Yours truly with guard outside Palacio de Gobierno in Quito, Ecuador

As 2011 comes to an end, I’ll be posting a series of blogs this week, highlighting my travel adventures over the past year.

First up: a look at a few new friends I made along the way . . .

When you’re traveling solo in a foreign country, it makes a world of difference to have helpful guides who can tell you about the history of the region, drive you safely from one area to another (in this case, up and over narrow passes in the Andes), fill you in on the local cuisine, or keep you company, even if you don’t speak each other’s language. It was my great fortune to have had the assistance of my tour guide and interpreter, Giovanna, and my driver, Manolo, on my trip to Ecuador.

Having not one, but two, naturalists aboard the MV Evolution for my small-ship cruise of the Galapagos Islands, was an unexpected luxury.

On alternate evenings Jorge and Alex presented an overview of the next day’s activities, throwing in salient facts and fun anecdotes about the local landscape and wildlife. Their enthusiasm was infectious on our daily expeditions  to the islands – and they scored extra points for helping with my photography and snorkeling.

Muchas gracias por todo, mis amigos!

What new friends did you meet in your travels this year, Wanderboomers?