From Baños Ecuador

Sorry folks! I didn´t deliver the stories of my travels I promised on leaving Canada my last blog post in November.

Seems I´ve been just too busy to write......but my camera has rarely been idle. It became my means of communication with these wonderful Ecuadorian people as I struggled to improve my Spanish. I have included a link to a collection of 19 photo galleries below. The images leave no doubt about the willingness of these incredible people to share their hearts and souls with a stranger, and the joy that they felt in someone taking an interest in their lives is evident......especially with the children. In all reality, what I did here in Ecuador as a photographer would not be possible in Canada or many other places in the world for that matter.

I came to Ecuador to experience its geographical diversity so to speak. To explore a small country about the size of Colorado that seemingly had everything South America had to offer in one compact little package.

That was over three and a half months ago. I´ve since travelled thousands of kilometers back and forth across this precious land. From a journey down a jungle river in the upper Amazon basin to the warm blue surf of the Pacific Ocean.

And I have traversed and lived in the mesmerizing central highlands of the Andes Mountains that separate the two.

I´ve shared ramshackle buses with indigenous people winding their way from pueblo to pueblo on roads clinging to the sides of 20,000 ft peaks along heart stopping ledges. This made all the more surreal by the crates of live chickens on the roof and the resounding joyous rhythm of Latin American music....ever present on the buses of Ecuador.

I have lived on three separate occasions in Baños, a vibrant yet mellow little town, nestled beneath steep green slopes in the shadow of the active Volcano Tungurahua. The population was evacuated in 2000 during the most recent major eruption. It is a place I´ve come to feel as a home away from home and returned here often during my travels to chill-out. Strangely, it has a certain Kootenays feel to it.

This land has fulfilled all my expectations. But it is not a memory of a place I´ll bring home, but that of a people.

Ecuadorians are extremely poor for the most part, especially in rural areas and small towns. Yet they have a natural sense of earthy dignity, joy and love for each other that is rarely seen in North America.

That joy is in their eyes to see and in the melodic voices of their children to hear. They have given me a new way to look at life and at myself. It is this gift from these very special people that I bring home with me in my heart.

And before I leave I will re-visit a small indigenous village high in the western Andes called Chugchilan. In some almost mystical way it completely defined Ecuador for me.

"Yo cambio atra ves la montaña senderos de Chugchilan"

"I walk again the mountain paths of Chugchilan"


Hasta Luego Mis Amigos en Ecuador!

I take a part of you home with me, and leave a huge part of myself here with you. I will return soon!

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Click Here
For Gallery Collection: THE PEOPLE OF ECUADOR

Then click on each desired gallery to view. Galleries best viewed in Slideshow Mode!

Off to Ecuador

When autumn falls on the West Kootenay my thoughts usually drift from a seemingly endless summer to anticipation of the bottomless snow that will soon blanket the amazing Selkirk Mountains. And I dream of fresh days of deep powder skiing and think of friends with whom I share the winter.

But this year it's south to Ecuador and the Andes Mountains, the warm South Pacific coast and remote rivers of the Amazon Jungle. Lost in the excitement and promise of a new adventure, it's almost odd that I feel a soothing voice deep within me. It quietly assures me that these special mountains and the shores of Kootenay Lake is where I belong, and offers me the comfort of knowing that I will always return to my beautiful homeland.

Copyright Doug Pyper

Copyright Doug Pyper

My next post will be from Quito, Ecuador in about ten days. I'll be posting regularly from South America with all kinds of stories and photos.

So keep checkin' in.

BC for Sale

In my opinion this is one of the most important and well done films of the decade about British Columbia.

Twyla Roscovich produced this a few months before the last provincial election to enlighten and forewarn British Columbians of the inherent outcome of another four years Gordon Campbell. She called it the election film. Upon viewing it you will undoubtedly be struck with apprehension. This video outlined what Campbell would do if re-elected. He presently has that mandate.

It unfortunately now outlines what he is currently implementing (mostly in backroom deals) as he begins his four year tenure of sell-out and destruction. It makes this "election film" more relevant than ever, calling us all to action to stop this corrupt, corporately controlled government from totally selling out and devastating our beautiful province in the next few years.

I hope the film inspires all us to fight for the preservation of our province until the next election. Thanks so much for this Twyla, we will all take heed!

PLEASE FORWARD THIS INSPIRING VIDEO TO EVERYONE YOU KNOW AND LOVE.

And visit Twyla's great website CALLING FROM THE COAST

CLICK ON THE FOUR ARROW ICON IN THE LOWER RIGHT TO VIEW FULL SCREEN.

BC for Sale from Twyla Roscovich on Vimeo.

Death by Plastic

What are we doing to ourselves, our planet and the blameless creatures who share it with us?

It seems we are hopelessly addicted to plastic. Virtually every manufactured product is made of it. We don't give it a second thought, all in the name of convenience. A throw away society!

Since the 1950s, over one billion tons of plastic has been created AND EVERY PIECE OF PLASTIC EVER MADE IS STILL HERE WITH US. With growing world population and more developing countries production is on a staggering increase.

Our landfills are full of it, and so is the Pacific Ocean. The "North Pacific Gyre" also known as "The Great Pacific Garbage Patch" is a plastic soup twice the size of Texas.

This three minute video tells of this catastrophic situation. After viewing it will offer you a selection of 15 more related videos to watch if you so desire.

CLICK ON THE RECTANGLE IN THE LOWER RIGHT CORNER TO VIEW FULL SCREEN.

On Midway Island on the north end of the Hawaiian Island chain thousands of Laysan Albatross young die every year. The adults fly out over the North Pacific Gyre to fill their gullets with food, but instead return with a cargo of plastic to feed their chicks. A picture's worth a thousand words. CHECK OUT THESE DISTURBING IMAGES.

You can learn all about the Great Pacific Garbage Patch HERE.

Question is, what can we do about it?