May 2019

Hi Everyone So how was our final day in the Rain Forest? Of course, we woke up at 6 and met the group on an outside terrace at 6:30. Fortunately, the terrace is located next to our room and looks over a portion of the cloud forest. Lets first talk a little about this rain forest. Rain forests are divided between two types. There is the temperate and tropical rain forests. Most people think of a rain forest as a tropical rain forest such as the Amazon. A cloud forest is constantly covered by fog. When the low level clouds or mist is continually present at the same altitude as the vegetation, the area receives a significant decrease in sunlight and due to the moist conditions, moss develops and all sorts of creatures and vegetation grow. By the way, we are at an elevation of ab out 3500 feet. A cloud forest is also called a “montane rainforest” or another type of rainforest. Now lets talk a little about this cloud forest. Originally this cloud forest consisted of 300,000 acres. All but 2 percent or 6000 acres are left. All the other areas have been either logged, mined or farmed and destroyed. This 6000 acres is a private preserve and is the same cloud forest that has always existed. The Lodge was built by a former mayor of Quito to preserve this area. One acre of land has more species of vegetation and trees than in the entire United States. The next time you use a plastic bag or straw think of this and how precious our world is. This is the only cloud forest left in South America. The largest one in the world is in Costa Rica. There are a few left in Southeast Asia and Africa but they are all much smaller than this cloud forest. I hope you could follow this, but this was one reason why I wanted to visit this area. Now lets get back to this morning. I took some great pictures of the clouds hanging over the cloud forest. There position is constantly changing and the beauty is all around you. After breakfast we had our first unique adventure. We hiked up to an area that had a two bicycle sort of gondola. The person in the back pedaled the gondola across the cloud forest and the person in the front took pictures and enjoyed the scenery. I pedaled for about twenty minutes to a platform where a staff member turned the contraption around and I then sat in the front. A unique way to get up close with the cloud forest. We then walked up a steel observation tower that was built on site piece by piece and is seventeen stories high. You can see the awesome beauty as you looked down. The greenness of this area six breath taking. The size of the leaves and moss draped tress and branches makes the area look like a real Jurassic Park. After hiking back to the Lodge, lunch was served. We were then broken up into three groups for our next unique experience. We hiked up to a path that led into a trail that further led onto a platform and we boarded an aerial cable car named the “Dragonfly”. The “Dragonfly” seats four people and is a large box that is pulled by a large machine over the cloud forest for forty five minutes. You start at the highest altitude and see the types of vegetation change the lower you get. You are then pulled back up to a platform to be let off. We then all met at a roofed area overlooking the cloud forest. As I looked in the distance, I could see land that is being used for farming and knew that was part of the 98% that has been destroyed. We watched the clouds change as we talked and had some wine, pineapple juice and snacks. It was then time to board the “Dragonfly” for our ride back. It started to rain as we were pulled along and got quite heavy at times. We finally reached the other platform, got out and hiked back to the Lodge soaked but happy that we had witnessed this amazing area that is so unique in our world. After dinner, we all met for some night photography, but the rain is still relentless. We had our raincoats on, boots and protective covers for our cameras. Drove to the area we had walked through last night, but it was raining too hard and drove back to the Lodge. Tomorrow morning we leave, but first we are going back to the hummingbirds for one last encore. Meeting time is at six. we then have breakfast, pack and then check out. We will also have a critique after we pack. Andy and Lisa have asked each of us to pick three images to critique with various reasons for each. I love these sessions and have learned sod much from them over the years. We then travel back to Quito on that windy road, board a plane and fly to Guayaquil. Love Larry

Hi Everyone How did the day start? This was a glorious day in the Rain Forest. We all met at six thirty for a walk around the outside of the Lodge to take pictures. As soon as we walked out, we saw a beautiful bird sitting on a branch and the clicking started. Before this trip, I had not picked up a camera since mid January. Photography is just like many things in life, you need to constantly practice and learn. When I pick up a camera I use a part of my mind that lays dormant and I see the world through that portion of my mind. As this trip progresses, I realize how much I have missed seeing the world through a camera and how much I need to do just to reach my previous level of knowledge and skill before I can even learn more. As the pictures are taken, my eye is getting better and my skills are quickly returning. Imagine standing on a terrace overlooking a beautiful rain forest with clouds constantly moving below and above? That is what I witnessed to start the day. A picture cannot tell the whole story. You need to be there and experience the moment and how precious this rain forest is. As we all know, many of our rain forests are shrinking and dying. I hope this rain forest lives forever. It needs to be preserved and protected at all costs. After breakfast, we were driven up hill to take pictures of birds and butterflies. The drive took approximately twenty minutes over a very muddy road. After getting out of the van, we then walked downhill for about fifteen minutes to a terrace area overlooking the rain forest. Next to the terrace was an enclosed large butterfly sanctuary. Our guides put out food for the birds on branches and they started to come. The birds were so plentiful and colorful. After taking numerous pictures, I then walked into the butterfly sanctuary. What an experience. It seemed that the butterflies all became active as they sensed our presence. There were large ones and small ones. We even saw some coming out of their cocoons and spread their wings for the first time. I wanted to stay with the butterflies and let my mind wander and explore. We left around eleven and were given a choice of either walking back or taking the van. I decided to walk back with one half the group. Along the way, a snake came wiggling on the road. Our guide grabbed him and I was the first one to let him wiggle all around me. It felt so comfortable and my sense of nature was aroused. How before creatures can be in their own environment. We then had lunch and some down time until three. It was then onto an experience I will never forget. We all got in the van, and drove for about twenty minutes to a terraced and roofed area to take pictures of hummingbirds. Imagine trying to take pictures of hummingbirds? How fast their wings flutter and the speed at which they fly. A whole new learning lesson. The Lodge had set up feeding stands and our guides went around to some branches and put drops of water saturated with sugar over some of the flowery branches. I was mesmerized. I eventually put my camera in manual setting and experimented with all my settings until I reached a group of settings I was satisfied with. I couldn’t stop taking pictures of this unique scene. The sound of hummingbirds flying around you, sounds like they are miniature jet airplanes. At about 6 PM, the group started to pack up and leave. I tried my best not to and was the last one to walk to the van. We are going back here our last morning. It was then time for a quick shower and dinner. By the way, you go through clothes fast here. You always have to wear long pants and long sleeve shirts and your clothes get muddy, dirty and sweaty within a short time. I will have my laundry done tomorrow. After dinner we went for a night hike and to find the animals that wake up and live here during the night. We put on our high boots and boarded a van for the short ride to a small creek. Of course, we all used lots of bug spray. As soon as we arrived at a designated area, we were pointed out a beautiful tree frog and then a large tarantula. Doing photography like this at night is quite a challenge. You use a metering mode called spot metering. I have never used this before and the settings I experimented with were a challenge. We found some beautiful frogs and spiders walking through the water and mud. We then hiked back to the Lodge for a well earned rest. What photography challenges await me tomorrow in an environment that is both challenging and beautiful at the same time. Love Larry

Hi Everyone I am currently staying in an amazing lodge in a real rain forest, but lets get to this later. We left Quito at around 9 AM. Quito is such a quaint little city. The Spanish and Incan influence can be seen all around. From the old provincial architecture to the locals selling food on the streets, this is a city that needs to be visited by everyone. After leaving the cobblestone streets, we drove through little villages. We eventually passed the “Middle of the World”. There is a monument denoting where you pass the equatorial line and go from the Southern hemisphere to the Northern hemisphere. Latitude and longitude is zero. We were now back in the Northern hemisphere, but were told that we will pass the equatorial line numerous times during our trip. Eventually the road turned into dirt and stones. I have very rarely been on such a winding road. We were going down in altitude and could see how the vegetation changed as we through little villages. The road was very bumpy and got worse as we headed northwest towards our destination. The road turned more and more narrow and we could see some of the mudslides created. We are at the end of the wet season and the road has been badly damaged. We finally stopped for a pit stop at an archaeological site named “Tulipe”. Not much to see after you have recently seen the Aztec ruins of Mexico. Finally, after around three hours of a serious winding and bumpy road, we arrived at our destination. Mashpi Lodge is built in the rain forest and has been designated by National Geographic as one of the great lodges of the world. After checking in, we had lunch. The highlight of lunch for me was some fantastic plantains. The nonalcoholic beverages are very unique. From herbal iced tea to a drink called a glass frog, they are very tasty and good. It was then time to rest up and meet at 3:30 for an orientation and then a hike in the rain forest. After orientation we were all given high boots to wear and were told to dress in long pants and long sleeve shirts and bring our waterproof hats. Our group of eight was broken up into two groups of four each. Andy headed the other group and I was with Lisa. We also had local guides from the Lodge. My group was going to hike down to a waterfall. The six of us got off the road and onto a muddy trail full of roots that were sticking out from the ground. The moss, large leaves and vegetation looked like Jurassic Park. The texture of some of the leaves was like something I had never seen before. With five minutes of the hike, it started to rain. Of course it rained. This is a rain forest and its supposed to do that. I had never seen a rain forest like this, except on the South Island of New Zealand. Our camera gear got heavier as we walked on a muddy narrow trail down to the bottom. After what seemed like forever, we finally reached the waterfall. My clothes were soaked and my muscles were hurting. We then set up our tripods and took some nice creamy photos of the waterfall. As I took picture after picture, I started to think of what effort it would take to go back up the same way. At about 6 PM and with the light fading, we started to climb backup. The rain was still coming down making the trail muddier as we climbed. We finally reached the main dirt road back to the Lodge. My clothes were drenched and I was exhausted, but still felt exhilarated in accomplishing this hike and seeing an amazing rain forest. I also realized that in order to take pictures of the creatures that call this place their home, you are going to have to explore and find them. That exploration and discovery starts tomorrow morning. After a long shower, I drank a large pitcher of ice water and relaxed before dinner. Dinner was so good. I had a local soup and then Goat Stew. The Goat Stew was amazing. So tender and cooked just right. After dinner we had a session on our external flash units and triggers. We will going out the next two nights to find the elusive creatures that live here. I can imagine all the bugs we will encounter on these hikes at night. Tomorrow morning we meet at 6:30 AM for some morning photography. Love Larry

Hi Everyone Hope we are all well and happy. The trip started last night. Our plane took off at midnight for Guayaquil Ecuador. The flight time is approximately seven hours. After getting settled in, I had some coffee and then fell asleep. At about one thirty AM the stewardess woke me up and asked me if I wanted dinner. I told her I did not look like I wanted dinner and then fell back to sleep. At about five thirty I was woken up by the plane landing. I have learned to sleep on planes, but the rest is not like sleeping in your bed. We then walked through immigration and customs. No problems. Smooth sailing. It was then onto our connecting flight to Quito. We were flying on TAME Airlines. Go look that one up. Guayaquil is on the coast of Ecuador and about six hundred miles from the Galapagos. Our fifty minute flight was uneventful and we finally landed and disembarked. Quito was a lot colder and drier. After being met at the Airport by the hotel bus, I then checked the altitude on my iPhone. We were at about 9600 feet. Quito is the second highest capital city in the world. La Paz Bolivia is number one topping out at around 12,000 feet. As we drove towards the City, I began to see more and more houses and then we finally got to the City. Quito is an old city that has lots of narrow cobblestone streets. The large avenues and boulevards that exist in cities like Lima and Buenos Aires are not here. The architecture was very colonial Spanish and similar to the old section of Mexico City. Buildings had large wood doors and lots of small private terraces. The city sort of reminded me of cities in Northern Italy that had their narrow cobblestone streets. After checking in to our beautiful hotel on the main plaza, myself and two of my friends from previous trips walked around Quito. I stopped and saw something interesting that a local Incan woman was selling. It was Yucca and it was fried. She wanted fifty cents and i gladly paid it. It looks like corn, but has a different taste. Yucca is a plant that is used for various medicinal purposes and popular here. It was very tasty and I understand why it is so popular. We walked to a church high on a hill that was quite unique. By the way, walking up hills at an altitude of 9600 feet can be quite tiresome. The uniqueness of the church was from the various depictions of animals around the facades. Animals such as caimens and gargoyle like creatures decorated the outside facade. We found a nice coffee shop and I tanked up on some very strong cappuccino for one dollar a cup. It was then back to the hotel to rest. The hotel has a terrace overlooking the main plaza. I was able to use my telephoto lens and get some interesting pictures of the people in the square. We all met at 5:45 for a visit to a church where the nuns take vows of silence and solitude. The church was about four hundred years old and had some interesting paintings. It was then back to the hotel for a ten course dinner off local foods. I can say that this was one of the best meals I have ever had. Spectacular could be an understatement. Tomorrow we leave at 9 AM for the Masphi Lodge. The Lodge is located in a rain forest called “The Choco”. We have been told that this rain forest is very unique and only one of its kind in the world. “The Choco” covers about three hundred thousand acres over four countries and the Masphi Reserve is about forty thousand of those acres. We have been also told that the wildlife does not come to you, but you need to find it. We have been told that there are various species of frogs, reptiles, birds, hummingbirds and other creatures that only exist here and no where else. Love, Larry

Hi Everyone It’s time to wake up after a long winter of hibernating in my office. My latest adventure starts on Tuesday night. Based on the title, if you guessed the Rain Forest and the Galapagos, you are correct. Have a midnight flight on Tuesday night to Guayaquil Ecuador. When Andy and myself land, we are then taking a puddle jumper to Quito. Should arrive in Quito around 9:30 AM on Wednesday morning. After spending the night in Quito and having dinner with the other members of the group, we are then driving to the Ecuadorian Rain Forest and staying in the “Mashpi Lodge”. We will be there for four days taking day and night pictures of the creatures that call the Rain Forest their home. I even had to buy an external flash due to the lack of light in the Rain Forest. Imagine the different kinds of frogs, birds, insects and other animals that we will be seeing. The Lodge is loaning us high boots to wear in the Rain Forest. Am also bringing rain coats and zip lock bags for my camera gear. You always need to be ready for the elements and not let them stop you. On May 12, we then drive back to Quito and then fly to Guayaquil to spend the night. The following morning we then board a puddle jumper for the Galapagos. The Galapagos is about six hundred miles from Guayaquil and we did not want to waste any time getting there. We then board our own private boat and off we go. The Galapagos has always been high on my bucket list. Imagine seeing and taking pictures of the creatures that live there. The Galapagos sits right on the Equator and the sun and heat should be intense. Am bringing a large waterproof rubber bag for my camera gear, sun screen and light and loose clothes. I am also bringing a simple waterproof point and shoot camera since I intend on going snorkeling as much as I can. Thats the basic itinerary. As always, I will be writing my daily travel blog. Stay tuned for this adventure. Should be a great one. Love Larry