A Few Pictures From The Tropics

Our dear ranchero, the "bus" that brought us down Via Auca to the Shiripuno. Observe if you will, the many large rocks upon this road. There were also many potholes, all of which we felt acutely since the ranchero lacked any noticeable suspension. But no matter, to the rainforest!

Via Auca, the road we used to reach the Shiripuno River, was built for and by the oil companies. This pumping station, with its plethora of pipes, was another reminder of the presence of oil and of those who wish to extract it in the Ecuadorian rainforest.

A typical colonist's home along Via Auca, on stilts, made of wood and concrete block, surrounded by chickens, dogs, maybe some cows, and small fields where these people attempt to make a living off the nutrient poor soil.

The Shiripuno River Lodge: Our home during our rainforest stay. Thatched palm fronds for a roof, planks for walls and floors, and even indoor plumbing for each triple room! Except when the pump broke and we didn't have running water for three or four days, but no matter, we all smelled anyway from sweat and the mud and a little more mud and sweat didn't make much of a difference.

The rainforest, what a beautifully complex place. Canopy, lianas (woody vines), understory, ferns, palms, all sorts of life!

Rubber boots: man's best friend in the muddy Ecuadorian rainforest.

Have blowgun will hunt, or at least attempt to do so. They are surprisingly heavy and long, easily eight feet. And to think the Huaorani men run, not walk, run, for hours with these blowguns in pursuit of various animals over the course of several days.

Just because I'm close to the equator doesn't guarantee that it's warm. On top of this mountain, I was higher than any point in the Rockies, wow. And it was cool up there, literally and figuratively. As soon as we reached the top, the clouds started to part and we got to see this amazing view of the rugged peaks of the Andes Mountains, stretching before us in all directions.

This forest was unreal. The vegetation, short, gnarled, laden with other plants like ferns and moss, boggled my mind. Complete with a stream cascading from the heights of the nearby Andes, incredible.

Lions and tigers and marine iguanas oh my! Okay, cut the part about the lions and tigers and replace it with lava lizards and frigate birds. So much wildlife and they don't move! They are not scared of people at all, amazing!


Oh the famous blue-footed booby. Yes, that is an actual name for an actual bird. And they were everywhere, including on our trail doing their mating dance, perfect for us observing biologists!

Awww, aren't these guys cute? Wherever we went there were sea lions! So many of them, we had to watch where we stepped so we wouldn't accidentally squash one of the pups (like these) or one of the mothers. They may seem lazy as they nap on the rocks, but when they're in the water, snorkellers watch out for these mammalian torpedoes!

It was fascinating watching these huge male tortoises eat, so slowly, so deliberately. It comes with a slow metabolism and a lifespan of over 150 years!

The vegetation on the Galapagos never ceased to perplex. Prickly pear cactus, okay, I've seen that before, but growing like a tree? Wow. What an adaptation. The other sticks here are living trees, known as palo santo or holy stick, awaiting rain. They flower in the Christmas season, thus earning them their name.

Yee-haw! The largest active caldera in the world! And the second largest in world period! Welcome to Sierra Negra on Isabela, the last eruption here was in October 2005 and believe it or not cacti are thriving just tens of feet from the newest lava flow, amazing.

This boat belongs in a lake, not in the ocean serving as a speedboat to transport tourists across miles of bumpy seas from Isabela to Santa Cruz, but it gets you there in one piece.

Mitad del Mundo: Middle of the Earth, also known as the Equator! However, this monument and this line are actually 240 meters off. Whoops! But a fun representation nonetheless.

On one of our hikes along a ridge in Mindo, we were treated with this stunning view of the valley and the town of Mindo far off. The altitudes of the innumerable hills and mountains never cease to amaze me.

This was our cabin in Mindo, a pretty classy place for the cloud forest!


On left, is me, modelling one of the alpaca sweaters I brought home. Second from the left is Jaimie Didier, one of my housemates and a senior. Third from the left is Pilar, our host mom (a very kind and generous woman, and a great cook). Third from the right is Maria Isabela, Pilar's daughter. Second from the right is Sarah Stevens, my other housemate and also a senior. And on the right is Juan Pablo, Maria Isabela's husband, who had actually lived in St. Cloud for a few years!