Ecuador
The Cablecars of Pinchincha in Quito
Written By: jeff
Posted On: November 29th, 2013
Quito may be best known for lying on the equator. But, there’s an even more important data point for you to know – it’s altitude. At 9350 feet / 1800 meters above sea level, you will feel how thin the air is. And, as high as that is, you can get even higher. The Pinchincha […]
Colorful Butterfly in the Amazon
Written By: jeff
Posted On: December 14th, 2012
When I see a butterfly outside in a park or in a garden, I take a passing glance and move on. But, something happens to me when I visit a butterfly farm. I become mesmerized. I’m like a kid in front of a TV watching cartoons. Can’t. Stop. Staring. When I went to the Amazon while […]
My Ode to Lonesome George the Tortoise
Written By: jeff
Posted On: June 25th, 2012
Oh George. You will be missed. I only met you briefly on my career break in the Galapagos in 2007 at your home at the Darwin Center on Santa Cruz Island. I was the one styling with the camera, the sunglasses, the daypack and the new pair of Keen’s. Yeah, I knew you’d remember. You […]
Galapagos Day 7: Penguins & Volcanos
Written By: jeff
Posted On: September 19th, 2010
Today started early to explore Bartolomeo Island. We were on board the rafts by 6:10AM. The penguins of Galapagos are early risers to get their fishing done before it gets too hot. Granted at this time of year, the temperature only rises to about 22-25 degrees C (about 70-78 degrees F), but during the hot […]
Galapagos Days 5 & 6: Birds, Turtles and Fish
Written By: jeff
Posted On: September 12th, 2010
On Thursday, we had an even earlier start to the day since our excursion left at 7:30 instead of our normal 8:00AM. I awoke early and again sat out on the back of the boat taking in the view of the islands. The cool breeze coming off the water made for a crisp, fresh morning. […]
Galapagos Days 3 & 4: Cruising Around the lsles
Written By: jeff
Posted On: September 5th, 2010
After an early breakfast, we were on our rafts at 8:00AM to head off to Isla Lobos or Sea Lion Island. Just like yesterday we walked through dozens, maybe hundreds of sea lions. We also saw a few more blue-footed boobies and some yellow warblers. The sun was out and there were few clouds in […]
Galapagos Days 1 & 2: When Sea Lions Attack
Written By: jeff
Posted On: August 29th, 2010
After a quick breakfast on Sunday, I was off to the airport to catch the short 1.5 hour flight to the Galapagos Islands. We flew into the airport on the tiny island of Baltra. I met up with my tour group, collected my stuff and we took a 45 minute shuttle to a dock where […]
Down to Southern Ecuador
Written By: jeff
Posted On: August 22nd, 2010
I returned to Quito on Saturday for one night before heading down south to two remote yet historically significant cities: Cuenca and Loja. I had a couple of things to do in the city so I spent what was left of Saturday and Sunday running errands. I caught up with Gloria and two of her […]
Deeper Into the Jungle
Written By: jeff
Posted On: August 15th, 2010
The day started off on a few dour notes and I wasn’t sure how it was going to turn out. This morning’s wake up call at 5:30 came early and not due to the hour. For some reason, I could not sleep last night. So, when the knock at the door came, I moved slower […]
Swimming With Piranas
Written By: jeff
Posted On: August 8th, 2010
I woke to the gentle sound of rain falling outside. I looked at my alarm clock which said it was only 4:30AM. Wake up time was at 5:30 so I still had an hour to sleep. The only problem was that nature was calling and I couldn’t bear to get out of bed. After the […]
