packing, tracking

 Packing yesterday and today.  Got to work on the trail mix, water and a few other things today.  Tracking url is

https://maps.findmespot.com/s/T5JZ#history/assets

SPOT tracking url

 Headed south for the Carolina Sounds in a few days.  Here is the tracking url, or copy/paste the link below.

https://maps.findmespot.com/s/T5JZ

in the Andes

A visit to a farm high in the Andes.  A man and two women.  Several dogs and cages of Guinea pigs that are being raised for market.  The fields where they grow beans, potatoes and some other vegetables that looked like a cross between potatoes and carrots, are worked by hand.  

They speak Kichwa, an indigenous language that has several dialects, and some Spanish.  I tried to ask how many generations had farmed their piece of land, but I don’t think my question was understood.  I had to settle for what the little fading photographs, mementos and artifacts hanging on the wall would tell me.

 

back in Quito

Back in Quito to relax and catch up on our rest.  A fun night in the plaza the Saturday night.   A relaxing day on Sunday saved for an attempted robbery by pickpockets using the “bird poop” scam.  We left with our valuables intact thanks to zippered pockets. Off to visit a volcano today.

 

a couple more islands in the Galapagos

Our guides, who have been working as naturalists on the Galapagos Islands for decades, say they have never seen so many flamingos in the lagoon on Isla Rabida.  And they have never seen a mother feeding mucus to a chick (above).  It was a great day.  

penguins and tortoises

 

a swim and a hike

 

the Galapagos

The EVOLUTION, our home for the next week in the Galápagos Islands. Great crew and gusts on board.  Excellent food and an open bar.  Snorkeling and an island hike tomorrow. 

 

The cloud forest and Mindo