Ecuador

My trip to Ecuador consisted of three uniquely distinct sub-trips: the Amazon basin, the mountainous (Andes) area near Quito, and the Galapagos Island. The day after arriving in Quito we flew to a major tributary of the Amazon and spent three days one of its a tributaries. We then returned to Quito for two days before leaving for the Galapagos Islands, about 550 miles off the Ecuadoran cost. We spent a week on a small ship sailing among the Galapagos Islands before returning to Quito for a flight home.

The Amazon basin was dense with vegetation as expected, but the tributary of the Amazon was unexpected huge. Quito was hilly with an altitude of 9250 feet. One fellow tourist was unable cope with the combination and stayed in his room. The Galapagos Islands exceeded my expectations. All are volcanic in origin. Some are almost entirely solidified lava, others have considerable sand, even sandy beaches. Some were low lying. Others are raised like mesas above the Pacific Ocean. A few had volcanoes. The variation of animals from island to island was as great as the variation in the islands. I have grouped pictures of iguanas from various islands to show their variations. Everywhere there are geological, zoological, and botanical complexities that make the Galapagos Island a heaven for naturalists.

There were signs on many trails telling us to stay on the trails and not interact with wildlife. It appeared that the admonitions were not reciprocal with the iguanas. At times it was almost impossible to move. They blocked trails and were fearless in approaching tourists. Fortunately, they were harmless, at least they seemed so. Unfortunately, I did not identify all of the birds. I leave that to viewers, if they are so inclined.

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