Hi all, As promised, here are a few photos from my recent trip through the Andes in Ecuador. I started in Quito and then traveled south by bus and train, visiting several small towns along the way, and eventually ended up in Cuenca. Then a short flight to return to Quito for a couple of days before returning home. I found a great AA group in Cuenca (the first photo - note the AA symbol in the upstairs window). t's located just around the corner from the main plaza, which is absolutely beautiful and includes some extremely old architecture, some going back to the 1500's. I also stumbled upon a little AA clubhouse in a tiny town called "Sig Sig", which is at the far end of a series of bus rides outside of Cuenca and is really off the beaten path. The second photo is the sign I spotted outside the clubhouse. Unfortunately there was nobody there at the time, but it was still really cool to find it. The rest of the photos are just some non-AA pictures that you guys might enjoy.
You are good with a camera, great composition! was that ski resort gondola? I love skiing, can't wait for winter
Nope, it's just for taking a ride up to the top of a peak adjacent to the city of Quito for the views & some hiking. There's plenty of huge peaks in Ecuador but I don't think there is much skiing infrastructure.
If you want to train for an Everest climb, the huge peak in the second-to-last photo is often used for that. It's well over 20,000 feet. And here's some interesting trivia - due to the way the earth bulges at the equator (where this peak is located), this peak is actually the furthest point from the center of the earth, not Mt. Everest.
That's very interesting, thanks for telling me that. I think of the earth as a perfect globe and that all parts of the surface are equal distance from the core, but so I guess. Someone told me lately that the reason flights to UK from FL fly up the coast to NY and then cross the atlantic was to save time and distance, for the same reason. Mind blowing. The shortest distance between to points on earth is not a straight line or straight arc lol.
-- Edited by StPeteDean on Thursday 23rd of October 2014 05:45:12 PM
Loved the pictures and narrative Dave. There is a duplicate of that old cathedral church in the last image in Honolulu which is called "Our Lady of Peace" Cathedral. Could come from the same set of blue prints. The atmosphere is my kind of atmosphere so I really appreciate your offering. Mahalo
