Glossy-A

In this picture, Cotopaxi looks like it has three distinct peaks; but that effect is provided by the base of the ginormous glacier on top. The glacier is actually melting at an accellerated rate of 4 meters per month. Our guide told us that experts are pretty sure it's due to global warming, and not due to the fact that the glacier sits on top of an active vocano that, based on it's history, is due for a very violent erruption within the next twenty years, if not tomorrow...We'll see.

Weird Wild Shtuff

At the base of Cotopaxi, there was a large, long, flat plain and a very shallow lake. There were also wild horses. Yes wild horses still exist...I did not know that. So, we decided to pay the guide extra to tame a couple, and we rode them back to our hotel in Quito.

That's not true. But there really were wild horses at Cotopaxi, which I thought was pretty neat.

Cotopaxi

Cotopaxi: National Park and glacier-capped volcano. This was quite an expedition. We hiked up through sand, rock, snow, and ice--yup, it snows at the equator--to the base of the glacier, which put us at just over 15,500 feet. We stopped there.

Lavenia

Ol' Ba, did you notice what the restaurant was called? Made me think of a black french beret, Casey Montgomery, and of course you, buddy.

Oh, and can you believe my surprise to find Alan Arkin working there as a waiter? Wouldn't stand still for a picture or an autograph. That is one hard workin moviestar.

Birthday Yummy

So just as we did in Paris for Nikki's 21st birthday, in Quito for her 24th, we found an overpriced restaurant that would make us feel poor and uncomfortable and allow us the opportunity to appreciate our own cooking, and a really good, really greasy no frills cheeseburger from Redmill. I think I speak for both of us when I say it was super fun and super awkward--just like it was in Paris--which made it all that much more romantic...I hope. HAPPY BIRTHDAY, PEEKLE!!!

Birthday Luxury

When running water becomes a luxury and the smell of sewage an everyday thing, I'll tell ya, staying in a room with all the hot running water you can handle and a king-sized bed with freshly cleaned sheets is an effing treat!! I just have to thank Pickle for having a birthday, so we had an excuse to spend the money on such a treat. Thank you, Pickle, and Happy Birffday!!

The place was called Casa Foch, and was so worth the few extra bucks. Super friendly, helpful, clean, intelligent, kind, happy, ect. It's in new town, or the "Mariscal," and we definitely recommend it.

Don't Worry, I Won't Quit My Day Job

I just couldn't get enough of this cloud. All snuggled up behind the mountain, like it was hiding from the city waiting to pounce. Thank you digital photography; out of 200 horrible pictures of the hiding cloud, we found four only slightly bad ones to post.