Botanical Gardens, Playa de Los Friales

This weekend I visited Los Frailes--part of Machalilla National Park, Ecuador's only coastal park. The park was pristine and free of loud music blasting from subs in cars parked along the beach. This is a view from a short walk to a look-out tower.
I am happy that I am out of the water for a bit. A wave attacked me while swimming and I ate sand and toppled in the surf. Later, I was still finding sand in my ears. A healthy respect for the sea was restored to say the least.

This last week, I also visited the Botanical Gardens of Portoviejo with friends. Being that it is rainy season, I left with flip flops caked in mud and about 20 new mosquito bites, but it was well worth it.
I do not remember the name of this small mammal native to Ecuador, eek. He was quite friendly and followed us as we walked through the garden. Unlike most zoos, we were encloused in a wire tunnel and the animals wandered freely throughout the park. The guide insisted that they were so accustomed to their habitat (and 3 meals a day) that they do not try to leave the grounds of the park. Many of the animals in the park are native to Ecuador and were found as illegal pets in homes. They are brought to the Gardens for a time of rehabilitation before being sent back to forests and jungles. Interestingly, the guide noted that while it is illegal to have any animal native to Ecuador as a pet, Ecuadorians can legally (for a high price) have the pheasant that was in the park as a pet, or another animal whose home is Colombia, Brasil....etc....