The west coast of South America, where part of Ecuador is located, is an extraordinarily fertile area for commercial fishing. Manta, located on Ecuador’s central coast, is the largest fishing port in Ecuador. Also known as San Pablo de Manta, the city is the largest and most populated city in Manabi Province.
We stopped in Manta for a couple of days after traversing the Panama Canal. While there we got a look at an archeological dig (not really worth it) and we also got to see some native dancers perform folk dances at a local country club. The dancers were very energetic and accomplished.
A couple of shots from our travels across the Panama Canal and time in Manta are posted below.
In the Panama CanalManta, Ecuador–January 16, 2023. Photo of Ecuadorian dancersManta, Ecuador–January 16, 2023. Photo of Ecuadorian folk dancers performing.Our guide to an archeological digManta, Ecuador–January 16, 2023. Photo of Ecuadorian dancers performing a folk dance about Pirates
As our itinerary changed due to civil unrest in Peru (and the cancellation of our planned visits there), we had the opportunity today to visit Guayaquil, Ecuador, a city we first saw in 2018.
Guayaquil is a large port city, home to over 3 million people. It has a cosmopolitan flavor, with influences from around the world seen in its architecture, food, businesses, etc. Guayaquil is home to several universities, and Ecuador’s only University of Fine Arts. It is the major commercial, economic and industrial center of Ecuador.
When we first saw Guayaquil several years ago, we visited on a quiet, sunny Sunday morning. We enjoyed the Malecón 2000 (the river walk along the Guayas River that was part of a big urban renovation project completed in 2000) and the beautiful Las Peñas area, home to old colorful houses, artisan workshops, and the Santa Ana Hill and Lighthouse.
We returned today to Malecón 2000 and Las Peñas, on a busy Tuesday morning, and were delighted to see how this area has grown in size while retaining its distinctive, charming character.
On our way to and from Las Peñas we had the chance to see much more of the city, including a large area where the Navy has its offices, residences, hospital, shipyard, etc., as well as the enormous port area where all of the services needed for cargo shipping and transport are located.
We leave Ecuador today, and will be on the seas for several days before we arrive at Easter Island, home of the Moai carved by the Rapa Nui people.
Mary Anne
(Some photos from Guayaquil are below–Joe).
An Iguana in Iguana Park in Guayaquil slithers in the grass.A vertical photo of the entrance to Guayaquil’s University of the ArtsPhoto of a hill in the Las Penas section of GuayaquilChurch Spires in Guayaquil
The joke the locals tell in Cartagena, Columbia is that the city has two types of weather: Hot and Hotter. It was certainly hot (and humid) on January 12 when we docked there. Then again, it beats 4 degrees in New Jersey.
Originally known as Cartagena de Indias, Cartagena was an important Spanish colony that was a key port for the export of Bolivian silver to Spain. Sitting on the northern coast of Columbia and facing the Caribbean Sea, it was also very defensible against pirates. It is now the 5th largest city in Columbia with a population of about 2 million people.
The city is now a major tourist destination and it is easy top see why. The city is bustling and colorful, and loaded with museums and restaurants.
One other note: Our stops scheduled for Peru have been cancelled due to the political unrest in the country. So, we will spend some additional time in Ecuador, after going through the Panama canal.
Some photos from Cartagena are below. We will be posting fairly regularly, so stay tuned.
JFB
Cartagena, Columbia — January 12, 2023. Photo of dancers in traditional dress performingd in Cartagena, Columbia.Cartagena, Columbia — January 12, 2023. Photo of 3 dancers leaping on stage in Cartagena, Columbia.Cartagena, Columbia — January 12, 2023. Photo of a fruit vendor and his cart on the street in Cartagena, Columbia.Cartagena, Columbia — January 12, 2023. Photo of colorful buildings in Cartagena, Columbia.
We are finally on our way. We set sail from Miami on Sunday afternoon and we are scheduled to dock in Cartagena, Columbia on Wednesday morning. This far everything is first rate—the service, the accommodations, the food and entertainment—not to mention the 7 bars around the ship.
We do have very slow internet (along with a lot of other people). That’s something we are working on now. Anyway—because so many people have asked—there are about 450 people signed up for the full 5 months of the World Cruise. You read that right. About 450 people.
We’ll check in after we reach Cartagena. Until then, Ciao.
Photo of Miami Skyline from the deck of the Mariner 7.
Well, it’s 2023 already, and it’s going to be a big year—a very big year—for travel photography. Mary Anne and I will be leaving shortly to go on a long cruise that will take us to Australia, India, Africa, Japan and Indonesia to name a few of the places we will be visiting.
We plan to post plenty of photos and text describing our journey. So keep tuned to this page.
In the meantime we visited the Army Museum in Virginia. It’s fairly new and has very interesting exhibits that trace the history of the US Army from the beginning of the republic. If you find yourself in Virginia, it’s well worth a visit.
Some photos from the museum.
Wide angle photo of a wall at the Army Museum that commemorates Medal of Honor winnersA wide angle ohoto looking down onto the lobby of the Army Museum in VirginiaPhoto of an exhibit commemorating WW1 US Army soldiersA photo of an exhibit commemorating WWII US Army soldiersReplica of a WWII Landing Craft in the Army MuseumWide angle photo of a first floor exhibit in the Army Museum in Northern Virginia
Located in Doylestown, PA, the Mercer Museum, Research Library and Fonthill Castle are owned and operated by the Bucks County Historical Society. The Museum was first listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1972. The Fonthill Castle and the Moravian Pottery and Tile Works are listed in the Register as well.
The structures on the grounds are concrete, built to the specifications of Henry Mercer. He wanted to make his estate, which would house his collections of artifacts, fireproof. He succeeded. The mansion was built between 1908 and 1912; the Museum was finally completed in 1916.
Mercer was a gentleman philanthropist who collected artifacts from all over the world and brought them back to the US. The Museum houses a wide variety of the artifacts that Mercer collected. The Tiles that decorate the house, including the ceilings, were designed by Mercer.
We went and visited the Museum, Tile Works and Mansion over the weekend. It was pretty cold, wintry and dark. The darkness was more pronounced in some parts of the mansion and Tile Works. But my trusty Leica Q2 was up to the low light task. Some photos form the visit are below.
JFB
A photo of the Tile Works factory exterior on the grounds of the Fonthill MansionDoylestown, PA, USA — December 16, 2022. A wide angle photo of the Foothill Mansion in Doylestown, PA on a cold wintry day.Doylestown, PA, USA — December 16, 2022. A wide angle photo looking down over a fireplace and seating area for visitors to the Fonthill Mansion in Doylestown, PA.Doylestown, PA, USA — December 16, 2022. Low light photo over a study and through the windows to the outside of the Fontill Mansion in Doylestown PA.Photo of an old-fashioned doorway in a castle.Doylestown, PA, USA–December 16, 2022. Photo of tiles that decorate the ceilings and make decorative boreders at the Fonthill Mansion.
As 2022 draws to a close, 2023 begins to come into focus. We have a lot of travel scheduled for the coming year with a lot of photos to come. In early January we are going to begin a very long cruise that starts in Miami and ends in Barcelona. We’ll be positing periodically as we visit different locales along the way. Anyway, I have posted below a promo video of the planned trip to give everyone an idea of the types of places we are going to see.
Washington D.C., which at the moment is unseasonably warm, is chock full of extraordinary museums. We decided to take advantage of the weather and visit some of them. First was the National Gallery of Art. It is currently exhibiting work of John Singer Sargent as well as some of the paintings of Johannes Vermeer. After the National Gallery it was on to the Freer Museum. The Freer featured an exhibition of Asian Art as well as an exhibition that included the Peacock room designed by James McNeil Whistler. Photo taking is permitted so I put an iPhone to work. Here are some samples below.
Tourists walking through a rotundaWashington, DC, USA — Nov 7, 2022. A photo of a stone carving in the Freer Museum im Washington, DCWashington, DC, USA — Nov 7, 2022. Photo of a Hindu statue on display in the Freer Museum in Washington, DCWashington, DC, USA — Nov 7, 2022. An iPhone shot of Avalokiteshvara the bodhisattva of compassion, in the Freer Museum.Washington, DC, USA — Nov 7, 2022. An iPhone shot looking through an entrance to a Gallery room in the Freer Museum.
Through the University of Virginia, the state runs an arboretum that is part of the Blandy Experimental Farm. Officially known as the Orland E. White Arboretum it is more popularly known as the State Arboretum of Virginia. It is open to the public.
The Experimental Farm is huge—to the tune of 700 acres willed to the University of Virginia by Graham Blandy in 1924. Consistent with Blandy’s wishes it was used to train college students in agricultural methods. Orland E. White, the first director of the farm also used it as a field research station. There is actually a long and unfolding history of the farm which you can read about at this link.
One of the more interesting sections of the farm is Gingko Grove, which contains a large number of Gingko trees whose leaves change from green to a spectacular yellow in Autumn.
We visited the farm recently to and wandered around the grounds. Here (below) are a few photos from that trip.
JFB
A wide angle shot looking down the path to the Visitor Center of the Virginia State ArboretumA photo of trees and fallen leaves in Gingko Grove Landscape photo of Blandy experimental farm in VirginiaHiking path goes past a Ginko Trr in the State of Virginia Arboretum
The Potomac River and its waterfalls can be seen from Maryland or Virginia. Great Falls National Park is located on the Virginia side and is a great place to visit the falls, have a picnic, or just go hiking. We stopped by the other day to take a look at the falls and the tree leaves tuning colors as fall begins to head towards the winter months. We were not disappointed. Here are a few shots from out visit.
A photo looking over the Potomac Falls in Great Falls National Park in VirginiaA landscape photo taken in Great Falls National Park in AutumnPhoto of a picnic table in Great Falls National Park amid fallen leaves in AutumnZoom lens photo of a wooden fence by a hiking trail in Great Falls National Park
Cape Breton Island is one of the premiere sightseeing places to visit in Nova Scotia. There is just a wealth of things to do and see. We went on the Cabot Trail in Cape Breton Highlands National Park where we went on a hiking trail, visited the Bay of Fund, got on a boat and did some whale watching. We were lucky on two counts: the weather was glorious and we saw a lot of whales. Some photos are below.
JFB
Cape Breton Highlands National ParkVertical format photo of a hiking trail on Cape Breton that leads into the woods.A photo taken along Cabot Trail that runs through Cape Breton Highlands National Park in Nova Scotia.Photo of a humpback whale diving into the ocean off Cape Breton, Nova ScotiaA close-up photo of the head of a humpback whale covered with barnacles breaking the surface.
