Black, black and more black. A sea of swaying black, and a heavy metal band.We couldn't believe our eyes. We rounded a corner on the tramcar, bringing us from the out of town bus station to the centre of Quito and right there in Plaza Dominingo, back dropped by the historic Iglesia Domingo Church, a late Saturday afternoon heavy metal concert was in full throttle!The contrast was profound. Black on White. The pristine white of the Church against the milling c...

It is rather hard to get your mind around."Banos" is the Spanish word used when asking for the toilet. Toilets generally have a sign saying this. Now we are staying in a most beautiful town in Ecuador and it is called Banos! I am presuming the Banos word is more like our "Bathroom" and as Banos the town has hot springs this is the meaning. Still hard to get your mind around!Banos has been good to us. We found a lovely hotel in a convenient place, with mountain vi...

Ecuador is full of surprises.Firstly it is quite cold. Being on the equator one would expect steamy heat, but our travels are taking us through mountainous country, including snow capped volcanic peaks.Secondly, Ecuador does not have a currency of their own, but instead all transactions are in $US. The $US goes a long way though, with a big bottle of water .40cents and a quite substantial meal around $3 to $4.We travelled by bus to Cuenca and on buying our ticket...

Imagine a world where animals, birds, and reptiles have no fear of man. Imagine being able to walk right up to a Blue Footed Booby (yes this bird species exists - but only in Galapagos!) and look him in the eye. Imagine this exotic bird staring unwaveringly back, unperturbed by your presence. This is the Galapagos experience. The unique species of creatures on Galapagos treat the human visitors with almost an air of vague amusement. They don't flee or squawk...