I went to Ecuador for the first time to play in Guayaquil.

While we were in Guayaquil, we took the opportunity to visit the Galápagos islands.

This is a view of the Sta. Ana Hill behind us.          

We were enchanted by the new friends we made in this country. Everyone was very welcoming and made us feel at home immediately.

The days at the Galápagos were unforgettable. We both took lots of photographs of the fauna. The beaches are beautiful. Both the iguanas and the humans bask under the mangroves.

These are marine iguanas that feed underwater and then warm themselves in the sun.

They are very unusual looking reptiles and don't seem to be afraid of people.

Crabs and iguanas share the same habitat. They are very unusual looking reptiles and don't seem to be afraid of people.

The following reptile is a land iguana. In Puerto Ayora, we ate some delicious lobsters. It was nice to see the fish market by the small port.

These islands are famous for Darwin's finches. There are many different varieties, a product of evolution.

 This small finch is using the shell of a large tortoise as a perch to catch insects.

They ask the visitors not to get closer than two meters to the animals, as they show no fear of humans. These galapagos tortoises roam the islands freely. Some of them are over 100 years old.

Back to the mainland, I played a formal concert in Guayaquil, of which I have no photos. Before leaving, I played informally at "La Garza Roja", a park where art and nature are given prominence.

In this park they have built a replica of Gütenberg's press. Here the master engraver made a portrait of me and we watched him print it on the press. It was a beautiful present to conclude our visit.

We are grateful to everybody who made us feel so welcome in this extraordinary country, Ecuador.
Thank you!