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South America 2026
  • Janine Westlund
  • Mark E
  • Janine Westlund
  • Mark E

South America 2026

A 103-day adventure by Janine & Mark E Read more
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  • South America 2026
    Sometimes when you're tired, any dinghy will do.This guy really wanted to see what was outside the gate.They're a bit faster than we thought.An example of the many conservation efforts. Hatched 2024, from Santiago Island (per sign on front)Really new: hatched just this year! Will be returned to Floreana when old enough.It was fun watching this guy navigate his descent.Lonesome GeorgeNot bad for >100 yrs old.Post-lunch tortoise expedition.Not overly thrilled w/ have his pic raken.Two of many tortoises around the property.Back to the traditional 'tortoise pace'.Hard to see, but the song from this bird was beautiful.🍻

    Puerto Ayora, Santa Cruz Island

    February 26 in Ecuador ⋅ ⛅ 77 °F

    We had an interesting visit to the Charles Darwin Foundation where we viewed various turtle conservation efforts as well as see the famed (taxidermied) 'Lonesome George '.
    Lonesome George was a male Pinta Island tortoise and the last known individual of the subspecies. In his last years, he was known as the rarest creature in the world. He was hatched c.1910 & died (of natural causes) in 2012. George still serves as an important symbol for conservation efforts in the Galápagos Islands and throughout the world. The cost to preserve his body was ~$30k; but the total cost to build a facility to display him was ~$2mil (US$2012). That's one pricey turtle.
    Lunch was at an eco-friendly giant tortoise reserve where there are scads of giant tortoises around the property; we just went out & wandered amongst them.    Read more

  • South America 2026

    NG water video 1

    February 27 in Ecuador ⋅ ⛅ 84 °F

    Underwater video taken by one of the NG Guides (Alexandra) who doubles as an underwater specialist. She provided this video to all of us ... kinda fun.

  • South America 2026
    This is part of Pacto, along the 'paved' portion of our journey.The restaurant in Mashpi.Nice relaxing/social spaces in Mashpi.A ground-level view of the restaurant area.A neat little critter found on the ground on our first walk.Our guide picked this guy up; those pinches apparently hurt a bit. (ick)I just like looking up & taking pics like this.1That little gel-like substance is a protective something for something I can't remember.1Visiting the butterfly farm.

    A few days in Mashpi

    March 1 in Ecuador ⋅ ⛅ 79 °F

    Mashpi is an eco-lodge located in the heart of a 3,000-acre private reserve in the Ecuadorian Chocó-Andean cloud forest, approximately 60 miles (100 km) or 3–4 hours northwest of Quito. The first 1.5 hrs of the drive is paved surface, passing through a number of very small communities; the next 1/2 hr was one hairpin turn after another that seriously tested any motion-sickness potential; the last segment (~1.5 hrs) was not only unpaved, but entirely on roughly carved, deeply-pitted dirt/mud paths. Through this we just held on until we arrived.
    We had a nice introductory afternoon walk that introduced us to the variety of wildlife in the Mashpi area.    Read more

  • South America 2026
    Approaching the Dragonfly lift.
    Top of the Dragonfly.View from our Dragonfly seat.Our stop/turnaround point.After last night's rains there was some roadwork that was needed today.Looking at the cool colors of the rocks beneath the water stream.It was fun walking IN the stream.So many different types of ferns.One giant leaf.One of the many walking paths....Visiting the onsite research lab: this WAS a real bug, it only looks like a metal model ... yikes.1Visiting the hummingbird farm: I got it! A pic of a moving hummingbird IN FOCUS!!!1If you place your hands near the feeder, the hummingbirds just perch on them. Kinda fun!These guy were fun to watch....Fernando, our stellar guide, set up a nice little treat table for us at the hummingbird station.

    Dragonfly lift

    March 2 in Ecuador ⋅ ☁️ 72 °F

    We started the morning with Mashpi's 'Dragon Lift': a sort of open-air 5-person gondola, followed by a nice, leisurely walk back to the lodge which itself presented a number of beautiful experiences.
    After lunch we visited the lab where many of the guides double as researchers across various interests: bugs, snakes, butterflies, birds ... this area seems to be a veritable cornucopia of opportunity to study existing & identify new species of flora & fauna. I only took one pic of an amazing research bug, but that by no means is representative of the volume of work performed here. It was nothing short of amazing the volume of interests and the personal passions that drive the research here. Astonishing. Admirable.
    In the afternoon we visited a hummingbird farm which not only attracted other birds & critters, but was also just too much fun trying to interact with the birds.    Read more

  • South America 2026
    Laguna de Limpiopungo
    Our first few steps up CotopaxiThe views were stunning.Looking 'up-mountain'.1Mark always finds new people to talk to...The Refugio!Hi Mark!Made it!Entrance to the Refugio.Local fox

    3-Day Andes Adventure: Day 1

    March 4 in Ecuador ⋅ ☁️ 43 °F

    Day 1: Cotopaxi -- an active volcano in Cotopaxi National Park in Cotopaxi Province.
    At 5,897 m (19,347 ft) it's the 2nd highest summit in Ecuador. We started at the parking lot (~15k ft) & hiked up to the Jose Rivas Refugio (4,864 meters, ~15,950ft). Even though the vertical wasn't sizeable, the attitude certainly slowed us down: the round trip was 2 hrs.Read more

  • South America 2026
    The 'backyard' of our lodging -- a veritable mini-farm.
    Julio lived here for 11 yrs. (!!)This is Julio -- he seems used to staging photos.The area around the yurt.I was outside; Julio came out, (tried to) smile, held out his hands, rubbed his fingers together. 🤔Some views from the car.Walkway up to the ridge.Two cuties.

    3-Day Andes Adventure: Day 2

    March 5 in Ecuador ⋅ ☁️ 50 °F

    Day 2: Quilotoa
    We started our day w/ a stop at a preserved traditional yurt where we were met by the 80yr old man who used to live there.
    We then stopped in Tigua for an artist-viewing/retail stop.
    Then, Quilotoa: it's a beautiful lake with a killer hike to the bottom due to the combination of altitude and grade. We took a slight walk down and then headed back up & just wandered around the rim.    Read more

  • South America 2026
    Last nights lodging -- we shared a rooftop terrace w/ 2 other rooms.
    View from our room.Some flowers on the terrace...The swing.Some flowers on the grounds of the tree swing.This hummingbird actually STOPPED MOVING & let me take this pic!This was the original road to the Amazon; today it's our path to the next activity.Suspension Bridge w/ bungee jumping; activity center on right.This place is the Queenstown of Ecuador: an adrenaline-junkie's paradise.1

    3-Day Andes Adventure: Day 3

    March 6 in Ecuador ⋅ 🌧 61 °F

    Multiple stops today all around Banos:
    1) Casa del Arbol -- a huge tree swing that probably would have been terrifying had there been no fog. There were, however, tons of beautiful flowers in the area.
    2) Cable Car over the Pastazsa River.    Read more

  • South America 2026
    San Miguel waterfall. There's no swimming here.The full-view of the Devil's Waterfall.There are 3 devil faces in the walls around the falls. Here's one ...This second face is at an angle.This third face looks (to me) a bit like a skull.One of the walkways to the falls.Lunch was in this cool-looking restaurant, owned by the same people as our lodging last night.This woman is part of the husband-wife owners & painted most of what is in the restaurant.Views along the return drive.Always time for ice-cream! This local favorite is called Helado de Salcedo: it was excellent!

    3-Day Andes Adventure: Day 3 cont'd

    March 6 in Ecuador ⋅ 🌧 68 °F

    3) Cascada el Pailon del Diablo ('Devil's Cauldron'): there are actually 2 falls here: the first is the waterfall of the Archangel San Miguel who is believed to be the defender against evil. That waterfall was pretty impressive in itself.
    The Devil's waterfall is 80m/265ft tall & the strength of it was amazing.    Read more

  • South America 2026
    Banana passion fruitSuper tart!!Sweet passion fruit -- it's orange in color here.It may not look pretty, but it's pretty tasty.🎶 "Yes, we have no bananas..." 🎶(aka: soursop fruit) believed to be able to fight all kinds of cancers.Our guide bought the fruits we were able to try.That stuff in the front is salted cod.Anyone need a basket?1The square of the San Francisco convent is much nicer this time with sunny weather.Street plaque: 'Street of 7 Crosses' There are 7 churches on this street; each has a cross in front.Main squareLooking one way....Looking the other way on the same street.1A mural at the entrance to a former residence-turned-commercial property.😊Mitad del Mundo again (ie. the equator line) there were various performances in the square this time

    Group Tour: Day 1 - Quito, Equator

    March 7 in Ecuador ⋅ ⛅ 57 °F

    Tour of Quito: although some places visited were where we'd already visited independently, grateful for our independent excursions where we were able to spend more time & explore more indepth.
    New to us: the market & the main square. Today was a good eye-opener for us that there is SO much more to see here in Quito. We simply scratched the surface, both on our own & w/ the tour group.
    We also (re)visited Mitad del Mundo (the middle of the world; ie. the equator).    Read more

  • South America 2026
    The grounds of our lodging last night.
    I think this might be my new favorite plant.En route to our next destination: the Amazon.Our transport to our lodging for the next 2 days.First glimpse of our resort.View of the Napo River from our room.21This is the weapons cache. Mark convinced the Yachak to sell it to us.This little guy became an edible shortly after this. You bite the head off & eat the rest. Nope.Our guide walks us through a traditional Ecuadorian shot & gives a good Ecuadorian story with it.

    Group Tour: Day 3 - Amazon, Quechua Comm

    March 9 in Ecuador ⋅ 🌧 84 °F

    Today we get to experience THE AMAZON!
    We visited an actual Quechua community; we were told it is not a replica. Athough we only visited with the Yachak & his wife, there are ~70-80 families in this community, average 10 people/family. The 'Yachak' is Quechuan for something we would think of as a Shaman: a local medicinal expert, spiritual leader, & most important/revered person in the community.
    'Luis' was the Yachak who met w/ us. There is only one Yachak per community and they're not always agreeable to meeting with tourists. We were fortunate. He is 59, has 10 children ranging from 35 to 18. He is in the process of training (mentoring) 5 younger members of the community to eventually replace him; only one will eventually be chosen. It is believed that the person chosen as (& replaces) the Yachak has a 'gift' for the responsibility; the current Yachak identifies who he believes to have that 'gift' and educates them in the ways of local medicine. It's amazing the degree to which the Quechuans believe in & rely on the qualities of local plants/roots to cure various ailments. There is a thorough belief that 'nature provides all'. Through him & our guides we learned about the community: housing, education, financial support, health, and community continuity.
    By surprisingly random selection, Mark was chosen to receive a spiritual 'cleansing' from the Yachak to rid him of bad energies. It was a pretty cool thing to watch.
    At the end of our visit we were given the opportunity to try a local tool used to hunt: a blow gun. Because of its silent operation (versus a shotgun), nearby animals are not scared off, thus enabling the shooter more opportunity for success. We shot at a wooden target -- this was no easy task. The 'gun' is long, heavy & not easy (for us) to hold an aim. We were only shooting from a distance of a few meters; locals use this gun to shoot at animals in trees many meters over their head!
    Were we dependent on this tool, we would likely go hungry.
    Our day concluded w/ a few local traditions courtesy of our guide.    Read more

  • South America 2026
    Our transport to the reserve.
    1War paintOur first traverse across a little gully via zip-chair.Our second traverse across a little gully via suspension bridge.Some people take their sweet time & look around during their 'journey'. :)Look at the spikes on those roots!!!A form of a nut; aka: monkey's comb. It's certainly tough enough to be a comb.Thank god for wellies.1Cicada mounds; the depth of one is the same as the twig in our guide's hand.Ick.Only a few of us opted for the raft ride.Others took tours (in the rain). I think I made the right call today. The perfect Pool Day for me.

    Group Tour: Day 4 - Hike Nature Reserve

    March 10 in Ecuador ⋅ ☁️ 77 °F

    We had a great (muddy) morning hike through a nature reserve. So many opportunities to learn more about why Ecuador is a biodiversity hotspot.
    We then took a ride down the river on a traditional balsa wood raft.
    It rained all afternoon -- fortunately we didn't sign up for any activities. Mark went for a massage; I found my favorite way to have a 'pool day'. . .    Read more

  • South America 2026
    4Nope, not floral-- some reaction we both got after our Amazon experience. Rash? Bites? 🤷‍♀️

    Group Tour: Day 5 - landscaping

    March 11 in Ecuador ⋅ ☁️ 66 °F

    There were some really beautiful flowers on the property.
    Plus: Mark's legs were representative of a little Amazon experience many of us are working through.

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