Lonesome George: A foretold Extinction

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Charles Darwin once said: “it is an intolerable thought that he [the human being] and all other sentient beings are doomed to complete annihilation after such long continued slow progress”. For the 100 years old turtle called Lonesome George, this long and slow evolutionary road seems to inevitably lead to its end, since he is the last remaining member of its species. Learn about the past two years of George’s struggle, according to the Galapagos National Park Management:

21 July 2008 – Lonesome George may have descendants: between 120 and 130 days will have to pass before we find out if the eggs are fertile.

4 August 2008 – The lonely turtle’s possibilities to have descendants arise: at this moment, a total of 13 eggs -5 from the female partner number 107 and 8 from the female partner number 106- are found at the incubator.

8 September 2008 – The park keepers find another nest in George’s yard: with this discovery, the possibilities of having descendants increase for this emblematic animal.

21 November 2008 – The hopes for having descendants lessen: the eggs’ considerable weight loss raises doubts about their fertility.

3 December 2008 – The analysis of George’s eggs confirm their infertility: there is no sign of embryo development in the first eggs.

1 January 2009 – Lonesome George’s last eggs have been opened: the eggs have finished their incubation cycle in January, with no signs of embryo development.

21 July 2009 – Hope arises again: a new nest has been found in the yard of our famous turtle.

5 October 2009 – One more chance for the “Loner”: another of his female partners has laid six eggs.

11 December 2009 – The eggs of George’s partners have again turned out to be unfertile: the National Park’s technicians have few hopes for George to have descendants this season.

George’s struggle continues, and the world will certainly keep getting news from him in the following decades. This sole survivor of the turtles’ massacre, carried out by sailors and buccaneers during the 18th and 19th centuries, has lived to tell us his amazing story. Maybe it won’t be soon, but we will keep waiting for the moment he will finally reproduce successfully, giving us a lesson of hope.

Photo: Mike Weston

An Imaginary World of Dwarfs and Giants Found in Ecuador

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Imagine a mysterious, enchanted forest with giant flowers as abundant as an army of epic proportions; millenary trees that seem to come from a fairy story and lakes so beautiful they look like one of Renoir’s landscapes. This fairy tale exists in the province of Carchi, Ecuador, at a dream-like place called the Ángel Ecological Reserve: a protected reserve of more than 15.000 hectares that has formed a unique landscape right under the clouds, at 4000m (13123ft) above the sea level.

Arriving to this place, the first impression comes from the numerous frailejones, a type of giant plant with flowers similar to sunflowers that has profusely scattered among the weeds in this area. The frailejón is called like that because, in days of intense fog, it looks like the head of a friar (the word fraile means friar). This plant is commonly found at the Andes and in some parts of Canada, but the Ángel reserve is the only one in the world with frailejones of such size –with some of them growing up to 4 meters (13ft)– all arranged one after the other into an almost perfect row.

It is said that this area was once burnt, and that this plant was the only survivor. After the fire, the plant got stronger and reproduced on a large scale, forming the landscape that we see nowadays. Visitors shouldn’t miss the chance to make a stop at any of the viewpoints located along the forest’s paths. There, they are able to observe from high up these surroundings so wonderful the cold weather doesn’t seem to matter much anymore.

The road leads to Voladero, a great lake whose water level has been decreasing over thousands of years, forming a group of three smaller lakes that lie in a breathtaking landscape. The contrast between the green, the blue and the multicolored orchids, added to the striking cold weather and the wind where birds seem to float, makes it impossible not to sit down and do nothing but contemplate, feeling part of this beautiful place.

The landscape changes drastically at the enchanted forest of Polylepis, or Paper Trees. The magical sceneries found at the fairy tales come to life in this forest. Brooks, waterfalls, wooden suspension bridges and amazing trees give visitors the impression of being in a Lord of the Rings or Peter Pan sequel. If you have the opportunity to stay over for a night, you can’t miss the night walk with torches, where the legends of dwarfs, fairies and other magical creatures feel more real than ever. The name of “paper tree” is due to the tree’s old age, which makes strips of bark as thin as a paper peel off its trunk.

Located 170km (105mi) north of the city of Quito, the Ángel Ecological Reserve could be defined as an existing imaginary world. It is a life source for the region and a lung for the world: definitely a visitors’ must-see.

Photo: Paramo

Volunteer in Ecuador and Have One of your Life’s Greatest Experiences

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A volunteering program’s idea is simple: To help, protect and get to know the nature and the people through voluntary work. This may not be a priority for some people, but it is a lifestyle and a philosophy for a few others. Having this experience in Ecuador is something as rewarding as amazing, due to its great diversity –in all senses. Even though it is a relatively small country compared to the rest of Latin American countries, Ecuador is abundant in natural landscapes and completely different cultures. It is a diverse, multicultural and multiethnic country. This means that landscapes and wildlife, as well as people, races and traditions change drastically within a few miles, giving us the impression of being in a different country. This variety is precisely what makes Ecuador a destination with endless volunteering alternatives. In only one country, there are four different surroundings among which volunteers can pick:

•    The Coast: the fishing and agricultural communities are found in the Ecuadorian coastal region, from the beautiful beaches of the Pacific Ocean to a few miles further to the East. Working in the middle of nature, staying at the typical bamboo-made houses and meeting one of the most unassuming, friendly people of the world who will make volunteers feel welcome will certainly provide a joyful, wonderful stay. Contributing to these communities is immensely appreciated. A few days after working at this place, volunteers will feel as if they have been living there for years, as part of the peasant family.

•    The Andean Region: hundreds of indigenous communities, living in houses made of adobes (sun-dried bricks made of clay and straw), are settled down next to the mountains of this beautiful Andean landscape of blue skies. Each community is certainly unique; each of them has a different culture and a different way of seeing life, always under the golden rule of respecting and coexisting with each other. This respect for diversity has made them capable of welcoming with joy and without prejudices people from everywhere around the world, with any kind of ideology, willing to share their time with mutual learning and affection. A lot of foundations and associations have developed volunteering programs here, each contributing to the development of these communities, their millenary agriculture and their education.

•    The Amazon: the jungle is located to the East of Ecuador, crossing the Andes. If you want to get to know the work of scientists, help discovering new species and learn about them, the Amazon is perfect for you. It has a wonderful ecosystem full of fauna and flora that remain unidentified always in need of volunteers on its various scientific stations located at rivers and tropical forests.

•    The Galapagos: these islands are very similar to the Amazon in terms of variety of fauna, flora and ecosystems, but a little different to the rest of the volunteering options regarding costs and logistics. Nevertheless, Galapagos has always had a special charm. Various foundations are in constant need of volunteers for their ecosystem preservation projects, whose main objectives are to avoid the insertion of foreign species and the pollution of the environment, as well as helping reforesting the area and taking care of the endangered species. Volunteering at the Galapagos would undoubtedly be a valuable contribution to preserve this natural living laboratory.

Ecuador amazes with its great variety of cultures and ecosystems. No matter which volunteering program you choose, it will always be a unique experience that only a few people in the world get to enjoy, remembering it forever.

Photo: alexindigo

200 Years of Living History in Only One Park

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Guayaquil is the name of the Ecuadorian coastal region’s main city, a place full of cultural enchantment and a rich history. To keep its past alive, there is a park in the north of the city called the Guayaquil Historical Park. This place takes visitors to a time when Guayaquil used to be called “The Free Province of Guayaquil”; and its territory used to cover the whole coastlines of what nowadays are the provinces of Guayas, Los Ríos, El Oro and Manabí.

Visitors travel in time as they go along the park’s three sections. The first section is the Wildlife Zone. With a length of 5 hectares, this zone shows how life was at the mangrove swamps and the dry tropical forests that used to cover great extensions of Ecuador. Walking through this section, visitors can observe a great diversity of tropical animals and outstanding ecosystems. Places such as the viewpoint tower and the Monkey Island will certainly get the attention.

The second stage is known as the Urban and Architectural Zone. It takes us to the time between the years of 1800 and 1900, when the streets, the houses, the means of transport and the people were different. Here, there is an astonishing recreation of those times, with real, 100-years old houses that have been restored and placed facing the simulated seafront known as the “Foreign Colony’s Walk”, dating back to 1931, with its carriages and its pier. A friendly couple of inhabitants of those times are there to invite you to meet the famous house of Dr. Coronel, built in 1900. The house has a beautiful view to the Daule River, and on its first floor you can enjoy a nice cup of coffee at the “1900 Café”. Afterwards, you have the opportunity to see other important restored constructions, such as the Territorial Bank (1886), created to give an incentive to cacao production in the country; the Corazón de Jesús Hospice (1892) and its beautiful gardens; and the famous Green House (2896), that belongs to the powerful Lavayén-Paredes family.

Finally, following the path you find the Traditions Zone, which shows the life of the Ecuadorian peasants, active characters of the Ecuadorian coastline during the 20th Century, whose houses can still be seen from some points of the coastline. In this tour, you meet these famous people, who happily invite you to their bamboo-made houses and talk about their customs and lifestyle. A bell ringing far away calls for the peasants to gather in the manor or estate, dating back to 1882, that is better known as the Boss’ House and belongs to the owner of the lands were the peasants worked. The tour finishes with the visit to the gardens, were you can learn from the peasants themselves about medicinal plants; the origins of the coffee and cacao grains; as well as about their natural cures for illnesses such as flu and asthma. If you are lucky, you get to know the Shamán, a folk healer that performs a ritual called limpia (cleaning) that, according to their beliefs, takes any negative energy away from your body.

Undoubtedly, this park takes you through a whole journey to the Ecuadorian coastal region’s past, where you will learn about the customs, the people, the stories, the architecture, the ecosystems and the fauna of those times. The park is also a witness of the hard work of the region’s inhabitants, something that nowadays sets an example of agricultural and commercial development to the rest of the country.

Photo: Biblioteca Municipal de Guayaquil

The Quilotoa Volcano and its Lake: a Nature’s Work of Art

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When we talk about the Quilotoa Volcano and its lake, we are talking about one of Ecuador’s most amazing landscapes. Pictures of the lake have appeared in a great amount of touristic publications around the world; and its beautiful landscape has also been the most photographed subject by tourists visiting the country. This nature’s magnificent work is located in the Andean region, at the Cotopaxi province. The mysterious lake, whose emerald green waters lie at the bottom of the volcano’s crater, hypnotizes with its beauty.

The story of the lake takes us 800 years back, when the world witnessed the Quilotoa Volcano’s great eruption that made its crater larger, to its current size of 3 kilometers (1.8 miles) wide. Ever since then, the extinct crater accumulated water that eventually formed a 250m (820ft) deep lake, whose waters’ striking beautiful color is due to the accumulation of minerals dissolved in them.

To get to the lake, we arrive to the Quilotoa village, located approximately two and a half hours far from the city of Latacunga, Cotopaxi where, after a 5-minutes uphill walk, surrounded by mountains and precipices, we will arrive to the impressive lake that can’t be seen until you get to the edge of the crater.

The strong wind adds up to the beauty of the place, with its indigenous houses and its local artists selling the famous Tigua paintings. Just being part of this landscape could be enough for make the place worth visiting; nonetheless, there are various activities that can be done there. You can go down the winding and steep crater’s path for 45 meters (147ft) to reach the lake, where the tranquility and the feeling of inner peace are simply indescribable. The guiding and mule renting services also make it easier and more comfortable to do 5-hour long expeditions around the crater and its surroundings.


Certainly, the Quilotoa Lake is an inspirational place. Its beautiful landscape of freedom and joy can only be half seen through pictures. It is a truly unique world treasure, hidden inside the most western volcano of Ecuador. The route to the Quilotoa’s peak is a real testimony of Nature’s perfection.

Photo: Stitched by Seattle Skier, photos by Martini

Post Office Bay: A Postal Service with Two Centuries of History

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Imagine receiving from an unknown person that has traveled from a little pacific island directly to your home, a letter written by a loved one who has used the same mail delivery system once used by sailors and pirates of the 18th Century. This is only possible in the Floreana Island, at a place called Post Office Bay that has been operating for two centuries.

In 1793, due to the sailors’ needs to communicate with their families back home while they were away hunting whales at the Galapagos Islands, the Royal British navy officer James Colnett decided to establish a letter delivery system based on a simple premise: “Everyone can drop off his letters, but he must also take the mail having his same destination and deliver it to its addressee”. Colnett installed a wine barrel as a mailbox and everyone followed his system. As they arrived to the island, the ships would drop off their correspondence and pick up the one they could deliver. Nowadays, that mailbox at the Floreana Island is still working, but this time the 217 years old tradition is kept alive by tourists.


Ironically, the Post Office Bay sometimes works faster than the normal postal service, and it is way more convenient because it is for free. So go on and send a letter to your loved ones while visiting the islands, it will surely be a nice surprise for them and become another reason to fall in love with the Galapagos Islands!

Photo:  Pictures from Heather

Walking the Road from the Holy Waters to the Devil’s Waters

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In Ecuador, there is a sanctuary for those who enjoy adventure tourism. It is located in the Tungurahua Province, at the feet of the Tungurahua Volcano. The place is called "Baños de Agua Santa" (The Holy Water Baths), a village that offers visitors a tour through the famous Waterfalls Route: a 16km (almost 10 miles) route including several waterfalls and tunnels, a cable railway ride, suspension bridges and narrow paths. The route leads to the jungle’s heart, where one of the world’s 10 most beautiful waterfalls is found: the Pailón del Diablo (Devil’s Cauldron).

The route is usually done by bike or quad, although it can also be done by car. There are seven other waterfalls along the way, whose white waters contrast beautifully with the green vegetation. Visitors take a break at the third waterfall called the Manto de la Novia (the Bride’s Veil), located facing a precipice. There, visitors can take a ride on the tarabita, an old kind of cable railway that makes a 100m (328ft) tour to the other side of the precipice, passing right over the waterfall: an experience you just can’t miss!

After the 16 km route, all vehicles must be left at the Hortensias Restaurant and the final, 1km (0.6mi) path must be done by foot. Arriving to the Pailón del Diablo, a slight climate change can be perceived, since the path takes visitors away from the Andean cold weather and closer to the warmth and humidity of the Amazonian region. Visitors walk through the jungle until arriving to a long suspension bridge, from which the power of the great Pailón del Diablo waterfall can already be felt. The final stop is at the Otro Lado Restaurant, which has a path that allows watching from a short distance the powerful waters plunging from an altitude of more than 100m (328ft).

In this tour, Nature offers us a great spectacle made up by the deafening fury of the water crashing into a black giant rock known as the Diablo; the water splashing everywhere; the smell of wet earth that invades the place; the wind desperately blowing and the fascinating vegetation that envelopes the scene in green, all of these providing an adventure that makes visitors want to go back every year. The Waterfalls Route is a unique experience that will awake all your senses.

Photo: RevThom's Sabbatical Blog  

Biological Wonder in Ecuador Takes the World by Surprise

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Ecuador has shocked the world again. Inside a very small forest that can be walked through in merely 30 minutes, a group of scientists has found 14 new animal species, among which there are several reptiles and amphibious not existing anywhere else in the world. Incidentally, they also found 4 new insect species while taking pictures. Among the discovered reptiles, there is a new record breaker: the world’s smallest lizard, measuring the size of a pencil tip.

The forest is located in the Pata de Pájaro hill, in the Ecuadorian coastal region, a little further to the north of the Equatorial line. It is a cloudy forest of only 2 miles of length that is home to more than 140 reptile and amphibious species among of which some never seen rarities have been identified. Such is the case of a frog that lays its eggs in the trees instead of laying them in the water. Usually frogs pass through a tadpole stage; however, this kind of frog comes directly out of the egg as a tiny young frog of the size of a pinhead. Another frog species has the skin of its chest area so transparent it can be seen through, allowing seeing its internal organs, including its beating heart.

This discovery empowers the social consciousness call to stop the people’s careless attitude regarding the handling of the planet’s resources. The Pata de Pájaro hill is currently endangered due to several factors, such as the insertion of cattle ranching that deforests the region, the tree felling and the illegal hunting. In words of Dr. Kerry Kriger, director of the Save the Frogs Charity: “the good news is, the animals are still there and alive, so there is still time to save them from extinction. But we need to take action now to make it happen”.

Photo: Photo: Reptile & Amphibian Ecology International

Diving in the Galapagos: An Adventure among Corals and Algae

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The Galapagos, one of the World’s seven underwater natural wonders, is considered a diving paradise. Selected as one of the World’s 10 best diving spots year after year, the Galapagos has always welcomed visitors willing to practice that sport.

The island’s several diving centers are all managed by renowned international professionals (generally certified by PADI) with top modern equipment. Visitors are required to have an intermediate or advanced level certificate (30 or more immersions) and a preliminary dive at the Ayora Port Bay, since the place is only available for those with enough experience.

There are almost 30 diving spots in the islands, giving plenty of choices to divers. Among the best are the Caamaño Islet, the Lobería Island and the Punta Carrión, at Puerto Ayora Port. For the more experienced divers, there are spots such as the Gordon Rocks, located east of the Santa Cruz Island; and the Darwin and Wolf islands. The best time for diving in the Galapagos is from December to April, when the waters are calmer and the temperature agreeable, although the chances of finding a whale shark are low during that time compared to the rest of the year, when the water is colder and the wind stronger.

Once submerged, the diver will discover the island’s underwater world: a wonderful sight of sea turtles, penguins and sea lions swimming next to hammerhead sharks, whales, manta rays, dolphins and tropical fish. A silent world in the immeasurable sea inhabited by corals and algae, starfish and sea urchins. The variety of tropical fish (including some species not existing anywhere else) is so great that the renowned oceanographer Dr. Sylvia Earle described the Galapagos as “the fishiest place on Earth”. Most of the underwater species are not afraid of human contact, so divers can often see turtles, sharks and rays coming closer, making the diving experience a magical memory.

This marine life sanctuary and biosphere reserve –as declared by the Unesco– is one of the world’s most exciting and unique diving spots due to the variety of its waters. Far from being the typical tropical adventure, the cold Humboldt Current and the warm Cromwell Current that mainly rule life at the islands, produce continuous and unpredicted changes to temperature, water’s strength, visibility and marine life… making the Galapagos a true challenge and a privilege to those who get the opportunity to dive into its waters.

Photo: 88rabbit

The Banana Tour: Find out about the Work behind the Bananas you Buy at the Market

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Even though bananas have been related to Ecuador's history over the past 50 years, it has been only a few years ago since the association of small-scale banana producers has decided to open its doors to tourists to show them the fantastic world of banana production. To enjoy this curious journey, we get to the provinces of Guayas and El Oro, the south of Ecuador. There, visitors will learn by the words and the work of the producers, how are the bananas cultivated.

The banana tour takes place inside one of the several banana farms of Ecuador. On the way to the farm, we will see the big and endless banana plantations on both sides of the road, with their large leaves forming two bright green lines along the way. A magnificent landscape complemented by the sweet banana smell and the warm climate of Ecuador's coastal region. Once in the farm, the visitor will be introduced to the world of bananas and will be able to follow all its production process from its growth to its harvest and packing, and even watch the bananas being shipped to other countries. To better enjoy this experience, the best days to take the tour are Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays, when the harvest takes place.

Visitors will also enjoy the simplicity and the warmth of the Ecuadorian agricultural workers, whose hospitality and friendliness will make them feel as part of the banana producing family. At the end of the tour, visitors are invited to participate on the harvest and packing of the fruits, followed by a tasting of products made with them. The visit will end with a delicious homemade lunch in the farm’s dining hall, surrounded by the exuberant nature. The tour lasts 3 hours approximately.

Going through this experience is an excellent opportunity to find out about the customs of the region's inhabitants; learn about the organic production of bananas; feel how it is to live and work in the banana plantations; and be part of this big family, who will always welcome you with arms wide open. Come and enjoy the bananas of Ecuador!

Photo: Fair Trade in Ecuador - Annika

The Churute Mangrove Swamps: A cocktail of life in the Coast of Ecuador

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The mangrove swamps are found from north to south in the Ecuadorian coastal region; from the province of Esmeraldas to the one of El Oro. They are areas where an extensive group of trees and woody bushes have been adapted to the harsh climate conditions; and where the fresh water of the rivers is mixed with the seawater. Looking at Ecuador's map, you will find a little place called Naranjal, located south of the Guayas province. This place is home of Ecuador’s biggest and most important mangrove swamp, where a great variety of aquatic, amphibious and land animals live: the Churute Mangrove Swamp Ecological Reserve. Measuring almost 50,000 hectares, this reserve is a unique cocktail of life, a true wonder for all eyes to see.

To enjoy this landscape, visitors can choose among these five routes offered by the reserve:

•    The path that goes up in the Mate hill: it is a 4 hours walk. Home to a fauna of great diversity, it is a place where monkeys, birds, squirrels, invertebrates and all animals in general make up an interesting experience.

•    The path that goes up in the Pancho Diablo hill: this is also 4 hours long. It has exuberant vegetation, and it is also the howling monkey’s favorite spot.

•    The path to the viewpoint: it is usually taken together with the Pancho Diablo path, since they head to the same direction. It is only 30 meters (98ft) long, but the path makes an ascent of 80 meters (262ft) above the sea level. The highest point provides a 360° view of the astonishing mangrove swamps and their surroundings.

•    The path to the Canclón Lake: it takes 8 hours to walk it. It is the hardest path, but there, we can easily watch over 600 bird species along the way. Among these birds is found the canclón, an endangered bird species of the size of a goose, of which only 180 individuals remain in Ecuador.

•    The mangrove swamp area: this is a tour that lasts five hours made by ship, and it's probably the most visited route, since it takes visitors closer to the amazing mangrove plants and, in some parts of the route, it even passes under trees forming tunnels. Here, visitors can observe dolphins, flamingos, herons and all the animal species of the region.

The phrase “mangrove is life” gets a new sense for those who have visited the area. In 1990, due to the devastation of almost 50% of the mangroves of the world, carried out for the past 50 years by the fishing, shrimp and lumber industries, the Churute Mangrove Ecological Reserve was registered in the Ramsar International Agreement, which regulates the conservation and the rational use of the mangrove and its resources. Certainly, the Churute Reserve is an aquatic and land life sanctuary that we must preserve.

Photo: kaeru.my

The Galapagos’ Five Most Impressive Rarities

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The Galapagos Islands are not just about evolution, exotic animals and paradise-like beaches. It also has amazing and unexplainable natural formations. Let's take a look to the ones that, according to us, are the Galapagos’ most impressive natural rarities:

1.    Las Grietas (The Cracks): It is a giant crack located in the Santa Cruz Island that forms two big walls up to 12m (39 ft) high. At the bottom, there is a long inlet of the sea with crystalline waters and a great diversity of tropical fish. It is a great place for diving or simply for swimming between these two giants walls.

2.    The sleeping lion (Kicker Rock): located in front of the San Cristóbal Island, it is a dramatic formation of two rocks that rise up abruptly from the bottom of the sea, creating a little passage where small vessels can transit (photo). With 144m (472ft) high, these formations are a resting area for birds and sea lions. The formation got its name because, viewed from a certain angle, the rocks seem to form the silhouette of a sea lion lying down.

3.    Darwin’s Arch: it is a natural stone arch that works as an entrance door to the Darwin Island. It is also considered by many professional scuba divers as the world's best place to dive.

4.    The Pinnacle Rock: this is probably the tourists’ most photographed scene of the Galapagos Islands. It is a rocky formation located in the Bartolomé Island that looks like the tip off a big arrow coming out of the sea, pointing to the sky. There are many volcanic formations with these characteristics in the Galápagos, but none of them have taken such a peculiar shape.

5.    The Love Tunnel: it is an 800m (2624ft) long tunnel in the island of Santa Cruz, formed by the underground passing of the lava that was expulsed by the volcanoes thousands of years ago. Its entrance has the singular shape of a heart, reason why it got its name.

The Galapagos have been well taken care of and preserved in a good state for visitors to see. Nowadays, you can still enjoy its natural wonders and feel the same excitement the islands’ first visitors once felt.

Photo: NOAA Photo Library

Photographer: Rosalind Cohen 

Among Demon Stories and Hidden Treasures

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If you travel to Quito, one of the city's main attractions is visiting the colonial historic downtown, home of a magnificent architectural masterpiece: the San Francisco church and convent, built by the Franciscans between the years of 1550 and 1680. Next to the building, there is an ancient house that was turned into a church dedicated to the Virgin of Dolorosa. A few more than 50 years ago, during the restoration works of the church’s floor, an underground vault made of bricks with human bones dispersed on the ground was found. It was then when the old legend of the Cantuña indigene came back to life. That man used to live in that house during the colonial years, and everybody in Ecuador knows about him. Every Ecuadorian can tell his own version of the famous legend to whoever willing to hear about it.

It is said that Cantuña was hired by the Franciscans to build a church in Quito in only six months, in exchange of a great amount of money. Even though it seemed impossible to build the whole church in such little time, Cantuña agreed to do it. He gathered a group of indigenes who started working as hard as they could. However, the construction was not going as fast as it had to. On the day before the deadline for the building to be finished, Cantuña was completely desperate, knowing that his work was not going to be finished on time. That night, when he was already thinking that he would go to jail, a figure dressed in red appeared. He said he was the devil, and offered him to finish the church in exchange of his soul. Cantuña agreed and, at that moment, a countless army of demons appeared and started working very fast on the building. At the end of the night, the church was almost finished. Cantuña, fearing for his soul, sneaked among the working demons and, on the last stone to be put on the construction, he wrote: “whoever puts this stone in place, will admit that God is greater than him”. When the demons were about to put that last stone in the building, they realized what was written on it and left it aside. The new day came and the devil could not accomplish his part of the deal, so the indigene saved his soul and the devil went away, leaving behind just a strong sulfur smell.

Cantuña’s bones were found in the church and he was subject of this great fantastic story, so people have wondered who he really was. The story says that Cantuña was the son of Hualca, an indigene who fought with the Incan general Rumiñanui’s army against the Spanish invasion. The army set on fire the area that is nowadays the city of Quito and hid the Incan’s gold treasure, so wanted by the conquistadors’ greed. Fearing of his death, Hualca told his son where the treasure was hidden. The story had a twist because Cantuña got burned during the fire and became crippled. He was taken in and adopted by a Spanish called Hernán Suárez, with whom he lived in the house that was to become the Dolorosa Church. Cantuña, as an act of gratitude, revealed him the treasure’s location and all that gold was secretly melted in their house’s underground vault and spent in luxurious whims. When Suárez died, Cantuña inherited the treasure and started donating it to the Franciscans for the construction of the current San Francisco de Quito Church.

What about the devil? Well, the story says that the contributions Cantuña made to the Franciscans were so big that the authorities, not knowing the origin of such big amounts of money, decided to interrogate him. Cantuña never revealed his father's secret, but he decided to get rid of everything by confessing to the astonished monks that he had made a deal with the devil who, in exchange of his soul, had given him all the money he wanted. As time went by, the famous legend of Cantuña was created.

Back in the modern Quito, you will find the famous church and convent of San Francisco de Quito, that curiously has a missing stone corresponding to the water canal that should be placed in the northern front of the wall that surrounds the construction. Next to it, you will find the Dolorosa Church, known nowadays as the Cantuña Church.

Photo: Hflopz2000

The World’s smallest orchid is found among roots and leaves

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Ecuador has the World’s greatest orchid diversity with 4000 identified orchid species, 1300 of them being endemic. It was in this transitional area between the Andes and the Ecuadorian Amazon where, half hidden among roots and leaves, the World’s smallest orchid was found. This orchid, of which the name has not been yet defined, measures only 2.1mm wide, beating the platysteke jungermannioides species’ size of 2.5mm, a plant so small that its leaves are almost transparent, allowing seeing through them.

It was almost three months ago, in a high-biodiversity region known as Cerro Candelaria, up in the Pastaza River of the Ecuadorian Amazon; when Dr. Lou Jost, an American botanist specialized in orchids, found by chance the smallest orchid of the platysteke genre, on which he was researching. At that moment, the famous orchid hunter realized that his new discovery was far more interesting than the orchid he was studying.

On an interview with the botanist, he remarked: « "It's an exciting feeling to find a new species. People think everything has been discovered but there's much more ». This discovery adds up to the more than 60 orchids and 10 plants Dr. Jost has found in the last 10 years.

To visit this high-diversity region, you must first get to the Tungurahua province, right between the national parks of Sangay and Llanganates. This area works as a corridor in the middle of the two protected parks, preserving a big portion of virgin forest.

Photo: Lou Jost 

Mompiche Beach: A Piece of Paradise in a Little Fishing Village

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Mompiche is located in Ecuador’s coastal region, just 8km (5 miles) south of Muisne, at the Esmeraldas province. When you arrive to the place, it feels like if it was a remote island far away from the modern world, where the perfect waves, the lovely landscapes, the sound of the local music and the smell of exquisite seafood get together to make a perfect day on the beach. Mompiche is considered as one of the region’s most beautiful beaches and it has certainly become the new vacation spot for national and international tourists.

Mompiche is a rustic village of around 150 wooden houses where horses trot around the streets next to the tourists. Half of its population does fishing, and the other half works in touristic services such as restaurants and hotels. Due to the village’s relaxed and informal atmosphere, it is common to watch people walking on the streets in their bathing suits, with no shirt and no shoes on, always ready to enjoy the beach.

Beach Holidays at the Galapagos

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The radiant sun warming up the crystalline waters; the beautiful natural landscape of red mangrove swamps and exotic beaches of thin, white sand; the sea lions, the colorful birds and the amazing aquatic life that appears as soon as you get underwater… everything you ever dreamed for a beach to be perfect is found at the Galapagos. Enjoy life to the full with the vacations you’ve always dreamed about, spending some days at the beach of your choice lying on the sand, listening to the sound of the waves, breathing the marine air and just enjoying your free time. If you’re having a hard time picking the beach that best suits you, here’s a rough guide to some of the Galapagos’s greatest holyday spots:

The Santa Cruz Island is considered the Galapago’s main destination for tourists. Among its most beautiful beaches are the Tortuga Bay –great for taking long walks–; the Garrapatero Beach, that thanks to its white, thin sand and turquoise waters is perfect for flamingo sighting and snorkeling; the Alemanes Beach, another splendid, sandy beach and a gate to the fascinating Grietas (cracks); and finally, the isolated beach of Conway Bay, home of a big colony of sea wolves, where only a few cruises dock, making the place specially quiet and peaceful.

Other islands, such as the Española, have wonderful beaches as well. The Gardner Beach, for example, is a fantastic location to spend your time and enjoy the best sunsets. It is also a perfect spot for those willing to enjoy underwater life without diving: it is enough to take a dip into the water to observe an amazing variety of tropical fish and sometimes even white-finned sharks.

At the beginning of the year temperature is generally high, which means the beach season at the Galapagos has started. Galapagos is a place where the image of a paradise-like beach gets enhanced by the enormous variety of species that inhabit the place. Undoubtedly, this is a main destination picked by travelers from around the world, an unforgettable place where responsible tourists are always welcomed.

Photo: lightmatter

Pintores de Tigua: Indigenous Artists of Ecuador

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Tigua artists from high in the Ecuadorian Andes are renowned for their colorful paintings of rural life. Their delightful folk art, painted on sheep hide, celebrates their mountain life with its festivals, legends, and traditions dating back centuries.

Tigua is a collection of small communities southwest of Quito. Most of the people here are famers who herd sheep and llamas and cultivate potatoes, onions, barley and other crops on a patchwork of steep, windswept fields and valleys. Tigua artists are deeply bound to the land. Even though most Tigua artists now live on the outskirts of Quito, many return periodically to their communities to tend to their lands.

Traditionally, the Kichwa people of this region decorated drums and masks for use in colorful festivals like Corpus Cristi and Noche Buena. In the the early 1970's, Olga Fisch, a Quito art dealer suggested the idea of painting on a flat surface—a sheepskin stretched over a wood frame. It changed Tigua art dramatically. As the market grew for these colorful paintings, more and more men and women from the area began to paint. Though lacking formal training, Tigua artists have seen their creations exhibited throughout Ecuador and beyond. Tigua paintings are now widely collected and prized for their vibrancy and detail.