Ecuador

My travels through Ecuador this month have far surpassed my expectations and my expectations were pretty fantastic. My soul was crying out for the rainforest for a while now and it´s finally content after spending some time in the Amazon jungle and being as close to nature as one can possibly get. Every time I visit the jungle I find new colors and textures that amaze me...how does nature sculpt such intricate patterns? It astounds me that you can find actual primary colors almost patchwork quilted in the feathers of a bird like the Paradise Tanager and the Amazon Trogon.

I could hike these forests all the way down to Brazil if they´d let me! I´ll definitely be back in the spring to visit the Galapagos. There is just so much for the nature lover or adventure lover to do here it´s overwhelming.

I had an amazing experience a few days ago in Coca where my inn had a garden full of wild animals running around. I was in absolute heaven especially since there were NO tourists anywhere to be found and about 10 squirrel monkeys jumping all over me eating plantains from my hand, entertaining me like old friends. Also running around were coatimundis, another huge black fluffy monkey, green macaws, a wolverine, and jungle turkeys. I could of stayed there all week and been totally thrilled!

Quito is an adventure in itself...So different from anywhere I´ve been to date. There is a wonderful sense of culture here and picturesque views from every angle. One part of the town is cobblestones and colonial buildings, the old town, while the other is new and modern, so whatever suits your mood for the day I guess. The whole experience has been sensory overload which is why I travel. Like I always say after each journey...I think I need a vacation now!