2011 TRIP TO ECUADOR, SOUTH AMERICA

This trip was from January 18th to March 30st, 2011. We flew into Quito and then flew to Cuenca the next day. We rented an apartment for 2 months. While in Cuenca we visited near by towns as well as Loja, Zamora and Vilcabamba. On March 23 and 24 we traveled north to Quito through the Andes mountains via bus and spend a few days in Mindo, 2 hours NW of Quite before flying back to South Dakota on March 30th. The total trip was 72 days.

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Most famous landmark in Cuenca

Famous marble building in Cuenca

Trying to make money at a stop light in Cuenca

Steps from the Tomibamba river to down town in Cuenca

Church Door

Our apartment building in cuenca

Fixing the cobblestone street in historical downtown Cuenca

Tomibamba river which went by our apartment and is the south edge of the historical section of Cuenca

Steps with paintings from the Tomibamba river to down town in Cuenca

Flower market in downtown historical Cuenca

Roses in flower market

Lady making a Panama hat which really came from here and not Panama

Panama hat factory in Cuenca

Clown working for money in Cuenca, pretty impressive

Carnaval Parade in Cuenca, lots of string spray and water fights

Carnaval Parade in Cuenca

Banos a thermal area near Cuenca

Famous over hanging building being restored along the Tomibamba river in Cuenca

View from historical Cuenca looking south over the Tomibamba river

Indigenous Market in Cuenca

Whole roasted hog at the Indigenous Market in Cuenca

Window and where the pork is served in the Indigenous Market in down town in Cuenca

Meat in the Indigenous Market in Cuenca

Vegetables in the Indigenous Market in Cuenca

$5.50 worth of produce we bought from the Fiere Libre, much bigger market, the biggest in Cuenca

Bridge over Rio Tomibamba

Maria our Spanish teacher for 5 weeks

Our friend Nelly who speaks good English on the left, her daughter and a friend

Chicken feet soup

Country home of our landlord Rapheal

Upper Waterfalls near Giron south of Cuenca

Lower Waterfalls near Giron south of Cuenca

Statues in Loja in southern Ecuador, the oldest city in the country

Castle in Loja, used by the city for art displays

The main square in Loja

The authentic Spanish colonial calle in Loja

Caja National Park west of Cuenca, about 14,000 feet

Caja National Park scenery

Caja National Park where rock looks like a face

Caja National Park scenery

Clock at Zamora in the Amazon district, the biggest one in South America

River front park in Zamora

Statue in Zamora

Indigenous dress in Zamora and southern Ecuador

Flowers at Vilcabamba the longevity city in southern Ecuador

Flowers at Vilcabamba

Scenery near Vilcabamba

Scenery north of Loja

Plaza in Vilcabamba

Flowers at Vilcabamba

Roses Cuenca near our apartment

Marble building in Cuenca

Church in Cuenca

Often drive above the clouds, north of Cuenca

Statue south of Riobamba in the Andes

Town in Andes south of Riobamba

Snow on Mountain near Ambato, one of eight in Ecuador that have snow on them

Hummingbird at Mindo in Rain forest NW of Quito about 2 hours

Main street Mindo, lots of birds, flowers, butterflies, rain forest and rivers

Rain forest near Mindo

Broom salesman in Mindo

Owl Butterfly at Mindo

Butterfly at Mindo

Butterfly at Mindo

One of many Hummingbirds at Mindo

Butterfly at Mindo

Hummingbird at Mindo