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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. 

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Our eyes meet.

We don’t speak each other’s language, but that doesn’t prevent us from connecting.

Her glance moves from my face to the camera hanging around my neck. “Go ahead,” she seems to say. “Go ahead.” “Can I take your picture? You want me to to take your picture?” I ask. “Yes, go ahead.” So I do. I wait for the pitch to purchase one of her creations, but it never comes.