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galapagos-caldera

Hiking a Galapagos Volcano

By Drew Haines On April 23, 2013 · 3 Comments · In Exploring, Galapagos Islands, Traveling Kids

“We’re almost there. 45 more minutes, ok?” I heard that a lot on our hike up Sierra Negra.

Sierra Negra is a huge active volcano on Isabela Island, Galapagos.

I loved the hike. I really like walking and this was a good opportunity. But just one thing: it is a six hour walk.

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A special thanks to my Mom for posing :)

Photo of the Month: Beautiful Beach View in Aruba

By Drew Haines On April 5, 2013 · 1 Comment · In Exploring, Photo of the Month, Traveling Kids

I think this is a really cool picture. I took it of the reflection in my moms sunglasses. I will be doing more like this!

I love this picture for two main reasons: It is a reflection of something beautiful.  Because seeing that water makes me want to get in. The photo really captures you!

You can see [...]

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travel-to-galapagos

I’m Traveling to the Galapagos!

On March 28, 2013 By Drew Haines

Woohoo!!!!!! As you read this, I am sitting at the airport with my parents. Today, we are flying from Cuenca to Guayaquil to Baltra Island, Galapagos.

We land on Baltra Island at 12 noon and we should be at the Lodge on Santa Cruz around 1pm.

Because my parents  run the blog for Red Mangrove [...]

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buses-cuenca-ecuador

Cool Things About Buses in Ecuador + 6 Tips

On March 20, 2013 By Drew Haines

I like the buses in Ecuador. Before we got a car, we used buses all the time.

I liked standing up on them, although I hardly ever did. Dad wouldn’t let me because it was kind of dangerous. They were really bouncy!

You know how a bus isn’t allowed to stop unless you’re at a bus stop? Not here! Sometimes the [...]

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Encebollado-ecuador

Great Ecuador Treat: Encebollado

On March 8, 2013 By Drew Haines

I love, love, love Encebollado! It is delicious!

It is basically an onion soup. Whoa, whoa, whoa! Go back! Did she say onion soup?? That’s right! Onion soup.

But wait. Its not as gross as it sounds, actually, it is too-good-to-be-true . It has fish and yuca (a kind of potato-thing), it also comes with plantain chips and choclo (crispy corn).

Oh, [...]

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butterfly-on-fruit-aruba

Photo of the Month: Butterflies on Fruit?

On March 1, 2013 By Drew Haines

Before we went to Aruba, I didn’t know that butterflies eat fruit. But as you can see, they do!

At the Butterfly Farm in Aruba, a lot of the butterflies were eating fruit. It was really neat to see them siting on banana, orange and other fruit.

One time, I picked up a piece of banana with a butterfly [...]

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Hot Chocolate Mozzarella Cheese

Great Ecuador Treat: Hot Chocolate… with Mozzarella Cheese?!

On February 22, 2013 By Drew Haines

We were at the Mall del Rio in Cuenca and we decided to go for hot chocolate at La Español Cafe.

I saw on the menu: Hot Chocolate With Mozzarella Cheese.

“That’s weird…” I thought. “Why would hot chocolate come with mozzarella cheese on the side ?”

I thought it sounded interesting so I bought it. You can’t imagine the surprise I got!

[...]
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spanish phrases for the airport

9 Spanish Phrases to Know When… You Arrive At The Airport

On February 15, 2013 By Drew Haines

You have just landed at the Cuenca airport and you are anxious to begin your Ecuador adventure.

But first, you wonder what you will say to people trying to help you. Everyone speaks Spanish, a language you are not familiar with.

So what will you say?

Here are a few simple phrases you need to know when you [...]

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Baby lambs in Cuenca

Photo of the Month: Adorable Lambs

On February 8, 2013 By Drew Haines

I got this picture when we went on a little outing in the country. Isn’t it cute?! I love how they are perfectly lined up, as if they were posing!

The lambs are so white. They stand out really nice against their mothers. The green grass is a really nice touch.

The best time for [...]

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red-serpent-orchid

My Favorite Orchids in Ecuador: The Cuenca Orchidarium

On February 1, 2013 By Drew Haines

A few weeks ago, I went to the orchidarium with my mom and my grandparents. It was really nice. When we were talking about going, I wasn’t very exited. I like flowers, but not that much. This time though, it was different. The orchids are the prettiest flowers I have ever seen. 

At the Orchidarium, they have 350 species of orchids. [...]

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Deleg-moutains-out-of-the-clouds

Photo of the Month: In the Clouds

On January 25, 2013 By Drew Haines

Wow! What a view! That might be your reaction when you see the below picture. I got this picture on  the way down to Deleg, a small town just outside of Cuenca.

I really love this picture. It looks like something you would find in a story book! You can see 3 different layers of [...]

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Morfo-Butterfly-Aruba-icon

The Butterfly Farm in Aruba, A Beautiful Place

On January 18, 2013 By Drew Haines

The Butterfly Farm in Aruba is a great place to spend a couple of hours! Mom and Dad liked it too, but not as much as me. I felt like I could spend all day there! The place was absolutely covered in butterflies.

Pictures can’t describe what it was actually like! But they can give [...]

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