I arrived in Puerto Lopez this morning at 7:30 AM after an 11.5 hour bus ride from Quito.I traveled here with Ida, a friend from Norway, and Antonella, a co-worker from Italy.I am so happy to be here, in the sun, at sea level!The weather in Quito in general, is very schitzophrenic!It rained for 3 days straight at one point which (obviously) I am used to, but it is different in the sense that when you walk outside in Quito when it is REALLY raining you are instant...

What can I say?! I think I was born to live on the playa (beach)!I wear shoes for about an hour a day, live in my swimsuit and sarong, swim in the ocean at least once a day, drink fresh fruit in the afternoon on the beach while watching the afternoon games of fútbol, and when the sun starts to set I take off for a late afternoon run along the beach followed a little yoga to reenergize.¡Es muy bacan (cool)...Me encanta mi vida (I love my life ;-) The Yay's are ...

I made it to a couple more museums.One was the Fundación de Guyasmín; a tribute to a great Ecuadorian artist.I went primarily to see the pre-Colombian artifacts. Guyasmín had devoted some of his earnings to displaying these pieces as a tribute to Ecuador's indigenous cultures.The shaman statues and ritualistic pieces, and the jewelry were my favorite.I was able to take some pictures of these and there are a few pictures of Guyasmín's art.They are from his lat...

Woohoo!I went hiking and rock climbing in the parámo on Rucu Pichincha hoy…an Ecuadorian adventure not to be missed by my fellow outdoor junkies! Please, check out the pictures because they will do what I cannot as far as describing how incredible the views were. The city in the background is Quito. We got to and from our starting point by riding in the gondola's of the TeleferiQo. The ride takes you from 2,950m to 4,100m and takes about 10 mins. Rucu Pic...

I explored Old Town today, though the museums I wanted to go to were closed so I just walked around and enjoyed the scenery. La Parque la Carolina y la Parque el Ejido were where I spent most of my time. There was an indian craft market in la Parque el Ejido along with a local artisan art display. It was interesting to observe all the different types and styles of art. Some artists were ok, but some were truly phenomenal, and all were quite unique! And the c...