After returning from the Galapagos Islands, I have kind of made Quito my home base for a few weeks. Unfortunately, like an idiot, I lost my camera that served so well for 16 months. Fortunately, I purchased the exact same camera on an E-bay auction and they are getting quite cheap! Unfortunately, it's taking a while to get here. Fortunately, there's plenty to see and do here in Quito to keep me entertained. Unfortunately, I can't show you pictures of any of it due to the previously mentioned problem. Fortunately, I am done with this fortunately / unfortunately thing. Unfortunately, however, I don't have much else to talk about.

So here's a little update on the political situation in Ecuador and how it may affect travel plans. Unfortunately, (no were not starting that again) there is an oil workers strike or something going on in the exact town I wish to visit. The situation is not recommended for foreigners so I am staying clear ... for now. I want to get to the jungle town of Coca and from there, take a boat down the Napo River to the Peru border. After crossing the border, I will need to find a cargo boat to continue down river to the city of Iquitos, Peru. Iquitos is the largest city in the world (pop. 500,000) with out road access... you can only arrive and depart by plane or river boat! So that would be the plan. If it doesn't work out, I have to return to the Pacific coast, and head south using buses to cross the border with Peru. At this point, everything depends on when my camera arrives and the progress of negotiations between the government and the striking workers. Time will tell..... my next update will probably be from "somewhere" in Peru.