Ecuador in Pictures - Some Favorites!

It's been awhile since we've posted pictures, so I thought I would dedicate a post to some of our favorites so far (with a de-emphasis on my 500 pictures of Galapagos animals...you're welcome) .  Ecuador is an incredibly beautiful and diverse place, and it's sometimes hard to describe it in words, so - photos will have to do.  Enjoy!

Kelly

The sun beginning to fade over Cumbaya Valley in Quito

Horses and tortoises grazing in the highlands of Santa Cruz Island in the Galapagos

Ecuadorians seem to love these like mini "scenes" and hang them up all over the place.  I get it....they're pretty!

Iguana food

Funky plant life on the Galapagos

Sea lion snoozing on the beach

My adorable husband :)

Lagoons and volcanoes

Sunset boat ride

Brian and I watching the sunrise in the Galapagos

I *think* this is a flower that blossoms on the cotton trees in the Galapagos.  But I could be wrong.

I love this pictures - fond memories of our friends from the Galapagos trip!

Kayak with a Magnificent Frigate Bird in the background

Lava Cactus (and some lava)

The skeleton of an unlucky Flightless Cormorant in the Galapagos.  I love this pictures because to me, it represents the havoc that the warm El Nino current wreaks on the Galapagos by destroying the rich marine life there that so many of the animals depend on.

Some old married people

Sunset over the ocean

Flowers in Quito's botanical gardens (which we have visited not once, but twice!)

The race track in Ibarra where our hosts, Jose and Ana, took us for a festival in which people chase a man dressed as Zoro (on horses) and try to grab his cape for a prize.  Not a joke!

View of La Plaza Grande in old town Quito, where there is literally ALWAYS a political gathering.  The Presidential Palace is the long white building in the background.

View from our bedroom of the volcano Pichincha

View of Banos from the San Francisco bridge.  You can participate in "puenting" (puente means "bridge" in Spanish) by jumping off in a harness.  

Panoramic view of Banos from our hike up the volcano

View of Quito and beyond from our hike up the volcano Pichincha

View from our hike up the Tungurahua volcano in Banos

Lovely alpine flora on the hike up the volcano Pichincha