I have one more day trip that I hadn't posted pictures yet that I wanted to include on the blog. It was an optional trip I'm really glad I took the day after we got back from Tiputini.
That Sunday morning a group of 15 of us were brought out to Antisana, Ecuador's 4th highest volcano. Antisana is one of the most technically challenging volcanos to climb and one of the least visited by Ecuadorians (until the beginning of Dec this year when it was made more public). Because it's more 'untouched' then other volcanos like Cotapaxi, it is a great spot for condor bird watching.
A quote from Wikipedia on the condor to help explain why this is so neat:
"The Andean Condor is a national symbol of Peru, Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Columbia, and Ecuador, and plays an important role in the folklore and mythology of the Andean regions. The Andean Condor is considered near threatened by the IUCN. It is threatened by habitat loss and by secondary poisoning from carcasses killed by hunters. Captive breeding programs have been instituted in several countries."
- From Wikipedia's page on the Andean Condor
Here's what we saw and did (in FAR less pictures and words then the last post, promise!):
A farmer living in near Antisana
That dot near the top right is a condor - I know, it's not an impressive pic but it was exciting to see!
Antisana!
The more popular CaraCara bird
This 'lagoon' is one of the main water sources for Quito
Bit chilly up here (big difference from Tiputini!)
Real squishy ground
With very cool looking ground cover
It's surprisingly hard to jump at high altitude (11,000ish ft?)
After exploring we went to this neat Hacienda for lunch
The bus dropped us here and we started to walk but luckily we were able to catch a ride in a pick up truck!
The inside dining room (very fancy!)
We had a delicious meal ending with figs and cheese - SUPER sweet but classically Ecuadorian (a "must try")
After lunch a few us got to go horseback riding (and they gave us these fun hats/ponchos to wear - nice because it was slightly chilly/damp)
We went in two groups for 20min each. This is a shot of the Hacienda I took while we waited
My horse and I didn't get along.... Not sure if he could tell that I hadn't ridden in 12+ years, whether we felt like exploring because we didn't have a guide with us ("oh don't worry, the horse will just follow the trail..." not true.), or he was just cranky. No matter - it was still really fun!
Going up the trail with Jac in the lead (I know, it doesn't really look like you can get off the trail but trust me, you can!)
The third person from our group, Corinne, and the sweeping view to the side
Heading back down after a great trip
All in all it was an awesome day (although I was definitely very tired by the end).
This week has flown by. I can't believe I leave for Galapagos on Sunday! I found out my host family includes "an older couple with adult children and grandchildren". I'm not sure what that means yet but it could mean a busy house! We are all placed individually on the island and everyone's family is very different (one single woman, other families like mine, a young couple with children, a family that owns a tourist shop, etc).
There are only 5,500 people on the island (1/2 the size of Vermillion, SD!!!) so I suspect I'll get to know people well in 5 months!
I hope to post once more before I leave (though no guarantees) because I don't think I'll be able to post as much on the island. Since it's the furthest one out the internet isn't as good and it's unlikely I'll have it at my house!
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