Parque Nacional Cajas. Cuenca, Ecuador.

Did you know?

That genuine Panama Hats have always been made in Ecuador, mainly in Cuenca and Montecristi. These images are from the Rafael Paredes e Hijos workshop in Cuenca.




that is a $350.00 hat on my head.

Spanish School.

I just finished up another week of Spanish School. So far that makes three weeks of classroom study in the past 9 months. My Spanish is definitely coming along, however I still have trouble expressing myself. Everyday basics are a breeze, but explaining how I feel about a situation in politics beyond "i think it's bad", or just really conveying emotions in Spanish is tough. Lots more work to do.

Cuenca, Ecuador.

So far in Cuenca, Ecuador...

we watched a knife fight in the street, nobody died.
drank really good coffee, a lot.
have climbed 6 floors of stairs no less than two times a day.
watched cable television.
took it easy next to Rio Tomebamba.
had dinner with some nice Belgians.
one of us enrolled in Spanish school.

An Arbitrary Edit From Alausi, Ecuador.

Melcocha -aka- Taffy.

These dudes pull taffy all day long. The tourists love them as they put on quite a show. The taffy is just okay. Baños, Ecuador.

A curious plant grows outside our hotel door...

Jenny Pope. Missing since January 9, 2006.

Last seen in Baños, Ecuador.

In The Middle of It. Mitad Del Mundo, Ecuador.

Old Town. Quito, Ecuador.

Click on the panoramic image for a larger version.

While Waiting For A Bus In Pasto, Colombia...

we spotted this kid basically licking the glass. His mother would pull him away, but he would always come right back to licking. Megan and I could barely contain ourselves, it was hilarious to watch this kid try to mop up all the germs he could from the bus station windows.

Who wants cake? Popayan, Colombia.

Zoologico de Cali, Colombia.

Spent a rainy day at the zoo in Cali. Monkeys rule, and pee a lot.

Stuck In Traffic. Near Cali, Colombia.