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Visitor Center, Machalilla National Park, Puerto Lopez, Ecuador #AtoZChallenge
Machalilla National Park surrounds Puerto Lopez, Ecuador. Two monkey species and more than 270 bird species, including the endangered Waved Albatross live in the park. Whales mate and birth just off the coast and turtles hatch on the beaches. If you like active outdoor vacations, this is the place for you! Activities in Machalilla National Park Hike, bike and horseback ride Dry forests – from sea level to midway up the hills, the dry desert-like flora is brown for about half the year, waiting for water Cloud forests – always green hills where monkeys, orchids and a wide variety of birds live Hike beaches – Playa Los Frailes is often referred…
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Ecuador Rice Fields – Beauty, Predators and Allies
Planting rice is not a joke Just bending all day long You can’t even stand still You can’t even sit down. — Traditional Filipino Folk Song Ecuador rice Rice is a staple in Ecuadorian meals. It is generally served with your main meal regardless of what the entree is. A typical meal might include soup, chicken, rice, green salad, potato salad, and juice. The other side dishes vary but rice is always included. On separate occasions, I have served chili and spaghetti to guests and been asked if there was any rice (I had not made any). When eating out, I have been served a side of rice with my…
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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…