Today we visited the Machalilla Narional Park, only a few miles down the road. This is Ecuador's only coastal national park - it protects the country's last major tract of tropical dry forest, now only 1% of its original size. There is a remarkable contrast between the vegetation at sea level and the cloud forest over 800m. The forest is bizarre- full of dry lichen and cactus, like this one, maybe 100 yrs old.
The fertile plain, the tropical dry forest and the cloud forest is, well, it's in the clouds!
We trekked for a few hours through the park, arriving at a sulphurous spring, where we covered ourselves in mud and dived in a pool that smelled of rotten eggs. Mmmmmm. Lucas flexes his muscles.
Lyra showed a worrying similarity to Frank Zappa....
The pool was warm and eggy, a lovely combination.
The national park runs right down to the sea... It was so beautiful here we might return....
The sea food is great by the sea here, particularly the ceviche, raw fish cured in lime juice served with coriander and chilli ... delicious and a nice change from chicken and rice with green plantain, which is ubiquitous here, along with the same dish substituting fish for chicken!
Finishing off the night with a game of table football (daddy won)
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