Only in Galápagos
The sea lion barely opened an eye as I walked past him, snoozing in the middle of the sidewalk. He was drunk on salt water and fish. Only in Galápagos. Ten meters down, I jumped over the endemic marine iguana, bathing in the Galápagos inferno. I breathed in the fresh sea breeze, and took in […]
Day of the Dead
Never before have I experienced a day quite like Dia de Los Muertos. In the week preceding November 2, I asked several people, “What happens on Dia de Los Muertos?” “People visit the cemetery.” Simple Enough. As it turns out, the whole week leading to Nov. 2 was one of preparation for this very important […]
For the Love of the Game
One of my biggest concerns about living in Baños was how I would play tennis, since I plan to play for my high school when we return. My dad and I asked around town and heard two answers: No hay (there aren’t any), or Al Sangay (at the Sangay hotel).We decided to look into it […]
A Spitting Image
I woke up this morning and had a delicious breakfast of scrambled eggs. As usual, I had no idea what our plan for the day would be. Today, I thought, from my family’s favorable forecast of the day, we were going to take a hike to see a waterfall or something. Well, read on! My […]
Ah, Baños…
You have to love a town that has free parking on the street… where bikes travel at the same speed as cars…. where a taxi ride anywhere in town or a smoothie costs $1… where you bump into the same person you met the day before in the supermarket… where there are no malls…. and […]
They Marched off in Uniforms
Every year is different, but somehow the same. Though I didn’t shed tears, this morning I had that same hole in my gut that I had when I dropped them in nursery school the first day. Are they ready? Will they be okay? Are they scared, nervous, or insecure? My anxiety ramped up a notch […]
At Home in Baños
Finalmente! After nearly six months of travel, we are planting our feet in Baños. Out of several cities we visited, we chose this one to live in for the remainder of our time in Ecuador. We hoped and prayed that all the pieces would come together for us to settle here. And they have. Adam […]
My Boys
Seeing Benjamin and Adam jettison themselves off the bridge nearly 400 feet above the rocks and river below, made my heart skip a beat. Fortunately the rope tied to their ankles held, and after a quick jerk they just swung back and forth like a pendulum on an old grandfather clock. The month prior Adam […]
Adventures Galore
We arrived in Ecuador on July 4th. Since then, we have not had more than a week in one place. During this time of extreme travel, we have had many adventures. Whale Watching: In Puerto Lopez, we took a 40 foot cruiser out into the ocean. The waves were large, and the boat rocked a […]
Travel Savvy, Travel Weary
We have lived out of suitcases for five months now. I can’t count the number of beds we have slept in, nor the buses we have boarded. The experiences are rich; the lessons many. People we have met along the way represent a variety of lifestyles: urban, rural, traditional, modern. Still, the core of the […]
Gracias Amigos
Old friends, new friends, passing friends, friends for life. This year is a crazy mix of brief interchanges and reunions with a variety of people. We have just said goodbye to our dear friends, the Mims, who came to visit us in Ecuador for their vacation. Our time with them was a gift, a blessing, […]
Next Country: Ecuador
I walk through a narrow hallway, breathing in deeply. My suitcase trails behind me, rolling ever so quietly. I watch other travelers pass by us. Next I am standing in an “immigration” line. We get our papers checked, and a woman says, “Bienvenidos a Ecuador (Welcome to Ecuador).” I cannot believe that we are already […]
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