My plan for the three day weekend was to head for the beach, and I was excited and full of anticipation, but Eric was less than enthusiastic about the nine hour drive there and back. I was desperate to get out of the apartment last night, but ended up cooking a lentil-quinoa-vegetable soup using everything I possibly could in my refrigerator. I had bought nothing for the week because I was expecting to be away, so I was delighted to empty out the cupboards and the fridge. Eric and I discussed weekend plans, and I agreed to go to a local bird sanctuary for the day. I spent the rest of the evening reviewing my camera and bird photography.
Of course I was up at 6 and ready to go, but the sky was misty and grey after a night of rain, and both Eric and Tara were slow moving, and we were moving far too late to see many birds. We drove to Yanacocha anyway, which is only an hour away from the city, up the side of Pichincha volcano. The road turns to dirt early on, and winds up the hill to the entrance of the park. We were drenched in fog as we started on the path, and were astonished to find completely different vegetation than we had ever seen. It was at about 12000 feet, with a cloud forest which looked like the time of the dinosaurs, with huge leaves the size of suitcases, and strange seed pods and lichens and mosses. It appeared as if the area had once been at sea level and that when the Andes rose up, it was misplaced above the clouds. We expected to run into a brontosaurus. Eric reminded us that birds are dinosaurs, so that we would encounter dinosaurs on our walk.
Birds were all around, but not easily visible. We were supposed to be looking for a 'black breasted puffwing hummingbird', and although there were hummingbirds all around and we thought we did see one, I was unable to take a photo. We saw other lovely birds, most far to difficult to photograph. It was time to make a list of birds for us, since we see so many, and have never kept a record of it. The walk was incredible, such an unusual microclimate, with birds that live nowhere else. The spectacled bear stayed away, so we will have to return to look for it again.
We rushed home in time to get to the Chile Ecuador game, and sat in the 'general' section, with thousands of Ecuadorian fans in yellow Tshirts. It was an exciting game, and the Ecuadorians won by 3:1; the one Chilean goal was made by an Ecuadorian!
It was Friday, and the day to go to the Centro Historico to watch folkloric dance in the Archbishop's palace, and to take a walk to 'La Ronda', where nightlife is hopping. We ate a massive empanada (the size of a suticase!), listened to music from many different periods of Ecuadorian history, watched more folkloric dance, wandered through the packed street full of revelers, and arrived home very late. Our plans are to see more birds in the cloud forest tomorrow; part work for Eric and the bonus for Maya and I is the opportunity to wander through the clouds and see beautiful birds and perhaps other animals.
Of course I was up at 6 and ready to go, but the sky was misty and grey after a night of rain, and both Eric and Tara were slow moving, and we were moving far too late to see many birds. We drove to Yanacocha anyway, which is only an hour away from the city, up the side of Pichincha volcano. The road turns to dirt early on, and winds up the hill to the entrance of the park. We were drenched in fog as we started on the path, and were astonished to find completely different vegetation than we had ever seen. It was at about 12000 feet, with a cloud forest which looked like the time of the dinosaurs, with huge leaves the size of suitcases, and strange seed pods and lichens and mosses. It appeared as if the area had once been at sea level and that when the Andes rose up, it was misplaced above the clouds. We expected to run into a brontosaurus. Eric reminded us that birds are dinosaurs, so that we would encounter dinosaurs on our walk.
Birds were all around, but not easily visible. We were supposed to be looking for a 'black breasted puffwing hummingbird', and although there were hummingbirds all around and we thought we did see one, I was unable to take a photo. We saw other lovely birds, most far to difficult to photograph. It was time to make a list of birds for us, since we see so many, and have never kept a record of it. The walk was incredible, such an unusual microclimate, with birds that live nowhere else. The spectacled bear stayed away, so we will have to return to look for it again.
We rushed home in time to get to the Chile Ecuador game, and sat in the 'general' section, with thousands of Ecuadorian fans in yellow Tshirts. It was an exciting game, and the Ecuadorians won by 3:1; the one Chilean goal was made by an Ecuadorian!
It was Friday, and the day to go to the Centro Historico to watch folkloric dance in the Archbishop's palace, and to take a walk to 'La Ronda', where nightlife is hopping. We ate a massive empanada (the size of a suticase!), listened to music from many different periods of Ecuadorian history, watched more folkloric dance, wandered through the packed street full of revelers, and arrived home very late. Our plans are to see more birds in the cloud forest tomorrow; part work for Eric and the bonus for Maya and I is the opportunity to wander through the clouds and see beautiful birds and perhaps other animals.
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