Author: Newley

From Laguna Quilotoa:

—Lewis and Clark (James and I) survey the spectacular crater lake (and yes, my infamous red, tie-died, too-tight hiking pants return in all of their splendor)

—Me in front of Laguna Quilotoa

—Jill, Jayne, me, and a scenic vista

—I try to pet a pig

—Yuri, Ya’el, Mike, Jill, Jayne and me before entering a cloud forrest

—Mike (barely visible) on a cliff overlooking Laguna Quilotoa

—Me in front of Quilotoa village

—Jayne confronts an indigenous woman and her llama

—Standing around (with the twin Ilinizas peaks visible in the background)

—Me in front of a scenic field…

—…and striking a meditative pose

—Group shot at Hostal Mama Hilda

—How we rode (for three hours) back to Latacunga (with a live chicken in a burlap sack thrown in for good measure)…

—…and why my hair looked like this

From Vilcabamba:

—Pippa, Penny, Mickella, Becky and I in our mode of transport from Loja to Vilcabamba

—The cabin Frank, James, Mike and I stayed in

—Jill and Rebecca

—James and Mickella

From Cuenca:

—Me and two cow heads I encountered on the street

—A man shepherding ducks down calle Benigno Malo

—Me and my 103 class

—My friend Chris with my 403 class

—My apartment–looking into the kitchen from the living room

—My room

—A view from my patio–looking West along calle Simon Bolivar

—Another view from my patio–our (barren) flowerbed and the church across the street

—Me pondering the Cuenca skyline

(Previously-posted Ecuador photos are available here.)

My Thoughts on Nonprofit Web Marketing
Part of an article I penned last December is available on the Philanthropy Journal Web site. It’s called “Driving Traffic to Your Mission: Tips on Nonprofit Web Marketing.” The entire piece has been posted on the Web site of my former employer, Burness Communications (an excellent outfit full of great people).

I spent the last last three years helping nonprofit organizations use the Interent to communicate their work, and it’s nice to see this information, which I consider a nice culmination of what I learned, available for public consumption.

Photos from Japan
My friend Hayes, who teaches English in Tokyo, has posted some great pics on his Web site.

Ali G.
I’ve never heard of Ali G. before, but his schtick sounds hilarious.
–Update: Ali G. snared Naomi Wolf and got her to rap “Yo, yo, don’t be sexist, I’ll let you ride in my Lexus.”

The Riobamba Munitions Explosion–More than Meets the Eye?
Had an interesting chat last weekend with an American woman who lives in Riobamba. She says the word on the street is that the military munitions explosion that killed seven people there last November was no accident.

People are speculating that the blast was orchestrated by the miliary to cover up the fact that they’d sold small arms to the FARK, Colombia’s most powerful rebel group. Apparently something like 70,000 grenades were missing, and so, the theory goes, the army blew up a warehouse to hide the evidence. Supposedly an Ecuadorian Congressman is spearheading an investigation; my initial Web research hasn’t turned anything up. I’m interested in learning more.

Ecuadorian Emigration to Europe
Many Ecuadorians are leaving their home country in search of better jobs in Europe, where visa requirements are less strict than in the US.

“Aron Ralston is a warrior”
MSNBC: “A mountaineer who was pinned by an 800-pound boulder in a remote desert area in Utah ran through four options for saving his life before choosing to saw off his arm with a pocket knife…” (Thanks to Ethan B. for the heads-up on this exceptional story.)

Back in Cuenca
Had an excellent long weekend. And I hope to post some photos soon. Laguna Quilotoa is astoundingly beautiful.

I’m Off to Laguna Quilotoa
No postings for the next several days. We’ve got the rest of the week off school, so some friends and I are leaving tonight for Laguna Quilotoa, a crater lake atop a dormant volcano. It’s a seven-hour bus ride north to Latacunga (south of Quito), and then a four-hour ride west on dirt roads. I hear the scenery is spectacular. Here’re some photos I came across.

Say It Ain’t So
Tortillas, a burrito joint in Atlanta, is closing. Too bad. I had many a great meal there when I was in college. Although the atmosphere was arguably better than the food–the place was always full of disaffected, blue-haired students and musicians and the like. (Thanks to Mike W. and Jack W. for the heads-up).