Visit to the Coast and Birding in the Cloud Forest

Thanks for all of the great comments. Several have mentioned getting pictures up. Hopefully, I've figured out how to do it!!

We made our first road trip to the coast. (Same, a small town near Esmeraldas for those of you checking maps.) What a fascinating trip! As we wound through the curvy mountain roads, we knew immediately as the coast drew nearer. The air was thicker - a welcome break from Quito's high altitude and a reminder of the DC humidity that we left behind. Rather than dry mountains, lush thick vegetation - everything from palm trees to banana fields, thick forests to primary bush growth - whizzed by our windows. And the colors and appearances of the faces changes significantly. Esmeraldas is home to far more indiginous, Mestizos (mixed indigenous and European descendant people), and Afro-Ecuadorians. It was amazing how different the people and this area looks than Quito and its environs. It is also a far more resource-poor area than Quito. The roads were far less well-kept than those around Quito. (Fortunately, Santiago's pothole experience in AU Park in DC came in very handy!) The towns didn't have the same upkeep as the little pueblos outside of Quito, which are quaint little places that consist of a few restaurants, a convenience store (overrun by Maggi products), a church, and a mechanic.

Towns are few and far between when traveling from Quito to the northern coast, so we enjoyed the lush greenery, and the occasionally house. Most are concrete block houses or modest wooden constructions on stilts. There are always people walking on the street. Young girls carrying babies, groups of women keeping each other company, teenagers carrying goods to market or home, or men traveling home from working in the fields or in a factory. Road rules are "liberal" so people feel free to walk or sit along the roadside, while cars "share" lanes with oncoming traffic.

The beach was a nice break from Quito. Weather was OK, but just being on the vast Pacific was wonderful. We spent most of our time playing in the waves, watching the dogs run by, eating fresh seafood - particularly in the local style in coconut sauce, and trying to get Jacob to stop eating sand.

After a few relaxing days at the beach, we went to Mindo, a small town about 2 hours outside of Quito known as a birders paradise. We went birding last weekend (July 1), so considered ourselves quite experienced. On our first trip, most of our comments consisted of "look there's the fat blue one again!" We were in an area known for humming birds, and were able to see a spectactular array of these beautiful little birds. In Mindo, we saw amazing birds, including tucans, an owl, a quetzal (which Santiago's been searching for since he lived in El Salvador), and many more. It's really amazing what beautiful wildlife exists here.

So... back to Quito for work (for Santiago) and preparing for a July 16th move. I've started daily Spanish classes, which are going pretty well. I'm trying to cram in some learning before el nino arrives and my brain ceases to function for a while.

We hope all of you are well and look forward to being in touch!