A Full House on Two Wheels

Yesterday morning, we left Hacienda La Danesa and drove to Guayaquil, a journey of about an hour and a half. From there, we caught a flight back to Quito, where we would join a group of fellow photographers for the next part of our adventure—the Galápagos Islands. It was one of those travel-heavy days, with much waiting, airport time, and sitting in cars—not the best conditions for taking pictures. But with all that downtime, I took the chance to sort through the many photos I’d taken. While doing so, I saw this shot from our drive from Cuenca to Hacienda La Danesa.

That drive was a study in contrasts. After crossing the Andes, the rugged mountains gradually gave way to flat terrain, and the temperature rose noticeably from the midteens to north of 30 degrees C. In Ecuador, being near the equator, the climate isn’t determined by seasons but by altitude—cooler in the highlands and hot and humid near sea level.

We drove through endless fields of banana, sugarcane, and cacao plantations, with fertile soil stretching as far as the eye could see. The haciendas here are massive, covering hectares upon hectares of land.

At one point, as we passed through a small village, I spotted a family of four riding on a single motorbike. This sight immediately caught my attention. The young boy in front had to duck his head so his father could see the road ahead. It was one of those everyday moments that tell a story about local life.

And yes, the vibrant colors in this photo? That’s thanks to the CCD sensor of my Leica M9—a camera I love for its ability to bring these scenes to life.