Airplane

Enjoying the view in reverse from the back of Stus pickup weaving into the dramatic folds of the Western cordillera, Las Cajas National Park.

Hues of green and brown taking on the mood of each passing cloud shadow scraping over these high mountains. Hiking through tussock grasses and the beautiful bizarre alpine flowers of the high paramo slopes. Sparse and delicate in this harsh environment so close to the sun and intimate with the wind, hugging the ground clutching for life. Defying the wind and cold sending out cute little blips of kaleidoscopic color animating the imagination like a Dr. Seuss story. Tiny red and yellow whirly buds poking up out of the rock and papery thin purple flowers like morning glories emerging from cactus like burros tails hidden amongst the cracks of cushion plants. Eye to eye with the caracaras riding the thermal winds roaring through over the passes. Catching just a glimpse of those white outstretched wings and black tail diving like a jet fighter a speck now on the opposite hillside. Continuing on the lookout for the distant speck of Andean condors squinting into the sun.

Winded now, climbing slow in the thin air past steep cliffs and fields of brown chalky talus rock to take lunch at 14,500ft (!) A truly blessed day still and calm, the clouds and winds at peace even up here today. Perambulating across the horizon line 360 degrees looking clear across from one side of the Western cordillera to the other. To the West after the last jagged ridgeline the mountains descend to the lowlands of the Pacific coast. To the East in the hollow of a far off valley behind the shadow of one spine lies the central valley between the two cordilleras, Cuenca the panamerican highway and the fertile breadbasket of the Andes bee lining North to South from Patagonia to the Darien Gap of Panama. It seems spf 30 doesnt stand much of a chance against the sun rays beating down in the thin air and ozone of this altitude and I already feel my skin sun kissed, burning. I dont even care though. I am soaring high as a kite, happy and grateful to be here looking out far over the world past the horizon line.

Acrobatics at high altitude make for fun photos and I made Elizabeth and Coral my muses this afternoon. Looking out, looking down with an airplane eye view of the world. The view from here is breathtaking. Brilliant in the truest sense of that word.