I led a trip the other day toa waterfall in the cantón. The passengers were a few local ladies (to act as models) and a television crew from a program called AQUI ECUADOR. The host, on the left, looks pissed here because it was about at this point, after hiking steeply downhill for more than an hour, that the guy's cameraman realized that the battery was dead and that he'd left the two extras back in Zaruma, an hour drive from the trailhead. (!!!) I offered to hike back up to the road to retrieve the batteries when then arrived via an emergency-coordinated "rescue" truck, but by the time the truck arrived and I had gotten back to the group, we were running dangerously low on light and it was rainy and foggy...not too great for shooting exciting tourism promotion video, or for swimming, which I had been excited to do. So we got within about ten minutes of the waterfall on the way down and then a combination of losing the trail in the winter-rain-increased overgrowth and the fact that soon we'd be forced to hike nearly straight up in the dark, we headed back up on the muddy MUDDY trail. I had a great time, but I think everyone was a little disappointed that we couldn't at least get to the actual waterfall. If anything was at fault, it was someone's decision not to bring the extra camera batteries, as that cost us 2.5 hours.

PLANET ARAÑA (spider)

After the waterfall rain and mud funtime, I was happy to join some visiting newbie volunteers for a night on the town. Box of wine in hand, and some chips in stomach, we played frisbee in the park with a MOB of screaming, tackling kids, then took in some folklore dancing, and eventually head home..

Mudslide that keeps taking out this little shrine. I've seen it get buried two or three times since I've been in Ecuador.

Butterfly with colors like a moth. Hot. Hot. HOT!