More on the forest....

Everything was growing wild, bananas, mangoes, citrus and other fruits

Bromeliads on the trees, different types of heliconias one of them used to wrap food.

The plant that they make the Panama hats, the winner of the contest this year took months to finish the hat and it was sold for $ 60,000

The had yuca (casava) and also a purple variety that they make flour for bread

Walking down the path, one person at a time

This tree walks every day towards the sun and that is what is called.

Silvia

I saw different hummingbirds, one of them the size of a bee, saw the bees that had a hive underground, the guide was like the tarantula charmer, he could make them come out of their nests...I kept out,lol.

The sea turtle nest, they know when they are going to be born and depending on the weather, it will be all female, all male or if the weather is perfect a mix. Temperature is 80 all year round but with the sea breeze feels cooler. they have fresh tomatoes every day....

Silvia

Hi Tom, you would love it there in the forest! Since you are a man of knowledge you would be identifying all the trees that you have probably seen them in books or in person.

I learned so much from the native guide, to be able to become one they have to survive for 5 days in the jungle without any food, tents, or camping stuff. They make their own living space and only eat and drink what the wild has to offer. Everything closes at 2pm because after 4pm, all the wild animals come out to hunt, during the day they live high up on the trees. We could see the jaguar footprints from the morning and the monkeys were loud when we were passing.

And to tell you the truth, my home in Florida is hotter and humid unless I stayed indoors.:) The forest they said is always cooler than the beaches, the beaches are always breezy, summer season is cooler than winter. It is always a comfortable 80 degrees or less. A lot of areas are protected, no developments, hunting, or hurting in any way nature....

The guide said that they use the young bamboo for food.

Silvia

thanks bud. Yes, my eyes would be popping out of their sockets!

Tom, I wished that I was in the clean and beautiful beach yesterday instead of in Colin's path....

The hotel had some nice garden

At the forest I saw growing in the wild 2 types of coffee the Arabica a taller plant and the Robusta. The guide told me that the next time that I come there, he will have both coffees for me, that they are at their best when mixed together. He also said that he never gets sick because every morning he makes a tea of a look alike heliconia and sweeten with honey from the underground bees....

Silvia

Hi

Fantastic!!! Though I've been to many areas of central America never nade it to south . Afraid I've wauted too long now think my mountain climbing days are over lol Thanks for the pix!! gary

Thank you Gary!

I am an experienced mountain climber and I can walk for a very long time, I eat mostly fruits and vegetables and I can say that I am very healthy, which I am very thankful for. When going to places where the fish is good, I always try that,:) in Manta I had the local fish cooked in their own way and it was fantastic! they said that the fish only eats shrimp, it was very tasty and had a wonderful flavor and texture.

The guide showed me so many trees and birds varieties! here is one of them, the rubber tree.

Silvia

Silvia, thank you for sharing your trip. What beautiful, interesting photos! I love the tree that walks every day toward the sun.

Carol in Jacksonville

Boy do you make me want to visit Ecuador, Silvia. My sister went last year and really enjoyed the trip. She said the people were very friendly and that the government was making a major effort to attract tourists. She had a special type of soup there that she was not able to replicate here. Every country seems to have its own special spices and Ecuador has one that is not possible to buy here.

I would really like to see the different hummingbirds and butterflies--as well as all the different birds, other animals and, of course, plants.

Thank you Carol, driving to the forest I saw a lot of ceiba trees and the most beautiful bougainvilleas and plumerias...In the forest there were a lot of different plants that are used for food and other things, one of them is used for fruit when young and when ripe they make instruments.

Some of the trees were very, very old

Hi Tom!

If you go, you will love it there! anywhere that you go is a feast for the eyes and the palate, such a delicious food! even the humble potato will taste the best for you. I will give you tips if you decide to go depending on your interests, Quito airport is super modern, was awarded the number 1 in S.A.

Tom, I can picture you in the forest, you would have so many questions for the native guide! he knew every little detail about the wildlife, he had a little used book about birds and the binoculars, said that in that place there are over 250 different types of birds and a big amount of hummingbirds, he said the rare one was the one the size of the bee, I was so busy looking at them that I did not take any pictures, they moved too fast anyway.:)

The owls were just posing for us...

Silvia

Oh, Silvia, what a wonderful documentation of your trip! You are such a traveler, and I vicariously savor your trips through your photos! Thank-you! Maybe some day I will go there. A couple of years my husband and I went to the Galapagos Islands and got there through Guayaquil. Next time we go to Ecuador I'd like to do what you just did. That seems like the perfect trip to me! Thanks again, I loved it! Ana

Hi Ana, thank you, you are just so nice!

A long time ago I went to the Galapagos and the Amazon but they are not the only good trips there. One of the ideal trips would be to spent a few days in Quito with its charming colonial houses and churches, sample the local food and the markets, close to Quito is Papallacta with the healing spring waters, you can spend time in one of the hot springs and look at the snow covered mountains....then you hit the coast and the beaches like I did. And this is only a few days, there is so much more to see!

Spending time at the beach close to the hotel that I did not know but had the best chef in Manta!, drinking coconut water or like I did pina coladas...

Silvia

Fantastic photos Silvia, you must have a great camera ! Never been to Ecuador but now I have an idea how gorgeous it is ! Your pics remind me of a 4 1/2 hour hike I took up into the cloud forests of Monteverde, Costa Rica on my very first visit to that scenic, bio diverse country way back in 1991. One of a dozen trips I took there but was a bit clueless on that first trip, didn't even have a camera, so no pics, can you imagine ?
I do remember the native guide asking us 10 or so tourista's, " Do any of you know what a cloud forest is ? " We all shrugged,.." A cloud forest is simply a rain forest further up,..up in the cloud's " he smiled.
Thanks again for the spellbinding " fotografia's. " ( smile )

Hi Jofus, I only have a cheapo camera but is small and does the job.:) Long time ago, I made a trip to all Central American countries, what experience that was! a lot of fun and every place is different than the other. That was before the internet age, the time of the dinosaurs,lol but I have some pictures including from Costa Rica.

At the forest their seasons are a little different, it never gets a freeze and the mangoes were just flowering, later on they will be enjoyed by the monkeys as well as the other wild fruit, they were so loud!

At the beaches they practice a lot of extreme sports, a lot of surfing too, I passed on those. In the towns most women were wearing high heeled shoes and nice clothing, I took the hint! I bought some gorgeous handmade jewelry from the artisans for my daughter, pieces are unique and no 2 are alike.

Silvia