ECUADOR – March, 2007

Ecuador (Spanish: Ecuador), officially the Republic of Ecuador (Spanish: República del Ecuador) is a representative democratic republic in South America, bordered by Colombia on the north, by Peru on the east and south, and by the Pacific Ocean on the west. The country also includes the Galápagos Islands (Archipiélago de Colón) in the Pacific, about 965 kilometers (600 miles) west of the mainland. Ecuador is the Spanish word for equator. Ecuador straddles the equator and has an area of 256,370 square kilometers (98,985 mi²). Its capital city is Quito "La Capital del Sol" (The capital of the sun), however its largest city is Guayaquil.

The photography group leaded by Weldon Lee from “Rocky Mountain Photo Adventure Tours” got together at Quito and from there we (Weldon and other ameture photographer) drove around the city looking for potted flowers for the Hummingbird photo sessions which was the first stop on this photography trip. The hummingbird photography session was located two hours somewhere north east of the Quito city in the Tadayapa Valley. We spand five days at the Tanadayapa Lodge as our home base. Tanayapa Lodge is well known for birders. There you will see Hummingbirds galore. A non stop Hummingbird activity from morning till dusk. Hummers are not afraid of human. Perhaps we are too slow for them to be afraid of.

After a week of Hummer photography we when back to Quito then flew to Baltra Island where we boarded a cabin cruiser which was our home for the next seven days. Weldon Lee, the Nature Photography instructor has been a great mentor on this trip! We came to do what we suppose to do – “Wildlife Photography”, for that, I love and enjoy every moment of it. At Galapagos Island we photograph Sea Lions, Boobies (the blue footed Avian), Galapagos Pinguin, Land and Marine Ieguina, Frigate Bird, Giant Tortose at Darwin Station, Perlikan, Galapagos Hawk, Red-Billed Tropicbird ………. and many other sea birds.

Other pessengers we have met on the boat were from all walks of life. Apart from the photographers, all other friends were from either Europe or Australia. Most of the European friends I have met on the boat were on the South America trip for the entire month or two. Do they have to work? We ate, slept and shit on the boat for the next eight days. For me, for the first two days I actually ate and fed the fish. So, not much to shit, but I got over it. The trick was not to “work” (read and do other things inside the cabin), go up on the deck for some fresh air and look far away. Eat light and bring some ginger to chew on, Trust me !

What a wonderful week. Wants to tour Ecuador with me?

My Galapagos Wildlife Photography Tour