Ecuador

I had never been to Ecuador in my life and then in one year I went there 3 times because of good local connections. So below is a compilation of each trip : the first was a surf trip along the Pacific coast, the second was a jungle trip into the Amazon, and the third was a mountain trip to climb the volcano Cotopaxi.

Quilatoa, Ecuador. A colorful local riding along the rim of this extinct volcano, now filled with water.

Here's a unique experience - riding through the Andes on the roof of a train! This is the Nariz del Diablo (Devil's Nose) train trip. "Devils Nose" refers to a steep section of mountain that the train crosses along the way- it's one of the steepest railroad descents in the world. And what better way to ride it than on top? That way you can jump off if something goes wrong. It's all worth it for the stunning mountain scenery.

The Andes straddle the Pacific "Ring of Fire". So there's plenty of heat underground. The locals take advantage of this and construct fancy pool/spa facilities wherever this hot water pops out of the ground.

If there's ever any doubt that you're in the Andes, it's erased the minute you see one of these.

Quito, Ecuador. Flying into Quito will take your breath away. Seriously. It's at nearly 10,000 ft of altitude. If you're coming up from sea level it can take a little time to adjust. It's a great time to acquaint yourself with coca tea, available right at the airport and most everywhere else. It's how the locals deal with the thin air too. Coca is the base ingredient for cocaine but the tea is legal and only packs a mild punch. The big volcano off in the distance is Cotopaxi - the peak I'm here to climb on this trip. Pass the coca please!

I'd love to throw in a couple of photos of the long climb up Cotopaxi. But some a-hole stole my camera up on the mountain! So he also stole all my photos of Cotopaxi that were on the camera. This was really hard to take because usually climbers are a tight-knit community and it would be like stealing from your own brother. Good thing I had a backup camera back down at base camp. So the best I can do is a pic of the market near Cotopaxi!

Coca, Ecuador. From one extreme to the other. It's only an hour or so by air from the freezing cold Andes to the steamy Amazon rainforest. Fly into the tiny jungle town of Coca, then catch a water taxi several hours up (or down) river to one of the many Eco-Lodges out in the rainforest. On this trip we stayed at the Yachana Lodge, about 4 hours up the Napo River. This is the real deal- there are many things out in the jungle that want to kill you. Upper right is a perfectly camouflaged snake that our guide nearly stepped on - he said the local name for it was 24X. Because if you get bit you have 24 hours of severe pain, then ...X. Lower left is a poison dart frog- just as deadly. And there are piranhas in the river but the bigger worry are the small fish that can swim into body orifices (yes, those orifices) and open their spines, causing all kinds of infection and pain. If you're ever swimming in these waters always wear tight underwear !!!

Simple, but it keeps 'em out.

Yachana, Ecuador.

Above : There are not that many places any more where you can see such huge chunks of virgin rainforest.

Right : Local kids playing in the Napo River at sunset, not at all worried about those evil little fish...

Pacific Coast, Ecuador. ...And then there are the beaches. From jungles to high mountains to the Galapagos, the Pacific coast is just one more side to this small but very geographically diverse country.

Clockwise from top left: Two monkeys sitting on a fence; our no-frills rental car; a decent surf day at Las Tunas; the coast looks like Mexico in the south and more like Costa Rica the further north you go; friendly people everywhere; another fine Pacific sunset- pass the Pacifico por favor!

Ecuador means "equator" in Spanish. Which makes sense because the equator runs right across the whole country. There are markers where the equator crosses most major roads and they're great places to clown around. Here I'm halfway in summer and halfway in winter! (With one foot in each hemisphere maybe this is what they mean by "bipolar"...)