-
Guayaquil – Iguana Park and other free attractions #AtoZChallenge
Guayaquil is Ecuador´s largest city with over 2 million residents. It is known as the gateway to the Galapagos – anyone flying to the Galapagos connects in Guayaquil. There are many free attractions for visitors to enjoy. Three of my favorite are Iguana Park, Malecon 2000 and the Las Peñas neighborhood. Seminario Park (Iguana Park) Iguana Park is a great destination for iguana and people watching. The park has lovely trees, walking paths and a fish pond, all enjoyed by iguanas. Be sure to look up periodically because there are iguanas in the trees, too. Iguana Park Simon Bolivar Pier (Malecon 2000) Popular with morning joggers and afternoon families, Malecon…
-
Fireworks – Any time is the right time #AtoZChallenge
Fireworks are used in Ecuador to celebrate following days: Holiday Birthday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday At least, I think that is right. I do not see fireworks every day. I see them any day. I never know when or where they will appear. It is like a spontaneous party erupts in the sky out of nowhere. Often, my husband and I are not sure what is being celebrated (usually someone´s birthday). He will declare that it is a party for whichever day of the week it currently is. ¨Hey, it´s Tuesday! Let´s celebrate!¨ Then we sit back and enjoy the show. New Year´s Eve fireworks New Year´s…
-
Earthquake – The night a 7.8 shook Ecuador #AtoZChallenge
On April 16, 2016 at 6:58pm, my husband and I were reading outside on our second floor deck when we felt a small jolt. Earthquakes are common on the Ecuador coast. We glanced at each other then back at our books. No big deal. Then a large jolt came and got stronger. Huge deal. We jumped up and made our way down the stairs quickly. No easy feat as the stairs, the house and the railing were all moving out of sync with one another. We stood outside, watching and listening. The car was bouncing off the ground, car alarm screaming. The metal garage door seemed louder than the car…
-
Digging up Manteño history #AtoZChallenge
An archaeology dig guaranteeing every participant would find something from the Manteño civilization? When I saw the offer by Archaeology Vacations, I could not pass up a chance to dig up history. I became an archaeologist for a day! You can be an archaeologist for a day Canadian Luke Dalla Bona is leading an archaeological dig in the indigenous community of Agua Blanca. He lives in the community, 10 minutes north of Puerto Lopez. He is training the next generation of archaeologists right in their own backyard. Before Luke joined them, the community identified some areas where ancient structures once stood. They built a roof over one of the homes…
-
Currency – Coins over bills #AtoZChallenge
Ecuador uses the US dollar as their official currency. Despite this, the contents of my purse look quite different than they did when I lived in the US. Cash is king in Ecuador. Many businesses do not accept debit or credit cards. My wallet in the US typically had some cash in the form of bills and a bunch of plastic. Any coins I had went into a jar at home. In Ecuador, I carry a lot of coins, a few bills, and a little plastic. I just dumped out the contents of my wallet. Here is my cash: $12.24, mostly coins I rarely see $1 bills – we use…
-
Boobies – beautiful and bountiful on Ecuador’s coast! Blue-footed boobies, that is #AtoZChallenge
Did you think I was going to talk about some other kind of boobies? I am writing about blue-footed boobies, beautiful birds. Puerto Lopez, Ecuador, is surrounded by Machalilla National Park, which includes tropical forests, cloud forests, beaches, ocean, and islands. One of the park residents that attracts visitors is the interestingly named blue-footed booby. I have read that you need to travel to the Galapagos to see blue-footed boobies but that is not accurate. I see them on beaches and cliffs around Puerto Lopez. They like to hang out on rocky cliffs above the ocean. Blue-footed boobies on a cliff in Puerto Lopez, Ecuador One way to guarantee seeing…
-
Adventure – My life is one!
¨Enjoy your adventure!¨ ¨It will be such a great adventure!¨ ¨Cannot wait to hear about your adventures!¨ These were some of the encouraging comments from friends and family before we moved from the US to Ecuador in 2013. Adventure was a word I heard many times. My very supportive, encouraging Mom wanted to hear about our adventures. To me, adventure had always meant an exciting, awe-filled, wonderful experience. I was not so sure if what we were doing qualified as an adventure. I hoped that we would find a home and a place to buy chicken once we arrived. And perhaps a little adventure here and there. The first months…
-
Blogging from A to Z April Challenge
Can I complete the A to Z Challenge, writing a blog post (almost) every day in April? We are about to find out! I am participating in the Blogging from A to Z April Challenge. Every non-Sunday in April, I will post a blog based on a letter of the alphabet. So, April 1=A, April 3=B, etc. That is 26 posts in one month! If you write a blog or have thought about starting one, I encourage you to participate, too! Comment with the URL of your blog so I can find you. Tweet about it with #atozchallenge so others can find you.
