Gone in an Instant

Sunsets are like a lot of moments in life where, in the moment, everything is serene and beautiful, but then suddenly it is over. Taking photographs of the places that you visit helps to capture those moments, but it is never quite the same as it is when you are actually experiencing it. Whether standing on a beach and feeling the warm sun on your skin and smelling the salty air or standing on the top of a mountain feeling the cold air and looking at the snow covered peaks, each moment is more than can be captured by an image on film.

Sunset over the Jungle in the Amazon
Sunset in the Costa Del Sol in Spain

Perhaps because it comes at the end of the day, after experiencing everything that a place has to offer, watching sunsets provide us with that sense of calm and allow us to truly embrace the place we are visiting. One of our most memorable sunsets was when we were in the Amazon jungle at the Napo Wildlife Center in Ecuador. Climbing to the top of the observation deck and seeing the sky turn brilliant oranges and reds over the tops of the canopy of the rainforest was truly quite magical. Another of our favorite sunsets was when we were standing on the beach in southern Spain and the sun dipped down over the Mediterranean Ocean. The sunsets in Strasbourg, France, and Athens, Greece, were equally spectacular.

Sunset in Strasbourg, France
Sunset over the Acropolis in Athens, Greece

This week’s Daily Post Photo Challenge is Temporary. Although the moments have past, the memories are still just as vivid and we remember these sunsets as though they were yesterday. Do you have any special sunset memories?

Details of the Basilica in Quito, Ecuador

We had heard that we could get wonderful views of Quito by climbing to the top of the towers of the Basilica del Voto Nacional, so we made sure to put that on our itinerary. The architecture of the church is truly fascinating and some of the most interesting items are the grotesques, which aren’t gargoyles, but instead are native animals of Ecuador. Seeing the iguanas, turtles, caimans, and other creatures jutting from the stone walls was definitely interesting and unique. In other ways, it is a typical basilica similar to any that you find in Europe and around the world.

Church Grounds
View from the Basilica
Carved Details
Clock Tower
Jutting Animals
Front of the Basilica

In addition to the architecture, the stained glass windows are truly stunning. On your way to the tower, you get great views of the main cathedral as well as a closer view of the windows. In order to reach the tower, you must cross a rickety wooden platform and then climb a ladder. You aren’t done climbing at this point and our fear of heights kept us from getting all of the way to the top, but we did get the amazing views that were promised.

View above the Cathedral Pews
Animal Features
Stained Glass Windows
Wooden Walkway
Clock Tower Up-Close
Walking the Grounds

This week’s Daily Post Photo Challenge is Peek and we are hoping that you get a good peek at the details of the Basilica.

View of Quito
Looking Up from the Roof
Beautiful Window
So Much Detail
Colorful Altar
One of the Ornate Doors

Cotopaxi Volcano near Quito, Ecuador

On a clear day, Cotopaxi is an ominous sight that can be seen looming in the distance outside of Quito. It is an active volcano that last erupted in August of 2015 and spewed ash and steam until January of 2016. You are no longer able to hike all of the way to the top, but you can hike up to the refuge shelter that sits about half way up the side of the volcano. There are evacuation route signs throughout the park providing a sense of how seriously one should take the possible threat of a future eruption.

View of the Refuge Shelter
Evacuation Route Sign
View from the Base of Cotopaxi

Upon entering the park, you pass through a forest that is owned by a local lumber mill that provides wood for making furniture and other items. The road quickly deteriorates as you move your way closer to the base of the mountain and you pass through fields with wild horses roaming in the grasslands. It was a cloudy, foggy day, as is often the case, during our visit to the Cotopaxi National Park. We did get a few glimpses of the peak, although most of the time is was shrouded by clouds.

Wild Horses
The Clouds Briefly Parted
Rough Road Conditions

The steep road, which was made up of deep sand and ash, continued to get more and more difficult to travel the closer we got towards the trailhead. At several spots the road was almost unpassable due to the deep, slippery, sand and then as we rounded a bend just short of the trailhead, our driver got stuck and was not able to make it up the steep slope. We were just one of several vehicles that were not able to make it up this stretch of road even though we were in an all-wheel drive vehicle. It is definitely important to have a 4-wheel drive vehicle if you want to make it to the trailhead. We could have hiked up to the trailhead and then continued to the shelter house, but decided that due to the cold conditions and high altitude that we would pass on this particular hike.

Better Part of the Road
Wind Swept Grasslands and Shrouded Volcano

Our guide then took us to the Limpiopungo glacier lake, which was created centuries ago and is home to an abundance of waterfowl and other birds. We did a nice hike around the lake, enjoying views of the wetlands and the volcano on the horizon. It was cold and windy, but the hike was very pleasant anyway. Afterwards, we stopped at a small, family-owned restaurant to enjoy a nice hot lunch before returning to Quito in the afternoon.

Ducks on the Lake
Hikers on the Trail around the Lake
Another Waterfowl

Visiting Cotopaxi is a simple, hour and a half drive from Quito and is well worth the time to visit. There are so many volcanoes in Ecuador that are part of the Pacific Ring of Fire and each is unique in their own way. If it is possible to go on a sunny day, you will be greeted with stunning views of the snow capped volcano.

Interesting Wildflowers
Looking across Limpiopungo Glacier Lake
Birds on the Shore