Just A Random Saturday in Quito
Some pictures taken with my trusty 50mm lens.
Guagua Pichincha
As mentioned in a previous post, Pichincha consists of 2 peaks, Rucu (meaning old person) and Guagua (meaning baby). Guagua Pichincha is the higher of the two peaks at an altitude of ~ 15,728 ft. and is active with its most recent eruption in 1999.
It's easiest to reach the rim of Guagua because you can drive to the Refugio, from which it is just a short walk (30 minutes) to the crater. However, because the road reaches altitudes of 15,000+ feet, the drive itself can be a challenge given the lack of oxygen needed for your vehicle's combustion. The trick for us was for Julia and our 2 hitchiker friends to dismount the car at the steeper portions of the road in order to make the climb. Once the road leveled off, Julia climbed back in and we were able to complete the drive. The 2 hitch hikers graciously decided to walk the rest of the way allowing us to reach the Refugio.
The dry season here afforded us a clear view of the three snow capped volcanoes, Cayambe, Antisana, and Cotopaxi. This year, the dry season has also resulted in an abundance of forest fires which was evident in the views.
On this clearest of days, and while I remembered to pack the camera, yours truly left the battery in the charger at home. The pictures below were taken with my trustee iPhone 6.
To view the entire album click here.
Guagua crater with lava domes.
Video below
Hiking Pichincha
Pichincha is an active stratovolcano just west of Quito. It consists of two peaks, Guagua Pichincha, the active caldera with the last eruption in 1999, and Rucu Pichicha which is inactive.
Our hike to Rucu Pichincha began by taking the teleferico, equivalent to a gondola, to the starting point of the hike at ~12,700 feet. On this day the sky was relatively clear giving us some fantastic views of Quito. Although, at this point, the path was pretty clear, free of rocks, once we hit ~13,500 feet I needed to take some serious deep breaths during the more steep climbs. At about~14,000 feet the trail got more narrow with some more steep drop offs on the side.
We hit a point where the path required some simple rock climbing. I say simple, as it would be the case for most people, but given that I am afraid of heights, if at any point I slipped, I would have rolled down the side of this rocky mountain. To me, the hike became unenjoyable and I still wanted to return home and play with Annika. Julia, of course was perfectly fine but very understanding and when I mentioned turning around she was perfectly fine with it.
According to the map we were somewhat close to the crater of Rucu but given the steep climb at altitude, this could have taken us an hour or so to complete. We ran into 2 people suffering from altitude sickness. At our highest point, ~14,300 feet, we hit what seemed like the spine of the mountain, where if you faced east you looked down upon Quito, and if you faced west you looked down upon the cloud forest and eventually the ocean. Unfortunately the clouds obscurred our view west. Facing north or south you see volcano alley, with other volcanic peaks dotting the skyline.
Oh well...better luck next time if there is one.
To view the entire album, click here.
Dinner At Marcela's
We are blessed to have Marcela in our lives and taking such great care of Annika. We were honored to have been invited to her house for dinner and to meet her parents and aunt. As usual the food was delicious and Melany showed us her muscial talent playing several songs on her guitar which included our wdding's first dance "Tabaco y chanel" by Bacilos.
Leaving Marcela is going to be one of the most difficult part of our upcoming move.
To view the entire album, click here.
Quito Mornings
It's going to be difficult leaving this view...
Los Túneles
On our second day in Isla Isabela, Julia and I took a snorkeling tour to Los Túneles, The Tunnels. A series of lava flows created a spectacular landscape of arcs and tunnels underneath and above the shallow water. Getting to the tunnels was "interesting" and was thoroughly enjoyed by Julia because to get there, the boat driver had to time his ride in between the large waves. Once in, we saw penguins, blue footed boobys, turtles, and sharks. Luckily the sharks were napping...
To view the entire album click here.
Video link here
Cotopaxi Is Alive
For the last couple of weeks Cotopaxi has been showing signs of activity with increase sulfur emissions and long period earthquakes -- none of which could be felt in Quito. The increase in long period earthquakes is likely due to internal fluid (magma) movements.
Will she erupt? Probably not but you never know. In the picture below you could see steam clouds coming off the mountain.
Volcan Cayambe. This one is nice and quiet.
Been trying to capture a picture to show just how close Volcan Cotopaxi is to Quito. I think this one finally captures it.
Random Saturday
When living in another country, sometimes you have to find things that remind you of home. Bacon egg and cheese on a cinnamon bagel, almond croissants, and having some fantastic friends are just some of the things we found here in Quito that remind us of home.
Countdown to our next post begins and we will surely miss this place and our great friends.
Clear Morning
When mornings are clear here in Quito, which is not often, all of the volcanoes are visible and the views are incredible. This morning was relatively clear, and since we are up early these days, we headed to the rooftop of the building in front of us for some fantastic dawn pictures of the volcanoes and the valley below. I never tire of taking these types of pictures. These views will sorely be missed.
To view the entire album, yes I did an album since there are so many pics, click here.
The Arrival of Packages
Nothing like it when a package from the USA arrives! Thanks Tio Vince!
Guayaquil
Took a short weekend trip to Guayaquil for a little rest and relaxation. Got to enjoy some warm temperatures and some serious humidity, something we haven't experienced in a long time -- one of the benefits of living 3 years at high altitude. We got to see Barrios Las Peñas, one of Guayaquil's main attractions. We took the 444 steps up to Cerro Santa Ana and got some photos of Guayaquil. To view the entire album, click here.
Peanut Pilates
http://svelazquez.smugmug.com/Annika/Videos/i-FXb2bzR/A
Happy New Year!
Without a doubt, Ecuador has us beat when it comes to New Year's Eve. The burning of life-size effigies, jumping over fires, and slutty "viudas" (widows) throughout the city are far more colorful than a jam-packed Times Square and the dropping of the ball. A quick stroll around our neighborhood provided a brief look at some of Ecuador's coolest NYE traditions. In the days leading up to NYE, scarecrow-like dolls, often life-size, appear around the city, mainly tied to cars and propped up at the numerous guard stations. The "años viejos" (old years) sometimes depict a famous person, politician, cartoon, or simply represent the creator himself. At midnight, the effigies are set on fire, symbolizing destruction of the bad things from the previous year and the hope that the new year will be better. Ecuadorians also have a tradition of jumping over the fires, again symbolizing a jump into the new year. (Check out this link of our very own ambassador participating in this tradition) But our favorite tradition, which is pretty specific to Ecuador, is the viudas. Young Ecuadorian men dress up as widows of the year that has passed and block traffic until drivers pay them a few coins to pass. The viudas tend to wear short, tight dresses, complete with the necessary "female parts". Friends play reggaeton music while the viuda dances provocatively in an attempt to embarrass the (male) drivers. Some of the viudas make a point of showing off their colored underwear; as the superstition goes, yellow panties worn on NYE bring prosperity in the new year, while red panties bring love.
One of the best parts of these traditions is that they start early in the day, so those of us who don't make it til midnight can still participate in the festivities. Night night!
Friday Swing Day
Our building complex installed a swing set that includes a swing for babies. Needless to say, Annika loved it. To view the entire album click here.
http://svelazquez.smugmug.com/Annika/Friday-Swing-Day/i-jDwmKMC/A
