Ban Ki Moon asked Israel and Palestine to stop fighting today. That was nice of him.
And now for something completely different.

I Left Guayaquil at 6 am and headed toward Olon and Montañita. After a brief deboarding along the highway so the men could be searched for drugs, - I waved my Passport a lot- we arrived at 9 am. I explored the surfing town for a couple hours and had breakfast along the beach. People were talking about a plane being shot down. I smiled, sternly, then read BBC.

A Scotsman on a horse rode by..

Montañita smells of piss and vomit on a Friday morning. I finally had enough and took a taxi to Ayampe. The owners of La Buena Vida are Keith and Marilyn and their 3 kids. http://surflabuenavida.com  This was my second visit here. Marilyn gave me a warm hug and I met the rest of the guests. Jack and Boone from Virginia, Their son and his wife and kid from Bogota. Mark and Sheena from Dubai, Titus from Amsterdam and Marshall from Louisiana. We were joined by a doctor and his GF from Oregon. Nice group. I took Sheena on walk into the Jocotoco reserve and we saw two species of trogons in one tree. I told her husband to buy her binoculars for Xmas. She's hooked on birding.
The whales off shore were a spectacle. Every time I looked out to sea I saw whales breaching. We all took a whale-watching tour in Salango and ate lunch at a restaurant that asshole Bourdain ate at. Octopus and barnacles on the menu. I had shrimp and squid. 8 people had seafood and beer for $92. Wonderful experience. The boat almost tipped but it was fun. Next day Boone, me, the young doctor and Devin went to buy Panama hats in Montecristi. The doc is a pediatric oncologist in training. Glad he isn't my oncologist, he seemed confused. Nice guy and we all had fun.
Marshall is a 36 year-old exploring new drugs in South America. Good luck Marshall. He said pot cures cancer and I promised him it does not, without revealing too much. I was surprised  the doctor didn't discern my condition. I did say I had a hernia when they asked me to help pull in a fishing net. The doc and his girl #2 brought beer from Portland, Or. Why?
I enjoyed them all and we all had a lot of laughs. Marilyn explained that because I left Ecuador and returned they stamped my passport with a new 90 day visa. So tempting to stay but I need to go see my doctors. Bus back to Guayaquil.

Ecuador -356 new species. Perú -103 new species. North America 408 species over 45 years, Costa Rica 153. Life total 1020. I saw more species of birds in 3 months than I had seen in 45 years. I am very satisfied and thank all my guides. This has been an incredible trip into so many ecosystems. I have experienced everything from dessert scrub to sleet and jungle. I have seen life forms that have absolutely amazed me. I have eaten food which had more flavor than anything I had ever tasted- except Cui. I never fell off, out, over or tumbled. I talked to people whom have been dead for 3,000 years. I was in awe of their legacies. I cried at their creations. I was deeply saddened by a team's defeat. I paid a child for his knowledge. I listened to language, music and laughter that is a vital part of Ecuador. I envy them. I will miss them.
Thank you, everyone of you, for touching my life with your enthusiasm and kindness. I have met so many interesting people from all over the planet. Most importantly, I learned a lot.
adiós