Birds, Lagoons, Cascades

July 5

Day 2

My second day in Ecuador was eventful. We began the morning at Alejandra's swim class. She has already learned how to swim at 4 years old, and doesn't need the floaties! 

Me, Daniel's mom, Alejandra, and Daniel

After the swim lesson, Daniel, his mom, daughter, and I traveled to Parque Cóndor, to visit the bird center and watch a show. As the name of the park indicates, the center has condors. I didn't realize beforehand, but they are the world's largest flying birds. There were many owls, hawks, and falcons there as well. I believe all the birds there were birds of prey/raptors.

We arrived just after the start of the show, but were able to see most of the program. The handler brought out a few different birds and presented us  information about them (lifestyles, habitats, food, habits, colors, etc.). The presentation was in Spanish, so I missed some of the technical words, but I got the gist of it all. I especially liked the part near the end when the brother and sister bald eagles were shown.! 

 

Wearing the appropriate shirt for the day, ha.

After visiting the park, we stopped by a nice spot that had a good view of the San Pablo Lake.

Goofing-off w/
Alejandra.

Checking-out the merchandise.

From there, we headed to a well-known outdoor market in the Plaza de Los Ponchos the nearby city of Otavalo. There I did some shopping and negotiated with the sellers to get a better price (w/ Daniel and his mom's help). I left with a few nice hand-crafted souvenirs and an Ecuador national soccer team jersey!

I saw this lady in one of the main squares of the city. She has the typical dress of
what the indigenous people wear. They are hard workers.

-Fritada, mote, maíz tostado, queso, empanada de viento,
maduro, tortillas de papa, papas, ají.
- Pork, toasted corn, cheese, empanada with cheese,
potato tortillas, boiled potatoes, chili sauce

After shopping, it was lunch time! We went to Fritada Amazona, where they have very typical/indigenous food of Ecuador and the Andean people. We enjoyed a tasty lunch while watching one of the World Cup matches on the television there. 

Next on the schedule was a visit to a beautiful lagoon, called the Laguna de Cuicocha. The water was crystal clear. The setting was really nice and I learned that the lagoon had been formed by a volcano. The crater has filled with water over time from rain and runoff water from the surrounding mountains. During the boat tour, we passed  around the island set in the lagoon, and the guide told us about the lagoon's beginnings and history. The most interesting thing I heard from him, was that there were no fish in the water! This was surprising to me. After the cruise, we collected our complementary cup of hot cinnamon water... which was really good!! I will have to remember to make some back home next winter.

On the boat cruise.

As the sun began to set, we made another trip to a natural water formation. Daniel took us to the Cascada de Peguche. Cascada in Spanish means "cascade." So there were a number of cascades (small waterfalls) there in the park. It was a nice walk and as we approached the big fall, we were dampened by the spray. 

On the way home, we stopped by a restaurant that served bizcocho, a type of buttery cookie that goes well with hot beverages. I myself didn't care so much for it, but it was a popular food in that town. Nearly every restaurant displayed it on their signs.

A great and very productive day 2 in Ecuador!