Thursday Thoughts – The Importance of Festivities

26 januari, 201726 januari, 2017 / Leya / 5 kommentarer

Travelling means learning new things every day. I guess that is one of the best parts of life – learning new things. In this 2 million people capital, Quito, Ecuador, I enjoyed every second. Almost 3000 metres up in the Andes – you had to take it a bit easy the first day.

Do you, for instance, know which mountain is the world´s highest? I learned from the Ecuadorian businessman sitting next to me in the plane between Guayaquil and Baltra, that it is…..Chimborazo, a big volcano in Ecuador. It is higher than Mount Everest – if you count from the middle of our planet Earth.

Colourful Old Town Quito, together with Krakow, Poland, 1978 became the first UNESCO World Heritage sites. And they keep it colourful, clean and tidy.

There were grand festivities this week – December 6 was celebrated everywhere. So, what did they celebrate? Their freedom? No, they celebrated the Spaniards conquering them in the 16th century…I asked them how this could be something to celebrate – and they all answered that they had put all this behind them – this day was just a good day for festivities and having fun. That sounded just great to me!

Ecuador Ama la Vida

Music and Dancing in the street

Miss Quito and Gentleman

Lovely festive ladies

These musicians were absolutely professional – we did not leave even if we had finished our meal…

Beautiful city and beautiful people – and wonderful food! We enjoyed Quito despite some rain. Old and young, everybody in a good mood.

A young man came up to me with a rose. You know, the thing they do everywhere down in Europe, expecting you to give some money…This young guy was in a group of students, and he was the only one to have a single rose in his hand. I shook my head and told him I had no money, but his eyes were shining when he smiled, saying that he did not want any money…just to give me the rose.

CFFC: Good and Bad

24 januari, 2017 / Leya / 5 kommentarer

Cee’s Fun Foto Challenge: Good and Bad

This is a game played by men and bulls in Terceira, Azores. The bad thing is that it seems to be man versus beast – but the good thing is, that the bull is running through the streets on a rope, pulled to a stop when he gets to wild. Mostly young men try to run as close as possible, but never hurt the bull. They let loose about five bulls – one at a time – and take them in to rest when they are tired. Nobody gets hurt. It is a matter of showing courage, impressing ladies and other young guys – bull and man trying to outsmart each other.

No politics…but I could have used the white hat and the black hat in this challenge as well – reversed though. A matter of opinion.

CFFC: Big and Small

18 januari, 2017 / Leya / 16 kommentarer

Cee’s Fun Foto Challenge: Big and Small

Thursday Thoughts – Why Galápagos is a Paradise

13 januari, 201713 januari, 2017 / Leya / 38 kommentarer

For many reasons of course. When I think of these wonderful islands, my dream was, and is, that animals can live together without fear, and that they tolerate us humans – they are not afraid of us, but rather curious instead…

I made friends with many animals – but we were not allowed to go closer than 2 metres from any animal. Except from trying to pass them on the paths of course…The wonderful thing is that they approached us instead – and that, is true magic.

This mockingbird was really communicative – jumping up and down on the tree trunk, hiding, but still keeping an inquisitive eye on me. I know I lost a bit of my heart there…

The birds here are yellow warbler and mockingbird, then iguanas and sealions.

Nature is fantastic. Everything to me. This time I was really living my dream.

CFFC: Old and New

10 januari, 201710 januari, 2017 / Leya / 17 kommentarer

Thank you for being featured, Cee! Always an honour.

This week’s challenge of Old and New made me think of a snapshot taken with my phone as I passed by these youngsters trying out a new shell (!)- of a 250 year-old tortoise. Not a great shot, but – fun!

For more of Old and New, click here.

Partytime – At the Fishmarket!

4 januari, 20174 januari, 2017 / Leya / 16 kommentarer

Before sailing with our ship, Cachalote, we went to the fishmarket in Puerto Ayora. On our way, we were constantly reminded of Darwin and his famous finches, and how repulsed he was by the marine iguanas, famously referring to them in his journal as “imps of darkness.” Personally I must say I love them both! I also love their surroundings and the way they exquisitely blend in…More than once I almost trod on them. Juan, our naturalist guide, was constantly warning us not to touch any animals here.

Marine iguana

Darwin recognized that the differrences in their beaks depends on their different food sources

When we finally reached the fishmarket, we got a full blown show the next half hour!

The fish (and bird…)market in Puerto Ayora

On the roof, waiting for the right moment…

Something fell under that box…let me…

The left brown pelican has lost his upper beak – I wonder how he managed…

The Great Frigate birds are tough guys who always steal their dinners…

If or When you finally get your hands on a piece of fish – run!

Always aware of the importance of their precious islands – do not catch the wrong fish!

Keep the Galápagos Islands the way they are – serene and unpolluted. 200 000 tourists a year visit them. Maybe Ecuador has to slow down a bit to save this treasure for the future?

Amazonas – Almost Airborne!

31 december, 201631 december, 2016 / Leya / 10 kommentarer

The last days at Sacha Lodge, we spent most of the time 40 metres up – above the canopy of the rainforest. In fact, ”Sacha” means ”forest” in Quichua, the local language here.

The biodiversity is extremely rich in the Amazon, and the list of birds sighted at Sacha, for example, is at 605 species – in an area of 5000 acres. 12 species of monkeys and plants somewhere in the thousands. Trees are about 100 species per acre – no wonder my treeloving spirit soared in the canopy!

This walk offered splendid views of the canopy and of the birds living here

Luis and Pablo spotted everything of interest

most of the birds seen had to be through the tube, but some came really close. Blue Dacnis, female.

Paradise Tanager – maybe 15 fluttering neonlights all over this tree!

Climbing down again and walking back to the lodge – Luis Andi shared some of his extensive knowledge of the medicinal plants in the rainforest. We had noticed him being an excellent scout, moving soundlessly on the narrow paths, but also an excellent birdman – he knew about 400 birds (and could sound like most of them!) I do not have to say he was born and bred in the Amazon. 90% of Sacha’s staff is made up of locals from Ecuador’s Amazon region.

Pablo listening to Luis’ stories

This butterfly would not leave my arm…finally I had another guest to handle him. But some ten minutes later, he found me again!

Iron palm or walking palm

The mushrooms were lovely, these looked like flowers…

Indeed they were all heavenly small and exquisite!

We were all very impressed – to say the least – of our guides’ knowledge. There was not one single question about birds or animals that Pablo could not answer, and Luis and him were the perfect couple to guide us through the secrets of the tropical rainforest.

But, now we were extremely hungry…knowing that a delicious lunch was waiting back at our lodge. We would need it before the afternoon and night adventures.

Amazonas Day Two – On The Napo River

30 december, 201630 december, 2016 / Leya / 6 kommentarer

A foggy morning, but no wind, only the sounds of the rainforest and the river. After a divine breakfast at the lodge by the lake, we started off early heading for the parrot lick.

Unfortunately the traffic on the Napo River also brings long vehicles for the oil business here…They told us that the oil people are building a road across the Amazon forest. We had read about it, but now we could even see the trailers and the flames. This just makes me feel so helpless…Their government had promised not to give in to big business – but money always wins over nature and our life on this beautiful planet. So far. Maybe one day, when everything is dead and gone…

Finally the fog lifted, and we could admire the parakeets using the clay to neutralize the poisonous metals in their food. Notice the one hanging upside down!

Friendly people washing

Great Egret

Spoonbills

Howler monkey

We continued canoeing to a village on the other side of the river. Here a women’s collective worked to inform about the old ways of living, the life of the Amazon indigenous people and of their cooking, art and craft.

Overall view

Cooking was, and mostly is, the mothers’ task. This was made for us – Yucca, fish baked in leaves, sugar canes, roasted nuts and baked banana. Totally Delicious!

Demostrating fishing tools

Fausto Andi was born and raised in the rainforest, and could tell us about everything from his childhood. This wivel he ate fresh…alive and kicking…

…but not curare. The cotton is used to fill up the pipe and give a smooth flight to the thin arrow

He hit the pumpkin – of course!

Goodbye to the shy and gentle ladies!

Back to the lodge for some lunch – and then on to our next adventure!

Thursday Thoughts – To Paradise and Back Again

29 december, 201629 december, 2016 / Leya / 16 kommentarer

So, I have been to Paradise – and back again. From Sweden to Amsterdam and then to Quito. After a couple of interesting days in beautiful world heritage, Quito Old Town, we flew down to the Amazon basin, Coca.

From Coca 1 1/2hour by motorized canoe on the Napo River …

Then 30 minutes hiking on jungle boardwalk before the last bit in a paddle canoe.

There was a slight drizzle, but we saw an abundance of flowers and birds already on this short way before reaching the lodge.

At Sacha Lodge we were welcomed by our hosts. The Lodge had rooms for 65 guests, but at the moment we were only 13-14. Lots of space and attention from our excellent guides.

Our own lodge was incredibly fresh and simple, just as in my dreams – but even better!

Spacey and open – in fact no walls on one side, so both shower and bedroom were open to the jungle. The only thing to separate us from the real world was a net, with all the sounds of the rainforest and its inhabitants just two steps away…I tell you, I have never slept better in my entire life. Birds, insects and howler monkeys feasting!

I remember staying in a clay and straw hut in the Nepalese jungle of Chitwan, in 1986, with giant spiders covering the ceiling and lizards and rats owning the mud floor. I did not sleep anything at all…even if I was young and brave.

A short canoe ride on the little lake Pilchicocha – Stinky Turkey, the most typical of the Amazon birds

Getting dark…but oh, the sounds of thousands and the beauty of the water

Back at the lodge for some food

We saw flycatchers and kingfishers among other birds, and in the waters below our breakfast house dwells….a cajman called Lucy!

Tarantula – less adorable

On the night walk we met many animals…many crawlers (millipeeds too), possums and some spiders of gigantic size. One of the The tarantulas was a pink toed giant sitting high up under the roof of the butterfly house. We also saw a wolf spider about the same size…Crickets, grasshoppers and the world’s biggest ant – a bullet ant – who has got the worst bite in the world with terrible pain for 24 hours. ”Watch out where you put your hands” was the advice. They might walk on the same rails or twigs you happen to use…

My favourite was the charming tree frog of course…!

This was our first day at Sacha Lodge – and I just Loved every minute of it. For the next day we were promised parrots, weavers, a women’s collective, curare, arrows and local cooking, canoe through narrow rainforest waterways and maybe…anaconda.

Good night to our extremely initiated and knowledgeable guides, Pablo and Luis.