Some pictures from in and around Quito

As I may have mentioned to some folk (!) I
planned to go to Ecuador in this year of my 40th
birthday. So I did. My chosen holiday was :














and was focused on birdwatching in these areas,
Ecuador being a major hotspot for biodiversity in
general and birdlife in particular. Ecuador, the size
of Italy, is home to something like 1,500 species
of birds (Europe has about 600!) In the two weeks
I spent there the group I travelled with saw
over 500 species. With some difficulty at times I saw
most of this number sometimes ablbeit fleatingly!

This was the group on my holiday. The photo
was taken with us stood along the line of what
the original French surveying team had determined
was the Equator. GPS proves them to have been
a few meters out but never mind that.














On the left is William Perez, our excellent tour
leader whose energy and enthusiasm was unflagging,
as were his efforts to ensure we all saw and appreciated
the birds he was seeking out for us. He works for
"Neblina Forest"(http://www.neblinaforest.com ) the "Ground Agents" for Naturetrek,
the UK based company organising this tour
(and numerous others!) . From the right of the picture
are Tim, from Hampshire, Patrick from Rotherham,
Faline and Colin from Surrey, Pete and Jill from Essex,
and then me!
I should also give credit to our driver, Luiz, who negotiated
the ups and downs of Ecuador with confidence-inspiring skill.

Here follow a few of my photos from around Quito, to give a
impression of the place.

I could not resist taking this shot as we passed by in our
minibus.
















From the window of "Hotel Quito", a clear morning view
towards Pichincha, an inactive volcano.














Also from "Hotel Quito", a view of Cotopaxi
in the misty distance














A final view of Cotopaxi, taken from the aircraft
as we flew from Guayacil, back over Quito at altitude
on our way home.