Quito and Los Galapagos!

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December 7th 2006

Published: December 7th 2006

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llama lovers

Otavalo

Here is a view of a valley from a lookout point above Otavalo. We hiked up above the city to find a tree, El Lechero, a place of pilgrimage in the region.

Hello Everyone!

I am writing from home, in Oregon, today. It is wicked cold here!

I hope that everyone is doing very well and had pleasant Thanksgivings!

We spent our wonderful ten days on the Galapagos, acquiring some very impressive sunburns, pictures of lizards, encounters with reef sharks and pelicans, and some very fresh, very tasty fish dishes.

The Galapagos were interesting, if not exactly beautiful. Warm and humid, with aqua green water and brightly colored fish. Each night, the gray pelicans would line up on the pier and dive for fish. I sat and watched them dive for a while each night. If you come to the docks early in the morning, you can see blue-footed boobies diving for fish, tucking their wings into their sides, all streamlined-like, and whooshing underwater to catch fish. Tourists ride boats in and out of the bay all day long, walking the front streets of Puerta Ayora, shopping for souvenirs.

We spent a lot of time at La Playa Tortuga, or Turtle Beach, which is about an hour's walk from our hostal. We walked on a narrow, brick pathway that leads through a dense forest-like creature, with tall cacti

Otavalo

A wicked-fun bug we found on the ground in a park in the center of Otavalo.

and spindly, bare white trees. The sand on the beach was white and fine, the water warm and clear. On one of our last evenings on the beach, we were getting ready to leave, and Ellie nearly stepped on a sting ray buried beneath the sand. It scooted away when she got too close, and near about scared her to death. They're quite big. In the tide pools we found a small, saucer-sized octopus, or 'pulpo'. When it would move, it would turn a dark purple-blank, and then it would stick itself to the side of rock, changing the texture of its skin, and color, to match that of the rock. That was neat! We also saw an eel, purple and gray-green. They are quite unattractive creatures, with sharp, ugly little faces, and sneaky eyes.

We went snorkeling on a small island off the coast of La Isla Santa Cruz called Loyeria. I broke my dang snorkeling gear (which they tried to charge me for and Ellie wouldn't let them). It was actually kind of scary, I'm not going to lie. The waves were crashing up against the rocks, lined with fat sea lions, the blue water swirling like

Otavalo

An example of one of the jewelry stands at the Otavalo market, supposedly the largest in South America (but, definitely not the best...).

mad, with everything from white-tipped sharks to sea stars below. We saw brightly colored fish, a reef shark and a white-tipped shark (I didn't see it, though). We went swiming in a narrow channel, between two cliffs, with crystal blue water, and walked by some salt flats.

I am going to stop writing now. This will be my last entry. Take care.

Un abrazzo,
Caitlin

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