Quito Newsflash! Bob’s Back!

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Allergies in Ecuador, Bob Ramsak, jama ecuador, Piran Cafe, Quito Ecuador, travel writing

Who’s that guy looking down from the Basilica? It’s Bob Ramsak of Piran Cafe!!!!

Silvana of Monoaullador and I were delighted to say “WELCOME BACK!”  to our WordPress pal, Bob Ramsak (Piran Cafe)  today in Quito.      Bob’s trail brought him through the Jama area two years ago as he traveled (overland) from Argentina to Chile, Bolivia, Peru and on to Ecuador on his way through the Americas.   The following post summarized WEEK 18 as he finished the Ecuador leg of his journey: BOOTLEg BARBIES, AN INAUGURATION, A MARCH AGAINST MONSANTO, AND THE COOLEST FLOOR IN THE WORLD.

So who is Bob?  His “About Page”  offers a great summary:  “I’ve visited 54 countries and roam often as a writer, editor and translator, but Piran Café is not a travel blog. It’s evolved into a notebook, a collection of experiences and moments, long and short, connected and propelled by my primary passions: travel, art, culture and justice. When they and I cross paths, you’ll find some of the results here.”

The true gift is to visit with Bob in person, where he taps into his thought-provoking reservoir of knowledge and shares stories that range from world-class sporting events to the dangers of street photography.   SURVIVING A STREET ASSAULT IN POTOSI or THE DANGERS OF STREET PHOTOGRAPHY  The posts are great, but the stories in person are even better!

When I Grow Up…

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central america, childhood dreams, costa rica, daily prompt, Ecuador

Nandayure/Guanacaste/ COSTA RICA

“Everyone on earth has a treasure that awaits him. We, people’s hearts, seldom say much about those treasures, because people no longer want to go in search of them. We speak of them only to children.   Later, we simply let life proceed, in its own direction, toward its own fate.” Paulo Coelho – The Alchemist

Years ago while I was visiting with expat friends and their on-vacation friends in Costa Rica, someone asked, “Did you ever dream when you were growing up that you’d live somewhere like this?”

Turning back time: Costa Rica – After the Competition

My mind peddled backwards, and within seconds I recalled a wanderlust dream from grammar school. I smiled wistfully and answered, “When I was in 5th grade, I wanted to live in Argentina and raise quarter horses.”

13636 – Whoops, Timeout for Art – Simply Drawing

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drawing sea shells, PENCIL DRAWINGS, Timeout for Art

If many of you are suffering from cabin fever in below-freezing weather, why not pass some of your time with pencil and paper? Drawing can be very relaxing, if you can endure the first five or ten minutes of frustrations and keep working, you might be very pleased with your results.

Go ahead; pick one up and have fun!

While staying at my friends’ home, I gave a drawing lesson, and after a few warm-up exercises, we drew sea shells. I worked earlier in the day on a study to lllustrate the stages of the drawing. Sometimes a simple line drawing needs few details after the dark background is added.

Sunshine and Shadows from the Middle of the World

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Boats coming back to shore, El Matal, high tides

Hurriedly I share these images of sunshine and shadows from El Matal (Manabi) Ecuador.  The tides are reaching their highest for the month, and we’ll be watching closely for the next two days.

So far so good, but today we feared one boater might grind into the rocks.

Pacific-Coast Ecuador: Booby Count

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Backyard Bird Count, Peruvian Boobies

Peruvian Boobies – References list the Peruvian Booby ‘as far as SW Ecuador,” but they now populate many areas up the coastline.

Last week I helped my Ecuador Expat Journeys friends on their Coastal Tour.  Near Salinas, we spotted flamingos and black-necked stilts wading the shallows of the salt ponds.  Upriver from Bahia de Caraquez, we toured Isla Corazon and marveled at thousands of magnificent frigates that shared the unique island with great egrets, snowy egrets, cattle egrets, tricolored herons, cormorants and cocoi herons.  Cute little saffron finches decorated Canoa Beach Hotel’s tropical gardens.

Isla Corazon – Rio Chone

On my way home on Thursday, I said, “Hello” to the Peruvian boobies in San Vicente and reached Casa Loca in time for the late-afternoon finale on the river.

Gasp! How does one count so many birds?!

This morning while reporting a thirty-minute bird-watching session on the Backyard Bird Count stats page, I scanned the online queue of species for Ecuador.   The Peruvian Boobies! Their presence along the Ecuadorian coast should be reported, but they are not in my backyard!

“What are you waiting for?” Please let the world know we’re alive and ready for Carnival!”

If any of you have boobies in your neighborhood, please take time to add them to the online form! BACKYARD BIRD COUNT/Get Started.

Let’s decorate that BirdCount map!   Thanks for speaking up for the birds!

Z

“J.L.” – Jose Luis Yllesca Arizaga – Guayaquil Artist

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guayaquil art museums, Jose Luis Yllesca Arizaga, museo nahim isaias guayaquil

Jorge Luis Yllescas Arixaga – Guayaquil Ecuador

“Creativity is essentially a lonely art. An even lonelier struggle. To some a blessing. To others a curse. It is in reality the ability to reach inside yourself and drag forth from your very soul an idea.” ~Lou Dorfsman

I traveled to Guayaquil this past Sunday, a day before an Ecuador Expat Journey tour began.  My afternoon was a free one, and I dropped by the Museo Nahim Isaias in hopes there might be an interesting art exhibit.  I was not disappointed.

Museo Nahim Isaias

Located in the Plaza de Administración near Guayaquil’s Malecon 2000, The Museo Nahim Isaias showcases the work of many artists.  This week, after touring a collection of Ila Coronal’s sensitive photographs of rural life,  I spotted two brightly-colored paintings in another area of the museum.  Stepping toward the strong colors, I noted someone sitting to the side with polite attention.

Jorge Luis Yllescas Arrixaga (Guayaquil, Ecuador)

“I wonder if that’s the artist,” I pondered, and he stood up and approached with sensitive respect.

Backyard Bird Count! Ready… Set…

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Backyard bird count 2015, counting birds, Egrets, Herons, magnificent frigate

OK; Not everyone can peer outside and see hundreds of Magnificent Frigates, one of 70 or more species that decorate the landscape around Casa Loca.  Whether you know our feathered neighbors by name or just refer to them as little brown birds, they are our neighbors, and we should acknowledge their presence in our lives.

Take half an hour or half a day or an entire day or the entire period (February 13 – 16) of this bird count, and share your  inventory with the world!  Learn more HERE: THE GREAT BACKYARD BIRD COUNT 2015.

Magnificent Frigate – “Don’t you think I’m sexy?”

I’m not quite sure how to count all of the birds in my back yard, so excuse me please, while I go back to counting the birds!

Z

How many birds?

How many birds?

Street Photography on a Rainy Day

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life on ecuador's coast, rain showers, street photography, weather in ecuador

Jama (Manabi Province) Ecuador — Yippee! Almost two months overdue, the rains are finally quenching Manabi’s thirst! Dodging lagoons of water at every corner this morning, I assumed that the gray skies would offer few opportunities for good photos.  I was wrong.

Jaime, the fisherman, ignored the sprinkles.

The rains fell during the night then resumed again mid morning; there are countless music options for these images, but I’ll nudge Eddie Rabbit a bit closer to the equator to kick off these images:

No one seemed discouraged by the mud and water, though without boots, I skirted around mud and leaped across swollen pools of water throughout town.  While enjoying a cup of coffee and an extra sour lemonade “sin azucar” (without sugar – to chase away an allergy)  I was well entertained by Silvana’s nephew who sported a new pair of boots.  He pranced past my table, climbed aboard his cousin’s new motorcycle and stole the show!

World Wetlands Day – February 2

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Friday the 13th., ground hog day, wetlands, world wetlands day

“Catch of the Day!”
(They call this a chamy fish.)

Headlines of winter storms make me grateful to live along Ecuador’s Pacific coast.  Those of you who are enduring brutal weather, stay warm and safe and well.   I wish I could send some of this climate in your direction.    Yesterday I pondered how we fell trees for timber or we leave deep scars on Mother Earth so that we can produce concrete – how does one build homes without impacting our planet’s struggling health?

..S.ometimes Mother Nature bites back!!!!

As we peer over the groundhog’s shoulder to see his shadow – or not – take time to peer into Mother Nature’s wetlands and ponder their importance on our planet.

The ponds are off limits before the harvest. After the harvest, the feathered feast begins with no stress!

Today I’ll be driving along Ecuador’s Pacific coast with a great tour group, but wanted to wave a token banner in honor of our precious wetlands.   Hop over to SerenitySpell for a refresher course! Preserving Our Future – World Wetlands Day.

Have a good week, everyone! Z