Galapagos Wildlife vol.6: for the birds
A few of my favourite bird shots from the Galapagos. Enjoy!
Wishing you all a happy new year
Brendan
the Global Nomad
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December 31st, 2008 | Brendan | Read More | Comments: 0Filed under: birds, booby, Ecuador, finch, flamingo, Galapagos, hawk, heron, nature, pelican, tropicbird
Galapagos Wildlife vol.5: Albatross action
The waved albatross is a Galapagos resident not everyone gets to see the way we did–it breeds only in one place in the world: Española island; it’s only around during mating and hatching season, after which it flies famously unstoppingly to a single spot off the coast of Peru.
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December 27th, 2008 | Brendan | Read More | Comments: 0Filed under: albatross, Ecuador, Galapagos, nature
Galapagos Wildlife vol. 4: frigatebirds
During mating season, male frigatebirds have a bright red sac under their chin that they inflate to attract a mate. Although I’ve seen many of these birds all over Latin America, I’ve never seen them with the sac blown up like this…and certainly not nearly this close!
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December 24th, 2008 | Brendan | Read More | Comments: 0Filed under: Ecuador, frigatebird, Galapagos, nature
Galapagos Wildlife vol. 4: penguins!
One of the great thrills of snorkeling in the Galapagos is the chance to swim with penguins (and sharks and sea lions, etc). My girlfriend is not the most comfortable swimmer but having a whole school of penguins whiz by us as we flippered along like a series of darts made it all worth it.
The Galapagos penguin is the only penguin to live on the equator and can survive due to the cool temperatures resulting from the Humboldt Current and cool waters from great depths brought up by the Cromwell Current....
December 21st, 2008 | Brendan | Read More | Comments: 0Filed under: Ecuador, Galapagos, nature, penguins
Galapagos Wildlife vol. 3: Marine Iguanas
Long ago I remember seeing a National Geographic film with footage of iguanas swimming underwater and I almost couldn’t believe it. Who knew I’d be photographing them years later?
Existing only in the Galapagos and nowhere else, Marine Iguanas are one of those bizarre adaptions that made Darwin start wondering how all this weirdness could have come about. One of the strangest things about these guys is that there is an almost constant rain of squirting coming from them that I didn’t...
December 17th, 2008 | Brendan | Read More | Comments: 0Filed under: Ecuador, Galapagos, iguana, marine iguana, nature
The big booby video
check it out
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December 14th, 2008 | Brendan | Read More | Comments: 0Filed under: blue-footed booby, boobies, Ecuador, Galapagos, nature
Galapagos Wildlife vol. 2: Boobies!
…and who doesn’t love boobies?
Vying for the title of most characteristic animal in the Galapagos is the glorious booby (boy, I wish I was making that up). There are many different types of booby, but the most famous—for reasons that will follow—is the blue-footed booby.
Aside from their namesake bright blue feet, blue-footed boobies perform one of the Galapagos’ most famed rituals: a mating dance in which a male ‘walks’ by raising each foot deliberately, so as to show off his...
December 13th, 2008 | Brendan | Read More | Comments: 0Filed under: blue-footed, boobies, booby, Ecuador, Galapagos, nature
Galapagos Wildlife: Sea Lions!
As I said earlier, these next few posts will be about images–in the Galapagos, they speak for themselves!
Probably the first animals you’ll encounter for one of those “I’m not at home anymore” moments are Sea Lions. Beautiful, and they couldn’t be more accommodating for photography…
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December 10th, 2008 | Brendan | Read More | Comments: 0Filed under: Ecuador, Galapagos, nature, sea lion
Galapagos 201
A few tips for touring the Galapagos Islands…
• You are very close to the equator. This means the sun is closer. This means white guys like me burn to a crisp reeeeeal fast. Bring lots of sunscreen—once you’ve left port there is no way to buy it, and if you forget it and try to buy some once you arrive you’ll pay an arm and a leg
• The islands are volcanic, relatively recently popping above the surface of the ocean. There is not much in the way of flat, smooth ground. This, combined...
December 6th, 2008 | Brendan | Read More | Comments: 0Filed under: Ecuador, Galapagos, nature
The Galapagos’s Most Eligible Bachelor
The Galapagos Islands are famous for their giant tortoises – in fact they were named for them. Here you can see 200 kg tortoises measuring over 1 metre in length. Humans have not been kind to the tortoises over the centuries however (apparently they make good eatin’), and of the 14 species originally found on the islands, 4 are extinct in the wild.
Lonesome George is the last remaining tortoise from the island of Pinta, where the island’s unique subspecies was thought to have been extinct...
December 2nd, 2008 | Brendan | Read More | Comments: 0Filed under: Ecuador, Galapagos, Lonesome George, nature
Galapagos 101
Despite the many charms of Ecuador (and there are many, including some spectacular mountains and volcanoes, beautifully restored Spanish colonial cities, Inca ruins, laid-back chill out backpacker towns, UNESCO World Heritage Quito and the Amazon jungle…to name but a few), for many people Ecuador means only one thing: the incredible Galapagos islands.
Lying 1000 kilometers off the coast of Ecuador, the small volcanic island group became famous after Darwin spent time here and was so impressed...
November 28th, 2008 | Brendan | Read More | Comments: 0Filed under: adventure, Destination Overview, Ecuador, Galapgos, nature
The Devil’s Nose: the Most Difficult Train in the World
One of the most famous (or infamous) traveller’s stops in Ecuador is the incredible Nariz del Diablo (Devil’s Nose) train ride. If your image of train travel in South America involves sitting on the roof as an antique train chugs through steep canyons on switchbacks, then this is the ticket. (Don’t worry, you can still sit inside the cars if that’s more your speed!)
Built at the turn of the last century, the train from Guayaquil to Quito went well until they reached an almost perpendicular...
November 23rd, 2008 | Brendan | Read More | Comments: 0Filed under: adventure, Alausi, Devil's Nose, Ecuador, Nariz del Diablo, train, transportation
Ecuador Amazon: La Selva Lodge
... in Latin America, I’ve been to my share of jungle lodges. Definitely one of the best I’ve seen was La Selva Lodge, deep in the Amazon jungles of Ecuador.
Getting to La Selva isn’t easy, although that’s usually a good sign. The journey begins with a flight from Quito to Coca, followed by a 2.5 hour ride in a motorized dugout canoe along the Napo River, a 30 minute hike through the dense Amazon rainforest, and finally, a paddled canoe ride across a lagoon.
Just a few hours into our stay, we...
November 19th, 2008 | Brendan | Read More | Comments: 0Filed under: adventure, Amazon, Ecuador, jungle lodge, La Selva, nature
Climbing Cotopaxi Volcano
... of Wikipedia
This is the story of the one and only time I was defeated by altitude. But first, some background.
The central highland part of Ecuador is dominated by the Andes Mountain Range. Much of Ecuador is pockmarked with volcanoes, the tallest of which is inactive Chimborazo, at 6,310 m above sea level. Not only is Chimborazo the tallest point in the country, it is also considered the spot on the earth’s surface farthest from the centre of the earth, given that it is almost on the equator...
November 15th, 2008 | Brendan | Read More | Comments: 0Filed under: adventure, Cotopaxi, Ecuador, trekking, volcano
Otavalo Market: Indigena Central
The highland Ecuadorian town of Otavalo would be by all respects a pretty typical, indigenous town if it weren’t for the presence of its now world-famous market.
Justly famous for its friendly people, Otavalo swells to indigena central every Saturday, when villagers from the surrounding countryside come to sell handmade goods, livestock, fruits and vegetables, and pretty much anything else you could need or imagine. [Note: I forgot to mention when I originally posted this that Otavalo is the largest...
November 11th, 2008 | Brendan | Read More | Comments: 0Filed under: Ecuador, market, Otavalo, Shopping
Leather Central: Cotacachi, Ecuador
... Aires is the high-quality custom leather capital of South America (see post here), and Bolivia is the budget leather capital of the continent, then Ecuador combines the best of both worlds. And there is no place in the country better to see Ecuadorian leather craftsmanship at is best than Cotacachi.
Named for the dormant volcano that looms over the district of the same name, Cotachahi has made a name for itself as the leading artisanal manufacturers of leather goods. Stores showcasing beautiful...
November 7th, 2008 | Brendan | Read More | Comments: 1Filed under: Cotacachi, Ecuador, Leather, Shopping
Roses of Ecuador
... quickly start to notice the hundreds of massive greenhouses flanking the road—roses for sure.
Growing roses for export is big business in Ecuador. Flowers are emerging as a stable and very marketable international crop, earning up to five times per acre what fruit crops bring in, and the Ecuadorian rose is considered one of the biggest and most beautiful of all roses.
About 60 varieties of roses are commercially grown in Ecuador, including red and yellow varieties, purple-colored Ravel and pink-blossomed...
November 3rd, 2008 | Brendan | Read More | Comments: 1Filed under: culture, Ecuador, roses
Ecuador, Mitad del Mundo
Now, the first time I visited Ecuador years ago I admit that I skipped a visit to the equator—it seemed a little forced at the time.
However, having now officially “visited” the equator, I can say two things:
1. It is somewhat touristy
2. It is, nevertheless, kinda cool
And so I suppose no visit to Ecuador would be complete without a visit to the place where the middle of the world was declared in 1736. The equator, the widest part of the world, crosses only 7 countries. One of them, perhaps...
October 30th, 2008 | Brendan | Read More | Comments: 0Filed under: culture, Ecuador, equator, mitad del mundo
Alternative Digs in Ecuador – Hacienda Guachalá
A fun discovery in the highlands of Ecuador was the 400-year old Hacienda Guachalá, located about an hour’s drive from Quito and only 20 minutes from the famous market town of Otavalo.
Built in 1580 (no, that is not a typo!), the Hacienda claims to be the oldest in Ecuador—no small claim considering the early colonial history of this part of South America. The area is one of lush, rolling hills and farmers on horseback; the area is so good for growing flowers that a mainstay of the economy...
October 26th, 2008 | Brendan | Read More | Comments: 0Filed under: Ecuador, Guachala, Hacienda, Sleeping
Destination: Ecuador
Compact and diverse, Ecuador is like a tasting menu for South America. There are Andean mountains, complete with glacial volcanoes. At Otavalo, site of the largest market in South America, Ecuador’s numerous indigenous groups come to barter for both crafts and staples. There are Amazonian jungles and charming colonial cities, like cobblestoned Cuenca. Best of all, all these flavours are packed together, so you can be in the jungle in the morning and at the foot of a glacier by the evening. Ecuador...
October 22nd, 2008 | Brendan | Read More | Comments: 0Filed under: Destination Overview, Ecuador
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