Emptyknitster

After touring the volcanoes we had  lunch in  the home of a local artist along with an interesting conversation and a tour of her home and studio. Then is was a short drive to a nearby rose plantation. Ecuador is  the world's third-largest exporter of cut flowers, 73% are roses. High in the Andes roses have a much longer growing season.

Today we traveled to Cotopaxi National Park and went hiking at the base of the active volcano. There were a total of six volcanoes we saw today but its the end of our tour and I can't remember anyother names besides the Cotopaxi Volcano!  Cotopaxi Volcano - look carefully and you can see a slight "eruption" of steam. Cotopaxi is 19,000 feet above sea level.  Our guide for the day. On top of the Andes in the Cotopaxi National Park and I find a fiber friend, Marta! I bought some yarn from her and then we went outside to knit a few stitches. Our tour family of two weeks.

  The group took a walking tour through the historic colonial quarter of Quito.  Independence Plaza Metropolitan Cathedral Municipal cultural Center with Hubby photo bombing! Presidential Palace I bought a small picture from Sigundo. Various street vendors in Quito Compania of Jesus Church  The inside of the church is completely covered in gold leaf. No photos are allowed once you enter the church. Above the entryway is a balcony containing  the church organ. There is a painted staircase to balance the real staircase in order to provide symmetry as you look from the pulpit to the entrance.  The Virgin of Quito Monument

The hot springs is on the edge of a small village  in the Andes on the road from Quito to the Amazon Rainforest. We left the hot springs mid morning and headed back to Quito to catch a plane for a short 40 minute flight over the Andes to Coca.  From Coca we took a motorized canoe on the  Napo River to Sacha Lodge, a private reserve.  Once we arrived at the reserve we were transported in dugout canoes to the lodge on Pilchicocha Lake. We settled into our cabin and after dark went on an evening walk in the jungle. At six o'clock, just before night fall,  the six o'clock cicada begins its  chorus . Our days were filled with exploration. We hiked into the jungle, climbed the observation towers to for bird watching and paddled along the blackwater creeks. Midday we would return to the lodge usually doing as little as possible because it was so humid. Any movement and we would become drenched. It was a strange feeling for me to have sweat dripping off my hands, wri