Cotopaxi Is Alive

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For the last couple of weeks Cotopaxi has been showing signs of activity with increase sulfur emissions and long period earthquakes -- none of which could be felt in Quito.  The increase in long period earthquakes is likely due to internal fluid (magma) movements.  

Will she erupt?  Probably not but you never know.  In the picture below you could see steam clouds coming off the mountain.

Volcan Cayambe.  This one is nice and quiet.

Been trying to capture a picture to show just how close Volcan Cotopaxi is to Quito.  I think this one finally captures it.  

 

Random Saturday

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When living in another country, sometimes you have to find things that remind you of home.  Bacon egg and cheese on a cinnamon bagel, almond croissants, and having some fantastic friends are just some of the things we found here in Quito that remind us of home.  

Countdown to our next post begins and we will surely miss this place and our great friends.



Visiting the Rio Grande Valley

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It was getting pretty close to a year since Abuelo and Abuela have seen Annika.  With Julia's blessing, Annika and I flew to McAllen to visit the folks for a couple of days.  Vivian and Richard were kind enough to rent a place at South Padre Island so Annika could hopefully enjoy the beach.  Unfortunately Annika did not approve of how sand felt on her feet.  Regardless, a good time was had and after a couple of days with the Cubans, she warmed up to them with smiles.

We will be returning to the RGV in September to further expose Annika to screaming Cubans and to give her another try at the beach.  Hoping for better results.

To view the entire album click here.

Pajaro!


Annika's First Birthday!

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We're happy to say that our peanut survived one year with us as parents...which called for celebration. We had a small party with our closest friends, the GrandMiMi, and our very own Marcela and family. Annika was spoiled with gifts and love, and we wouldn't have it any other way. Apio Verde, Mani! We love you more every day.

To view the entire album, click here.

Unsuccessful Photoshoot

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Before her 1 year birthday, we wanted a little photoshoot to hopefully capture a great family shot.  To our surprise, the days of having a cooperative child for photoshoots were long gone.

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Then her desire to climb up the stairs and crawl began...

What to do but leave her be

After letting her climb up nearly a hundred steps, we thought we would give it another try.  Nope.  She still wanted to crawl.

In the end, she had fun doing what she wanted; crawling, playing with rocks, and more importantly, getting dirty.

Better luck next time

Clear Morning

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When mornings are clear here in Quito, which is not often, all of the volcanoes are visible and the views are incredible.  This morning was relatively clear, and since we are up early these days, we headed to the rooftop of the building in front of us for some fantastic dawn pictures of the volcanoes and the valley below.  I never tire of taking these types of pictures.  These views will sorely be missed.

To view the entire album, yes I did an album since there are so many pics, click here.

Volcan Cayambe to the far left
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Volcan Antisana in the background
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Far right is Antisana
Glass doors to the elevator on the right. Annika loves playing on the rooftop grass every day.
Annika joined us for the morning view of the volcanoes

Snowfall in Cotopaxi

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On a rainy Sunday morning, I drove to Cotopaxi National Park to drop Vince off for his 5 day bikepacking trip.  Yes, 5 days bike riding at high altitude climbing up and down thousands of feet.  I too brought my new bike, which Vince graciously packed and shipped to me, to ride for an hour or two max.  Bike riding at 12,000 feet on sandy or grassy unpaved roads was difficult but the views definitely helped.

In any event, the drive up to the base camp at Cotopaxi, roughly 15,00 feet high, was cold and snowy - first time i ever experienced snowfall in Ecuador.  Vince rode back down while I drove and took pictures.  We later did a little riding in the park taking a brief break for lunch.  I left Vince where he and 2 others began a 5 day bikepacking adventure.

Antisana Ecological Reserve

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What should have been a short drive from Papallacta to the Antisana Ecological Reserve was anything but. Unfortunately there is no direct route to Antisana so we had to drive through some very interesting towns, but in the end, it was well worth it. Once inside the park, the road leading to Antisana had some breathtaking views even with Antisana surrounded by clouds. Although Antisana and Cotopaxi are not very far from each other, the paramos looked different. We shall return to hopefully get a clearer view of her soon enough.

To view the entire album click here.

Clouds obscuring our view. We shall return though
Andean Bluebonnets (Michelle knows their true name).

Cabañas San Isidro

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About an hour east of Papallacta, down a windy road on the eastern slopes of the Andes, is Cabañas San Isidro. It was the first time that Julia and I have travelled to the eastern Andes. Cabañas San Isidro is a reserve that lies between two national parks and has well-marked and maintained forest trails where one can see various species of birds and Colibris (Hummingbirds). We started our hike into the humid cloud forest and, as the administrator told us, "In the rainy season it rains all the time but in the dry season it rains every day", it began to rain. For the most part, the thick forest protected us from the downpour. At the end of the trail there was a hummingbird watch station where there was some intense feeding activity as the birds were not bothered by the rain. To view the entire album click here.

Some Videos

Papallacta

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Just 40 miles east of Quito, and at an altitude of 10,800 feet, are the Termas de Papallacta, the hot springs of Papallacta. With Vince and Michelle having just arrived to Ecuador, we figured the hot springs would be a great way for them to get aclimated to the altitude. Vince and I did a little bike riding and it turns out he was in no need of aclimating. I, on the other hand, gave up after ascending just 500 feet at roughly 12,000 feet. We did manage to do a little hiking along the entrance to Reserva Ecológica Cayambe Coca and although it was cloudy, we got some good views of the Cascada de Baños. To view the entire album, click here.