What a Load of Bloggers

Monday 21 September

Eurostar from St Pancras to Lille is a one hour and 25 minute journey. A short coach ride through northern France takes us into Belgium and the town of Iper (Flemish) or Ypres in French.

However you name it, Iper was virtually obliterated by German shelling during World War 1 and only five houses were left habitable. The remains of the cloth hall and the cathedral below.

From 1922 onwards, the town was rebuilt using drawings of the original streets and buildings and with great attention to detail. This remarkable project took eight years and was funded by the Belgian government. Germany was bankrupt and therefore could not pay any reparations until at least the 1980s.

Look at Iper now, wonderful. The market square, cloth hall and cathedral. ↓

Tempting Belgian chocolate on display in the town shops. ↓

Tuesday 22 September

In the Flanders Fields Museum.

After spending the morning in the superb Flanders Fields Museum in Iper, we spent the afternoon walking in the southern Iper Salient. We walked along part of the former German trenches, looked out across 'no man's land' and then followed part of the former British trenches which were just a few yards away. It felt strange being in such a tranquil rural area and thinking that below our feet in the woods and fields could be the undiscovered remains of hundreds, perhaps thousands of people.

Looking into no mans land beyond the British line. ↓

Hedges grow along the line of the former German trenches. ↓

The remains of a canal lock with shell and bullet damage. ↓

A beautiful and peaceful resting place. ↓

Wednesday 23 September

The Essex Farm Cemetery is where the Canadian doctor, Lieutenant John MacCrae wrote the poem: 'In Flanders Fields'.

Sometimes soldiers' remains were found tangled together and so they were buried together:

Only 15 years old. ↓

Below left: Pte Thomas Barrett, V. C.7th Battalion. South Staffordshire Regiment

27th July 1917, aged 22.

The Yorkshire Trench with an underground shelter which served as the HQ for two battalions.↓

Our guide standing on part of an 'A Frame' which was designed to keep the soldiers' feet above the awful mud.↓

Shortly after the war, some of the homeless Iper civilians moved into former bunkers. They often lived in these tough conditions for years before returning to rebuilt homes.

The German Langemark Cemetery

Hitler visited this place on 1 June 1940, following the German occupation of Belgium after the Battle of France in May 1940. His visit to Langemark Cemetery included paying respects at the mass graves of German soldiers who had fallen during the First Battle of Ypres in 1914. The cemetery, known for its 'Students’ Graves' and the mass grave of 24,917 soldiers, was a site of symbolic importance, particularly for Nazi propaganda purposes. We met some Dutch students here. I was told that Germans rarely visit the Flanders WW1 sites.

Throughout this part of Flanders, trees are numbered and marked blue, denoting where the British WW1 lines were, and red denoting where the German lines were.

Below is the Saint Julien Memorial to Canadian soldiers near Langemark. The precise number of Canadian dead is not known due to incomplete record keeping in the midst of battle. It is thought that between 61 000 and 66 000 Canadians died.

In a 48 crucial hours in April 2015 when the Canadians held the line, 6,035 Canadians – or one man in every three who went into battle – became casualties; of that number, approximately 2,000 (or one man in every nine) were killed. The 11 metre tall Brooding Soldier appears to be thinking about them all.

Tyne Cot Cemetery near Passchendaele

Tyne Cot Cemetery is simultaneously a battlefield, a cemetery and a memorial to the missing. The latest Commonwealth War Graves Commission records cite 11,968 graves in the Tyne Cot Cemetery and an additional 34,936 names on the memorial walls. German concrete blockhouses captured during the fighting of 1917 still stand among the graves.

The Menin Gate

The Menin Gatein in Iper is a memorial to the British and Commonwealth soldiers who died at the Iper Salient and whose graves are unknown; 54,395 of them! Every evening in Iper, at exactly 8 o’clock, the police halt the traffic passing under the Menin Gate Memorial to allow the buglers to play their simple and moving tribute. The Last Post, the traditional final salute to the fallen, is played by the buglers of the Last Post Association.

Everyone can attend this ceremony free of charge. I was amazed at the size of the crowd and was told that such a gathering was the norm throughout the year.

Thursday 24 September

Another fine and dry day for a walk, which we took along the Bellewaard Ridge. What was once a devastated mass of shell holes and mud is now farmland. Sadly a farmer occasionally dies when working in the fields and striking unexploded ordnance.

We then visited the small but very interesting Hooge Museum. For example, I did not realise that there were so many different types of grenade.

Friday 25 September

We walked from our town centre hotel to the Iper station and caught the train to Ghent, which is the largest city in Flanders and third largest in Belgium behind Brussels and Antwerp. The city was bustling with people. Its population of nearly 273 000 includes 90 000 students.

A local beer to accompany our last lunch in Flanders.

Saturday 26 September

Home after a thoroughly interesting visit to a very impressive part of Belgium.

15 March 2026

We catch an early morning KLM flight to Quito from Heathrow, via Amsterdam. It is quicker and cheaper via Madrid apparently, but the choice possibly depends on your opinion of Iberian Airways.

Arrived at Quito Airport. First impression? Marvellous - clean high altitude air, bright sunshine and mountains covered in lush greenery. Things got even better and stayed so. I thoroughly recommend Ecuador as a destination for explorer types, as opposed to sunbed types.

After a night at the very comfortable Sheraton in the midst of the newest part of Quito, we start our full on tour, and what a start!

16 March 2026

We head south on the Pan American Highway to the Cotopaxi National Park and a walk around the Limpiopunga Lake. The altitude takes a little bit of getting used to, as the lake sits at 3800m above sea level (12,467 feet).

Cotopaxi, what a beautiful sight. ↓ As well as this magnificent volcano, we saw deer and an Andean fox. No condors in this area though.

17 March 2026

The next morning we head to the middle of the world (i.e. the Equator) where we 'lose weight' because we are further from the centre of the Earth and therefore there is less gravity.

Stick your feet in the boots and stand each side of the Equator ↓

I balanced an egg on a nail and got a certificate for it. Not sure what that has got to do with the Equator but it is something to do with the principle moments of inertia! ↓

The Pululahua Caldera is no regular volcanic crater. Beneath the clouds and mist, the lush vegetation and rich volcanic soil have attracted homesteads and farms. Pululahua is in fact the largest inhabited volcanic crater on the planet and the volcano is still considered active, i.e. it has erupted within the last 1500 years.

Most of the families that live in the crater are dedicated to agriculture, livestock, and tourist hospitality. Within the reserve there are three volcanic domes, named: Pondoña, El Chivo and Pan de Azúcar. The large crater itself is the result of many historic eruptions and landslides. The powerful volcanic energy can still be felt in the very earth and rocks of Pululahua throughout the year. It is a beautiful and awe inspiring place.

From Pululahua we drive on to Mindo and a spot of hummingbird watching before lunch. There were also Agouti wandering about. Agouti are related to guinea pigs but are larger and more elongated.

We drop down into Mindo after lunch to visit the Yumbos chocolate factory. After a talk about the chocolate making process we get to the best part - chocolate tasting!

I had not realised how large a chocolate pod is ↓

Our next abode, after two nights at the very comfortable Sheraton, is a small lodge in the cloud forest not far from Mindo. The place is called Septimo Paraiso (roughly translated as seventh heaven) and the place was delightful. From about 5pm it rained for 12 hours but it was great being tucked up in our cabin in the forest.

18 March 2026

The next day the sun was back and it shone down upon us for most of the rest of the trip. Amazing really, considering we were in Ecuador in the rainy season. For our second day in Mindo we took a short cable car ride into the cloud forest to enjoy a trek amongst the greenery

In the afternoon we visited the butterfly nursery in Mindo. It was an absolute joy being sat on a rock and having scores of different butterflies fluttering around and sometimes landing on you.

Ecuador is not expensive for European visitors - but of course you to have to pay a lot to get there. The currency is the US dollar, which Ecuador adopted following a severe financial crisis in 2000 when inflation hit over 96%. Having the dollar as its currency has enabled Ecuador to stabilise and to integrate with the world economy but the downside is that Ecuador cannot print its own money or set its own interest rates.

A very tasty lunch at the butterfly centre for a few dollars. ↓

19 March 2026

From Mindo, which is just north-west of Quito, we drive into the Northern Highlands and stop at Pijal to visit a co-operative farm run by Gallo and his family. They have a thriving rose growing business, as well as producing their own fruit and vegetables. They showed us around their farm and then served us a lovely lunch in their self-built and beautifully decorated home.

At over 2700m, Pijal lies between a number of volcanoes, notably Cotacachi and Cayembe.

Cayambe ↓

After Pijal we spend an hour in the town of Otovalo, famous for its textiles and leather goods, and had a look inside the church de Las Angustias. ↓

On to the Hacienda Cusin for two nights accommodation - what a magnificent place!

The hacienda's history dates from 1602 when King Philip of Spain auctioned it and the property was purchased by the Luna family. It is surrounded by beautiful gardens and offers a blend of cultural history and modern comfort. Our room was in the old monastery. There was no modern heating and so each night we had the pleasure of a log fire lit for us and hot water bottles for the beds.

I could write reams about the place - better still - take a look at their website to know more: www.haciendacusin.com

Our room →

One of the gardeners came up and gave Trish a present. ↓

Entrance to 'our' monastery ↓

Lounge with log fire and dining room with waiter service ↓

20 March 2026

Our first stop today is the Cuicocha Crater Lake. The lake was formed after a massive volcanic eruption about 3100 years ago. There are two islands within the lake which people have likened to the shapes of guinea pigs. The name of the lake comes from the Kichwa indigenous language and means Lago del Cuy or guinea pig lake in English. We walked around part of the caldera, which is very steep.

On the way to the rim we met some indigenous women preparing for the solstice festival of the sun (Inti Raymi). They kindly allowed us to photograph them and their preparations.

We got marvellous views from our highest point. ↓

Returning to lake level we then enjoyed a boat ride around the cuy islands, Yerovi and Teodoro. People are not allowed to swim in the water, which bubbles with escaping sulphur. Around the islands we saw waterfowl, including grebes, which feed on small fish and amphibians.

21 March 2026

Spring equinox and we are fortunate enough to be close to the equator again, having driven down from the Northern Highlands to Papallacta, south-east of Quito. To reach the Cayambe-Coca National Park we cross the Andes which separate the coastal region from the eastern region.

The summit of the crossing with Antisana in the background. ↓

We go for a hike in the Cayambe-Coca to a lake at about 12500 feet. Once again it is a gloriously sunny day but not too hot at this altitude. At midday we stop and observe the sun directly overhead and look down at our minimal shadows. It is lovely and quiet up here and we enjoy a peaceful picnic lunch.

Our next billet is the Termas de Papallacta where we enjoy the natural hot springs before retiring to our lodge.

22 March 2026

The purpose of our trip was essentially to visit the Galapagos Islands but we are sad to be leaving the mainland because it has been such a revelation, with its history and landscapes. On arrival at Quito Airport for our flight to Baltra we also say goodbye to our guide - Celso. He has been superb - good humoured, ever vigilant about our wellbeing and exceptionally knowledgeable about his wonderful country.

To get to the Galapagos, visitors have to jump through a number of procedural hoops, on top of the usual airport security measures, designed to help protect the eco system of the islands. For example, you need a visa: →

From the small island of Baltra we cram ourselves and our luggage into a small boat for the ferry crossing to Santa Cruz - the island most populated by humans who largely live in the town of Puerto Ayara (pop. c30 000). Below: our first meal on the island - freshly cooked tuna for lunch - very tasty! ↓

After lunch we get to see some of the hundreds of giant tortoises that slowly roam free.

A lava tunnel created by flowing lava. The tunnels are left behind by the cooling and solidifying lava and are wide enough to walk through in places.

23 March 2026

Our morning is spent at the Darwin Centre, which is fascinating. The Centre is dedicated to preserving the ecosystems of the islands. The main attraction for us was the tortoise breeding programme. The Centre collects and hatches eggs from the different islands. Tortoises on different islands are distinct from each other so the young tortoises have a colour painted on their shells to ensure that the animals from each island and species are kept apart from those of other islands before relocation. The centre does not want any inter-breeding of species. Tortoises are usually big enough to be released into the wild at about five years old and the Centre releases up to 100 each year. More info: Giant Tortoise Restoration in the Galápagos Islands | Galápagos Conservancy

Lonesome George

Poor old LG was the last known Pinta Island tortoise. He was last seen alive on the island in 1971. The island's tortoise population had been decimated by the destruction of vegetation caused by the introduction of goats which bred and became feral. George was relocated to the Darwin Centre for his own safety and for 40 years until his death in 2012 at the approximate age of 102.

Lonesome George - Wikipedia

A short boat rip from Puerta Ayora takes us across the bay for a spot of afternoon snorkelling. We had to step around this lady sunbather to walk along the jetty to the shore.