ECUADOR!

Hiking in the Amazon... before we got sweaty and rained on!

After spending a few days exploring Medellín with Sarah and Chris, we took off for Ecuador!  I had two weeks off in June and we made plans to spend one of those weeks in the Amazon and the other at the beach.  While in the jungle, we trekked with a native Kichwa guide and learned about the politics and ecology of that sensitive ecosystem.  My sister, Sam, joined us for the beach week.  There we took to the Pacific to go whale-watching and visit Isla de la Plata, similar to the Galapagos.  Sam and I ended our time together in Quito to celebrate our July birthdays together for the first time in almost a decade.  It was a truly excellent trip... I can't wait to go back!! 

The river's usually 20 cm but this day it
came in through the tops of our boots!

Our accommodations in the jungle at Chuva Urcu: the kitchen.

Solomon: our out-standing Kichwa guide (he's also the president of his community!).  He gave us lessons in traditional trapping techniques and medicinal plant use.

Jessy and Chris with Sara, Solomon's skilled wife who is trying to teach
us to isolate the fibers of the Pita plant to make jewelry--
we were terrible students but she was very kind.

In a small cave we hiked to in the rain (massive spiders and bats not pictured)

Visiting the sulphur pool in Agua Blanca, near Puerto Lopez
 on the Beach.  Even Sam put on some of the highly nutrient-rich,
mineral-based, beneficial sulphur clay... or maybe it was just mud.

Our guide, Isidro, at Agua Blanca-- he wanted to marry me.

On the boat ready to see some whales!  Gotta love orange :)

We saw two sets of two whales-- this pair was SO close!
They even floated under the boat and showed off their tales to us!

Hiking Isla de la Plata, which has tons of Blue Footed Boobies!  
We also saw non-blue Boobies and Albatros.

Me and Sam with the Island Coastline

Sarah and Chris are staying in South America until August-- their blog also has great photos and info. from our time together, check it out!

Visitors in Medellín

Blaire and Katie with me at the top of Cerro Nutibara at Dusk

The Happy Travelers at El Puente del Occidente over the
Cauca River in Santa Fe de Antioquia

On the Metro-Cable
(hanging cable cars used for mass-transit)

On different weekends in June, friends Blaire and Katie, of FL, and Sarah and Chris, of WI, visited me here in Colombia.  It was an incredible treat to get to host them all and show-off my adopted hometown.  They all seemed impressed with Medellín's beauty and sophistication.  We had a great time meeting some of my dearest friends here in town and heading out for some city night-life.  I also enjoyed using their visits as an excuse to wander out of town a bit to see some neighboring small towns that I'd heard great things about.

Posing with Chris in Parque Berrio
with a favorite Botero Statue

Sarah and Chris visiting Grandma Magola
in her lovely garden

Sarah and Chris hanging out above Medellín on the Metro-Cable