close and dont worry when we are close to their nests at all. There are many different little birds all over, the bright yellow finches are the most colorful. And the Iguanas! Oh my - those really look like dragons! Some of then are absolutely hugs with yellow skins and spiky deals sticking up on thier backs. All over the place are the drag marks from their tails and holes in the ground that are their nests. They dont run from us at all and if we are in the way and they want to pass - its us that moves! Quite amazing. Some have this strange orange color to them, others are pitch black, some huge and then others as small as our standard house lizard. And all the time the figrates just hang in the air above us. I have to say that I keep hoping that they have not yet had thier meal of the day!

Today we saw manta rays, sharks, pink flamingoes and more birds. Seeing the pink flamingoes against a backdrop of black lava is quite amazing. Also the Sally Lightfoot crabs are incredibly colorful on those black rocks. The island we walked on this afternoon delivered a stunning view of asure blue waters with distant islands dotting the horizon - just delicious! And then after the walk, we went snorkeling. Frank and I got all togged up, but did not stay in long at all. It was the end of a long day and the water and air had cooled off qite a bit and .well.... it was just too blasted cold! So out we got again and found that it was not long before even those with full wetsuits came shivering their way onto the beach again. The underwater camera did a good job, but there was nothing to see. Maybe next time.

After getting back to the ship, we quickly showered and headed to the back deck to a good BBQ. We all sat out on deck with the moon shining on the waters, eating a lovely meal cooked right there in front of us all. And this brings me to where I started - the moon shine (no no, not moonshine!) in the water right outside my window, the boat bouncing its way to San Christobel Island where we will be in the morning and me just loving it too much to get some much needed sleep!

We are both tired, very tired and know that we should probably have spaced this vacation out a bit - but are still enjoying it all tremendously. The food on board it great and it almost feels as if we are constantly eating. Both of us are finding our clothing a tad loose, so many all the walking is doing something good to our waist lines, despite the endless good food. Each night after supper, we get a briefing to let us know what is in store for the next day.... I fell asleep in tonights briefing, but am sure that I will not be left behind.

Tomorrow we will see the giant tortoise as well as the the albatross. We will be in the town on Christobel Island for a while too and will have the chance to buy some local goodies too.

Now off to bed with two very tired eyes, a fully brain and a smile planted firmly around my face. This is just wonderful, Ilove the movement of the ship and bet its going to rock me to sleep like nothing before.

Love and light

Annie

http://galapagobaggs.blogspot.com
http://s761.photobucket.com/albums/xx257/GalapagoBaggs/

Little Blue Loo

2009-10-04T23:16:00.001-04:00

http://s761.photobucket.com/albums/xx257/GalapagoBaggs/

g- Parrots, Caymen and goodbyes....

2009-10-03T23:26:00.002-04:00

Today started with me only waking up when we were already headed down the river some way! I know I got up, had breakfast, chatted with others and boarded the canoe... but I only really woke up on the river somewhere, to another lovely day. We headed just a little way down before seeing a clay lick filled with green parrots feasting away noisily. We hung out in silence, bobbing on the river just watching as more and more of these parrots arrived to get their go at the clay lick. They apparently need something that is in that clay for their diet and there are a good few spots like this around. There are three in this area that are easily accessible and apparently there is also a place the hummingbirds go to for this - now that should be something to see too.

After a while of watching these birds, they all suddenly, as one, squawked loudly and flew off, screaming loudly from the trees. Once they are in the trees, there is no way you can see them but they definitely made themselves heard... They were not going to come back again so we headed off to the official clay lick that we could sit in a hide and watch the parrots from a good deal closer. We walked up that walkway in silence but not hearing anything at all - no birds. So after about 15 minutes we left there as we were told that there had recently been anacondas there and the birds were probably not ready to come back yet. There is a place that they, the parrots, go to to drink water and we headed that way. Success..... there they were - in screaming glory. Hundreds and hundreds of them hopping around tree trunks, flying in and out of the small cave where there was water lying and generally creating a beautiful display. The tips of their winds are blue and sometimes there was a splash of orange too. We did not have strong binoculars at all, but looked through a telescope of one of the guides. What beautiful birds those are!

After a a good long while of watching this display, these birds also all flew off screaming into the trees and it was time again for us to head back home again for lunch, a rest and then off to see the alligators and many more birds.

Frank and I are not really into birds and especially when all we see is a black dot either flying way high in the sky, or perched obscurely on a branch in a nightmare tangle of camoflague green leaves. Occasionally a bird was close enough for us to see and enjoy, but mostly we just enjoyed the quiet as all the birdwatches had their binoculars glued to their eyes as they either hunted that bird that was definitely somewhere 'up that tall tree to the left', or gazed at it trying to decide what it was. Some of the birds were really lovely and many of them were really glad to see them. We just enjoyed being out on the water, bobbing gently and looking at the stunning scenery.

After our last lunch on board the Manatee, we all boarded the canoe again for the short ride to the main shoreline where we were going to be picked up and taken by road to Lemon Lake - its called that because of its color although it did not look green to us in the light at that time of day. This lake is not accessible by boat as the river leading to it is way to small and narrow for the canoe so we had to rely on the locals to get us to the lake and also to use their canoe for the exploration of the lake.

When we first got to the shoreline, there was no transport so we waited for a while, and soon after two pickup trucks/bakkies and a car pitched up. Frank and I quickly jumped into the back of one of them, sitting on the wheel wells and looking forward to this ride! Others piled inside the car and the pickups and off we all headed in loose convoy to the lake. The drive was only about 15 minutes but it was simply lovely! The bakkie bounced crazily as the driver screamed down the road, taking for granted that we would hold on tight. There was a short way of paved road, but most was a dirt road filled with potholes. The dust flew and it was not long before the other bakkie passed us by, giving us a dirt bath for the rest of the way.

The canoe was tiny by comparison and we all realised that we have been very spoiled with our canoe and its relatively comfortable seats all week long. These seats were small and the cushions not really filled with much padding at all. We were all a bit skittish about the ease that the canoe seemed to dip to one side and the other and there were many sharp gasps as we all leaned in the opposite direction to correct the balance. At least we all worked well as a team, even though it was not really necessary.

We saw many birds and some monkeys and mostly just hung out near the shoreline looking at birds and waiting for the sunset to arrive...... And as it got darker, we could see the glow worms everywhere, lighting up the waters along the shoreline and teh fireflies dancing in the darkness. And then the guides found some Cayman eyes! We all sat very quietly watching those eyes watch us in the ever deepening darkness. The moon was bright and full and those cayman just hung there as still as can be, and then just slid quietly without even a ripple, back under the water. The one that we watched for the longest was about 9 foot long, according to the Raol, the guide in front of the canoe. It was really interesting to see that eye just watching us and I wondered what would happen if we all tipped into that water right then! I bet we would all have made enough noise to scare them away for a long long time!

After enjoying the fairylike lights from the lightening bugs and fireflies, it was once again time to gead back to the Manatee........and we zipped across that lake in the darkness and quiet just knowing that there were a good many eyes watching and ears listening.

Back into the bakkies we climbed with huge smiles and headed back along the road to the canoe. About half way there I realised that the guides were all still waiting for their ride, and only us tourists were in these bakkies bouncing crazily along a road that was no long visible in the night and not being able to speak the language..... It was quite a thought, even though none of us were at all worried in any way whatsoever, it made me even more determined to learn Spanish when we get home again......besides, it was just plain fun.. The ride to the Manatee was also in total darkness - it was a perfect ending to the day. I must say that the best part of the day for me was those rides in the back of the bakkies.. that crazy bouning along the roads, the dust, the smells and .......well, it was all so raw and basic and just wonderful.

We had a late dinner on board - our last, settled the onboard bills and were then presented with a lovely slideshow of pictures taken by the guides during our week with them.. it was simply wonderful! We laughed at each other, remembered so many good times and started the slide towards the inevitable goodbyes. But it was late and we had a 5am wake up call in the morning in order to make the 2 hour canoe ride back to Coca and our flights back to Quito.

We slept like logs, all woke up on time, had a quick breakfast, took more photos and started the ride away from a totally wonderful week.

The people we met were just great. I particularly got on well with a lovely lady by the name of Ann and we shared many laughs. She and her honey of a husband, Keith, got some sad news about her brother while on river, but kept on going as there really was no alternative. We shared many laughs along the way and my memories of the river cruise will always be tightly woven with her. Thanks Ann! All the others were just wonderful too and we all got on very easily without any problems at all even though we were not a part of their bird watching tour.

The crew was totally amazing..... the cook did a stupendous job as did those that brought us those fabulous cooked meals at night and made sure there was enough beer and wine to go around.... Jose, your singing in the bar at night when you thought no one could hear, was lovely - yes, we could hear you from our cabin and it always made us smile. The captain was friendly and very capable and always had a smile for us all.

The guides, Raol, Ernesto, Marco and Ian were incredible. They shared so much knowledge along the way that it was impossible to retain it all. They showed a total love for the area and the wildlife as well as a genuine concern for the people who live along the rivers and a want to better the lives of the children particularly.. Each of them kept us going with laughter and fun, information and help along the slippery paths when we walked. A huge thank you to all of you - you made this a really tremendous week for us - one that touched me deeply in many ways and that I will never forget. Muchos, muchos Gracias!

And so we found ourselves at Coca airport after making sure that it was not a picture of The Chippendales on the side of the Airplane Resturant on the banks of the river..... I really should look closely at the photos as when some looked through the binoculars at that picture, there were a good few "oh my!"s :) We boarded the plane for the short ride back to Quito - its only about 25 minutes as we hopped over the Andes Mountains again. Those mountains are just beautiful and some of the volcano's have snow on the tops still - just lovely. After landing and getting our baggage, the final goodbyes were said and we headed off on our own again. They will stay in a group together in a different hotel and leave Quito on Monday for home again. We might bump into them on Sunday at MIndo Cloud Forest, but our goodbyes are done, email addresses exchanged and each one of them, their smiles and laughter and sparkle in their eyes will be a part of me from now on.

We are back in Quito again now, in the same hotel room as before. We had left some of our luggage here and now need to sort it all out again for the Galapagos leg. But first we have two days here - Saturday we will spend at the Otavalo Market outside of Quito and Sunday at Mindo and then off to Galapagos very early on Monday morning - the flight is at 5.45am - go ahead, laugh at me Lisa! I wish this on you one day - on you all!

I will try to get some more photos up tomorrow evening again as well as an email about this weekend. I dont believe that we will have any internet while on the ship at Galapagos, so all will probably be quiet from us until we get to Lima, Peru around the 13th October.

This has been a truely incredible week that will live with me for a long time. When we are home again, I will be able to sift properly through the photos and memories and relive it all - after a few days of lots of sleep and rest. We had some concerns about travelling in an organised fashion like this as we had always gone where and when we wanted to - but this has been so easy and so good....

So, with a huge smile and a million memories, we say goodbye to the jungle - for now. I miss it already.

love and light
Annie

http://galapagobaggs.blogspot.com
http://s761.photobucket.com/albums/xx257/GalapagoBaggs/

f - Reflections and more...

2009-10-03T22:12:00.001-04:00

Its Thursday already and time is running out on this leg of the trip......... We started the day with the captain running the Manatee up on a sandbank so that they could change out the props that had got horribly bent from hitting submerged trees. It was an interesting feeling the purposefully run up on that sand and lovely to watch as a good many kids came peeking out of the jungle to see what was happening. There they stood in their crisp little uniforms, keeping their backpacks on their back and looking with huge eyes as this huge boat ran aground.. And then there must have been some silent signal as they all turned as one and ran back into the jungle - no doubt to school as the time was about right.

Today we were to have lunch at a communal house in the jungle, take a walk to see what we could see and also another swim..... And so we started with another fun run down the Napo river to the Panayacu River, or Piranha River. This was a much narrower little river and the motorised canoe could only just fit across it in most places... The reflections in this river were just stunning! The water was so still and the sunlight just perfect - so many photos are coming home with us. We saw monkeys, a sloth, many birds, some fish that skipped across the top of the water. There was a huge lizard lying on one of the small 'beaches' along the way, but he skuttled off as we came closer. And then we pulled up to the very small landing place where we were going to unload for lunch. This was a huge room up on stilts and with a roof and partial walls make of woven leaves. There was also mosquito netting all around as this is a well used place and best to keep the bugs out of the food. There was a part of this room partitioned off as the kitchen and after the guides and cooks unloaded everything, we were divided into two groups for the jungle walk. We got to go for a short ride in the canoe again and I was very happy - those reflections called me loudly. And then we started the walk which was just lovely. We saw lizards and birds, bugs and strange pink wine glass shaped mushroom type things and other really lovely orange patterned lichen. There was a big black spitting beetle on some of these and we all respectfully kept our distance while photographing him at the same time. There were beautiful flame like flowers and many odd little things to keep me clicking all the way.

There were Tarzan and Jane vines and a couple of people swung on them while giving the required whooop as they desperately hung on as they swung a short distance........ it looked like fun, but there is absolutely no ways that this could ever be a mode of transport through the jungle - its way too thick a mess of trees, shrubs and plants. But the idea is fun.

We saw a beautiful green lizard on a leaf and it sat and posed for us, only blinking once or twice in all the time we stood around admiring him. Then we were led through a really sucky mud puddle where the mud very nearly came to the top of our boots and we had to walk really carefully so as not to fall in the muck. As I started into this puddle, I heard the voice of the guy behind me, ahead of me! It did not totally click, but I had to let it go and concentrate on not getting my camera near that mud. And then the hand that was held out to help me out, was that guide and I knew we had just been conned! There was a path around the mud. It was an interesting experience and made us all laugh, but I am so glad I did not fall!

And then right as the walk was at its end, the guide who had been with the other group came back to show us that they had found a boa constrictor... oh joy! It was only about 3 foot long and curled up tightly behind a log - but not for long. Our guide found a long stick and gently picked it up so that we could all get a good look at him. And was he just beautiful! He sat perched at the end of that stick in full warning pose, threatening to strike out at anyone that came close. The designs on this snake were just lovely and clear - I will put a photo up soon.

Then lunch called and we headed that way to be met by a beautifully laid out table in this house on stilts.....even decorated with huge boquets all made from jungle leaves and flowers and the place mats were made from leaves cut into an oblong. The food was delicious once again, the company was great, the beer was cold and it was was perfect.

So with full stomachs and happy smiles we headed back to the canoe and Piranha River.... headed further up the river to Piranha Lake. And again those glorious reflections met us around every corner, stunning my camera finger into constant clicking..... until the rain started. We quickly closed the roof of the canoe and kept on going in a very heavy downpour. The driver of the canoe really had a rough time avoiding the branches almost everywhere and spent much of his time lifting the motors out of the water to avoid bent props on those engines as well. As we came to the lake, the rain let up a bit and we jumped into the water again! Oh it was lovely....... there were definitely more cold spots in this river, but it was all welcome after the hot and sweaty walk through the jungle earlier on.. We hung around there for a good while as some in the boat said the dolphins and fish were jumping all around..... This lake is called Piranha Lake for a reason, but that did not bug us. One person said they felt something nudge them, but never found out what it was..

And then the ride back to the Manatee started... It took quite a while and was a slow ride as we scooted slowly through the branches, watched more monkeys and birds and enjoyed those reflections again... I just could not get over how beautiful this little river was and could easily spend a lot more time messing around there. We finally got back out into the Napo River and the driver must have already been very tired. The sun was setting, casting a totally glorious pink all up and down the river and making it very difficult to see where the branches or sandbanks were. We connected with some branches a few times and ran aground a sandbank just once, but we all literally rocked the boat and we got off in no time at all.

We got back to the Manatee when it was pretty much dark - the sun always sets here at 6pm and rises at 6am, always. The lights on the Manatee threw beautiful reflections on the water that danced in the ripples she created as she moved along slowly, looking for the tie up place for the night. Just beautiful.

After supper, it was decided that there would be a short night walk - and I immediately signed up. I was exhausted by this time, but how could I miss a night walk in the jungle? Frank gave it a miss and it was a very small group of five that headed out with flashlights and raincoats. We saw some bugs, small frogs, a stick insect or two, leaf cutter ants as well as those really horrible Congo ants! The best for me was when all the flashlights were turned off and we listened to the noise of the jungle. That pitch black dark is totally incredible and I am not sure that I would enjoy it for very long at all. We did not stay out for long as it started raining again, it was late and we were all very tired.

And so another day ended with me falling into bed, totally happy, totally exhausted and with a huge smile on my face, in anticipation of the parrot licks and a night visit with the caymans scheduled for tomorrow.

Till then

love and light

Annie

http://galapagobaggs.blogspot.com
http://s761.photobucket.com/albums/xx257/GalapagoBaggs/

a few pics

2009-10-03T09:10:00.000-04:00

Jungle school and a glorious sunset

2009-10-02T22:52:00.000-04:00

First let me tell you that I have managed to put up some photos - not too many, but its a start. This laptop is really tiny and .........well, I will do more again soon.

This morning was not too much of an early start - we had to give the kids a chance to get to school so that we could visit them and see how the schools work here. So we had a relaxed breakfast and only left the Manatee at around 8am, heading upriver to pick a school to stop at. The first school we stopped at, we could not visit as the teacher had gone to town for the day to do paperwork. Yes, The Teacher, as in one teacher. Many of teh schools only have one teacher for all the kids. They dont have grades like we have in our schools, but have units to finish....... 56 of them, if I remember correctly. Anyway, we scooted downriver and found one where the teacher was also away, but a committee member was there, could show us around and accept the gifts of pencils, paper and other supplies that were brought to them.

The canoe could not get all the way up to the river bank as there was a sandbank in the way, so we all piled out with our wellies on and, much to the utter amusement of the kids watching us, we trudged through the wet sand, mud and water to reach the steps. Now steps here are not always like steps that we know - most times they are simply steps cut out into the sand of the rivers edge. Sometimes its a good 15 feet and higher to get to the top......and its always muddy, always slippery and always worse going down than up! By the time we reached these steps the kids were all openly laughing and it really did not help when one of us.....well, she did not fall, she kinda just sat down on one of the steps to stop herself from falling... No, it was not me.

The community center consisted of a few buildings, the school building, the outside toilet and meeting rooms for the parent meetings and other community get togethers. When you picture all this - you have got to put aside any thoughts of windows or heat and air - well, there is plenty of air - there are just no windows to keep it out. The school room was not very big and had eight double desks in it - half facing towards a board on the back of the room and half facing forward to a different board on the front of the room that held different lessons. There were fractions on the one board and we all agreed that these were part of that stuff that one forgets about 6 minutes after passing the tests! They had some books that were really beautifully illustrated and very well taken care of. There were a few kids in the classroom with us and they sat quietly, looking at us as we chatted and asked questions. Of course they could not understand us, but our guides translated and asked them some questions. They were really shy, as all kids around that age are.... They are pretty petite for their age by comparison to the American kids and they all have perfect teeth and bright and interested eyes.

Instead of glass in the windows, one of the main walls has huge openings for windows, but there was a very attractive grating, so when sitting at the desks we could see straight out into the jungle. I wondered how often the monkeys came to visit. There were butterflies all over the place outside, lining the walls and flying in a frenzied flapping cloud as we walked near them. The toilet is a separate building outside and, as with the other buildings, up on stilts to stp flooding when the river rises over the banks, which must happen often enough to warrant almost all the houses and buildings being up on stilts - sometimes a good eight feet up! The roofs of these buildings are all made from the leaves of various palm trees and do an amazing job at keeping the rain out - it also looks lovely.

When we signed up for this river boat cruise, we were told that part of the fee was to help support the community - I have to admit that I did not really ask too much about it - but here was where some of that money went to. The governments supplies the backpacks and uniforms for the kids - yes, uniforms in the jungle and they all looked neat and clean! They also supply some of the needed things for day to day teaching, but once that initial lot has been used up, its up to the teachers to use their money to get what the kids need, like pencils, more paper, chalk, marker pens and the many things that make teaching easier and learning more attractive. The teachers do not earn a whole lot and the communities are not always able to supply what is needed, so most times, these schools go undersupplied and the kids lose out on many opportunities. There is a great need for a little cash injection into these schools - the education is at the grass roots level of development here - they need so much and in so many cases, just a little bit will go a really long way to really getting a good few kids a better chance.

Because the communities are all spread out along the banks of the Napo River, some of the kids have a really long way to walk to school...... some walk 2 hours there in the morning and two hours back home. And no, there is no pickup lane, no parents to fetch them - the kids, some really little, walk all these hours by themselves through and alongside the rivers edge, all in their little white shirts, blue pants and government issued backpacks. At some schools we saw some smaller canoes, so they probably use that mode of transport too. Other communities had a canoe service that would pick up some of the kids in a communal canoe and bring them in, but still - many walked each and every day. The 11 year old that was in the room said he walked about one and a half hours each way.

The only running water available is that in the river and the electricity is sometimes available for about 2 hours a night - you should see the wiring - gives me the heebie jeebies! But it works. When the girls reach eight or 10 years old, that is considered old enough to take care of the babies, feed them, change them, carry them around and take over all aspects of being mama, while their parents work the cash crop fields. The boys learn fishing really young too and so although it looks like an idyllic life for kids - there are many really tough and responsible chores to do. The girls are considered to be old enough to be wives at 12 to 14 years old. And so the cycle continues.

After visiting the school, we were allowed in to one of the houses. this house was up on very high stilts - easily 12 foot up and there really was nothing inside but a few benches around the walls. And I say walls very loosely... there are no walls, but rather railings and sometimes some palm fronds woven into a design, but they are all open with the woven parts only seemingly to be for decoration. There was a walkway across into other parts of the house like the bedroom and the kitchen, but we did not impose and go in there. The lady of the house make necklaces out of all totally natural stuff - and they are beautiful! We all bought some and when hung together also make for lovely windchimes. The seeds used are black and red, so they are really bright and pretty.

And then we went for a short walk through the jungle. One of the little kids shadowed us, not really wanting to join in, but also throwing stones or something deep into the jungle and giggling behind his hand with really button -bright eyes when we reacted with surprise each time. It was cute. We found some really interesting little insects, but mostly I just loved the denseness, the utter chaos of different plants, greenery and the rustling of leaves as the little frogs jump around and the rain drips in its endless fall to earth. We often made sure we were behind everyone else and let them get a little ahead of us so that we could stand alone in the jungle in total silence - its wonderful!

And then, right after we got back into our canoe for the ride back to the Manatee - the heavens opened up and everything pretty much disappeared into a typical and very heavy Amazonian Downpour. It was just glorious! The air is already so clean and clear and the rain just makes the sunlight touch everything with a light glow - just lovely.

After lunch and a good few hours rest time, in which I took a nap! I could hardly believe it myself, but I slept while we were cruising down the river. I must have been really tired. At around 3.30pm we boarded the canoe again and headed to another river island to see what there was to see. We all had the option of taking the afternoon off and staying on board to watch a napkin-folding display or go walking on the island....... everyone boarded the canoe! We were all very tired by this time of the trip, but no one wanted to miss out on anything. This was bigger island than before and had many more animal prints on it - we were told many of them were cabybara and some other things that I really dont remember. Frank and I walked off in the opposite direction to the rest as they are all bird-watchers and pretty much wanted to look for birds, we just wanted to enjoy the walk and whatever else there was... So we walked, found some mud, Frank got stuck in it and we thought he might lose his boot! It took some serious pulling to get his leg out of there! The patterns in the sand were just glorious and in other places the top layer of the sand was dried up and curled up creating lovely patterns too. We walked right along the edge of the jungle growth, hearing many birds and creatures inside, but not able or wanting to go in there. Its like a solid wall of plants in places and stunning to see how many different types. Most of the time while on the island, we could not see the others, nor hear them and it was gloriously quiet and totally peaceful and it was lovely to be there barefoot in the sand with the constant swish of the river flowing by.

And so we headed back to the Manatee again and were handed a simply glorious sunset! It was a beautiful orange and the different shades seemed to dance along the ripples in the water as the sun got lower and lower and changed shades along the way. The morning had started with a few of us on our knees on the top deck, taking photos of some or other bug, and ended with us all still smiling and still happily clicking away.

And so the day ended for me with many thoughts swirling around my mind about life out here. It all looks so simple and worry free, but its not. The job of working on a boat like the Manatee looks all great and wonderful and I am sure that they all have loads of fun. But most of the crew have family and youngish kids that they have to leave for a good length of time. It seems as if most of them work 20 on and 10 off. Thats a lot of time away from home and kids and family! So its not all fun and roses working out here as is the first impression on getting here. It was interesting and lovely to see how the crew were happy to leave the boat at the end of the trip and head home to their families. And the jungle people..... they have everything they need to survive, but who of us is content with that? They bathe and wash dishes in the river, they deal with the endless bugs, the downpours and many of the issues we all deal with - but just out in the jungle with very little communication, very little money and big changes coming. The oil companies are trying their darndest to get into this area as it is incredibly rich in oil. They already have a good sized foothold in too much of the area and I am sure that they will get more and more as the time goes by. With this 'progress' come all the changes that eventually lead to the crime rates they already have in town and the breakdown of the family units. The erosion of the river banks has got dramatically worse with the increase of the speed boats taking many to work at the already established oil companies along the way.... we could literally see it falling away as the boats passed at high speed - and its only going to get worse. I can almost already see the Napo river all under lock and dam and the riverside communities all but destroyed - all this because of money and our need for more comfort, more convienience and more luxuries - all wrapped in plastics. It's all so clear when out here, just how the 'progressed world' is breaking down these beautiful places. And its very sad. So, dont only recycle your trash - use less, less of everything. Make a difference - it really does count out here in the middle of the jungle, you really will make a difference by using less plastics, by being less wasteful. I know this sounds weird, but when I see the bright eyes of that barefoot school child - I just know that by making small changes, I can really help save his/her community and way of life and the life of this jungle. Its so worth saving - all of it!

Till next time.

love and light

Annie

http://galapagobaggs.blogspot.com
http://s761.photobucket.com/albums/xx257/GalapagoBaggs/

Photos - or lack thereof....

2009-09-29T23:32:00.001-04:00

Sorry everyone waiting for photos (Suzieq too :)) - I will only be able to put up photos on this weekend coming.. The connection from this far in the jungle is just not good enough to upload any pics... You wont have to join photobucket when they are up there, just clicking on the link will take you right to them.

Soon - I promise - 4 more sleeps till photos

love and light

Annie

http://galapagobaggs.blogspot.com
http://s761.photobucket.com/albums/xx257/GalapagoBaggs/

d - Sunrises and butterflies

2009-09-29T00:23:00.000-04:00

The music gently woke us up at 5.30am again this morning and we were quickly all ready to head out for the next few hours...... but first came the most glorious sunrise..... Sunrise in the Jungle! Oh that almost brings tears to my eyes just thinking about where we are and how awesome it is! By now, everyone seems to know that I will take a bunch of photos and one guy kinda 'guess-tamates' and then asks me later with a grin all over his face.... cheecky sod he is, I will have to set him straight somewhere along the way.

There are 4 tour guides on the boat... Ian, the cheeky sod, is only on his second run but the others have been doing this for years. They have so much knowledge and are so keen to share it in a way that makes it all seem real and touchable. They really are a great group of guys and all come along on our trips each day, so we all get the benefit of their combined knowledge. We are not divided into groups at all, it all just flows naturally when we walk around places and when we are in the motorized canoe we all take different seats each day so there is no clique-forming like that. It's good to see how everyone on here gets on well together - no nonsense and no drama at all.

Every night after supper we have a 'briefing' where one of the guides will go over what we have done that day, shows us on a map where we have been and where we will go the next day. Some days require wellies/rubber boots and others, just casual shoes - so we get all this information every evening. And thats when they tell us what time is wake up call. I really would not mind a 4am wake up call if it is so that we could see more of this place - and that really says something :) Tomorrow we are going to visit a school and in the briefing we are told things like not to take photos of the people or their kids until specifically told that its ok to do so. I can imagine that it must be quite horrible to get a group of people coming into your community, happily snapping photos as if you are in a zoo. So this meeting each night is important to retain the dignity of the people as well as the fauna and flora of the area.

Yesterday we walked at the eastern most point of Ecuador......the Peruvian border was just across the river - and today we passed a place where the flagpoles of the two countries stand side by side, guide ropes even overlapping, on the same side of one of the tributaries. Of course, according to the guides, the Ecuadorian Flag was prettier and in much better conditon - it definately was! We are still really close to Peru and despite what we were warned about by a few people before coming here, there are absolutely no safety issues here any different from at home. Be aware, be careful and be sensible and most of all, respect the inhabitants.

We went into the Yasuni National Park today which is on a small river - the Yasuni river, that runs off the Napo river. Again we had to check in with them, give our passport numbers and get permission to go on through. The smaller rivers, the tributaries off the Napo River, are just glorious. There we sit in this long canoe, four people wide, but only two on each bench, slowly and gently winding our way down these awesome places. Around each corner the view changes, the trees and shrubs are different and the reflections are just stunning. There is much gentle talking amongst everyone and the guides have a phenomenal way of spotting birds and other wildlife. I have to say that we dont see much other than birds here - its too thick to walk far into the jungle apart from on set paths and the birds even are pretty shy about sticking around to be photographed. But sitting there in that canoe, gently bobbing around while listening to the monkeys and birds chatter away and very often spotting them up in the trees, is just beyond anything I have known.

Today there were thousands of butterflies and dragonflies all around - my favorite is still that Blue Morpho that wafts its way magically across the greenery - there is no way to miss it at all. There were a good many places along the Yasuni River that the butterflies collected in huge flocks, seeming to bounce around in a delegated area. Apparently they feed of the moisture of the eyes of the terrapins, but they - the terrapins - quickly disappear when they hear us, leaving the butterflies bouncing around not sure what the heck happened! It was quite amazing to see that time and time again. For all of this morning we could look in any direction and we would see a good many butterflies, some seeming to race us in the canoe, other just wafting across to see who and what we were and then heading off again - but all very beautiful.

And at the end of this river is a lake - its official name is something that I cannot begin to spell but it means "Big Lake", and it was. We were fortunate enough that the floating islands did not block our path to the lake as it apparently does - but we had enough space to squeeze through. These floating islands move quite a bit apparently and there are a few newly growing ones around there too. Anyway, so in we squeezed and were almost instantly met by more pink dolphins.....they can manoever all up and down these rivers with no problem, but tend to stay in the lakes - cant say I blame them at all. We meandered around this huge open space, almost stunned as to just how fast the thick jungle growth and tall trees had been replaced by green floating grass, the occasional tree dotted here and there and water everywhere..... We also saw some rare bird that is near extinction and it has a horn on it head - and not a short one either - a good many inches apparently.. I must look at it again tomorrow,

We pulled off again to a solid ground spot and the guys got the poop-tent out again and in a short time the little blue house was ready. I just could not bring myself to use it and had to laugh at even the fact that I would feel uncomfortable using it. I did not go wandering off in the wrong direction again today but stayed near the river's edge and then noticed a clump of butterflies bouncing around an old fireplace....... so I got a good many photos of those - alone with that screamingly funny little blue poop house...

The level of the water had fallen in the lake and it was only 6 foot deep and we were told that it was not a good idea to swim as there would be a lot of the muck kicked up from the bottom and that was not good.... so we headed back to the Manatee again. I really love being out and seeing the new places, but there is also something about it when that canoe is kicked into a higher gear, when that glorious smile appears on the drivers face and the spray from the bow reaches high as we lean this way and that way, zigzagging across the river on our way back home. It's cooler, its fun and its really great. There is no straight path on the river as there are way too many trees and shallow areas, so its a constant zigzagging across all the rivers we go on - big and small. I love it.

We got back to the boat to an absolutely glorious lunch today - out on the upper deck outside with a totally open view of the river.... the food was delicious and the weather played along just perfectly. The captain came to sit at our table - its really very casual and he does the rounds, or just grabs a chair wherever there is a spare one. We had true Ecuadorian food and a good and cold Pilsner beer to go along with it. And then back to the cabin where we each snoozed for almost two hours! Now that was fantastic and also the first time that I have not been outside with my camera while it has been light.

Then off we went to a river island for a walkaround on the sandy beaches there. This was a good sized island with very young vegetation. The capybaras apparently come across to feed on the tender plants and there are some birds that only live on these islands and not in the 'old forests''. We saw a good many footprints of deer and capybara and probably some pigs too, but not much in the way of wildlife at all. The bird-people saw a few birds but not too many and will try again tomorrow on a different island down the river somewhere. It was lovely to walk barefoot in the sand and Frank headed out to find a stick to walk with - funny how he always does that, often picking up, trying, discarding and trying other sticks until the right one just fits. I dont know that he even realises that he is looking for the perfect one until it just happens along... then off he goes with that ever present smile. And so it was today. We walked in the water but were told to be careful of the stingrays, so we headed to the grassed section to see what we could see and then back on the sandy parts. There were tadpoles in the river - bunches of them! Its been ages since I have seen tadpoles and these were really good and healthy looking ones too.

All the while, the storm clouds were buiding, giving a beautiful thunderous blue to the sky and a richness and light to the green everywhere that just lit it all up - absolutely lovely for photos. Just beautiful. the quiet on that island was total. We could hear just the water as it brushed up against the edge of the sand.... And then we were given a beautiful full rainbow, all the way across the sky. We could even see where it stopped right in the water! I wished aloud that the Manatee Amazon Explorer would catch up with us and head right through that rainbow...... but everyone agreed that Photoshop would have to work its magic and that I would have to 'make it happen' on the computer instead. Well - the rainbow got stronger, and yes! There came the Manatee around the corner! There was this collection of gasps as everyone realized what I was doing as I set off at a run to get the right angle and a few joined in, trying to get there first..... a good moment. And so it all came together.... the rainbow, the river and the Manatee..... By then, everyone had found their place and the cameras clicked away so much that there was much laughter. My camera and lens setup is a baby by comparison to some of these here and there are some truly magnificant photos being born around here. That was really one of the lovely moments of the trip.

Right before all this came together, the rain set in so everyone hauled out their standard black issued ponchos with hoods, and quickly covered themselves and their camera and telescopes up. I had a special plastic bag for my camera and Frank and I had decided that we would not carry the ponchos with us as it was a short excusion and they are heavy, so we yanked out our standard jackets, me holding mine over the camera, even with the plastic bag and we walked in the rain! Oh it was just wonderful and we got totally soaked by a genuine Ecuadorian Amazonian Rainstorm.. does that not just sound awesome or what??....And then I looked up and saw this crowd of about 20 people, all with black cloaks and pointy hoods on, milling around in one spot a good way away from us..... they looked like huge bats! More pictures, more laughs.

And then it was time to catch up with the Manatee again for supper and some relaxing time... I just love reconnecting with the Manatee - its kind of like refuelling in the air for airplanes - no need to stop, just hook up, watch you step and go on your way to a cleaned cabin, cooked food, cold beer, good company and a continual great view.....The day ended with another totally beautiful sunset over the jungle, with us tied up to a tree alongside the banks again, a small tug boat behind us - thats another story - and the sounds of the jungle nightlife right ourside our window - I mean literally about 8 feet away! Its just awesome..

Tomorrow is the school and community visit and an optional river island visit again... I know where we are going :)

Till then

love and light

Annie

http://galapagobaggs.blogspot.com
http://s761.photobucket.com/albums/xx257/GalapagoBaggs/

c - Swimming with piranha.....and other

2009-09-28T00:04:00.000-04:00

Yes, we did swim with piranha and caymen and the pink dolphins and apparently with the boa's and anaconda's too in the middle of the jungle, not too far from the border of Peru, and it was just totally incredible!

Let me backtrack a good long way first. We are so incredibly busy here all the time that we are seriously going to have to lay around the house like slugs for a good few days to recover. Its just amazing. They typical day starts at around 5am when the Manatee Explorer pushes off from whatever tree we have been tied to and heads back down the river..... then we all get some gentle music piped into our airconditioned cabins at around 5.30am.. Ok wait Kate and mom and kids and everyone that knows me!!! I know I dont do mornings very well at all, but this is something else... this falls outside of the category of anything I have ever known, so not only do I actually get up with the first note of that music plays - I do it with a smile! Frank, as always, greets the day with a huge grin, except now he has this stunned look as he sees me bustling around the small cabin, only too keen to get going..Many times I am out of the cabin before him..

Ok - so we start early, head out in the motorized canoe on some adventure either up or down the river or in a tributary, The Manatee Explorer then heads on along her path and we catch up with her, getting back home in time for lunch. Then, after and hour or so, we head back out in a different direction. Every day has two activites and the inbetween time is taken up by me downloading all my photos and both of us getting our feet up for a while..... but I dont want to miss anything - so I cant stay down long. Everyone here already knows that I take photos of everything and anything, whether is moves or not and a good many comments have been laughingly made about me not being able to go more than a few steps without taking yet another photo. I have Frank clicking away happily much of the time too :) .

Yesterday, which was Saturday, we all crawled into the canoe - this is a looooong wooden canoe with benches. The driver sits at the back with his hands on a good sized motor each and a grin that splits his face wide open. It is obvious that he really enjoys his job! He reads the water so incredibly well and manoevers this boat around as smoothly as one could imagine. And so we each get a bench to plonk ourselves on - only two per bench, which is awesome as normally in tourist places, they crunch as many people into a tiny a place as possible.......... here, everyone gets a window seat! As we sit, the backrest for the bench in front is put in, the cushions put down and the next couple of people sit down and so on - all the way to the front. There is a tarp roof that we opened up after the first cool hour or so, and this allows a full sky view of the birds and trees. And so on Saturday we tootled down to a smaller river that leads off the Napo River and started exploring... This place is phenomenal! The reflections are stunning, the different shades of green totally beyond description and the birds sing and flit around from tree to tree and the peace and quiet and wholeness of the place is such a deep feeling.. We saw some monkies too and heard a good many things we did not. All of the other passengers on here are 'bird people', so they all look in the trees and sky, almost, it seems, not noticing the stunning scenery. Frank and I watch closer to the water for the snakes and ground animals - we know the bird people will let us know when an exciting bird arrives.

The most memorable moments of the day for me were when we saw some Blue Morpho butterflies flitting around. Everything is green and beautiful and then there arrives this most incredible, irridescent blob of blue and it hops itself gently and elegantly in and out of the foliage and skims the top of the water. There is no ways to capture this in a photograph at all, so its one of the many things that will just have to live on in our minds instead. It rained sometime during the morning, and we quickly closed the roof up and scooted inwards from the edges of the canoe and watched it pour - creating bubbles that sat, happily perched on the surface of the water.... just lovely.

Then we came back to the Manatee Explorer for lunch, a quick lunch and download of the photos, two minutes feet up and time to head out again. This time we went to visit one of the little towns along the banks of the Napo River. This is one of the bigger towns and holds the hospital for a very, very large area around here. many miles of jungle is covered by this hospital, yet very few use it. We were fortunate enough to be able to take a tour of the hospital, and as there were no patients at the time, we were able to get a good view of all the rooms and laboratories. It is a teaching hospital as well as ......well, I forgot the correct name now. its when they have the technology to consult with other doctors worldwide over the internet to discuss a patients needs - in real time... They hook the patient up and then have a conference with other doctors, re the type of injury - most often and instect or animal bite - and either teach other doctors about the issues being dealt with here, or get advice. It's tremendously advanced considering its remoteness especially. Also, they are only now starting to get the local people to accept that 'western medicine' can and actually does work and help at times, and they now get about 5 women a month coming to get help with thier births. They have a good exray dept with all the equipment but are just waiting for the humid season to pass before packing it out again, they have an up to date lab with airconditioning and a bone white baby monkey fetus in a jar that looks like ET, hospital beds and the rooms are all very sweet and well done. There are huge open spaces to the outside and to let a breeze through if its there... they have a garden with chickens and flowers and all and treat the patient as a whole person - not just a number.... Now all they need are a few more patients! And lots of patience too, I guess.

And then we walked through their town...... well along one road of it. There are only two roads in town and they are not more than about a quarter of a mile each! We went to get something cool to drink. There was not much to buy there and it always surprises me how so many really small stores have the biggest displays of huge bra's! I mean huge.... Sorry, but this was not the first time I noticed it and it does seem a bit strange. ANYways...... the little shop was not very big, as I said and was all built from huge, wide Mahogany planks. We had to almost push a course through the merchandise and were keenly watched for any signs of buying.... There was just nothing there that anyone of us wanted to take home.... so we sat on their porch for a while, on a bench that probably was not made for 'super sized Americans', and watched...........well, nothing at all happen! Then suddenly there was a smell of cooking meat and we went around the corner to find three very lubricated Ecuadorians bbq-ing what looked like a ton of meat! It must have been at least a cow's worth of meat on that grid...it was not a normal grid at all. But the photos will tell more of that story better than I can. Hopefully I will be able to get some up this coming weekend when we are back in Quito.

As we were leaving the town we had to wait as a new item was being delivered to town - a motorbike! Yup, probably the town's first motorbike. They already had two bicycles but evidently the motorbike was a much wanted item too. We watched as four healthy, beaming Ecuadorians hauled that bike out of the wooden canoe that it had made it 5 hour journey up river in, pushed it up the ganplank and with great glee and aplomb, kickstarted that sucker and gave that town its very first wheelie!! I think he reached third gear when he ran out of road and had to turn around again.....

Most of the houses we saw there are straw roofed or built of wood - they mostly look totally incomplete and when we could get a glimpse inside it made each one of us very grateful and yet envious in a way of being able to live so simply.

After we got home, we heard that the "missing 8", those passengers that were screaming upriver to try to catch us, were almost here, so we parked along the rivers edge to wait for a while. By now it was getting awfully close to 6pm and thats when the sun sets and none of us wanted them on the water at night, so the Captain pulled us over. It was not long before a tiny little power speed boat came racing around the corner of the river, spraying a huge fan of water in its eagerness to catch us and our 8 had arrived. The boat stopped and us 'old passengers' wondered if there really were 8, the boat seemed too small to carry them all. But out they came, and came, and came and came - they just kept pouring out of that tiny little hull! They were all so incredibly tired after just under 6 hours of high speed racing up the river. And so for the first time, the Manatee Explorer was properly full...She can take 15 couples and I think we are at 13. The film crew left early this morning moving on to a lodge alongside the river instead..

Ok - on to today - Sunday..... Up early - 5am. We hopped onto the canoe at 5.30am.. ok, well, its not a hop. The Manatee is moving along at around 7 knots when they pull the canoe alongside her, then we all get on to the canoe while the water rushes just inches below our feet - its awesome!. Anyway - off we went very early this morning - not even having breakfast first.... We headed upriver towards a tributary of the river we were now on, which is a tributary of the Napo River. We were headed up to the lakes where the Pink Dolphin are most often seen.... The picture in my mind was literally blown away by the beauty we saw along the way getting there, The water was dead calm and the reflections just stunning all the way. Many times we stopped to look at a bird or monkeys and when it was a decent time for breakfast we pulled alongside a fallen tree, tied off and had breakfast right there in the middle of absolutley nowhere. Just freaking amazing. The quiet is indescribable and makes my jaw drop in wonder, the bird calls and monkey chatter is almost continual although we definitely dont see most of what we hear.

And then it was time to head to the bathroom........... we had been promised a "relief stopover' and none of us was quite sure what to expect as all we were told was that it was 'sort of primitive'. The snout of the canoe was driven up onto the rivers edge, the tourguides hopped out with a bag and proceeded to put up a tent in the little clearing that was used for a toilet! Oh boy did we laugh....... There was absolutley no way that I could have gone in there, even if I needed to - but others had much greater need than I did and it was well used.. I started to wander off to explore but really quickly discovered that each tree had attached to it, one occupied male...... so I headed back to the clearing and walked around less used areas until it was time to go. That little blue, upright tent was a scream, and yes, I do have photos :)

Then on we went towards Dolphin lake.... I wish I could honor all the Guides' talks by remembering the names of these places, but there is little chance of that so late and after so much information - that will have to wait till later....... We noticed that the vegetation changed, from Jungle as one would think a jungle looks like, to open lakes and green grass and shorter trees and ........well just pure beauty.. As we came into the lake area, there was a fair sized Cayman - its like an alligator - and the pink dolphin were jumping all around. They anchored the canoe and most of us jumped overboard! What a feeling.... yes we knew there was a cayman just there, yes we knew there were piranha there and the dolphins are not tame in any way whatsoever... and there are snakes and boa constrictors and anacondas - but those we have not seen yet...... but we jumped in and had the most amazing swim! The water has pockets of lovely warm water and just as you start to say how lovely that is, a patch of ice cold hits you. We spent a good half hour in the water and I was really reluctant to get out, but as we were the last in, apart from one of the guides, we headed back to the canoe and an ice cold beer. :) How much more perfect could that get?

And back to the Manatee Explorer we headed, a good bit faster than when we came up. We were all wet, relaxed and super happy and really enjoyed the ride back again. We stopped for some more monkey's and plenty of birds and Frank spotted a Capybara which is a really rare find here apparently, as is the Cayman. I got some photos of it, which is great!

Home for lunch, a little break and then we headed out to walk at the military post - on the Ecuador side. As we came out of the one river, which is a Black water river and I will get to this in a later email, we had the sign for Peru on our left and Ecuador on our right. When we first came up here this morning, we had to stop and check in with the both countries to let them know we are here. It was definitely a strange feeling for some reason as its not like the military we know - it looks so casual and run by really young guys. Anyway - no problems at all....So this afternoon we headed back to the Ecuador Miltary Post for our Jungle walk.... Unfortunaltely I know I am going to skimp on this part a bit from pure tiredness - it was fascinating, huge huge leaves, monkeys,. woodpeckers, birds, beautiful flowers, lichen, bats, tiny frogs, spiders and all the glurbies a jungle can and did deliver. Hopefully we take a walk again when we are a little less mellow and tired.

So here we are again - parked alongside the river bank, pitch dark outside with fireflies flitting around everywhere - which reminds me that up at the lakes with the dolphins where the green colors were all brighter too, there are no mosquitoes! Yup - none!

Its been a long and totally wonderful day and I have lots more to say but that will have to wait too. So much is happening every minute - there is so much to see and learn and absorb and feel and experience and I am not coving it well enough right now. Tomorrow morning is another 5.30am wake up,, but at least we have breakfast here before we go. We will be swimming again tomorrow with the fishes and other creatures...and then in the afternoon we will go for a gentle walk on one of the river islands where there are wonderful sandbanks and unique bird life too. The food on board is just great, and we all eat together - the guides, captain and the passengers. I am off to wish the night outside goodnight and then get a few hours sleep before tomorrow arrives again.Geez, I got a tad disjointed there.....

Till next time

love and light

Annie

ps - any errors in typing or sentence construction is to be put down to a tiny travelling laptop that does not fit my fingers well, as well as to a definite lack of time to check and recheck... so if something does not make sense, please let me know......thanks

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b - Into the Jungle.....

2009-09-26T21:03:00.000-04:00

Our wake up call was not lenient at all - 5am sharp and that phone was bouncing off the walls in our room...so we got up and not reluctantly at all either. We had a great day ahead and boy did we! Gustavo, our guide, picked us up at the hotel after we handed over the luggage we were not bringing along with us, and hauled us off to the airport via yet another beautiful road through the new part of the city of Quite. There are a tremendous number of huge high rise apartment buildings nicely painted up in different and gentle colors. The view of the Cotopaxi Volcano was beautiful this morning too. And so we got to the airport, were handed over the another guide who would take us on the airplane and to Coca (pronounced "ko-ka") which is 100 miles due east into the Amazon Jungle. The flight was only about 45 minutes long - just long enough to see some awesome views of the Andes, some waterfalls way below and the dense jungle, spotted with small settlements here and there.

We landed in a rainburst so hard that the water was about 6 inches deep and we had to sit and wait in the plane for it to drain away first. We were taken from the airport in taxis to the boat dock where we were to get on the motorized canoe for the ride upriver to meet up with the river yacht. Well, that was fun! I mean the wait.... there were the cutest little monkeys, some with babies, running around all over the place. They turned their heads to look at you as if asking permission to take something from your bag, but did not wait for it at all. One quickly found a friendly Frank shoulder and cuddled up against Franks ear with its tail all curled around it and all.. seriously, it was obvious that this tiny little monkey snuggled up! It was so cute. They are mischief personified and great fun to watch. Until they poop or pee on your luggage.... They did not do that on ours fortunately, but we became very eager to get them off any and all luggage after that. They were still cute though. After a while, I got close enough to a table and a monkey jumped on me too, but I was not too keep on having him hang out there too long. The problem is I really was not sure how or whether to try to pick it up to get it off and when I tried, I got gently but firmly nipped on the finger. So I leaned near to a pole and off it jumped... By then Frank had a good many photos too.

And the toucans were hopping all around there. It was interesting to see that as soon as one of those little cute monkeys came close to a toucan, the bird left and the monkey did something like a victory jig. Naughty little blighters. There were also other monkeys there, fair sized tortoises and oh my gosh, you should see the size of the snails here! The peacocks screamed like cats and the one huge white rabbit just lay around as if he was a cat. Little canoes screamed up and down the rives, some with motors and some by arm power, and then there were the speed boats that take people up and down the river like taxis. We had an almost two hour wait, but it was by no means boring at all. We had a great view of the river during this time, seats to sit in and shade too. Right on the river edge, now lying in the mud because the water is so low, is a huge airplane on a barge. The wings are cut off really short, but the whole thing is a floating resturant......well, unless, like now, it sits firmly and unevenly on the mud.

We have a group of four that are only interested in the birds around here.... absolutely nothing else gets their eyes dancing at all....its very odd. And then there is a group of eight that will be screaming downriver for almost 6 hours tomorrow to catch up with us as they missed their connection to Quito yesterday! I would have cried! Anyway - so there we are, rather keen to get on to the boat and we were led down the gangplank into this loooong canoe that could possibly seat 4 people right to left on each seat.. We got a total of 20 of us on there very easily and off we went. Oh my. I wonder if it is just this river, or if its the atmosphere or if its just because we are somewhere else, but the magic danced and sang for us for two and a half hours heading down the Napo River. The canoe sits low in the water, maybe 18 inches from the edge of the canoe, there is a tarp that is tied on for a roof and if it rained, the sides could be dropped and we would look through the clear plastic. It did not rain then - the river just delivered miles and miles of incredible scenery. There are so many people living along the river - its not crowed as in our standards, but at least every 5 or six miles you can see a grass hut behind some trees, a wooden canoe gently bobbing in the water in front and at many, we saw the kids bathing, swimming and playing.

There are so many kids that are out on their own in small canoes with just paddles, playing around in the water, checking the fishing traps or playing around the many sandbanks in the river. The vegetation is totally thick, an uncountable number of shades of green and an incredible number of different species all scrunched up together. The motor on the canoe did not make for a quiet ride, but it was definitely a very interesting and fun ride.... and just when we started thinking that it was now time to find a different seat to sit on - there we came around a corner and the Manatee Amazon Explorer sat alongside the bank, just waiting for us. Oh she looks so much nicer than the photo I have on the blog! We were quickly helped aboard, our luggage taken to our cabins, the welomes were barely over and we were already headed further down the river..We were fitted with boots, did our 'sink or fire' drill with the life jackets and all, and then my camera went back to some serious work......

I dont quite know how to describe it all - huge, HUGE trees with perfectly shaped canopies.... many with big thick vines hanging from them and all surrounded by so many other species of plants and flowers. There is a beautiful splash of color every now and again - a tree with purple or orange blooms all over it, brilliant red flowers hanging inbetween the rich, deep green foliage all over the place, the birds flitting everywhere and we could hear the call of the toucans in the trees, but I did not see them along the bank, yet. There is a good flow to the river and we travel along at an average of 7 knots, apart from those places where the river is really shallow. During the early afternoon, it started to rain.. I mean r-a-i-n!! It came down in sheets and visibility was very poor and the pilot of the boat could not see the water to guage the depth anymore.....so the two canoes that we are towing behind the yacht, were broken free and sent off to get closer and find a place for us to stop and wait out the rain... It was a true tropical downpour and just lovely. But, that went well and we were on our way again in no time at all. One other time they broke the smaller towed canoe loose to take a pole and get the depth of the river along the way - and we had to go another way around an island in the middle of the river. Apparently no echo finder will work here - the water is way too silty.

Anyway... it was a totally awesome day. We are now tied to a tree somewhere in the pitch dark alongside a small village as I can see the grass huts next to the big tree we are tied to. The tree that they originally had marked out to hang out with tonight, had fallen down and we went around and around looking for another suitable one for the night. The meals are lovely, the people just beautiful and friendly. Most of them speak english very well and the rest certainly give it a really great go - and get their story across if we just listen hard enough.

We all go downstairs to the lounge for dinner, breakfast and lunch and that room has all open windows with a view all around....... then up on the third floor is the meeting room and the bar - we had cocktails there tonight - very good :) Our cabin is right next to this and I can still hear some people chatting away in there, but we were honestly just too tired and headed to our cabin for a shower and for me to download the photos of the day..... a mere 938 plus about 30 minutes of HD Video.... aaaaaah. this poor little laptop just does not like that much at all......

It's sometimes really hard to believe that we are actually here. Its just so totally beautiful, peaceful and different. The sunset over the Napo River was just stunning this evening and tomorrow morning we get an early wake up call again - 6am. Early starts to long and interesting days. Its been raining since just after sunset here tonight, which is always at 6pm, being virtually on the equator. It's going to be interesting to see what state the river is in in the morning - they say it sometimes rises 12 feet - overnight!!! There are some very intersting sounds coming from outside and right before I head to sleep, I am going to take a walk outside and just listen. Oh yes! They said that we will have a really great chance of seeing anacondas in this type of weather! I would just love to see one of those - even just once :) And so, early in the morning we will head out in the motorized canoe, into the smaller inlets along the river and see what wildlife we can see... and then in the afternoon we will go and visit a small local community that has a hospital and they also sell some goodies there.

This is honestly so far beyond awsome that I am having difficulty describing it. Our days are so full of a million different sights, smells and colors that we are quite exhausted pretty early on in the evening. It's way beyond my dreams - already :)

Till tomorrow.

love and light

Annie

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a - City of Jewells

2009-09-24T21:53:00.001-04:00

I hardly know where to start.... after a very long day yesterday, we circled around the most gloriously awesome view I have seen in a very long time. The night lights of Quito glistened, danced and shone like a huge chest full of treasure, different colors sparkling and blinking and bringing tears to my eyes from its sheer beauty. In the distance and all along the horizon, lightening danced from the clouds, lighting them up in an indescribable pink and crystal white. The deep black of the night here made all of this stand out in clear and crisp way that could not have believed........

We left Chattanooga early on Wednesday morning, Steven taking us to the bus stop just south of Chattanooga - thanks for the early morning ride, my boy. The drive to Atlanta on the shuttlebus was gentle and uneventful and we were very thankful that the flooding had not reached us in Soddy Daisy, but that all the roads were clear for us to get to Atlanta. We could see so much evidence of devastating flooding all around. The sunrise was beautiful - presenting us with a huge orange ball balancing in the sky and glistening on the dew, or was it still rain?, sitting on the trees.

Atlanta airport was not nearly as bad as we, or I, had anticipated and we quickly found our gate and then went exploring for a little. The flight to Miami was not bad at all - I had a window seat right in front of the wing with a lovely view. We saw a good few other airplanes headed north and it was good that they kept their distance very well! After the initial sweaty palms and palpatating heart, I settled in and actually enjoyed the flight. There was a soldier who had just come back from his second term in Iraq, sitting next to us and he was going home! Finally, home for good. He was not re-enlisting and was looking forward to a new way of life again... I got some lovely photos of him, both pensive looking and huge smiles too :)

I had been worried about the connection time between landing in Miami and leaving for Quito and had rather picked a much later flight than the one that was due to leave just an hour after the Atlanta flight landed. So we had a very long wait in Miami. Our bags quickly became very heavy with the long walk to our gate and the many inbetween meandering we did, and we wondered just why we had not got the baggage with wheels on them. Ah well, so one learns.

Before boarding in Miami for Quito, Ecuador, I called my three kids, my mom and my sister..... I will be out of phone contact till we get back into Miami in just over three weeks time. It was good to talk to them all, and Kate -you were as funny as all get-out on my last call to you! I could hear you were so excited - thanks! And so finally, we got the call to leave. Instant sweaty palms, churning stomach but a very relieved, very tired couple we were to finally be heading out.

What a wonderful and wonder-filled flight that was! The clouds were like a whole species all on their own, emulating different characters and people way down below, they swirled and puffed and then just blew themselves out as they pleased but there always seemed to be a never ending supply of little fluffy ones willing to grow up and spit fire. And then I saw Cuba!! We flew right over Cuba and Jamaica. The airhostess said that sometimes they are denied a flight path directly overhead right at the last minute, but this was one of those times they were able to fly right over it... its a very long, very thin piece of land and I am glad I did not blink or I would have missed it. But - I saw Cuba :) We were flying at 35 000ft and again, I had a window seat right in front of the wing.

We were given the immigration papers to fill in and shortly after that, supper was served - chicken or lasagne. Frank got one, I got the other and both were surprisingly good! And then we sat and tried to fill in those papers..... why do they have to make the writing so incredibly tiny? But even that did not make the excitement die down.... I was so enjoying the flight. There was a movie playing and I sort of listened to it for a bit, but I watched instead for any lights I could see outside........ It was interesting to figure out just where we were flying at any given time and sometimes they showed us that on the monitors - that was neat........they showed us airspeed, temperature outside on the hull, elevation and a few other details, but what I really liked was when they showed us with what looked like a very sophisticated GPS system (sorry Blondie, but you dont come close to this one!), exactly where we were. Coming in over the top bulge of South America was lovely. There was a strip of lights that gave a border to the ocean and then a huge city - I must still get a map out or try to see which one it was. Those lights danced and twinkled too, but we were too high to really appreciate them. And then for many many miles around, just darkness. Here and there was another puddle of light, some brighter than others, but always surrounded by a deep black of nothing. There were some really good thunderstorms around there, judging by the lightening bouncing around and it seemed as if we went a little bit off course to avoid some of those storms. I just loved it all.....

The last 40 minutes of the flight seemed to take forever. we were both buttsore by now, very very tired and I was still not willing to close my eyes for a minute. Frank cannot sleep while travelling so he stayed awake too. Neither of us had slept much the night before, worrying about waking up in time and just restless, so we were almost literally on the edge of falling over but with permanent huge smiles plastered on our faces. And then we came into Quito. Oh my. I dont think I will ever forget that site as long as I live. I had been feeling sorry that I had changed our flights to a later one, which put us flying in at night time, but when we came lower and lower and those lights just did their magic - well, I will never get over that and no amount of daylight flying will beat that view. Ever seen something so beautiful that you want to sob and lose your breath at the same time? This was definitely one of those moments.

So we landed safely again, (2 flights down, 10 to go) and we were met at the airport, after picking up our luggage and going through customs and immigration, we were met by Gustavo from Klein Tours who was holding a yellow sign with our name on it. Were we pleased to see him! We headed outside into the cool evening to his car so that he could take us to the hotel. This airport here is beautiful inside, very updated and clean and definitely on par with those in the USA.... but once you get outside, you have to watch you step.... there is no smooth sidewalk, no organised directions or anything that looked like it to us. just a flurry of people getting around, all very successfully and with no problem despite the horns honking and uneven ground. It was great! :) We headed to the hotel, booked in, said goodnight to Gustavo and headed upstairs to the resturant for a look at the view and a beer. The beer was great and much needed and the view just beautiful with the lights of the city curving their way up steep and narrow roads to where the mountain said 'no more - this is mine'. I dont know what we looked like, but I think our eyes probably looked a bit like those of vampires by then. We sucked down the beer, ooh-ed and aah-ed some more at the totally awesome view of part of the city with its twinkling lights while finishing off a bowl of peanyts and headed for bed. We did not sleep much either - it was very cold in the room and we could not find the switch to change the settings on the airconditioning, so we shivered all night long. People upstairs seemed to be having a great party with much merry shouting and doors slamming which also did not help the restive feelings.....and we were being picked up by Gustavo at 9am for our City Tour of Quito this morning.

What a tour this was today! This place is just totally soaked in history, in absolutely stunningly old and fascinating buildings and Missions and Churches and plants and cobbled roads and the most aweful drivers I have ever seen! I think Gustavo's car must have repelling magnets all around it as it was simply a miracle that some other vehicles did not smack into us. He is a great driver, a simply wonderful tourguide and just a lovely person too. We visited a good few very old Catholic Churches and I so badly wish I could remember their names - they started with the word Basilica and one was Fransisco, but sorry, I am way too tired to remember or to look it up now. If I have time this coming week, I promise I will. Please dont hold your breath for it though! I just have to tell you this about the one particular church we visited. There is no photography allowed at all inside and this is another of those sob-and-lose-breath moments....Every bit of the inside of these churches were covered with designs, symmetry and huge original paintings.... I mean every single inch! And it is all done in gold.....I bought all the different post cards they had available. It is just glorious and it was impossible to see everything as it was huge and ....well, I will take photos of the postcards and post them! How's that?? Yes, I am weird....

This city is a long thin strip nestled between the mountain ranges, the north part is the newer part and where our hotel is, the middle is the Old City which is absolutely fascinating and the south end is the poorer section which is also where I wish I could spend more time scrounging around the mirriads of fascinating little shops. We walked around the old city for a good long while, visiting the Presidents house, the Central Square and looking at the fascinating buildings all around them. We got to pose with some guards to the Presidents House which was fun - they are allowed to move, unlike those in the UK and I am sure the one cracked a smile at us too.

Its just amazing that almost everywhere you turn, there is a beautiful, intricate old building, a statue, a dome,a steep road made or bricks or cobbles and little shops all along the way, built into the walls of the churches and other huge buildings. The photos will tell you more of what I mean. but it is definitely a place that needs some time to look at it all. We did not visit many of the shops, as we rather wanted to see as much as we can and also because we are coming back here after the Amazon Jungle part and will be going to a market then.

And then we heard a protest starting and the police were closing off some of the roads. Apparently some government workers are unhappy about some things and today was the day that they were going to march around the Old City, shout what they were unhappy about, all the way to the main Square of Quito where the Presidents house was...... and us. So we quickly got out of there, not worried, but just not wanting to get caught up in it all and also wanting to get out before the roads got totally jammed up. Gustavo got us out of there with perfect timing along with a smart quick change of mind at one turn. We were in no danger at all, it would have just got us caught up there and we had more things to see.

There were so many stunningly beautiful things that we saw today and I almost ran out of "oh wow's!!" - almost.

We went for lunch at a really lovely resturant where we were treated to some simply delicious foods and fresh veggies. I really liked the tree tomato but forget what the other yummy fruits names are - one tasted very much like a granadella, but definitely was not one.. Then off we went to the Center of the World - the Equator. We went on a shortish tour there of the different native houses and accommodations - I mean the natives that are the true Amazon Natives. The totem poles were fascinating and their houses and pottery just amazing. You should have seen the absolutely real tiny little head that was on display - it was one that was shrunk by the Head Shrinker Tribe a long time ago! Your head can get turned into just the size of your fist! Very very weird indeed. The wood they used for their spears were very heavy we were told that the blow spear, where they blow a poisoned dart through this tube, allows them to blow it 40 meters! And you should feel the weight of that wooden tube! These guys must be/have been a very well muscled bunch. It was weird watching the demonstration they did on how water flows in the opposite direction on each side of the equator....but exactly on that line - it just does straight down that drain hole with no swirling whatsoever! They had a sink with water in it on a portable stand and showed us that it worked... just three feet on either side of the equator, that water swirls, but not at all in the middle! Weird. And all during this tour the most glorious, irridescent humming birds with long floaty tails flittered around, always just too quick for the camera as someone was always too close by - but I will definitely catch them soon!

The last stop of the day, with us definitely feeling very wilted after so many incredibly sites, a lovely lunch accompanied with a wonderful beer, was to a volcano where people actually live inside it! yup, they do. Apparently they just thought it was a lovely valley, and it is, but it was later discovered that its a volcano..... thankfully very domant. There are no cars in there at all with only a very steep walking path in and out..The community was started by a Jesuit group - the original house is still there, but empty and we could see it from the rim. There are no railings here to protect one from falling over the edge, apart from a very low pole strung up between two posts. This is so unlike it is in the USA and its wonderful to see that common sense is very much alive and well in this very vibrant, very beautiful city.

We were safely delivered from horrifying rush hour where one toot of the horn apparently means 'I am also here' and two toots clearly says "I am going ahead of you!". and often there is only a heartbeat between the two messages. Three busses got in a jam and were all reversing to try to get a better vantage point, or a chance to move on and for a moment it got very interesting watching these huge blue machines kicking themselves into position.

Now, as I type this, Frank is gently snoring, trying to get some rest. I ordered a heater...... oh wait - I forgot to finish that story...... It was cold in here last night, and we could not find the air conditioning controls no matter how much we hunted, (yes, we even checked under the bed!) because there is no airconditioning here!! I thought it was rather quiet. No doubt the huge volcano outside our window that is covered in snow and ice, added to our discomfort last night. But now we have a gently humming heater and plan on a more restful night.

It was an incredible day and feels impossible that it was only last night that we arrived here. We already have well over a thousand photos and my eyes just cant deal with looking through them right now, but I will add them to the photobucket album soon. Hopefully when we get back after the Amazon Jungle cruise we are headed out to tomorrow morning at 6am! We fly from here to a small place called Cocoa where we will be taken to a very narrow looking wooden motorized canoe for a two hour spin up the Napo River to join the Amazon Manatee Explorer. She is a river motor yacht that accommmodates 30 passengers. We will spend the next 8 days aboard her...As far as I understand there is no internet there and it will be a bit of a disappointment if there is!

Now that we have the heater, I am going to open the curtains so that I can see the lights outside while I lie in bed, knowing that I am so incredibly blessed, happy, fortunate and so many other things, to be able to experience this all. It's been totally and absolutely incredible so far and the main course has not yet begun!.

So....till then.

love and light
Annie

http://galapagobaggs.blogspot.com
http://s761.photobucket.com/albums/xx257/GalapagoBaggs/

From Annie re Amazon and Galapagos trip

2009-09-16T23:02:00.002-04:00

Hi all

This is a test email. If anyone wants off the list, please let me know - if you know anyone that wants on - email to this address.

In one week from today, this exact hour, we will be in Quito, Ecuador! :) I bet I can find some beautiful butterflies a-hatching in my stomach already! For the first two nights, we should have email contact, then nothing for 8 days. After the Amazon cruise we should have email contact again for another two days days and then none while we are on the Galapagos Islands. They say there is internet, but I am not sure we will be able to get it much at all.

But I know me............ each night I will type up the days doings and have it ready to pop off as soon as a connection is found. I will label each email alphabetically so that there will be some order. Hopefully I will be able to get a good few emails to you, as well as photos. Pray for my cameras!

The blog is: http://GalapagoBaggs.blogspot.com. If I can only send to limited emails, this blog will be where I would send to..... so check there in case.

Please do not send me any forwards, or attachments, funnies or photos while we are away... it will block my email up and .........well, please dont - thanks! Any and all other emails are very welcome. To my regular emailers - please keep writing, and U3 (my kids), please keep me updated on you all.

Thats it for now... see you next week

Annie

The Islands........

2009-09-04T15:31:00.004-04:00

The lines drawn in on this map of the Galapagos Islands is the route we will be going on the cruise... :) If you click on the map it will pop up bigger and easier to see.

18 days and counting.....

Do you know..........

2009-08-30T22:36:00.004-04:00

Do you know how hard it is to put a camera under water? We bought this small (really crappy) underwater camera to take with us so that I can get photos of turtles, sharks, pirhanas - ok, joking about the pirhanas, I think! I did not realize that the camera was so cruddy. When you press the button you have to wait about 2 seconds before the pic takes! Aaaarrrrrghhhh. Anyway - underwater photos I will have - good or bad.

So I put it in its watertight case and decide to test it out. Now is a good time. If it works, it will go along with us, if not - well, we can do with the space. We have 44 gallon drums outside on the corners of the house to catch the rainwater which we then use to water my guava trees, lime trees and other fruits and veggies... And it was to these drums that I headed with this really crappy camera firmly cocooned in its clear waterproof container.

So I stood there, looked at the water, looked at the camera. And stood there. My hand kinda went towards the water but there seemed to be a short between what my brain was telling my hand to do and what my hand actually wanted to do. After a few minutes I actually started laughing at myself. Fortunately Frank was at the back of the house and did not see me acting stupid. Well, it is not natural to put a camera in water! Not for me, not yet anyway.

Finally I took a photo of my guava plant, saw how badly it came out and thrust that camera DEEP into the water with absolutely no hesitation at all! I found that I was not breathing. I took a few photos that came out really badly but I am putting that down to the fact that the water is not clear at all and ....... well, any excuse will do. This camera might well become a Permanent Resident of Ecuador!

So now I have taken my first underwater photos. I hope I improve. Fast!

23 days left!

Galapagos and Machu Picchu Itinerary...

2009-08-23T22:25:00.003-04:00

After the River boat cruise in the Amazon Jungle, we fly back to Quito and have two days to explore, relax and look around. There is a great market on the Saturday and maybe Sunday we will go to Mindo - a part of the Rainforest nearby........ and here's the Galapagos trip itinerary, then Machu Picchu and home again.

Day 11 (Sat, Oct 03, 2009): Quito.

Free day. Overnight at Hotel Quito. (B)

Day 12 (Sun, Oct 04, 2009): Quito.

Free day. Overnight at Hotel Quito. (B)

DAY 13 (Mon, Oct 05, 2009): Quito/Baltra Airport/North Seymour.

Early morning transfer to the airport for the flight to Galapagos. Passengers are

picked up at the airport by our guides and taken to the pier to board the M/V

Galapagos Legend.

North Seymour (dry landing). Guests will encounter swallow tail gulls and sea

lions. This site is a major nesting colony of blue footed boobies, and has the largest

colony of the magnificent frigate bird. Travelers will also spot both the marine

iguanas and land iguanas and will have snorkeling opportunities. Overnight aboard

the Galapagos Legend. (B,L,D)

DAY 14 (Tue, Oct 06, 2009): Dragon Hill (Santa Cruz)/Cormorant Point

(Floreana).

Dragon Hill (wet landing). Passengers walk to a saltwater lagoon behind the beach,

where on occasion many pink flamingos can be observed. This trail leads up to

Dragon Hill, which offers a lovely view of the bay. This is a nesting site for

reintroduced land iguanas, and there is also a Scalesia tree forest. Passengers may

opt to take a dinghy to Venice islet and observe the vegetation and marine animals

like spotted eagle rays, golden rays, mullets, sharks and sea turtles. Land iguanas

have often been observed as well.

Cormorant Point (wet landing). Visitors will hike from the black mangrove beds to a

large, brackish lagoon, which holds one of the biggest flamingo populations in the

Galapagos. The island is best known for its endemic plants like the Galapagos

Page 5 of 8

millwork, passion flower and button mangrove. Novice snorkelers can practice on

the main beach with the playful sea lions; experienced snorkelers can roam around

Devils Crown. Please keep in mind this is an open-water activity; there is nothing to

step on. Overnight aboard the Galapagos Legend. (B,L,D)

DAY 15 (Wed, Oct 07, 2009): Suarez Point (Espanola)/La Galapaguera (San

Cristobal).

Suarez Point (dry landing). Visitors will learn more about the lava terrain and cross

the inactive lava fields. Besides the sea lion colonies, this is a very important site for

bird watching. Many species, such as the hooded mocking bird and red billed tropic

bird can be spotted and observed closely. You will also see a large colony of marine

iguanas, lava lizards, and sally light foot crabs. After a short trek visitors encounter

colonies of masked and blue-footed boobies. The nesting grounds sometimes

overlap the trail. Visitors will also find Galapagos doves, hawks and swallow-tailed

gulls and then reach the world’s largest colony of waved albatross. A major highlight

is their mating season, from May through December. You’ll visit the famous

blowhole, where water shoots into the air about 23 m (75 ft).

Puerto Baquerizo Moreno (dry landing). Passengers will visit San Cristobal

breeding center and learn about the National Park’s breeding program with the giant

tortoises. Passengers will observe some animals in their natural environment.

Overnight aboard the Galapagos Legend. (B,L,D)

DAY 16 (Thu, Oct 08, 2009): Punta Carrion/Bartolome.

Punta Carrion. During this visit you can snorkel and see a variety of fish, rays and

perhaps the harmless white tip reef sharks. From Punta Carrion the short navigation

is through the beautiful Itabaca Channel with its turquoise waters.

Bartolome (dry landing). Passengers will see volcanic formations like lava bombs,

spatter, and cinder cones. After a hike to the summit you’ll be impressed by the

view of the surrounding islands, including the eroded tuff cone of Pinnacle Rock.

During the hike to the summit, travelers will often see colonies of marine iguanas,

lava lizards, tiquilla, and various cacti. Visitors will be able to snorkel and see the

Galapagos penguin, sea turtles, and white tipped sharks from a safe distance.

Overnight aboard the Galapagos Legend. (B,L,D)

DAY 17 (Fri, Oct 09, 2009): Urbina Bay (Isabela)/Espinosa Point (Fernandina).

Urbina Bay (wet landing). Passengers will visit the fossil beach and coral area.

Depending on the season you may be able to observe giant tortoises, land iguanas

and flightless cormorants. After the walk we will have time for snorkeling.

Espinosa Point (dry landing). Visitors will see the biggest marine iguanas mingling

with sally-light foot crabs, as well as flightless cormorants nesting sites, Galapagos

penguins, Galapagos hawks, and sea lions. Among the flora and volcanic

formations observers will spot brachycereus cactus, and “pa-hoe-hoe” lava and “AA”

lava formations. Numerous mangrove beds extend into the sea. Overnight aboard

the Galapagos Legend. (B,L,D)

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DAY 18 (Sat, Oct 10, 2009): Egas Port (Santiago)/Rabida.

Egas Port (wet landing). Most of the landscape is tuff-stone layers and lava flows.

You can observe hunting herons, great blue herons, lava herons, yellow crowned

night herons and oyster catchers. Passengers will see marine iguanas grazing upon

algae beds alongside red sally light-foot crabs. There is a colony of fur-seals

swimming in deep pools of cool water. Here you can swim and snorkel and find

octopuses, sea horses, star fish.

Rabida (wet landing). The volcano-formed beach is dark red and frequented by sea

lions. It’s considered the geographic center of Galapagos because it has the most

diverse volcanic rocks on the Islands. You’ll hike to a salt water lagoon, where

flamingos can sometimes be found. July through September is a good time to

observe brown pelicans nesting in the salty bushes. Boobies and 9 species of

Darwin’s finches can also be observed. You can take a dinghy ride by the reefs, as

well as snorkel. Overnight aboard the Galapagos Legend. (B,L,D)

DAY 19 (Sun, Oct 11, 2009): Charles Darwin Research Station/Highlands

(Santa Cruz).

Charles Darwin Research Station. Travelers will visit the Charles Darwin

Research Station, staffed with international scientists conducting biological research

and conservation projects. Here you can admire the giant tortoises that are part of

the breeding program. Visitors can also admire the prickly-pear cactus forest and

many land birds. Later on, you’ll have some free time to walk around town and shop

for souvenirs.

Highlands of Santa Cruz. You can visit Cerro Chato, where you’ll be able to

observe the famous giant tortoises. Additionally, you can walk inside the dormant

lava tubes. Overnight aboard the Galapagos Legend. (B,L,D)

DAY 20 (Mon, Oct 12, 2009): Bachas Beach (Santa Cruz)/Baltra Airport/

Guayaquil/Lima.

Bachas Beach (wet landing). This beach is located on the north side of Santa Cruz

Island. Here you will encounter many sea birds, marine iguanas, sea turtles, and

have the opportunity to swim on the white sand beach.

Return to the Galapagos Legend, check out and transfer to Baltra airport for the

flight to Guayaquil and then Lima, Peru. After passing through immigration and

customs, proceed to the reception area, where our inbound services representative

will be holding a sign with your name on it. You will be greeted and then transferred

to your hotel. Overnight at Casa Andina Miraflores. (B)

DAY 21 (Tue, Oct 13, 2009): Lima/City Tour.

In the afternoon, you will have a city tour of Lima. You will visit downtown Lima and

see several examples of the Spanish architecture of the colonial period including the

Plaza de Armas, the Presidential Palace, the Cathedral, and the Church of San

Francisco and Catacombs. After that, you will see Huaca Huallamarca, a restored

adobe pyramid dating from the pre-Inca period located in San Isidro. You will tour

the upscale residential and commercial district of Miraflores and see the Parque del

Amor, a seaside park with a huge statue of a kissing couple, before returning to your

hotel. Overnight at Casa Andina Miraflores. (B)

DAY 22 (Wed, Oct 14, 2009): Lima/Cusco/City Tour.

Early morning transfer to the airport for the flight to Cusco. Upon arrival, you will be

transferred to your hotel. Because of the high altitude (10,660 feet above sea level),

we recommend that you rest for a short period. In the afternoon, you will have a city

tour that includes a walk through of the Cathedral, the Koricancha (‘site of gold’),

typical streets, and the four ruins that surround the city: the Sacsayhuaman

Fortress, Kenko, Puca Pucara, and Tampumachay. Overnight at Casa Andina

Cusco. (B)

DAY 23 (Thu, Oct 15, 2009): Cusco/Sacred Valley of the Incas/Cusco.

Full-day private excursion to the Sacred Valley of the Incas, including the Indian

artisan market in Pisac and the fortress of Ollantaytambo. Overnight at Casa

Andina Cusco. (B,L)

Note: The Indian market opens only Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays from

October to March, and daily from April to September.

DAY 24 (Fri, Oct 16, 2009): Sacred Valley of the Incas/Machu Picchu.

Early morning transfer to the train station for the ride to Machu Picchu, ‘the Lost City

of the Incas’ (7,900 ft.). This mountaintop citadel, which served as both a center of

worship and an astronomic observatory, is located in the middle of the cloud forest

overlooking the Urubamba River. There are both agricultural and urban areas

constructed with the precision stonework that the Incas are known for. The

agricultural area consists of terraces and food storehouses, and the urban area

contains temples, squares, and royal tombs. Guided tour followed by lunch at the

Sanctuary Lodge. Mid-afternoon, you will depart from Machu Picchu by train to

Poroy Station in the Sacred Valley, and then be taken to Cusco. Overnight at Casa

Andina Cusco. (B,L)

DAY 25 (Sat, Oct 17, 2009): Cusco/Lima.

Transfer to the airport for your flight back to Lima and your final destination.

Depending upon the time of your departure flight from Lima, you can choose to

leave Cusco on a mid-afternoon flight to Lima and stay at the airport until your flight

departs, or leave Cusco on a morning flight to Lima, pay for a day use hotel (from

$30) and transfers to and from the airport ($25 each way) to rest before your flight

and enjoy your last day in Lima. (B)

B = Breakfast, L = Lunch, D = Dinner

Rambling before we go.

2009-08-22T11:30:00.004-04:00

So we now have our official "GO" papers in hand, the airtickets are final, the rooms booked and we are....... well, not quite ready to pack yet. Frank is itching to get this show on the road and I am trying to sort out all the paperwork to be done, bills to be paid before we go and ....... well, there is always more to do than one can imagine before leaving home for a month at a time.

I had to laugh yesterday - one of our customers seriously advised me to check whether we were going to Ecuador and Peru in "earthquake season". I did not know there was such a season. Some of the other comments have been that we must watch out for the sting rays and not get 'bitten' like Steve Erwin, that we should be careful not to be eaten by an anaconda and also that Sept/Oct was the worst time to go - just because! We really do appreciate all comments - but we are going on this trip - earthquake season or not. Maybe we will get to see a volcano erupting while on the Galapagos Islands - just think of those photos!

Eleven flights in all.... thats for each of us.... And I refuse to worry about it. My absolute main worry is that something happens to my camera early on in the month - I will just have to sit and cry if that happens. We are taking both the Canon Rebel 10 megapixel and the Canon 21 megapixel as well as a little 6mp underwater camera.... Frank gets to be in charge of the 10mp and my hand will be welded to the big one.

I really want to put photos up here and this is the first time that I have started writing this far before a trip - but I know that we will have plenty photos to share afterwards.

Oh, and my middle child, eldest daughter, Lisa is having another baby. This one they will be calling Steven William..... see the countdown on the right :)

Amazon Jungle Itinerary........

2009-08-10T22:40:00.000-04:00

Some 60 million years ago, South America was an enormous island, partly submerged in the Atlantic. The Amazon River flowed west, as the Andes rose majestically eons later. Life gathered in isolated patches, like Noah's Ark, bearing the promise of continuity. Salt water retreated to the sea, rains clashed against mountain slopes, and the Panamanian land bridge gave way to genetic transactions with the North. The result? The greatest orchestration of life ever heard on Earth - whose symphonies delight the spirit as its rainbow of colors come alive with what scientists call "biodiversity". What's more, not even the most outlandish imagination, nor the most sophisticated multimedia equipment, could ever emulate this "divinely computerized programming".

In 1541, the very first Europeans set out from Quito to explore these dense jungles east of this ancient Incan capital in search of gold and cinnamon. Not the jungle or the natives ever revealed where the precious metal of "El Dorado" was to be found, as they floated for 800 miles down the Napo to come upon what they thought to be the Atlantic. But it wasn't the Atlantic - yet. It was the Great Amazon River, fed by over a thousand tributaries that emptied one third of the Planet's fresh water into the sea!

8 days / 7 night itinerary

Day 1 Quito – Coca – Yasuní National Park Depart from Quito in the morning (8:30 am), flight to Francisco de Orellana (Coca), arriving to Coca at around 09:00. Transfer to the Napo River port then the motorized canoe ride downstream will be approximately two hours, during the trip we will provide of a box lunch and important information about the region. Once on board the Manatee Amazon Explorer will start navigating down the Napo River for the whole afternoon. At night our first live experience with the Ecuadorian Amazon basin will begin (night walk or canoe ride will depend on the river level, climatic conditions, wildlife behavior and accessibility to a location)

Day 2 Visiting the Yasuní National Park On the second day of our cruise, we will explore one of the fantastic tributaries of the Napo River that comes from the core of the Yasuní National Park. At this river, we will navigate upstream in search of the evasive Giant River Otter, the mysterious Jaguar and the timid Spider Monkey. After our return from the excursion, the manatee will continue its navigation to arrive near the international boundary with Peru. At night, there will be an excursion into the Yasuní N.P. to look for large rodents like Capybaras and reptiles of the night like Caimans (South American alligators). We may stay camping overnight to enjoy the jungle at night.

Day 3 Peruvian Border & Cuyabeno Wildlife Reserve After a morning excursion to observe plants, birds and more wildlife in the Yasuní N.P. The Manatee will navigate into the Aguarico River, the largest tributary of the Napo River to get through the Cuyabeno Wildlife Reserve, one of the highlights of our exploration. On our way to Cuyabeno, we will visit a Peruvian town and meet local people.

Day 4 Cuyabeno W. R. – The Forest Dwellers A full day visit to the Indian Community will give as an idea of how indigenous people live in the forest. At the community, a local guide accompanied by our expedition leaders will enlighten you with the use of plants for medicinal use and other purposes. After a walk, you will stop at a local house where these true forest dwellers will bring into the light their way of life and traditions. This will be an opportunity to buy handicrafts made by the local people. There will be plenty of traditional food and hospitality.

Day 5 Cuyabeno W. R. - Lagartococha This remote area is accessible to you only through the Lagarto (Alligator) River, a black water river surrounded by freshwater mangroves (Coussapoa trinervia), Macrolobium trees, and Palm trees adapted to flooding conditions. Lagartococha (Alligator Lake) is not one but a system of lakes situated along the Ecuadorian-Peruvian boundary. This black water system is the home of the legendary Pink River Dolphins, River Turtles, Black Caimans and the enigmatic Amazon Manatee. Moreover, if we look at the vegetation on the shores, we may well see Red Howler Monkeys, Three-toed Sloth, the leaf-eating bird locally known as Stinky Turkey (Hoatzin) and other wildlife. The canoe trip upstream will reveal the overwhelming beauty of this aquatic region. An overnight in the forest could be arranged for this day.

Day 6 Navigation and exploration along the Napo River From this day, we will start our return to the point where we boarded the Manatee Amazon Explorer for the first time. There will be navigation throughout the entire day to relax and observe the Napo River banks, the forest and perhaps some wildlife. Late in the afternoon, after a relaxed morning, we will explore the Napo River banks and tropical river islands in quest of birds like the ornamented Umbrella Bird, the colorful Blue-Gray Tanagers, Kingbirds, Social Flycatchers and many more.

Day 7 Navigation along the Napo River – Pañacocha (Piranha Lake) Protected Forest We will continue our navigation upstream to arrive at the mouth of the Pañayacu (Piranha River). After arrival, there will be a canoe trip through the Piranha River to see the sights of this interesting protected forest. There is a possibility to observe Pink River Dolphins, the agile Common Squirrel Monkeys and much more. The Piranha Lake area, contrary to Lagartococha, is an ecosystem flooded by white waters. The rivers and lakes of that place are perfect habitat for the infamous Piranha, the Water Monkey Fish (Arawana) and White Caimans. At night, there will be an optional excursion to explore the forest and river banks.

Day 8 Yasuní N. P. – CICAME museum and return home The Manatee Amazon Explore will arrive to the point were we started our adventure. Early morning, we will visit the most accessible Parrot and Parakeet clay licks in Ecuador. There are blinds or hides to watch and enjoy this nature show so close! It is difficult to imagine hundreds, sometimes thousands of parrots and parakeets coming all together at once into the clay licks. This area is also located inside of the Yasuní N.P. Early afternoon visit the CICAME Archeological Museum that preserves pottery from the Omagua Culture, one of the first forest pre-Columbian residents of the Napo River basin. After the visit continue to the city of Coca to take the flight back to Quito.

Important Notes:

1. You must wear a life vest during all boat and canoe trips. 2. Trained naturalist Guides offer advice, give informative talks and conduct all excursions. 

3. There is an entrance fee to Yasuni National Park of USD 20 per person (subject to change) and must be paid by passengers directly.  

4. The programs described are subject to change without notice, and can be operated in different sequences depending on climatic and operational conditions. All decisions are oriented in terms of passengers interest and safety.  

5. For your comfort, bottled water is supplied during your stay, free of charge. 

6. All meals are included in the cost of the program. Alcoholic beverages and soft drinks are available at extra cost.  

7. Electricity is 110 volts

Activities

Hike on terra firmae forest

This hike will lead us under the gigantic trees, for a close view of the rain forest floor to see how the lower plants complete for sunlight, among vines and epiphytes, observing the flowers and fruits that are the nourishment of the animals and birds.

Swimming

There are plenty of opportunities to swim in the Amazon basin’s rivers and lakes; or just go into the water to freshen up and relax.

Night excursions

Whether by paddle canoe or short walk, the feel of the tropical rain forest at night is an entirely different experience.

Short or medium Length walks

Are included daily in the Amazon rain forest. One of the walks will be accompanied by a native guide, who will introduce you to the secrets of the medicinal plants and their applications.

Canoe trips

This wide, white water river, which itself flows into the Amazon. The dense, green walls of gallery forest are broken occasionally by the small holding of the Quichua settlements as you navigate downstream. The canoe trips along the rivers are excellent opportunities for viewing parrots, macaws, and herons and rivers turtles.

Paddle native canoes

There are many opportunities if you wish to paddle native canoes on the small black water rivers and lakes, alone or in small groups.

Explore small rivers

By motor canoe the small river’s still waters observing the vegetation of its banks: huge kapok and palm trees. The surprising pink dolphins may appear at any bend of the river. This is a great place to spot toucans, parrots, eagles and many other birds.

Bird watching

Birdwatchers are offered the opportunity of early morning outings – the best time, when the birds are very active. This is an optional activity, with no extra cost.

Conferences by naturalist guides

Each evening, the naturalist guides will discuss different topics related to the Amazon rain forest. Its flora, fauna, bird life, native communities and many other subjects.

The beginning

2009-08-09T00:17:00.000-04:00

It's 6 weeks till we leave but this trip really began the second I saw that we could combine the Galapagos Islands, Amazon Jungle and Machu Picchu all in one trip. It really hit home when the money left the bank and winged it's way to the travel agent and I heard Blondie, our self-serving, obnoxious GPS, sulking in the cupboard - she will not be going with us this time!

So now we have the empty suitcases waiting patiently on the floor in the spare room, my camera is almost humming in anticipation and I have changed the hard drive in a tiny light weight laptop to a much bigger one. I just know tha

t we are going to take a gazillion photos and plan on downloading them onto the little laptop to free up my camera cards - I could not bear to run out of space to take photos!

What a trip this is going to be - the short version is: (photos are not mine)

QUITO, EIGHT DAY MANATEE AMAZON EXPLORER, EIGHT DAY

GALAPAGOS LEGEND CRUISE, AND MACHU PICCHU

This tour combines colonial Quito with an eight day river cruise through Ecuador’s Amazon Basin on the Manatee Amazon Explorer, an eight day Galapagos Islands cruise on the Galapagos Legend, and Machu Picchu. You will cruise the Napo River and its tributaries and visit Yasuni National Park and Cuyabeno Wildlife Reserve. You will also experience one of Ecuador’s best parrot clay licks, and have a chance to see giant river otters, caimans, and pink river dolphins. The Galapagos Islands offers unique ecosystems and plant and animal species that evolved in isolation and are found nowhere else onEarth.The final part of this tour will be a visit to Peru and Machu Picchu, the spectacular mountain top citadel known as the 'Lost city of the Incas'.

The Manatee Amazon Explorer is a river motor yacht that accommodates 30 passengers in 14 double cabins. Each cabin has a private bathroom, air conditioning, and hot water. The social areas include a dining room, bar, laundry, boutique, and sun deck/balcony.

The Galapagos Legend is a 100 passenger deluxe expedition ship that offers the comforts and amenities of a larger cruise liner. It is air conditioned throughout, and features 57 cabins with lower beds, private bathroom, safe, and mini bar. The ship's spacious social areas include a pool, Jacuzzi, Fisherman's Bar, observation decks, al fresco dining areas, a spacious passenger lounge, dining room, boutique, library, and conference room. Snorkeling equipment and wets suits can be rented on board.

This all sounds beyond amazing to me - it also includes a total of 11 flights, and I don't particularly enjoy flying at all. But hey - I know I am going to be just fine, although Franks arms and hand might be black and blue by the time we get home from my hanging on to him especially through the landings and taking off.

Ok - thats enough for a start - especially since its still a long time to go before we get started..

More as things unfold...

love and light

Annie