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  • Aerial overview, green Andes Highlands, Ecuador, South America.
    09EQUCIMG_4059_Quito-Ecuador.jpg
  • A checkerboard of farmland lines the driving loop around Lago Quilotoa in the highlands of Ecuador, South America.
    09ECU-2361_Ecuador.jpg
  • A woman leads three horses on a rope at Quilotoa in the Andes Highlands, Ecuador, South America.
    09ECU-2599_Ecuador.jpg
  • An agave plant grows in highlands farms in the landscape around the Black Sheep Inn (Posada Oveja Negra) sign, in Chugchilan, Ecuador, South America.
    09ECU-2388_Ecuador.jpg
  • A checkerboard of farmland lines the driving loop around Lago Quilotoa in the highlands of Ecuador, South America. Panorama was stitched from 3 overlapping photos.
    09ECU-2363-65pan_Ecuador.jpg
  • See highlands and Paramo (above treeline) landscape above the Black Sheep Inn, near Chugchilan, along the Lago Quilotoa driving loop, Ecuador, the Andes, South America. The Páramo is a high elevation ecosystem in tropical South America (neotropical) between the upper forest line (about 3800 m altitude) and the permanent snow line (about 5000 m). The ecosystem contains mostly glacier formed valleys and plains with a large variety of lakes, peat bogs and wet grasslands intermingled with shrublands and forest patches. Panorama was stitched from 4 overlapping photos.
    09ECU-2418-21pan_Ecuador.jpg
  • Green flower with yellow center grows on a tall stalk at the Black Sheep Inn, Chugchilan, Ecuador, on the Lago Quilotoa driving loop.
    09ECU-2549_Ecuador.jpg
  • Chuquiraga is a genus of flowering plant in the Asteraceae family. Quilotoa, in the highlands of Ecuador, South America.
    09EQUCIMG_3070_Ecuador.jpg
  • Chuquiraga is a genus of flowering plant in the Asteraceae family. Quilotoa, in the highlands of Ecuador, South America.
    09ECU-2841_Ecuador.jpg
  • Chuquiraga is a genus of flowering plant in the Asteraceae family. Quilotoa, in the highlands of Ecuador, South America.
    09ECU-2840_Ecuador.jpg
  • A male Green-crowned Brilliant hummingbird (Heliodoxa jacula) feeds at the lower elevations (about 1400 meters) of Bellavista Cloud Forest Reserve, near Quito, Ecuador, South America. It is a large robust hummingbird in the highlands from Costa Rica to western Ecuador. The male Green-crowned Brilliant is 13 cm long and weighs 9.5 g. It is mainly bronze-green with a glittering green crown, forehead, throat and breast. It has a white spot behind the eye, a small violet throat patch, white thighs, and a deeply forked blue-black tail. The female is 12 cm long and weighs 8 g. She differs from the male in that she has green-spotted white underparts, a white spot behind the eye and a white stripe below the eye, and a white-cornered shallowly-forked black tail.. Young birds resemble the adult of the same sex, but are duller, bronze-tinged below and have buff throats.  This hummingbird feeds at the large inflorescences of Marcgravia vines, and at Heliconia and other large flowers. Unlike many hummingbirds, the Green-crowned Brilliant almost always perches to feed.
    09ECU-2156_Bellavista-Ecuador.jpg
  • Water droplets glisten on blue lupine flowers in Cotopaxi National Park (Spanish: Parque Nacional Cotopaxi), a protected area in Ecuador in the Cotopaxi Province, Napo Province and Pichincha Province. Cotopaxi is a stratovolcano in the Andes Mountains, located about 75 kilometers (50 miles) south of Quito, Ecuador, South America. It is the second highest summit in Ecuador, reaching a height of 5,897 m (19,347 ft). Cotopaxi has an almost symmetrical cone that rises from a highland plain of about 3,800 metres (12,500 ft), with a width at its base of about 23 kilometers (14 mi). It has one of the few equatorial glaciers in the world, which starts at the height of 5,000 meters (16,400 feet). The mountain is clearly visible on the skyline from Quito. It is part of the chain of volcanoes around the Pacific plate known as the Pacific Ring of Fire.
    09ECU-2282_Ecuador.jpg
  • José Ribas hut (15,750 feet/4800 meters) is a climbers refuge on Cotopaxi, a stratovolcano in the Andes Mountains, about 75 kilometers (50 miles) south of Quito, Ecuador, South America. It is the second highest summit in Ecuador, reaching a height of 5,897 m (19,347 ft). Cotopaxi has an almost symmetrical cone that rises from a highland plain of about 3,800 metres (12,500 ft), with a width at its base of about 23 kilometers (14 mi). It has one of the few equatorial glaciers in the world, which starts at the height of 5,000 meters (16,400 feet). The mountain is clearly visible on the skyline from Quito. It is part of the chain of volcanoes around the Pacific plate known as the Pacific Ring of Fire.
    09ECU-2265_Ecuador.jpg
  • Cotopaxi is a stratovolcano in the Andes Mountains, located about 75 kilometers (50 miles) south of Quito, Ecuador, South America. It is the second highest summit in Ecuador, reaching a height of 5,897 m (19,347 ft). Cotopaxi has an almost symmetrical cone that rises from a highland plain of about 3,800 metres (12,500 ft), with a width at its base of about 23 kilometers (14 mi). It has one of the few equatorial glaciers in the world, which starts at the height of 5,000 meters (16,400 feet). The mountain is clearly visible on the skyline from Quito. It is part of the chain of volcanoes around the Pacific plate known as the Pacific Ring of Fire. Cotopaxi National Park (Spanish: Parque Nacional Cotopaxi) is a protected area in Ecuador in the Cotopaxi Province, Napo Province and Pichincha Province.
    09ECU-2255_Ecuador.jpg
  • José Ribas hut (15,750 feet/4800 meters) is a climbers refuge on Cotopaxi, a stratovolcano in the Andes Mountains, about 75 kilometers (50 miles) south of Quito, Ecuador, South America. It is the second highest summit in Ecuador, reaching a height of 5,897 m (19,347 ft). Cotopaxi has an almost symmetrical cone that rises from a highland plain of about 3,800 metres (12,500 ft), with a width at its base of about 23 kilometers (14 mi). It has one of the few equatorial glaciers in the world, which starts at the height of 5,000 meters (16,400 feet). The mountain is clearly visible on the skyline from Quito. It is part of the chain of volcanoes around the Pacific plate known as the Pacific Ring of Fire.
    09ECU-2251_Ecuador.jpg
  • Cotopaxi is a stratovolcano in the Andes Mountains, located about 75 kilometers (50 miles) south of Quito, Ecuador, South America. It is the second highest summit in Ecuador, reaching a height of 5,897 m (19,347 ft). Cotopaxi has an almost symmetrical cone that rises from a highland plain of about 3,800 metres (12,500 ft), with a width at its base of about 23 kilometers (14 mi). It has one of the few equatorial glaciers in the world, which starts at the height of 5,000 meters (16,400 feet). The mountain is clearly visible on the skyline from Quito. It is part of the chain of volcanoes around the Pacific plate known as the Pacific Ring of Fire. Cotopaxi National Park (Spanish: Parque Nacional Cotopaxi) is a protected area in Ecuador in the Cotopaxi Province, Napo Province and Pichincha Province.
    09ECU-2246_Ecuador.jpg
  • Wild horses graze in Cotopaxi National Park (Spanish: Parque Nacional Cotopaxi), a protected area in Ecuador in the Cotopaxi Province, Napo Province and Pichincha Province. Cotopaxi is a stratovolcano in the Andes Mountains, located about 75 kilometers (50 miles) south of Quito, Ecuador, South America. It is the second highest summit in Ecuador, reaching a height of 5,897 m (19,347 ft). Cotopaxi has an almost symmetrical cone that rises from a highland plain of about 3,800 metres (12,500 ft), with a width at its base of about 23 kilometers (14 mi). It has one of the few equatorial glaciers in the world, which starts at the height of 5,000 meters (16,400 feet). The mountain is clearly visible on the skyline from Quito. It is part of the chain of volcanoes around the Pacific plate known as the Pacific Ring of Fire.
    09ECU-2287_Ecuador.jpg
  • Graupel (snow pellets) fall on volcanic rocks in Cotopaxi National Park (Spanish: Parque Nacional Cotopaxi), a protected area in Ecuador in the Cotopaxi Province, Napo Province and Pichincha Province. Cotopaxi is a stratovolcano in the Andes Mountains, located about 75 kilometers (50 miles) south of Quito, Ecuador, South America. It is the second highest summit in Ecuador, reaching a height of 5,897 m (19,347 ft). Cotopaxi has an almost symmetrical cone that rises from a highland plain of about 3,800 metres (12,500 ft), with a width at its base of about 23 kilometers (14 mi). It has one of the few equatorial glaciers in the world, which starts at the height of 5,000 meters (16,400 feet). The mountain is clearly visible on the skyline from Quito. It is part of the chain of volcanoes around the Pacific plate known as the Pacific Ring of Fire.
    09ECU-2278_Ecuador.jpg
  • Volcanic lahar mud path and stream. Cotopaxi National Park (Spanish: Parque Nacional Cotopaxi) is a protected area in Ecuador in the Cotopaxi Province, Napo Province and Pichincha Province. Cotopaxi is a stratovolcano in the Andes Mountains, located about 75 kilometers (50 miles) south of Quito, Ecuador, South America. It is the second highest summit in Ecuador, reaching a height of 5,897 m (19,347 ft). Cotopaxi has an almost symmetrical cone that rises from a highland plain of about 3,800 metres (12,500 ft), with a width at its base of about 23 kilometers (14 mi). It has one of the few equatorial glaciers in the world, which starts at the height of 5,000 meters (16,400 feet). The mountain is clearly visible on the skyline from Quito. It is part of the chain of volcanoes around the Pacific plate known as the Pacific Ring of Fire.
    09ECU-2239_Ecuador.jpg
  • An Ecuadorian woman and baby ride a donkey at Quilotoa, near Zumbahua, in the Ecuadorian Andes.
    09ECU-2563_Ecuador.jpg
  • Children stand by a wall in Llamac (10,000 feet elevation), Cordillera Huayhuash, Andes Mountains, Peru, South America. Campesinos are the rural, country folk of Peru. Published in "Climbs and Treks in the Cordillera Huayhuash of Peru" guidebook by Jeremy Frimer 2005, ISBN #0-9733035-5-7, Elaho Publishing (www.elaho.ca).
    03PER-26-32-Llamac-children.jpg
  • Jet window view over Quito. San Francisco de Quito, most often called Quito, is the capital city of Ecuador (and of Pichincha province) in northwestern South America.  UNESCO honored City of Quito as a World Heritage Site in 1978. Quito was founded in 1534 on the ruins of an Inca city. Despite the 1917 earthquake, the city has the best-preserved, least altered historic center in Latin America. This city of 1.4 million people (as of the 2001 census) is located in the Guayllabamba river basin, on the eastern slopes of Pichincha, an active stratovolcano in the Andes mountains. In 2008 Quito became headquarters of the Union of South American Nations. The elevation of the city's central square (Plaza de La Independencia or Plaza Grande) is 2850 meters (9350 feet), making Quito the second-highest administrative capital city in the world (after La Paz, Bolivia). The central square of Quito is located about 25 km (15 miles) south of the equator; the city itself extends to within about 1 km (0.6 miles) of zero latitude. A monument and museum marking the general location of the equator is known locally as la mitad del mundo (the middle of the world), to avoid confusion, as the word ecuador is Spanish for equator.
    09EQUCIMG_4067_Quito-Ecuador.jpg
  • A llama baby stands on the rim of Quilotoa. Quilotoa, a tourist site of growing popularity, is a scenic water-filled caldera that is the westernmost volcano in the Ecuadorian Andes. The 3 kilometers (2 mile) wide caldera (diameter about 9km) was formed by the collapse of this dacite volcano following a catastrophic VEI-6 eruption about 800 years ago, which produced pyroclastic flows and lahars that reached the Pacific Ocean, and spread an airborne deposit of volcanic ash throughout the northern Andes. The caldera has since accumulated a 250 meter (820 foot) deep crater lake, which has a greenish color from dissolved minerals. Fumaroles are found on the lake floor and hot springs occur on the eastern flank of the volcano. The route to the "summit" (the small town of Quilotoa) is generally traveled by hired truck or bus from the town of Zumbahua 17 km to the South.
    09EQUCIMG_3088_Ecuador.jpg
  • A black and yellow banded spider climbs a plant in Bellavista Cloud Forest Reserve, near Quito, Ecuador, South America. Spiders have eight legs and are not insects. Spiders (order Araneae, class Arachnida) are air-breathing arthropods that have chelicerae, grasping mouthparts with fangs that inject venom. Unlike spiders, insects have six legs and a pair of antennae.
    09EQUCIMG_2997_Bellavista-Ecuador.jpg
  • White orchid in Bellavista Cloud Forest Reserve, near Quito, Ecuador, South America.
    09EQUCIMG_2896_Bellavista-Ecuador.jpg
  • The Saturday animal market bustles in Otavalo, Ecuador, South America. The culturally vibrant town of Otavalo attracts many tourists to a valley of the Imbabura Province of Ecuador, surrounded by the peaks of Imbabura 4,610m, Cotacachi 4,995m, and Mojanda volcanoes. The indigenous Otavaleños are famous for weaving textiles, usually made of wool, which are sold at the famous Saturday market and smaller markets during the rest of the week. The Plaza del Ponchos and many shops tantalize buyers with a wide array of handicrafts. Nearby villages and towns are also famous for particular crafts: Cotacachi, the center of Ecuador's leather industry, is known for its polished calf skins; and San Antonio specializes in wood carving of statues, picture frames and furniture. Otavaliña women traditionally wear distinctive white embroidered blouses, with flared lace sleeves, and black or dark over skirts, with cream or white under skirts. Long hair is tied back with a 3cm band of woven multi colored material, often matching the band which is wound several times around their waists. They usually have many strings of gold beads around their necks, and matching tightly wound long strings of coral beads around each wrist. Men wear white trousers, and dark blue ponchos. Otavalo is also known for its Inca-influenced traditional music (sometimes known as Andean New Age) and musicians who travel around the world.
    09EQUCIMG_2844_Otavalo-Ecuador.jpg
  • In Latacunga, Ecuador, a bus/truck proclaims political slogans, banners and pictures.
    09ECU-3014_Ecuador.jpg
  • The necks of two Llamas cross at Quilotoa, Ecuador, South America
    09ECU-2839_Ecuador.jpg
  • Lupine flowers bloom above beautiful Lake Quilotoa, Ecuador, South America. Quilotoa, a tourist site of growing popularity, is a scenic water-filled caldera that is the westernmost volcano in the Ecuadorian Andes. The 3 kilometers (2 mile) wide caldera (diameter about 9km) was formed by the collapse of this dacite volcano following a catastrophic VEI-6 eruption about 800 years ago, which produced pyroclastic flows and lahars that reached the Pacific Ocean, and spread an airborne deposit of volcanic ash throughout the northern Andes. The caldera has since accumulated a 250 meter (820 foot) deep crater lake, which has a greenish color from dissolved minerals. Fumaroles are found on the lake floor and hot springs occur on the eastern flank of the volcano. The route to the "summit" (the small town of Quilotoa) is generally traveled by hired truck or bus from the town of Zumbahua 17 km to the South. Lupinus is a genus in the pea family (also called the legume, bean, or pulse family, Latin name Fabaceae or Leguminosae). Panorama stitched from 9 overlapping images.
    09ECU-2753-62pan_Quilotoa-Lake.jpg
  • A checkerboard of farm, crop and ranch land climbs a steep hill near the Black Sheep Inn, near the village of Chugchilan, located 1.5 hours from Lago Quilotoa, in Ecuador, South America.
    09ECU-2547_Ecuador.jpg
  • A checkerboard of farm, crop and ranch land climbs a steep hill near the Black Sheep Inn, near the village of Chugchilan, located 1.5 hours from Lago Quilotoa, in Ecuador, South America.
    09ECU-2541_Ecuador.jpg
  • Yellow flowers (probably in the Calceolariaceae Family) bloom in high cloud forest near the Black Sheep Inn, Chugchilan, Ecuador, South America, on the Lago Quilotoa driving loop. Calceolaria, also called Lady's purse, Slipper flower, Pocketbook flower, or Slipperwort, is a genus of plants in the Calceolariaceae family, sometimes classified in Scrophulariaceae by some authors. This genus consists of about 388 species of shrubs, lianas and herbs, and the geographic range extends from Patagonia to central Mexico, with its distribution centre in Andean region. Calceolaria in Latin means shoemaker. Calceolarias have usually yellow or orange flowers, which can have red or purple spots.
    09ECU-2487_Ecuador.jpg
  • Water falls in a cloud forest in the high altitude landscape above the Black Sheep Inn, near Chugchilan, along the Lago Quilotoa driving loop, Ecuador, the Andes, South America.
    09ECU-2447_Ecuador.jpg
  • Bromeliads grow in cloud forest above Black Sheep Inn, Chugchilan, Ecuador, South America on the Lago Quilotoa driving loop. Bromeliaceae (the bromeliads) is a family of monocot flowering plants of around 2,400 species native mainly to the tropical Americas, with a few species found in the American subtropics and one in tropical west Africa. The family includes both epiphytes, such as Spanish moss (Tillandsia usneoides), and terrestrial species, such as the pineapple (Ananas comosus). Many bromeliads are able to store water in a "tank" formed by their tightly-overlapping leaf bases. However, the family is diverse enough to include the tank bromeliads, grey-leaved epiphytic Tillandsia species that gather water only from leaf structures called trichomes, and a large number of desert-dwelling succulents.
    09ECU-2433_Ecuador.jpg
  • Red trumpet shaped Fuchsia flowers bloom in high cloud forest near the Black Sheep Inn, Chugchilan, Ecuador, South America, on the Lago Quilotoa driving loop. Fuchsia is a genus of flowering plants, mostly shrubs, and can grow long shoots, which were identified by Charles Plumier in the late-17th century, and named by Plumier in 1703 after the German botanist Leonhart Fuchs (1501–1566). The English name fuchsias is frequently misspelled "fuschias".
    09ECU-2429_Ecuador.jpg
  • Hotel Sierra Madre Cotopaxi, near the town of Machachi, adjacent to Cotopaxi National Park (Spanish: Parque Nacional Cotopaxi). Cotopaxi is a stratovolcano in the Andes Mountains, located about 75 kilometers (50 miles) south of Quito, Ecuador, South America. Panorama was stitched from 9 overlapping photos.
    09ECU-2313-21pan_Hotel-Cotopaxi.jpg
  • Hotel Sierra Madre Cotopaxi, near the town of Machachi, adjacent to Cotopaxi National Park (Spanish: Parque Nacional Cotopaxi). Cotopaxi is a stratovolcano in the Andes Mountains, located about 75 kilometers (50 miles) south of Quito, Ecuador, South America.
    09ECU-2306_Ecuador.jpg
  • Pasochoa (4,200 meters) is an extinct volcano in the Guayllabamba river basin in the Ecuadorean Andes, South America, home of Pasochoa Wild Life Refuge established in 1996. This view of Pasochoa is from Hotel Sierra Madre Cotopaxi, near the town of Machachi, adjacent to Cotopaxi National Park (Spanish: Parque Nacional Cotopaxi). Pasochoa is a collapsed crater with a semicircular shape. This structure emerged approximately 100 thousand years ago due to an eruption which destroyed the crater and occidental slope of the previous volcanic cone. Lava and ash increased the fertility of the ground in the Pasochoa region, encouraging the growth of a vibrant forest ecosystem. Despite the fertile soil, difficult accessibility and an uneven surface made the area inappropriate for extensive agriculture. The Pasochoa Wild Life Refuge, established in 1996, contains one of the few remaining original Andean forests. Fundacion Natura manages the Pasochoa and offer programs on the natural resource conservation and environmental education and sponsors scientific research. The mountain has a wonderful variety of wildlife, including pumas, foxes, skunks, a very diverse collection of birds, and a wonderful collection of plants.
    09ECU-2297_Ecuador.jpg
  • Hotel Sierra Madre Cotopaxi, near the town of Machachi, adjacent to Cotopaxi National Park (Spanish: Parque Nacional Cotopaxi). Cotopaxi is a stratovolcano in the Andes Mountains, located about 75 kilometers (50 miles) south of Quito, Ecuador, South America.
    09ECU-2292_Ecuador.jpg
  • The Culpeo (Lycalopex culpaeus), sometimes known as the Andean Wolf (Spanish: Lobo), or (Common) Andean Fox, or Patagonian Fox, is a South American species of wild dog, seen here at the mountain refuge "José Ribas" on the north face of the Cotopaxi Volcano at 4800 meters (15,750 feet) of altitude in Ecuador. The Culpeo is the second largest native canid in South America after the Maned Wolf. In its appearance it bears many similarities to the widely recognized red fox. It has grey and reddish fur, a white chin, reddish legs, and a stripe on its back that may be barely visible.  Its distribution extends from Ecuador and Peru to the southern regions of Patagonia and Tierra del Fuego. It is most common on the western slopes of the Andes, where it inhabits open country and deciduous forests. The Culpeo's diet consists largely of rodents, rabbits, birds and lizards, and to a lesser extent, plant material and carrion. The Culpeo does attack sheep on occasion, and is therefore often hunted or poisoned. In some regions it has become rare, but overall the species is not threatened with extinction. Cotopaxi National Park (Spanish: Parque Nacional Cotopaxi) is a protected area in Ecuador in the Cotopaxi Province, Napo Province and Pichincha Province. Cotopaxi is a stratovolcano in the Andes Mountains, located about 75 kilometers (50 miles) south of Quito, Ecuador, South America. It is the second highest summit in Ecuador, reaching a height of 5,897 m (19,347 ft).
    09ECU-2270_Ecuador.jpg
  • Quito, capital city of Ecuador, wraps around the eastern slopes of Pichincha, an active volcano. The mountain's two highest peaks are the Guagua (15,696 feet/4,784 m), which means "child" in Quechua and the Rucu (15,413 feet/4,698 m), which means "old person". The active caldera is in the Guagua, on the western side of the mountain. Guagua is usually accessed from the village Lloa outside of Quito. In October of 1999, the volcano erupted and covered the city with several inches of ash. Prior to that, the last major eruption was in 1660, when about a foot of ash fell on the city. On May 24, 1822, in the context of the war of independence of Latin American, Patriot forces defeated a Spanish colonial army on the slopes of the Pichincha. The encounter, known as the Battle of Pichincha, sealed the independence of the lands that constitute modern Ecuador. San Francisco de Quito, most often called Quito, is the capital city of Ecuador (and of Pichincha province) in northwestern South America. This city of 1.4 million people (as of the 2001 census) is located in the Guayllabamba river basin. Panorama was stitched from 7 overlapping photos.
    09ECU-2214-20pan_Quito-Ecuador_Quito...jpg
  • This bird is probably a Thick-billed Euphonia (Euphonia laniirostris), a species in the family Fringillidae (formerly placed in the Thraupidae family). Euphonia laniirostris is found in Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Panama, Peru, and Venezuela. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical dry forests, subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests, and heavily degraded former forest. The bird was photographed in the lower elevations (about 1400 meters) of Bellavista Cloud Forest Reserve, near Quito, Ecuador, South America. It has a bright yellow belly, yellow crown, and blue-black upper feathers and tail. It stands on a ripe banana and fills its beak to satisfaction.
    09ECU-2202_Bellavista-Ecuador.jpg
  • Fawn-breasted brilliant (Heliodoxa rubinoides) hummingbird. Bellavista Cloud Forest Reserve, near Quito, Ecuador, South America.
    09ECU-2188_Bellavista-Ecuador.jpg
  • Tom Dempsey photographed this male White-necked Jacobin (Florisuga mellivora; or Great Jacobin; or Collared Hummingbird) hummingbird at the lower elevations (about 1400 meters) of Bellavista Cloud Forest Reserve, in the "Mindo Area of International Importance for Birds," Tandayapa Valley, near Quito, Ecuador, South America. This large and attractive hummingbird ranges from Mexico south to Peru, Bolivia and south Brazil. The approximately 12 cm long male White-necked Jacobin is unmistakable with its white belly and tail, a white band on the nape and a dark blue hood. Immature males have less white in the tail and a conspicuous rufous patch in the malar region. Females are highly variable, and may resemble adult or immature males, have green upperparts, white belly, white-scaled green or blue throat, and white-scaled dark blue crissum, or have intermediate plumages, though retain the white-scaled dark blue crissum. Females are potentially confusing, but the pattern on the crissum is distinctive and not shared by superficially similar species. These birds usually visit flowers of tall trees and epiphytes for nectar, and also hawk for insects. Published in "Light Travel: Photography on the Go" book by Tom Dempsey 2009, 2010.
    09ECU-2177_Bellavista-Ecuador.jpg
  • Tom Dempsey photographed this Andean Emerald (Amazilia franciae) hummingbird at the lower elevations (about 1400 meters) of Bellavista Cloud Forest Reserve, near Quito, Ecuador, South America. The Andean Emerald is found in Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru.
    09ECU-2172_Bellavista-Ecuador.jpg
  • Large broad leaves grow in Bellavista Cloud Forest Reserve, near Quito, Ecuador, South America.
    09ECU-2113_Bellavista-Ecuador.jpg
  • A red trumpet shaped flower blooms in Bellavista Cloud Forest Reserve, near Quito, Ecuador, South America.
    09ECU-2103_Bellavista-Ecuador.jpg
  • White fungi radiates from a tree trunk in Bellavista Cloud Forest Reserve, near Quito, Ecuador, South America.
    09ECU-2079_Bellavista-Ecuador.jpg
  • The Booted Racket-tail (or Racquet-tail; or Racquet-tailed Hummingbird; Latin name Ocreatus underwoodii) in Bellavista Cloud Forest Reserve, in the "Mindo Area of International Importance for Birds," Tandayapa Valley, near Quito, Ecuador, South America.
    09ECU-2063_Bellavista-Ecuador.jpg
  • Tom Dempsey photographed this Buff-tailed Coronet (Boissonneaua flavescens) hummingbird in Bellavista Cloud Forest Reserve, near Quito, Ecuador, South America. This species is found in Colombia, Ecuador, and Venezuela.
    09ECU-2055_Bellavista-Ecuador.jpg
  • Tom Dempsey photographed this Collared Inca (Coeligena torquata) hummingbird in Bellavista Cloud Forest Reserve, near Quito, Ecuador, South America. This species is found in humid Andean forests from western Venezuela, through Colombia and Ecuador, to Peru.
    09ECU-2047_Bellavista-Ecuador.jpg
  • Tom Dempsey photographed this fawn-breasted brilliant (Heliodoxa rubinoides) hummingbird in Bellavista Cloud Forest Reserve, in the "Mindo Area of International Importance for Birds," Tandayapa Valley, near Quito, Ecuador, South America.
    09ECU-2046_Bellavista-Ecuador.jpg
  • Tom Dempsey photographed this Violet-tailed Sylph (Aglaiocercus coelestis) hummingbird in Bellavista Cloud Forest Reserve, near Quito, Ecuador, South America. This species is found in Colombia and Ecuador. Males average around 7 inches (18 cm), while females average around 3.8 inches (9.7 cm). The Sylph lives in areas from 300-2100 meters in elevation, though typically above 900 meters.
    09ECU-2045_Bellavista-Ecuador.jpg
  • Hummingbirds gather at a feeder at Bellavista Cloud Forest Reserve, near Quito, Ecuador, South America.
    09ECU-2023_Bellavista-Ecuador.jpg
  • A sphinx moth (or hawk moth, Sphingidae family, order Lepidoptera) is attracted to night lights in Bellavista Cloud Forest Reserve, near Quito, Ecuador, South America. Sphingidae is best represented in the tropics but species inhabit every region. Sphingidae are moderate to large in size and are distinguished among moths for their rapid, sustained flying ability, assisted by narrow wings and streamlined abdomen. Some hawk moths, like the hummingbird hawk moth, hover in midair while they feed on nectar from flowers and are sometimes mistaken for hummingbirds. This hovering capability has evolved only three times in nectar feeders: in hummingbirds, certain bats, and these sphingids. Sphingids can swing hover (move rapidly from side to side while hovering). Some of the sphingids are some of the fastest flying insects, capable of flying at over 50 km/h (30 miles per hour). They have a wingspan of 35-150 mm.
    09ECU-1815_Bellavista-Ecuador.jpg
  • A Dobsonfly (or king bug, an insect of subfamily Corydalinae, part of megalopteran family Corydalidae) with long black mandibles (pincers) clings to a wood ceiling in Bellavista Cloud Forest Reserve, near Quito, Ecuador, South America. Their closest relatives are the fishflies. Distributed throughout the Americas, dobsonflies can be rather frightening in appearance. The males have extremely long mandibles and females have shorter mandibles. The most well-known of the numerous species is Corydalus cornutus, the Eastern Dobsonfly, a long, dark-colored insect found in North and Central America.
    09ECU-1795_Bellavista-Ecuador.jpg
  • A 6 inch young leaf unfurls into a giant 3 foot diameter leaf in Bellavista Cloud Forest Reserve, near Quito, Ecuador, South America.
    09ECU-1759_Bellavista-Ecuador.jpg
  • A 6 inch young leaf unfurls into a giant 3 foot diameter leaf in Bellavista Cloud Forest Reserve, near Quito, Ecuador, South America.
    09ECU-1758_Bellavista-Ecuador.jpg
  • The Booted Racket-tail (or Racquet-tail; or Racquet-tailed Hummingbird; Latin name Ocreatus underwoodii) in Bellavista Cloud Forest Reserve, in the "Mindo Area of International Importance for Birds," Tandayapa Valley, near Quito, Ecuador, South America. Published in "Light Travel: Photography on the Go" book by Tom Dempsey 2009, 2010.
    09ECU-1726_Bellavista-Ecuador.jpg
  • The Booted Racket-tail (or Racquet-tail; or Racquet-tailed Hummingbird; Latin name Ocreatus underwoodii) in Bellavista Cloud Forest Reserve, Tandayapa Valley, near Quito, Ecuador, South America. Published in "Light Travel: Photography on the Go" book by Tom Dempsey 2009, 2010.
    09ECU-1707_Bellavista-Ecuador.jpg
  • Masked Flowerpiercer (Diglossopis cyanea, in the Thraupidae family) was photographed at Bellavista Cloud Forest Reserve, near Quito, Ecuador, South America. It is a blue and black bird with red eyes found in humid montane forest and scrub in Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru and Bolivia.
    09ECU-1682_Bellavista-Ecuador.jpg
  • A Buff-tailed Coronet (Boissonneaua flavescens) hummingbird lives in Bellavista Cloud Forest Reserve, in the "Mindo Area of International Importance for Birds," Tandayapa Valley, near Quito, Ecuador, South America. This species is found in Colombia, Ecuador, and Venezuela.
    09ECU-1659_Bellavista-Ecuador.jpg
  • New leaves unfurl in Bellavista Cloud Forest Reserve, near Quito, Ecuador, South America.
    09ECU-1654_Bellavista-Ecuador.jpg
  • A giant leaf unfurls in Bellavista Cloud Forest Reserve, near Quito, Ecuador, South America.
    09ECU-1645_Bellavista-Ecuador.jpg
  • Verdant vegetation of Bellavista Cloud Forest Reserve, near Quito, Ecuador, South America.
    09ECU-1633_Bellavista-Ecuador.jpg
  • Cuicocha is a 3 km (2 mile) wide caldera and crater lake at the foot of Cotacachi Volcano in the Cordillera Occidental of the Ecuadorian Andes, in the southern end of the Cotacachi-Cayapas Ecological Reserve, South America. The crater lake within the Cuicocha caldera contains four dacitic lava domes which form two steep forested islands: Yerovi, the smaller, and Teodoro Wolf, the larger. Cuicocha in Kichwa language means Guinea Pig Laguna in English or "Lago del Cuye" in Spanish, due to the shape of its largest Island resembling a Guinea Pig. The caldera was created by a massive phreatic eruption about 3100 years ago that generated about 5 cubic kilometers of pyroclastic flow and covered the surrounding area in volcanic ash up to 20 cm (8 inches) deep. The volcano has since been dormant. Panorama was stitched from 2 overlapping photos.
    09ECU-1565-66pan_Cuicocha-Lake_Ecuad...jpg
  • Green caterpillar tour tram, Cotacachi, Ecuador, South America. Cotacachi, the center of Ecuador's leather industry, is known for its polished calf skins and other leather products. The culturally vibrant valley around Otavalo attracts many tourists to the Imbabura Province of Ecuador.
    09ECU-1564_Ecuador.jpg
  • Colorful spices are sold in the Otavalo food market. The culturally vibrant town of Otavalo attracts many tourists to a valley of the Imbabura Province of Ecuador, surrounded by the peaks of Imbabura 4,610m, Cotacachi 4,995m, and Mojanda volcanoes. The indigenous Otavaleños are famous for weaving textiles, usually made of wool, which are sold at the famous Saturday market and smaller markets during the rest of the week. The Plaza del Ponchos and many shops tantalize buyers with a wide array of handicrafts. Nearby villages and towns are also famous for particular crafts: Cotacachi, the center of Ecuador's leather industry, is known for its polished calf skins; and San Antonio specializes in wood carving of statues, picture frames and furniture. Otavaliña women traditionally wear distinctive white embroidered blouses, with flared lace sleeves, and black or dark over skirts, with cream or white under skirts. Long hair is tied back with a 3cm band of woven multi colored material, often matching the band which is wound several times around their waists. They usually have many strings of gold beads around their necks, and matching tightly wound long strings of coral beads around each wrist. Men wear white trousers, and dark blue ponchos. Otavalo is also known for its Inca-influenced traditional music (sometimes known as Andean New Age) and musicians who travel around the world.
    09ECU-1543_Otavalo-Ecuador.jpg
  • A man sells rugs in Otavalo, Ecuador, South America. The culturally vibrant town of Otavalo attracts many tourists to a valley of the Imbabura Province of Ecuador, surrounded by the peaks of Imbabura 4,610m, Cotacachi 4,995m, and Mojanda volcanoes. The indigenous Otavaleños are famous for weaving textiles, usually made of wool, which are sold at the famous Saturday market and smaller markets during the rest of the week. The Plaza del Ponchos and many shops tantalize buyers with a wide array of handicrafts. Nearby villages and towns are also famous for particular crafts: Cotacachi, the center of Ecuador's leather industry, is known for its polished calf skins; and San Antonio specializes in wood carving of statues, picture frames and furniture. Otavaliña women traditionally wear distinctive white embroidered blouses, with flared lace sleeves, and black or dark over skirts, with cream or white under skirts. Long hair is tied back with a 3cm band of woven multi colored material, often matching the band which is wound several times around their waists. They usually have many strings of gold beads around their necks, and matching tightly wound long strings of coral beads around each wrist. Men wear white trousers, and dark blue ponchos. Otavalo is also known for its Inca-influenced traditional music (sometimes known as Andean New Age) and musicians who travel around the world.
    09ECU-1540_Otavalo-Ecuador.jpg
  • Painted gourds for sale, Otavalo, Ecuador, South America. The culturally vibrant town of Otavalo attracts many tourists to a valley of the Imbabura Province of Ecuador, surrounded by the peaks of Imbabura 4,610m, Cotacachi 4,995m, and Mojanda volcanoes. The indigenous Otavaleños are famous for weaving textiles, usually made of wool, which are sold at the famous Saturday market and smaller markets during the rest of the week. The Plaza del Ponchos and many shops tantalize buyers with a wide array of handicrafts. Nearby villages and towns are also famous for particular crafts: Cotacachi, the center of Ecuador's leather industry, is known for its polished calf skins; and San Antonio specializes in wood carving of statues, picture frames and furniture. Otavaliña women traditionally wear distinctive white embroidered blouses, with flared lace sleeves, and black or dark over skirts, with cream or white under skirts. Long hair is tied back with a 3cm band of woven multi colored material, often matching the band which is wound several times around their waists. They usually have many strings of gold beads around their necks, and matching tightly wound long strings of coral beads around each wrist. Men wear white trousers, and dark blue ponchos. Otavalo is also known for its Inca-influenced traditional music (sometimes known as Andean New Age) and musicians who travel around the world.
    09ECU-1535_Otavalo-Ecuador.jpg
  • Gecko and parrot art is crafted onto leather for sale in Otavalo market, Ecuador, South America. The culturally vibrant town of Otavalo attracts many tourists to a valley of the Imbabura Province of Ecuador, surrounded by the peaks of Imbabura 4,610m, Cotacachi 4,995m, and Mojanda volcanoes. The indigenous Otavaleños are famous for weaving textiles, usually made of wool, which are sold at the famous Saturday market and smaller markets during the rest of the week. The Plaza del Ponchos and many shops tantalize buyers with a wide array of handicrafts. Nearby villages and towns are also famous for particular crafts: Cotacachi, the center of Ecuador's leather industry, is known for its polished calf skins; and San Antonio specializes in wood carving of statues, picture frames and furniture. Otavaliña women traditionally wear distinctive white embroidered blouses, with flared lace sleeves, and black or dark over skirts, with cream or white under skirts. Long hair is tied back with a 3cm band of woven multi colored material, often matching the band which is wound several times around their waists. They usually have many strings of gold beads around their necks, and matching tightly wound long strings of coral beads around each wrist. Men wear white trousers, and dark blue ponchos. Otavalo is also known for its Inca-influenced traditional music (sometimes known as Andean New Age) and musicians who travel around the world.
    09ECU-1527_Otavalo-Ecuador.jpg
  • Colorful sun art is crafted and sold at Otavalo market, Ecuador, South America. The culturally vibrant town of Otavalo attracts many tourists to a valley of the Imbabura Province of Ecuador, surrounded by the peaks of Imbabura 4,610m, Cotacachi 4,995m, and Mojanda volcanoes. The indigenous Otavaleños are famous for weaving textiles, usually made of wool, which are sold at the famous Saturday market and smaller markets during the rest of the week. The Plaza del Ponchos and many shops tantalize buyers with a wide array of handicrafts. Nearby villages and towns are also famous for particular crafts: Cotacachi, the center of Ecuador's leather industry, is known for its polished calf skins; and San Antonio specializes in wood carving of statues, picture frames and furniture. Otavaliña women traditionally wear distinctive white embroidered blouses, with flared lace sleeves, and black or dark over skirts, with cream or white under skirts. Long hair is tied back with a 3cm band of woven multi colored material, often matching the band which is wound several times around their waists. They usually have many strings of gold beads around their necks, and matching tightly wound long strings of coral beads around each wrist. Men wear white trousers, and dark blue ponchos. Otavalo is also known for its Inca-influenced traditional music (sometimes known as Andean New Age) and musicians who travel around the world.
    09ECU-1525_Otavalo-Ecuador.jpg
  • Hand bags and fabric are sold in the Otavalo market, in the Imbabura Province of Ecuador, South America. The culturally vibrant town of Otavalo attracts many tourists to a valley of the Imbabura Province of Ecuador, surrounded by the peaks of Imbabura 4,610m, Cotacachi 4,995m, and Mojanda volcanoes. The indigenous Otavaleños are famous for weaving textiles, usually made of wool, which are sold at the famous Saturday market and smaller markets during the rest of the week. The Plaza del Ponchos and many shops tantalize buyers with a wide array of handicrafts. Nearby villages and towns are also famous for particular crafts: Cotacachi, the center of Ecuador's leather industry, is known for its polished calf skins; and San Antonio specializes in wood carving of statues, picture frames and furniture. Otavaliña women traditionally wear distinctive white embroidered blouses, with flared lace sleeves, and black or dark over skirts, with cream or white under skirts. Long hair is tied back with a 3cm band of woven multi colored material, often matching the band which is wound several times around their waists. They usually have many strings of gold beads around their necks, and matching tightly wound long strings of coral beads around each wrist. Men wear white trousers, and dark blue ponchos. Otavalo is also known for its Inca-influenced traditional music (sometimes known as Andean New Age) and musicians who travel around the world.
    09ECU-1514_Otavalo-Ecuador.jpg
  • A traditional woman with gold necklaces attends Otavalo Market in Ecuador, Imbabura Province, South America. The culturally vibrant town of Otavalo attracts many tourists to a valley of the Imbabura Province of Ecuador, surrounded by the peaks of Imbabura 4,610m, Cotacachi 4,995m, and Mojanda volcanoes. The indigenous Otavaleños are famous for weaving textiles, usually made of wool, which are sold at the famous Saturday market and smaller markets during the rest of the week. The Plaza del Ponchos and many shops tantalize buyers with a wide array of handicrafts. Nearby villages and towns are also famous for particular crafts: Cotacachi, the center of Ecuador's leather industry, is known for its polished calf skins; and San Antonio specializes in wood carving of statues, picture frames and furniture. Otavaliña women traditionally wear distinctive white embroidered blouses, with flared lace sleeves, and black or dark over skirts, with cream or white under skirts. Long hair is tied back with a 3cm band of woven multi colored material, often matching the band which is wound several times around their waists. They usually have many strings of gold beads around their necks, and matching tightly wound long strings of coral beads around each wrist. Men wear white trousers, and dark blue ponchos. Otavalo is also known for its Inca-influenced traditional music (sometimes known as Andean New Age) and musicians who travel around the world.
    09ECU-1509_Otavalo-Ecuador.jpg
  • Colorful paintings are sold at Otavalo market, Ecuador, South America. The culturally vibrant town of Otavalo attracts many tourists to a valley of the Imbabura Province of Ecuador, surrounded by the peaks of Imbabura 4,610m, Cotacachi 4,995m, and Mojanda volcanoes. The indigenous Otavaleños are famous for weaving textiles, usually made of wool, which are sold at the famous Saturday market and smaller markets during the rest of the week. The Plaza del Ponchos and many shops tantalize buyers with a wide array of handicrafts. Nearby villages and towns are also famous for particular crafts: Cotacachi, the center of Ecuador's leather industry, is known for its polished calf skins; and San Antonio specializes in wood carving of statues, picture frames and furniture. Otavaliña women traditionally wear distinctive white embroidered blouses, with flared lace sleeves, and black or dark over skirts, with cream or white under skirts. Long hair is tied back with a 3cm band of woven multi colored material, often matching the band which is wound several times around their waists. They usually have many strings of gold beads around their necks, and matching tightly wound long strings of coral beads around each wrist. Men wear white trousers, and dark blue ponchos. Otavalo is also known for its Inca-influenced traditional music (sometimes known as Andean New Age) and musicians who travel around the world.
    09ECU-1500_Otavalo-Ecuador.jpg
  • Giant wooden spoons at Otavalo market, Ecuador, South America. The culturally vibrant town of Otavalo attracts many tourists to a valley of the Imbabura Province of Ecuador, surrounded by the peaks of Imbabura 4,610m, Cotacachi 4,995m, and Mojanda volcanoes. The indigenous Otavaleños are famous for weaving textiles, usually made of wool, which are sold at the famous Saturday market and smaller markets during the rest of the week. The Plaza del Ponchos and many shops tantalize buyers with a wide array of handicrafts. Nearby villages and towns are also famous for particular crafts: Cotacachi, the center of Ecuador's leather industry, is known for its polished calf skins; and San Antonio specializes in wood carving of statues, picture frames and furniture. Otavaliña women traditionally wear distinctive white embroidered blouses, with flared lace sleeves, and black or dark over skirts, with cream or white under skirts. Long hair is tied back with a 3cm band of woven multi colored material, often matching the band which is wound several times around their waists. They usually have many strings of gold beads around their necks, and matching tightly wound long strings of coral beads around each wrist. Men wear white trousers, and dark blue ponchos. Otavalo is also known for its Inca-influenced traditional music (sometimes known as Andean New Age) and musicians who travel around the world.
    09ECU-1495_Otavalo-Ecuador.jpg
  • Shoes for sale, Otavalo, Ecuador, South America. The culturally vibrant town of Otavalo attracts many tourists to a valley of the Imbabura Province of Ecuador, surrounded by the peaks of Imbabura 4,610m, Cotacachi 4,995m, and Mojanda volcanoes. The indigenous Otavaleños are famous for weaving textiles, usually made of wool, which are sold at the famous Saturday market and smaller markets during the rest of the week. The Plaza del Ponchos and many shops tantalize buyers with a wide array of handicrafts. Nearby villages and towns are also famous for particular crafts: Cotacachi, the center of Ecuador's leather industry, is known for its polished calf skins; and San Antonio specializes in wood carving of statues, picture frames and furniture. Otavaliña women traditionally wear distinctive white embroidered blouses, with flared lace sleeves, and black or dark over skirts, with cream or white under skirts. Long hair is tied back with a 3cm band of woven multi colored material, often matching the band which is wound several times around their waists. They usually have many strings of gold beads around their necks, and matching tightly wound long strings of coral beads around each wrist. Men wear white trousers, and dark blue ponchos. Otavalo is also known for its Inca-influenced traditional music (sometimes known as Andean New Age) and musicians who travel around the world.
    09ECU-1492_Otavalo-Ecuador.jpg
  • Giant wooden spoons at Otavalo market, Ecuador, South America. The culturally vibrant town of Otavalo attracts many tourists to a valley of the Imbabura Province of Ecuador, surrounded by the peaks of Imbabura 4,610m, Cotacachi 4,995m, and Mojanda volcanoes. The indigenous Otavaleños are famous for weaving textiles, usually made of wool, which are sold at the famous Saturday market and smaller markets during the rest of the week. The Plaza del Ponchos and many shops tantalize buyers with a wide array of handicrafts. Nearby villages and towns are also famous for particular crafts: Cotacachi, the center of Ecuador's leather industry, is known for its polished calf skins; and San Antonio specializes in wood carving of statues, picture frames and furniture. Otavaliña women traditionally wear distinctive white embroidered blouses, with flared lace sleeves, and black or dark over skirts, with cream or white under skirts. Long hair is tied back with a 3cm band of woven multi colored material, often matching the band which is wound several times around their waists. They usually have many strings of gold beads around their necks, and matching tightly wound long strings of coral beads around each wrist. Men wear white trousers, and dark blue ponchos. Otavalo is also known for its Inca-influenced traditional music (sometimes known as Andean New Age) and musicians who travel around the world.
    09ECU-1482_Otavalo-Ecuador.jpg
  • A traditional woman with gold necklaces attends Otavalo Market in Ecuador, Imbabura Province, South America. The culturally vibrant town of Otavalo attracts many tourists to a valley of the Imbabura Province of Ecuador, surrounded by the peaks of Imbabura 4,610m, Cotacachi 4,995m, and Mojanda volcanoes. The indigenous Otavaleños are famous for weaving textiles, usually made of wool, which are sold at the famous Saturday market and smaller markets during the rest of the week. The Plaza del Ponchos and many shops tantalize buyers with a wide array of handicrafts. Nearby villages and towns are also famous for particular crafts: Cotacachi, the center of Ecuador's leather industry, is known for its polished calf skins; and San Antonio specializes in wood carving of statues, picture frames and furniture. Otavaliña women traditionally wear distinctive white embroidered blouses, with flared lace sleeves, and black or dark over skirts, with cream or white under skirts. Long hair is tied back with a 3cm band of woven multi colored material, often matching the band which is wound several times around their waists. They usually have many strings of gold beads around their necks, and matching tightly wound long strings of coral beads around each wrist. Men wear white trousers, and dark blue ponchos. Otavalo is also known for its Inca-influenced traditional music (sometimes known as Andean New Age) and musicians who travel around the world.
    09ECU-1480_Otavalo-Ecuador.jpg
  • Produce market, carrots, cabbage, tomatoes, Otavalo, Ecuador, South America. The culturally vibrant town of Otavalo attracts many tourists to a valley of the Imbabura Province of Ecuador, surrounded by the peaks of Imbabura 4,610m, Cotacachi 4,995m, and Mojanda volcanoes. The indigenous Otavaleños are famous for weaving textiles, usually made of wool, which are sold at the famous Saturday market and smaller markets during the rest of the week. The Plaza del Ponchos and many shops tantalize buyers with a wide array of handicrafts. Nearby villages and towns are also famous for particular crafts: Cotacachi, the center of Ecuador's leather industry, is known for its polished calf skins; and San Antonio specializes in wood carving of statues, picture frames and furniture. Otavaliña women traditionally wear distinctive white embroidered blouses, with flared lace sleeves, and black or dark over skirts, with cream or white under skirts. Long hair is tied back with a 3cm band of woven multi colored material, often matching the band which is wound several times around their waists. They usually have many strings of gold beads around their necks, and matching tightly wound long strings of coral beads around each wrist. Men wear white trousers, and dark blue ponchos. Otavalo is also known for its Inca-influenced traditional music (sometimes known as Andean New Age) and musicians who travel around the world.
    09ECU-1475_Otavalo-Ecuador.jpg
  • A boy sells a stack of cotton candy in Otavalo, Ecuador, South America. The culturally vibrant town of Otavalo attracts many tourists to a valley of the Imbabura Province of Ecuador.
    09ECU-1456_Otavalo-Ecuador.jpg
  • A traditional woman with gold necklaces attends Otavalo Market in Ecuador, Imbabura Province, South America. The culturally vibrant town of Otavalo attracts many tourists to a valley of the Imbabura Province of Ecuador, surrounded by the peaks of Imbabura 4,610m, Cotacachi 4,995m, and Mojanda volcanoes. The indigenous Otavaleños are famous for weaving textiles, usually made of wool, which are sold at the famous Saturday market and smaller markets during the rest of the week. The Plaza del Ponchos and many shops tantalize buyers with a wide array of handicrafts. Nearby villages and towns are also famous for particular crafts: Cotacachi, the center of Ecuador's leather industry, is known for its polished calf skins; and San Antonio specializes in wood carving of statues, picture frames and furniture. Otavaliña women traditionally wear distinctive white embroidered blouses, with flared lace sleeves, and black or dark over skirts, with cream or white under skirts. Long hair is tied back with a 3cm band of woven multi colored material, often matching the band which is wound several times around their waists. They usually have many strings of gold beads around their necks, and matching tightly wound long strings of coral beads around each wrist. Men wear white trousers, and dark blue ponchos. Otavalo is also known for its Inca-influenced traditional music (sometimes known as Andean New Age) and musicians who travel around the world.
    09ECU-1446_Otavalo-Ecuador.jpg
  • The Saturday animal market bustles in Otavalo, Ecuador, South America. The culturally vibrant town of Otavalo attracts many tourists to a valley of the Imbabura Province of Ecuador, surrounded by the peaks of Imbabura 4,610m, Cotacachi 4,995m, and Mojanda volcanoes. The indigenous Otavaleños are famous for weaving textiles, usually made of wool, which are sold at the famous Saturday market and smaller markets during the rest of the week. The Plaza del Ponchos and many shops tantalize buyers with a wide array of handicrafts. Nearby villages and towns are also famous for particular crafts: Cotacachi, the center of Ecuador's leather industry, is known for its polished calf skins; and San Antonio specializes in wood carving of statues, picture frames and furniture. Otavaliña women traditionally wear distinctive white embroidered blouses, with flared lace sleeves, and black or dark over skirts, with cream or white under skirts. Long hair is tied back with a 3cm band of woven multi colored material, often matching the band which is wound several times around their waists. They usually have many strings of gold beads around their necks, and matching tightly wound long strings of coral beads around each wrist. Men wear white trousers, and dark blue ponchos. Otavalo is also known for its Inca-influenced traditional music (sometimes known as Andean New Age) and musicians who travel around the world.
    09ECU-1409_Otavalo-Ecuador.jpg
  • A woman with felt hat and gold necklaces attends Otavalo Market in Ecuador, Imbabura Province, South America. The culturally vibrant town of Otavalo attracts many tourists to a valley of the Imbabura Province of Ecuador, surrounded by the peaks of Imbabura 4,610m, Cotacachi 4,995m, and Mojanda volcanoes. The indigenous Otavaleños are famous for weaving textiles, usually made of wool, which are sold at the famous Saturday market and smaller markets during the rest of the week. The Plaza del Ponchos and many shops tantalize buyers with a wide array of handicrafts. Nearby villages and towns are also famous for particular crafts: Cotacachi, the center of Ecuador's leather industry, is known for its polished calf skins; and San Antonio specializes in wood carving of statues, picture frames and furniture. Otavaliña women traditionally wear distinctive white embroidered blouses, with flared lace sleeves, and black or dark over skirts, with cream or white under skirts. Long hair is tied back with a 3cm band of woven multi colored material, often matching the band which is wound several times around their waists. They usually have many strings of gold beads around their necks, and matching tightly wound long strings of coral beads around each wrist. Men wear white trousers, and dark blue ponchos. Otavalo is also known for its Inca-influenced traditional music (sometimes known as Andean New Age) and musicians who travel around the world.
    09ECU-1405_Otavalo-Ecuador.jpg
  • A tourist negotiates with a fabric seller at a market in Otavalo, Ecuador, South America. The culturally vibrant town of Otavalo attracts many tourists to a valley of the Imbabura Province of Ecuador, surrounded by the peaks of Imbabura 4,610m, Cotacachi 4,995m, and Mojanda volcanoes. The indigenous Otavaleños are famous for weaving textiles, usually made of wool, which are sold at the famous Saturday market and smaller markets during the rest of the week. The Plaza del Ponchos and many shops tantalize buyers with a wide array of handicrafts. Nearby villages and towns are also famous for particular crafts: Cotacachi, the center of Ecuador's leather industry, is known for its polished calf skins; and San Antonio specializes in wood carving of statues, picture frames and furniture. Otavaliña women traditionally wear distinctive white embroidered blouses, with flared lace sleeves, and black or dark over skirts, with cream or white under skirts. Long hair is tied back with a 3cm band of woven multi colored material, often matching the band which is wound several times around their waists. They usually have many strings of gold beads around their necks, and matching tightly wound long strings of coral beads around each wrist. Men wear white trousers, and dark blue ponchos. Otavalo is also known for its Inca-influenced traditional music (sometimes known as Andean New Age) and musicians who travel around the world. For licensing options, please inquire.
    09ECU-1394_Otavalo-Ecuador.jpg
  • At sunset, clouds creep over Otavalo, Imbabura Province, Ecuador, South America. The culturally vibrant town of Otavalo attracts many tourists to a valley of the Imbabura Province of Ecuador, surrounded by the peaks of Imbabura 4,610m, Cotacachi 4,995m, and Mojanda volcanoes. The indigenous Otavaleños are famous for weaving textiles, usually made of wool, which are sold at the famous Saturday market and smaller markets during the rest of the week. The Plaza del Ponchos and many shops tantalize buyers with a wide array of handicrafts. Nearby villages and towns are also famous for particular crafts: Cotacachi, the center of Ecuador's leather industry, is known for its polished calf skins; and San Antonio specializes in wood carving of statues, picture frames and furniture. Otavaliña women traditionally wear distinctive white embroidered blouses, with flared lace sleeves, and black or dark over skirts, with cream or white under skirts. Long hair is tied back with a 3cm band of woven multi colored material, often matching the band which is wound several times around their waists. They usually have many strings of gold beads around their necks, and matching tightly wound long strings of coral beads around each wrist. Men wear white trousers, and dark blue ponchos. Otavalo is also known for its Inca-influenced traditional music (sometimes known as Andean New Age) and musicians who travel around the world.
    09ECU-1366_Ecuador.jpg
  • The culturally vibrant town of Otavalo attracts many tourists to a valley of the Imbabura Province of Ecuador, surrounded by the peaks of Imbabura 4,610m, Cotacachi 4,995m, and Mojanda volcanoes. The indigenous Otavaleños are famous for weaving textiles, usually made of wool, which are sold at the famous Saturday market and smaller markets during the rest of the week. The Plaza del Ponchos and many shops tantalize buyers with a wide array of handicrafts. Nearby villages and towns are also famous for particular crafts: Cotacachi, the center of Ecuador's leather industry, is known for its polished calf skins; and San Antonio specializes in wood carving of statues, picture frames and furniture. Otavaliña women traditionally wear distinctive white embroidered blouses, with flared lace sleeves, and black or dark over skirts, with cream or white under skirts. Long hair is tied back with a 3cm band of woven multi colored material, often matching the band which is wound several times around their waists. They usually have many strings of gold beads around their necks, and matching tightly wound long strings of coral beads around each wrist. Men wear white trousers, and dark blue ponchos. Otavalo is also known for its Inca-influenced traditional music (sometimes known as Andean New Age) and musicians who travel around the world.
    09ECU-1346_Otavalo-Ecuador.jpg
  • Ecuadorian chess sets fight conquistadors versus Inca warriors in Otavalo, Ecuador, South America. The culturally vibrant town of Otavalo attracts many tourists to a valley of the Imbabura Province of Ecuador, surrounded by the peaks of Imbabura 4,610m, Cotacachi 4,995m, and Mojanda volcanoes. The indigenous Otavaleños are famous for weaving textiles, usually made of wool, which are sold at the famous Saturday market and smaller markets during the rest of the week. The Plaza del Ponchos and many shops tantalize buyers with a wide array of handicrafts. Nearby villages and towns are also famous for particular crafts: Cotacachi, the center of Ecuador's leather industry, is known for its polished calf skins; and San Antonio specializes in wood carving of statues, picture frames and furniture. Otavaliña women traditionally wear distinctive white embroidered blouses, with flared lace sleeves, and black or dark over skirts, with cream or white under skirts. Long hair is tied back with a 3cm band of woven multi colored material, often matching the band which is wound several times around their waists. They usually have many strings of gold beads around their necks, and matching tightly wound long strings of coral beads around each wrist. Men wear white trousers, and dark blue ponchos. Otavalo is also known for its Inca-influenced traditional music (sometimes known as Andean New Age) and musicians who travel around the world.
    09ECU-1303_Otavalo-Ecuador.jpg
  • The village of San Pablo nestles beneath Imbabura Volcano, in Imbabura Province, Ecuador, South America. Imbabura, an inactive stratovolcano, has not erupted for at least 14,000 years, but may not yet be extinct. Imbabura is intermittently capped with snow and has no permanent glaciers. Covered in volcanic ash, the slopes of Imbabura are especially fertile. In addition to cloud forests, which are found across the northern Andes to an altitude of 3000 m, the land around Imbabura is extensively farmed. Maize, sugarcane, and beans are all staple crops of the region. Cattle are also an important commodity, and much of the land on and around Imbabura, especially the high-altitude meadows above the tree line, is used for grazing.
    09ECU-1288_Ecuador.jpg
  • The Pan-American Highway (Carretera Panamericana) traverses a gorge through the Guayllabamba River Valley between Quito and Otavalo, Ecuador, South America. The Guayllabamba, named after the Guayllabamba plain, originates in the east of Pichincha Province in northern Ecuador and flows into the Pacific Ocean in Esmeraldas Province.
    09ECU-1286_Ecuador.jpg
  • People stroll a street in Quito, Ecuador, Pichincha province, South America. San Francisco de Quito is most often called Quito, capital city of Ecuador and of Pichincha province. This city of 1.4 million people (as of the 2001 census) is located in the Guayllabamba river basin, on the eastern slopes of Pichincha, an active stratovolcano in the Andes mountains. UNESCO honored City of Quito as a World Heritage Site in 1978. Quito was founded in 1534 on the ruins of an Inca city. Despite the 1917 earthquake, the city has the best-preserved, least altered historic center in Latin America. In 2008 the city was designated as the headquarters of the Union of South American Nations. The elevation of the city's central square (Plaza de La Independencia or Plaza Grande) is 2850 meters (9350 feet), making Quito the second-highest administrative capital city in the world (after La Paz, Bolivia). The central square of Quito is located about 25 km (15 miles) south of the equator; the city itself extends to within about 1 km (0.6 miles) of zero latitude. A monument and museum marking the general location of the equator is known locally as la mitad del mundo (the middle of the world), to avoid confusion, as the word ecuador is Spanish for equator.
    09ECU-1284_Quito-Ecuador.jpg
  • The Metropolitan Cathedral of Quito (La Catedral Metropolitana; or officially: Catedral Primada de la Virgen Asunta al Cielo Primatial, which means Cathedral of the Assumption of Our Lady to Heaven) is located in Independence Plaza, Quito, Ecuador, South America. The official church was built by 1565, with additions and renovations completed by 1806. The arches feature late Gothic design; the main altar is more Baroque in nature; the choir area is Neoclassic; and the ceilings boast Moorish styling. The interior includes various artworks such as the “Ascension of the Virgin” by Manuel Samaniego; a piece by Caspicara entitled “Descent of Christ from the Cross”; and paintings created at the School of Quito. The Metropolitan Cathedral of Quito contains the tomb of Mariscal Sucre, Antonio Jose de Sucre, Cardinal de la Torre and some of the Republic's presidents as well as other priests and bishops. Cardinal de la Torre was born Carlos Maria Javier in Quito on 14 November 1873. He became the first Roman Catholic bishop in Ecuador to be promoted to cardinal. He died in 1968 and was buried at the cathedral. UNESCO honored City of Quito as a World Heritage Site in 1978. Quito was founded in 1534 on the ruins of an Inca city. Despite the 1917 earthquake, the city has the best-preserved, least altered historic center in Latin America.
    09ECU-1257_Quito-Ecuador.jpg
  • The Metropolitan Cathedral of Quito (La Catedral Metropolitana; or officially: Catedral Primada de la Virgen Asunta al Cielo Primatial, which means Cathedral of the Assumption of Our Lady to Heaven) is located in Independence Plaza, Quito, Ecuador, South America. The official church was built by 1565, with additions and renovations completed by 1806. The arches feature late Gothic design; the main altar is more Baroque in nature; the choir area is Neoclassic; and the ceilings boast Moorish styling. The interior includes various artworks such as the “Ascension of the Virgin” by Manuel Samaniego; a piece by Caspicara entitled “Descent of Christ from the Cross”; and paintings created at the School of Quito. The Metropolitan Cathedral of Quito contains the tomb of Mariscal Sucre, Antonio Jose de Sucre, Cardinal de la Torre and some of the Republic's presidents as well as other priests and bishops. Cardinal de la Torre was born Carlos Maria Javier in Quito on 14 November 1873. He became the first Roman Catholic bishop in Ecuador to be promoted to cardinal. He died in 1968 and was buried at the cathedral. UNESCO honored City of Quito as a World Heritage Site in 1978. Quito was founded in 1534 on the ruins of an Inca city. Despite the 1917 earthquake, the city has the best-preserved, least altered historic center in Latin America.
    09ECU-1256_Quito-Ecuador.jpg
  • Thousands of people participate in Quito’s great procession of Good Friday, which was the day when Jesus Christ was sentenced and crucified. Captured April 10, 2009 in Quito, Ecuador, Pichincha province, South America. The hooded cucuruchos and the robed Verónicas are the traditional figures who accompany Jesús del Gran Poder (Jesus Almighty) and the Virgen Dolorosa (Virgin of Sorrows) on the procession which starts and ends at the San Francisco church and passes through Quito’s historic center. The cucuruchos symbolize the penitents who, dressed in purple, show their repentance and their will to change. (The traditional conical, pointed-hat robes resemble those worn in Spain and famously by the Klu-Klux Klan; Cucurucho is Spanish for cone or cornet.) Many penitents carry crosses, chain their feet, or wrap thorns around their heads. The Verónicas recall the woman who came to Jesus as he carried the cross, and who wiped his face full of sweat and blood. In Quito, the Verónicas also wear purple, their faces hidden by black shrouds.
    09ECU-1249_Quito-Ecuador.jpg
  • Adult llama, Quito, Ecuador. The Museo de sitio Inti-ñan is a museum at the true equator as calculated by GPS receivers in 1995. (Inti-ñan is "Pathway of the sun" in Kichwa, or Quichua language.) The outdoor museum offers guided tours with fun, silly experiments performed on and off of the equator (such as draining a sink, balancing an egg, and a test of strength, all of which are actually unaffected by the equator), and a glimpse into indigenous life with blow darts, shrunken heads and a native house.
    09ECU-1220_Ecuador.jpg
  • Monasterio de San Agustín (or Iglesia de San Agustín; or Church of Saint Augustine) was built 1580-1627, rebuilt 1868, on the corner of Mejia and Flores Streets in Quito, Ecuador, South America. Ecuador’s first (short-lived) Act of Independence was signed inside this church in August 1809. San Francisco de Quito, most often called Quito, is the capital city of Ecuador (and of Pichincha province) in northwestern South America. This city of 1.4 million people (as of the 2001 census) is located in the Guayllabamba river basin, on the eastern slopes of Pichincha, an active stratovolcano in the Andes mountains.
    09ECU-1168_Quito-Ecuador.jpg
  • The Basilica of the National Vow (Spanish: Basílica del Voto Nacional) is a Roman Catholic church, neo-Gothic in style, located a few blocks away from Plaza de la Independencia in Quito, Ecuador, South America. Construction began in 1892. Pope John Paul II blessed the Basilica on January 30th, 1985 and in 1988 it was declared immaculate. Although the church was consecrated in 1988, it remains technically "unfinished." The Basilica is 150 meters long, 35 meters wide, 35 meters high in the sanctuary and 15 meters in the votive chapels. Its towers are 78.23 meters high, 73 meters in the dome, 16 meters by 45 meters on the base of its towers. San Francisco de Quito, most often called Quito (elevation 9350 feet), is the capital city of Ecuador. UNESCO honored City of Quito as a World Heritage Site in 1978. Quito was founded in 1534 on the ruins of an Inca city. Despite the 1917 earthquake, the city has the best-preserved, least altered historic center in Latin America. Panorama was stitched from 12 overlapping photos.
    09ECU-1078-89pan_Quito-Basilica.jpg
  • The Basilica of the National Vow (Spanish: Basílica del Voto Nacional) is a Roman Catholic church, neo-Gothic in style, located a few blocks away from Plaza de la Independencia in Quito, Ecuador, South America. Construction began in 1892. Pope John Paul II blessed the Basilica on January 30th, 1985 and in 1988 it was declared immaculate. Although the church was consecrated in 1988, it remains technically "unfinished." The Basilica is 150 meters long, 35 meters wide, 35 meters high in the sanctuary and 15 meters in the votive chapels. Its towers are 78.23 meters high, 73 meters in the dome, 16 meters by 45 meters on the base of its towers. San Francisco de Quito, most often called Quito (elevation 9350 feet), is the capital city of Ecuador. UNESCO honored City of Quito as a World Heritage Site in 1978. Quito was founded in 1534 on the ruins of an Inca city. Despite the 1917 earthquake, the city has the best-preserved, least altered historic center in Latin America. Published in "Light Travel: Photography on the Go" book by Tom Dempsey 2009, 2010. Panorama stitched from 8 overlapping images.
    09ECU-1064-71pan_Quito-Basilica.jpg
  • Stained glass windows, Basilica of the National Vow, Quito, Ecuador, South America. The Basilica of the National Vow (Spanish: Basílica del Voto Nacional) is a Roman Catholic church, neo-Gothic in style, located a few blocks away from Plaza de la Independencia in Quito, Ecuador, South America. Construction began in 1892. Pope John Paul II blessed the Basilica on January 30th, 1985 and in 1988 it was declared immaculate. Although the church was consecrated in 1988, it remains technically "unfinished." San Francisco de Quito, most often called Quito (elevation 9350 feet), is the capital city of Ecuador.
    09ECU-1058_Quito-Ecuador.jpg
  • Iguana gargoyles jut from Basilica of the National Vow, Quito, Ecuador, South America. The Basilica of the National Vow (Spanish: Basílica del Voto Nacional) is a Roman Catholic church, neo-Gothic in style, located a few blocks away from Plaza de la Independencia in Quito. Interesting gargoyles (grotesques) of Ecuadorian fauna adorn the exterior. Construction began in 1892. Pope John Paul II blessed the Basilica on January 30th, 1985 and in 1988 it was declared immaculate. Although the church was consecrated in 1988, it remains technically "unfinished." The Basilica is 150 meters long, 35 meters wide, 35 meters high in the sanctuary and 15 meters in the votive chapels. Its towers are 78.23 meters high, 73 meters in the dome, 16 meters by 45 meters on the base of its towers. San Francisco de Quito, most often called Quito (elevation 9350 feet), is the capital city of Ecuador.
    09ECU-1041_Quito-Ecuador.jpg
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