mom and baby sea lion3:30am - yikes! Off to the airport, but first a quick hand-off as I leave the hotel & I am thrilled with a packed breakfast of yoghurt, fruit & muffin. The sweetest couple drives me to the airport - dressed in Ecuadorean indigenous garb - & delighted that I have made my first voyage to their country. They implore me to return, to visit Cuenca, the North and the Coast. I promise them that I will.
Those last few trip moments - gift shopping at the airport, the start of a new book & nibbling on chocolate samples. But, most importantly, carrying home the glow of knowing that I have experienced the trip of a lifetime -- and all it took was the courage to do it on my own.