Author Archives: len

Susan Carlson: Quilting in the Key of Life

Darlene’s teacher, Susan Carlson, gave a talk about quilts recently in Longmont, Colorado. It was the first time I have attended one of Susan’s presentations, and I loved every minute of it. The quilts themselves are like paintings in fabric–lightyears down the … Continue reading

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Train, Interrupted

The Tren Crucero tour was three nights and four days of travel, but we decided to skip the fourth day yesterday. Instead, we stayed in Quito, switching from the big, impressive Hotel Quito room included in the tour to the … Continue reading

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Zee Devil´s Nose

I love it when something exceeds expectations, especially ones that result from lots of hype. That was the case yesterday with a section of track on our Tren Crucero tour of Ecuador. It is named the Devil’s Nose, because the … Continue reading

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All Aboard Tren Crucero

Yesterday at the Duran station outside Guayaquil we boarded a bright red train pulled by a steam engine, the beginning of a four-day exploration of Ecuador via Tren Crucero. Darlene, Deb and I were assigned seats in Car 1, a … Continue reading

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Hats Off to Cuenca

I had not planned to buy one of the Panama hats that are everywhere in Ecuador. My classic Tilly canvas hat is more sensible for travel, because you can crush it into your suitcase on a day when you’re not … Continue reading

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Cuenca Calling

Yesterday we toured Cuenca, a city of about 400,000 and lots of Colonial architecture, in a yellow double-decker bus. Mountains rise on all sides, and red tile roofs paint a pretty picture as you look out over the city. Our … Continue reading

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The Master Weaver’s Tale

We visited the home and workshop of Miguel Andrango, 81, described as Ecuador’s master weaver, on Monday November 9, 2015. Senor Andrango welcomed us with a few words of English and many smiles. He walked us through the process of … Continue reading

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Morning Notes from Mindo

We leave Mindo today for Otavalo after three days of leisurely exploration. I left a rave review of our home here (in photo above), Sisakuna Lodge, at TripAdvisor. It is a collection of five high-peaked, two-story cabins and one brick-colored, … Continue reading

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Gallapagos Gallery

  On a rainy afternoon here in Mindo, I am catching up with some favorite photos taken during our visit last week to the Galapagos.         Send to KindleTweet

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Raised by Sea Lions on Espagnola

Now it can be told: I was raised by sea lions. Or at least it felt that way yesterday at Gardner Bay beach on Espagnola in the Galapagos. I sat for about 40 minutes with nine sea lions napping in … Continue reading

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