Our first stop on the journey down the Rio Coca was at Sani Lodge, a community driven project that has successfully combined tourism with community development.  The following is what we learned from an incredibly unique experience while they hosted our team for three days.

First, the facts

Fact #1: The areas around the upper Amazon or Rio Napo are some of the most bio-diverse in the world, containing countless plants, animals and habitats seldom found elsewhere.  Venture away from the river on any tributary and one will find themselves in plush, stunning territory alive with sound and movement.

Fact #2 The same areas are the most mineral rich in Ecuador, huge deposits of oil lie underneath the pristine jungle.  At least eight oil companies have operated in Ecuador in the last twenty-five years, and part of the national budget depends on the amount of oil extracted each year.  In the past, these companies have had little regard for the environment in which they worked, poisoning the earth and people alike dumping dangerous waste onto the land.

Fact #3 The indigenous communities along the Rio Napo subside mostly on farming and often do not have access to adequate medical and educational facilities. Members often work for oil companies, as guides or providing services for those traversing the river. Many times whole communities decide to lease their lands to oil companies who provide not only money, but the much needed services listed previously.

This is an extraordinarily complicated issue, full stop. For hundreds of years in recent history, companies from outside Latin America have set up shop to extract rubber, drill for oil and mine minerals. They have displaced whole communities, used them as slave labor and forced them to endure living on meager means while fleecing their land for the materials they possess.  It has been very much a case of the tortoise and the scorpion with communities getting the short end of the stick more often than not.

For those outraged at the fact that communities here lease their lands to oil companies and think that they hold the blame in doing so, stop reading this and go look in your driveway. The need for oil is not going to go away as long as there is a car in it. Riding your bike to work makes more sense than blaming a community adapting to the present; ensuring the well-being of future generations.

The success story, Sani Lodge.

Sani Lodge sits two hours downstream from Coca past oil wells and small wayside villages. Coca is the staging point travelling down the river to jungle lodges, moving equipment to oil wells and getting supplies not found in smaller communities.  It is also near to the site where Pizarro and Orellana split and Orellana started his epic journey down the length of the Amazon ending up on the coast of present day Brazil.

The idea for Sani Lodge came from a member of the Isla Sani community, Don Orlando. Before Sani Lodge, members of Isla Sani had been working for other lodges in the area. Don Orlando himself worked for an oil company for more than twenty years before  deciding that the community should build its own lodge. After a year of dealing with the Ecuadorian government and the oil companies, he and the Isla Kichwa community negotiated a deal with an oil company to fund the construction of the initial cabanas and dining area.

Side note, while I love life in Ecuador, the sheer amount of paperwork and bureaucracy that one has to deal with to get a small thing accomplished is mind-numbing. To convince the government and an oil company to build a lodge on prime oil land is a heroic feat worthy of songs and legends; the equivalent of present day folklore along the river.  Indeed in the groups travels since visiting Sani lodge we have met many people who recognize Don Orlando’s name immediately.  (This is not uncommon as a rule as one person upriver has friends or relatives living downriver. The instant recognition of Orlando’s name has a certain acclaim that accompanies it.)

Since that time the lodge has become an outright success, showcasing the natural sights and sounds of the jungle while providing comfortable accommodation and friendly service.  Tent cabins come with towels, shampoo and mattresses; the lounge features a stocked bar and snacks, which the bartender refills as soon as the plate emptied. The staff of the kitchen could work at the fine-dining establishment of their choosing.

Enter the Rediscovering the Amazon Team.

The team started the journey at Sani through a series of coincidences and a bit of serendipity. We held a raffle at the launch party featuring prizes at different hostels, tours of Quito, and as the grand prize two tour agencies donated trips to the jungle at two different lodges. (Thanks to Paul at Carpe Diem and David at Eos Travel Ecuador and everyone who donated prizes and the South American Explorers Club Quito.) The raffle was in part so we could help an Ashuar friend accompany us, and as I write this he is sitting on the balcony down the hall!

Dave Jackson and I were at the EOS Travel offices in Quito talking to Dave, the manager and founder, about the details of the prize he arranged and as an aside he said that he could talk to the people at Sani Lodge about hosting us at the onset of the journey. Never the ones to say no; we quickly agreed that if he was willing, we were up for it.

A few days and a well-written proposal in Spanish by Dave Jackson later, EOS Dave got back to us saying that Sani would be happy to host us for two nights. A week after that I was sitting in the EOS office again with Colleen Pawling talking to Rene; an exceptionally well-spoken and thoughtful man who works in the Sani office in Quito. He arranged for a meeting with Don Orlando in a few days when we arrived in the jungle.

With this new development, we had some serious brainstorming sessions about what questions or issues that we wanted to address. We knew that Sani Lodge used their profits to help the community, provided help with scholarships, and are proactive when it came to environmental issues. During the three days that we visited the lodge and the Isla Kichwa community, we saw and learned about just how much the people of the Isla Sani community have accomplished and what they are facing in the future.

With many details seen to in the last few days in Quito; we finally arrived in Coca and found ourselves on a dock awaiting the day’s guide and transport to the lodge.

Journey Down the River

Upon meeting Javier, gathering all the people going with us downstream and setting off; the first hint that this was not your normal tourist excursion came into view in the form of Javier himself.

Javier is a passionate man who has studied in the States and has deep ties to the lodge, his community and the jungle.  Although young in years, his understanding of politics and fragile balance of the jungle goes beyond that found in newspapers or guidebooks.  After talking to him for half an hour, I was ready to sign up as a volunteer at the lodge. His enthusiasm and the energy of the other guides at the lodge reminded me of working in the mountains of Colorado.

Javier had the boat driver cut the engine as soon as we got a few clicks away from the pier and proceeded to give us a brief history of the Napo, the communities that live along its banks and some amusing debates about the name of the river itself. They called our attention to a few new points:

-The Napo is growing wider and wider, losing depth as it does. The main cause of this is traffic on the river. Along the way to Sani, we had to slow down and kill the motor numerous times in order to find a passage deep enough for the relatively small boat.

- The powers that be named the city of Coca from the indigenous people who once lived there and forced to move to Peru in order to work during the rubber boom.

People called the river itself the Upper Amazon as they called the section in Peru. Recently, the communities in Brazil decided that they had the only legitimate claim to the name. The Rio Napo became the river’s name in Ecuador; El Tigre in Peru. People in Brazil have the exclusive rights to use the name “Amazon” and use it not only in regards to the river in Brazil but also to the whole stretch through Ecuador.

From outside Coca continuing down the river, we pass small communities on the banks with docks announcing their presence in front of small collections of ram shamble buildings.  A bit further along were the more organized pueblos of oil companies. Recognizable by the bigger docks, which accommodate the large barges which transport trucks carrying supplies and fuel.

The next stop on along the way with further explanation from Javier was just past the community of Pompeia and the road to Limon Cocha.

Missionaries previously started the small community of Lemon Cocha. Sometime after they left, a different religious group took their place. They believed that in order for anyone to go to heaven everyone had to hear the word of God. This group set up camp and started working to create a written index of the nearby communities’ previously unrecorded language.  Colleen volunteered at the school there and gave the group credit for preserving languages which otherwise, would be lost. Today Limon Cocha’s school serves other communities both up and down the river.

Missionaries also started Pompiea, presently popular for its Saturday market where locals come for staples and wild animal meat such as turtle, tapir, parrot and monkey.  It is also a staging point for oil companies. There, the company loads equipment and material to supply sites downriver. The road here is somewhat haphazardly connected to the coast.

On the rest of the trip to Sani Lodge, we passed many more communities and fresh construction financed by the government.   It will provide new transportation options that facilitate easier access up and down the river.  Seeing this, it became apparent that this section of the Rio Napo is undergoing a transition. Changing from a series of communities to a larger area and region that is gradually coming together as transportation options become greater.  While this is the case in one sense, lands leased for oil extraction are causing new divisions between the community at large.

Arriving at Sani Lodge we slowly head towards the left side of the river and make our way to a landing spot where a few boats are docked. Once onshore we head up towards the bodega of the lodge. After all the bags are off the boat, Xavier leads us down a wooden boardwalk that needs constant repair as it rots due to the wet conditions of the marshlands it traverses. I walk ahead of Dave who is showing remarkable skill on crutches, missing holes, going through the walkway at one point and slipping on the slick wood but never taking a dive.

At the end of the boardwalk, we arrive to a peaceful tributary of the Rio Napo where we board canoes for the hour trip to the lodge itself.

The final leg of the day’s trip is a glimpse into the natural wealth of the land away from the busy hustle and bustle of the main river. The shady inlet is calming, the sounds change from that of motors to that of birds, howler monkeys and herons announcing our arrival and our guides seem to relax a bit upon returning home.  Having lived in Quito for four years the tranquility is a shock to my system.  I struggle to keep my eyes open in my current state of relaxation.

After an hour, a causeway opens up into a sunny lagoon.  On the far side,  Sani Lodge presents itself blending into the scenery with an amazing complex of bamboo thatched buildings fronted by a dock. Jeffery, the lodge manager, awaits there to help us out of the shaky canoe. His staff greets us with a welcome drink of maracuya and rum. (Side note, Dave once again was an acrobat with his crutches, hopping in and out of the canoe on one leg regaining his balance while others barely made it out on two!)

Once situated in the lodge’s open air bar overlooking the lagoon, Javier walks us through the necessities of living at Sani. The sound of a note from a bamboo horn announce meals, in the camping area there is no electricity, and we should always carry bug spray, suntan lotion and rain gear with us as the weather changes at a moment’s notice. My kind of place.

After the orientation, which brings back memories of camp and summer jobs, our group separates from the rest of the guests, and Javiar introduces the team to Don Orlando. After a few moments of deciding who we were and what we are about he lays down his cards.   Gradually telling us his story of starting the lodge and his vision of its role in the Isla Sani community. He also provides details on the issues that both the lodge and the community are facing in the present.

Don Orlando has a grandfatherly demeanor, a spring in his step and eyes that flash passionately when telling us about the work that he has done and is doing through Sani. In between long explanations about this he pauses and laughs at the folly that getting things done in the jungle amidst the constant pressure which is applied by the oil companies. In short; the glimmer in his eyes and his laughter comes from one thing, he has beaten the giant; he has won the battle and outwitted the scorpion.

What stands out about Sani at this point is the lack of pretension.  From the boat ride down the river, through the orientation of the meeting with Don Orlando, everyone treated us as familiar guests in a friend’s home.  For a lodge with top ratings, this was refreshing.  Don Orlando listened to our ideas about what we wanted to do there and accommodated every request we made.  Later, after visiting the community I realized that the lodge was a genuine extension of the community, having their traditional welcoming nature thinly guised as services for guests.

Don Orlando’s story is compelling, but I failed to catch the little details due to my faltering Spanish. Dave has written a post with the whole story and we also interviewed Don Orlando numerous times. Parts of these will be posted for those who donated to our trip as their reward for helping through our kick starter campaign.

This much I can tell you.

The Isla Kichwa community owns 23 thousand hectares of land. The two communities that sandwhich their land currently lease their lands for oil extraction. Despite constant pressure from the company to allow the Isla Sani community to explore for oil, they have managed to maintain their lands and succeed in turning them into a natural eco-tourism destination rarely accomplished in Ecuador.

During the following two days, Don Orlando would personally show us around their land, and the community, giving us a unique opportunity to understand the politics and purpose that Sani Lodge serves.

Sani Lodge staff are members of the Isla Sani Kichwa community under Don Orlando’s guidance. Members of the community who wish to work there must be pursuing an education or have completed it.  For a gringo this seems to be a no-brainer, one must be qualified in order to get a job.

For communities along the Napo, it is often the case that one completes the education provided in the community, and then finds a job working in whatever captivity that gains the most money. Sani is working to change this as we would see in the second day that we were at the lodge.

As I mentioned, the Isla Sani community is under constant pressure from the oil companies. As it turns out, Don Orlando invited us to the Isla Sani community the next day where he was attending a meeting between the community members and Petrol Amazonas. They once again asked for permission to explore the community land for oil.

Act that we went to the camping area to sort out our accommodation and get ready for dinner.  Across the lagoon from the lodge and only accessible by canoe, is the camping area. Upon hearing that we were ready to go, both Don Orlando and Jeffery accompanied us to the tent cabin area. There, we conducted our first interview with Don Orlando.  Orlando and Jeffery left after they were satisfied that we were comfortable, promising to return at the appointed hour so that we would be in time for dinner. Over the coming days, this would be the routine with Orlando showing up at the camping area at various times for casual conversations that resulted in excursions, song and mutual camaraderie.

Dinner consisted of first-class service, gourmet food and good conversations with Jeffery and our dining companion Tim.  He is an American frog and a snake enthusiast who was  returning to Sani for his third time to mark more species off his ever-growing list. As frogs and snakes only come out at night, he headed out after dinner, as did we. Only we were after not snakes but Caiman!

Despite it being a full moon and having a shortage of headlamps, Don Orlando and another terrific guide Fausto paddled around the lagoon for two hours while the singing, howling, buzzing and chirping of the jungle serenaded us as we passed. Just when we had decided to call it a night, our lights picked up the glowing red eyes of a caiman along the shores. The first we spotted was under a meter, the second had a body like a crocodile, and the third slipped into the water as soon as we approached. Happy to have seen these elusive creatures, we quietly glided back to the camp dock.  Making our way to bed amidst the night sounds of the jungle looking forward to visiting the Isla Kichwa community in the next day.

Authors note-This is an article I wrote before leaving on a trip with Rediscovering the Amazon, a team following Orellana’s route down the Amazon.  I also designed the site for the trek and worked with local businesses who sponsored us.  I will be adding articles about the journey from Coca, Ecuador to Iquitos, Peru in the near future.  Jon

The Indigenous people of Ecuador, Peru, Columbia and Brazil have faced many hardships and injustices since Orellana’s journey 500 years ago.  When Orellana took his journey, there were an estimated 2,000 ethnic groups and nations of Indigenous people in South America, today there are barely more than two hundred.

This is partly due to the Spanish slaughtering whole tribes and using the native people as serfs, living in poor conditions and being worked to death. Other causes are from diseases that Europeans brought with them and which the native people were not  immune.

In recent history alone,  the Rubber Boom and the extraction of oil have impacted the indigenous way of life and hampered the very existence of the people.

The Rubber Boom of 1879 to 1912 arrived with the advancement of vulcanization, a process that turns raw latex into usable rubber.  Automotive makers and other industry leaders from the United States and Europe quickly set up shop in Ecuador, Peru, present day Columbia and Brazil to harvest and export the rubber from trees deep in the jungle.

The labor needs for this endeavor were large, and the rubber barons relied heavily on Indigenous Indians to fill the demand. The methods and conditions in which the powers that be recruited and put to work were among the most cruel and inhuman to date.  During the first boom, employers kidnapped Indians from their villages and forced to work a year of slave labour.
Employers then “civilized”new recruits by locking them into stockades for days, weeks and months.  Once freed, they were sent into the jungle for months at a time.  If they did not return with their expected quota of rubber, they were systematically tortured and murdered.

The Witto community in Columbia, 20, ooo out of 30, ooo who worked harvesting rubber were murdered or died of disease.

In Peru, Roger Casement, a British console sent to investigate the atrocities reports that in one plantation,  the Indian work force started with 50,000 Indians and  only 8,000 survived the ordeal.

A British company stealing rubber seeds and stating their own farms in Asia caused the end of the first rubber boom.   The new rubber was cheaper to harvest and easier to export.  As quickly as the boom came, it ended, leaving the entire work force without job, food and homes.

The second boom brought no reforms.  During WW2, the Japanese seized the rubber plantations of the British is Asia and a new demand for rubber inundated the Amazon.  Automobile companies and the U.S. government itself made deals with the Amazon government for enormous amounts of rubber. These governments then made service harvesting rubber mandatory.  Imposing a death sentence as a consequence of not enlisting to the Indigenous people.

The north-east region of Brazil alone sent 54,000 workers to the Amazon. Rubber companies uprooting    100,000 Indians In total   to work in the Amazon.

Workers were recruited; given tools, 60% of a meager salary, clothes and cigarettes.  Their employers held them in barracks under military guard and sent to the deep jungle to work for three months at a time.

30,000 Indians died of diseases such as malaria, yellow fever and hepatitis, according to estimates.  In addition, as part of the terms of work, the Brazilian government promised to return the workers home after their service.  It failed to do so and only around 6,000 Indigenous people returned home at their own expense.

Today, the people of the Amazon are still struggling  to survive on their land.  Facing the new threat of pressure from oil companies.

Oil extraction has a serious environmental and social impact. It violates some of the most fundamental human rights of the indigenous people of the Amazon such as the right to life, to health, to property and social peace.

In Ecuador there are 21 different groups of Indigenous people, In Peru there are 92, In Columbia there 80, and in Brazil there are 67 different unconnected tribes alone.

The effects of oil drilling are widespread.  In Ecuador, a national court found Chevron  guilty to the sum of 1.8 billion dollars for dumping nearly 16 billion gallons of oil waste products into the Amazonian rainforest.

In Peru,  there are similar lawsuits filed by indigenous people; in Brazil Chevron is facing an 11 billion dollar lawsuit for damages to the environment caused by two oil spills.

The damage that oil companies cause goes past the immediate shock value of the pollution they cause.  Indigenous communities often have no choice but to sell their lands to oil companies, uprooting entire communities. The companies build roads through previously undisturbed jungle disrupting the delicate, ecological balance. The companies ignore the villages nearby to new drilling sites  when they petition for the right to approve or deny.

Governments have leased 688,000 square kilometers of the Western Amazon for oil and gas development.  In Peru alone, they lease 64 oil blocks  which cover 74% of the Amazon rain forest. 17 of which overlap Indigenous lands, some of which are communities  in voluntary isolation.

While the outlook is discouraging and reminiscent of the Spanish conquest, there are some battles being fought for the Indigenous people and the environment.

Organizations like Amazon Watch are fighting to stop oil drilling while working with the people to get Chevron to pay their settlement.

In Ecuador,  there are initiatives like the Napo Wildlife Center to offer alternatives to the selling of lands to the Indigenous communities.

The Napo wildlife Center sits square on prime oil reserves but more importantly as with most of the lands being drilled, is one of the most bio-diverse areas in the Amazon.

The Anangu Quichua community, with the help of some generous funding from the States, created a stunning eco-lodge built and run by the community.

Since its inception, Napo Wildlife Center has become the top eco-lodge in Ecuador boasting visits by the President and offering first class guides, accommodation and well planned tours which respect the environment.

Our expedition plans on raising awareness to the problems facing the people of the Amazon.  We have thoughtfully researched the issues and are eager to see them with our own eyes.   Check back with this site for ongoing updates, pictures and videos based on what we find.

Rediscovering the Amazon

Authors note

This is a preview of a full article I am writing for this blog about the trip downriver from Coca to Iquitos that I took with five others to visit communities and learn about the culture and conditions there. I am posting this as it has specifics about travelling the route that I couldn’t find or would not have known if not for the experience. Feel free to email me with questions at savvytravellerecuador@Gmail.com-Jon

For the adventurous, the trip downriver from Coca to Iquitos is an out-of-the-way route towards discovering Ecuador’s jungles and indigenous communities.  The trek can last anywhere from a week to a month, depending on how you it.  Don’t fool yourself, it’s a litness test for tried and true travellers.  little information is available on the internet and what is there is unreliable due to the nature of travelling the waters.

Many a traveller will tell you of the horrors of the public launchas; food ill-suited for consumption, poor hygienic conditions and crowded sleeping conditions.  This can be true to an extent, it’s not the Galapagos, but with a little understanding of the climate you are traveling in, a lot of Spanish and much appreciation of the people you meet, the trip can be an adventure worth taking.

There isn’t anything straight forward about the trip and you really need above average conversational Spanish. Think beyond Spanish teachers and classes towards convincing someone with your language that they should help you.  Understanding the culture, the customs and the people contribute a lot towards finding new routes away from the public launcas.

The public launcas are the Gringo trail way down river as they leave fro a few points and then go straight through to Iquitos stopping along the way to pick up and drop off cargo and people.  They are giant, rusting boats that carry and feed hundreds of people with facilities lacking for the amount of people.  To some, this is an experience, but to most, it becomes an ordeal.

Smaller launchas are one of a few ways that people start the journey from Coca, Ecuador.  Get there by taking an overnight bus from Quito, the capital or an hour flight.  Coca is the first staging point for getting things downriver; oil companies equipment, food for different communities, electronics and people.  Plan on arriving in the morning after an overnight bus trip or the afternoon after a flight.

Hotel Oasis is located on the river next to La Mison which is the pick up point for lodges downriver.  Its also close to the town center and the boardwalk where you can catch public launchas.  It’s outdated but comfortable.

Coca is a mix of a few hostels and restaurants, a very well-done hotel, La Mison , and everyday Ecuadorian society.  Stock up on food supplies, buy equipment not brought from Quito and sit by the water and have a few beers.

The public launchas that leave daily in the early morning from the end of the town’s boardwalk hold around a hundred people.  Go early and buy tickets as they can fill up to the extent that there is no room what-so-ever for another body.  Despite this its a fun ride, the villages the launcha visits present an honest view of the everyday life of the people who live there.

The other option downriver is by private transport or Jungle Lodge transport.  There are a few options as far as a wide variety of lodges.  A few such as Sani Lodge, are run by Indigenous communities overtaking those owned by others.  Visiting a lodge is a great way to start the trip into Peru.  Sani in particular is an experience into the community along the river and an example of what that community can accomplish.

Other communities worth visiting by the river launcha are Pompeya and Panacocha, each for its own reasons.

Pompeya is around an hour and a half down the Rio Napo or Upper Amazon.  Its a staging point for oil companies, a town and an animal market.  While the official story i that they no longer permit wild game such as turtle or wild boar, the word on the river says differently.  The market takes place every Saturday.  Up the Pompeya Sur-Iro Road, is the community of …  Like Pompeya, it was started and left by missionaries and taken back by the communities they interacted with.  The missionaries from … made great strides in documenting many of the hundreds of indigenous languages.  There is a school there that services many villages along the river that accepts volunteers for different lengths of time.

Panacocha is five hours down river from Coca.  While accommodations are sparse its worth spending a day visiting the lagoon and seeing firsthand what the government and petrol Ecuador are doing.

This is Ecuador off-the-Beaten path.  The town consists of ten or so buildings off the water line which serve as accomodation, places to eat and to arrange trips and onwards travel.  As a part of everyday life on the river, it is an information center about the comings and goings along its banks.

The lagoon is around an hour up a subsituaray of the Napo past the residents houses and oil fields into pristine forest.  Boats can be hired at the townfront and should be negotiated.  Hotel Oasis from Coca owns the elegant Dolphin Lodge on the lagoon and can arrange accommodation and activities.

From Panacocha most people take a public launcha to Neuvo Rocafuerte.  The town has the Ecuadorian Immigration office and a few good hostels.  A public launcha usually comes once a week with the other pick up spot being Pantoja, Peru.  This is also the site of the Peruvian Immigration office.

Around Neuve Rocafuerte are some great places to check out the jungle. the Yasuni Resreve’s border is nearby.  Ask around town for locals who offer tours.  This is a small town so ask a few people and see whose name keeps coming up..

This is also the town to find smaller, private transportation downriver or to buy a boat to go it alone.  One good man with a boat for hire is Don Reynaldo.  If you can not find him ask for his nephew Hamer.  For five people we paid $350 and fed the three crew members.

If hiring a boat, buy supplies at the stores on the maindrag.  Also buy sugar, drago(homemade hootch), salt and vegetables to trade with the people along the way.

If taking a public launcha, it takes patience.  Launchas do go up and downriver frequently but normally come once a week.  Ask around on boats that have just come from other places for the best information.

Bear in mind that in either case you will be travelling along stretches of the river with no electricity or water.  The launcha stops in towns along the way and at times you can hop off the boat and goto the store.

If travelling by private boat, you will be sleeping at Indigenous peoples houses along the way and pulling over to an island to make lunch.  Hammocks, water, plates, etc should be on the packing list.

There is an intangible element to travel and adventure, a force which compels one forward, stretching the boundaries between the known and the unknown. The feeling one gets when boarding a plane to sites unseen; the excitement of finding an undiscovered destination.  The joy of standing in a small Andean town surrounded by vast stretches of lush green mountains all stem from this vague but welcome element.

For me, this feeling first took root when living in mountain towns in Colorado. My first job at a resort afforded the freedom of standing atop a mountain at midnight.  I often hoped to get up early so as to steal a line down the glistening powder before the Gapers cut it into piles of dust.

If someone had told me on a lift up the hill in Colorado, where I lived and worked for eight years that what we were doing would help me travel and eventually live in Ecuador, I would not have known how to respond. How can travel in a small South American country where there is no snow, the language is different and most of the country’s population has never strapped on a board compare to living in the Rocky Mountains?

After dedicating a fair amount of thought to this on bus rides up mountains and down twisting roads in Ecuador where there is nothing but mountains as far as the eye can see, I have come up with an explanation of sorts. The same thrill of boarding down a mountain atop a fresh load of powder is alive and well in Ecuador. Hopping on a bus to new destinations, exploring regions far away from Quito, can easily be compared to jumping a lift, finding an untouched run on the other side of dense trees and feeling the solitude that comes with being fourteen thousand feet up on a mountain with no one around. It is just explaining it that takes the effort of translation.

The more I think about the similarities in the abstract, the more I have found comparisons for the practicalities of living in Ecuador.  Navigating the ins and outs of daily life in Quito to traveling around the country, there are adjustments which my skiing and snowboarding experience has prepared me. If you go to Ecuador to travel or to live, here are a few things to keep in mind.

Lift Lines and Waiting in Line in Ecuador

Ecuador has its own rules for waiting in line. These are such that they change whenever an Expat figures them out, often on the spot at, the place where one have been studying the tiles on the floor for what seems to be an eternity. As a rule of thumb, here are the basics.

Do not expect things to be orderly and organized. Like lift lines with aggressive people pushing and shoving, Ecuador´s queues are a sport. People normally enter a shop, walk in front or around the person in front of the counter and demand cigarettes, phone credit, candies and beer. The fact that you are standing there and about to open your mouth to ask for something means remarkably little.

The tactic that I’ve come up with for dealing with this is the same as I adopted when waiting in line for a lift during a busy day. Plant your feet and poles stoically and refuse to let someone past. While standing firm and politely refusing to yield to an impatient consumer here will work for the most part, there is still that one person who manages to give me the slip. In this case,  it is a decision to call them out or just let it go. Line jumping is such a common occurrence here that my Expat friends have developed a point system for dealing with it. One gets points for standing their ground and calling out the line jumper out and loses points for letting it go!

Lifts and Hopping on and Off Buses.

Anyone who has hopped on a lift knows the feeling right before sitting down and after the lift hauls them up into the air. There is a surge forward where gravity and machinery argue for a moment; followed by the lightness of traveling high above the ground which is akin to an airline taking off. When jumping on and off buses in Quito and at stops in-between key destinations, the feeling is the same. Buses on streets rarely come to a full stop when flagged down.  Once spotted by the driver, the person standing on the road  hops on the bus as it slows down, only to be catapulted down the aisle of the bus as it speeds away the minute the stairs are ascended.

Getting off is the same as getting off the lift. There is an alarmingly similar checklist and procedure. One safely stashes their belongings, nods to the driver with a ¨gracias” and waits for the mutually agreed moment between the bus driver and attendant when the bus is traveling slowly enough to hop off with a few steps in the direction of travel before safely coming to a stop away from oncoming traffic.

The Weather

The weather in Colorado is pretty straightforward at first glance. It snows in the winter and is warm in the summer. The simplicity stops there. Ask anyone who live there what the weather is going to be like for any given day and one receives a smile, and an answer that states, “Wait a half an hour and find out!” This is more of a fact than a brush off! It has snowed in July after a week of sunny days. On any day in the summer, there is sun in the morning, pounding thunderstorms or BIG WEATHER in the afternoon and chilly temperatures in the evening.

In Ecuador, this phenomenon catapults to a new extreme.  For an American, the weather cycles are confusing. The rainy seasons counter the States. Beach season is during the winter and the summer months abound with rain and clouds. Beyond that, the seasons themselves are constantly changing. A few years ago the rainy season failed to produce rain to the extent that there was not enough water to fill the dams and fuel the hydroelectric electric for the country. This year the sunny season waned to a short month or so, and the rains kept coming well past their welcome.

For those trying to plan a trip, this can be a nuisance. For those who live here, it is more about checking to see if the volcanoes surrounding Quito can be seen after waking up in the morning, and making plans accordingly. This is not a far stretch from Colorado as I can wake up in the valley outside of Quito to hot temperatures, take a bus into the city where it is chilly and end up in an afternoon downpour before going to bed beneath a pile of blankets to ward off the cold evening air. Picture driving over a high mountain road where it is sunny on one side, snowing at the top and arriving at the other side to a light rain and rainbows on the horizon and you are on the right track.

The People

I’m taking a risk of sounding like an eccentric anthropology professor  by making the following statement: People in Ecuador are happy and fit. In order to qualify this, I think about the first time I arrived in Colorado from Chicago and jumped in a buddy’s van for the two-hour ride from Denver to the mountains.

During the ride, we discussed the difference between Chicago and Colorado. The consensus was that people in Colorado were more active, healthier and for the most part happy. The reasons listed were the beautiful setting and the amount of outdoor activities available, the resulting lack of obesity and couch surfing and the general appreciation for life in the mountains. When it comes to the people in Ecuador, these reasons still ring true.

Ecuador’s changing terrain stretches across tracks of mountains, miles of remote beaches and through dense patches of fertile rain forests. In any region for some part of the day the sun shines brightly. I think as in Colorado this contributes to the smiling faces seen on buses, people working on farms and those lining the streets of Quito. Ecuador is a beautiful country, and it is people, despite the harsh realities of a third world country, appreciate living here. It is a part of the national identity that I can easily relate to. The sunshine, the constantly changing horizon and the warmth of even a small greeting from a passerby are powerful aspects of everyday life.

To say that one has to try to keep active in Quito or Ecuador is an oxymoron. The nature of living here consists of journeys on foot across blocks, up hills and through the valley that Quito occupies. Even a bus journey is an active endeavor as most of the time it involves standing up and hanging on as the bus speeds up, swerves around corners and abruptly comes to a halt all within a few minutes time.

This is daily life in Quito. Pedestrians are the majority here.  Vendors push laden carts, and Indigenous people carry immense sacks on small backs twice their size and probably almost their weight.

There is a village in Southern Ecuador where it is said that the residents live longer lives because of the water. To the naked eye, more than the residents of Vilcabamba can claim this trait. It is common to see older people swinging hammers, laying stone pavement and walking up steep inclines without slowing or missing a step.

All of these facts remind me of my time in the mountains skiing alongside people my grandparent’s age, hiking up steep and slippery hills and bumpy rides in pickups back down to the valley and town. Within this comparison, there are differences that should be pointed out. The people in Ecuador are not acting out of choice; it is the way things are and their appreciation of the surroundings comes from a collective source, not an individual like of time off or playing around on steep hills in the outdoors.

Karma

Within the appreciation described in the preceding paragraph and the construct of the intangible element of travel and adventure is the concept of karma. Not the watered down hippy idea that love will spread if passed around like water flowing in a river, but the stark, stripped down version whose sister Justice checks in with when pondering the fate of events to come.

In Colorado, karma resides in the immense power of nature with good things deeded to the warmth of sunshine and benevolent power of the forces that be; and unpleasant things conversely attributed to natures harsh, unpredictable side.

A local newspaper in the small mountain town of Breckenridge used to issue good and evil karma alerts daily, praising good Samaritans who returned wallets while wishing the worst for the scumbag who swiped a bike or broke into a local shop.

In Ecuador, this feeling magnifies by the proportion of the population. Here, karma cries out from the speeches of the president rallying the nation down to the peddler whose back was turned and wares plundered in an instant.  To the extent of my knowledge, here is my understanding and appreciation of it when it comes to living in Ecuador.

Day today life in Ecuador can be like running a gauntlet through unforeseen circumstances; trials abound which rattle the nerves and test one’s resolve to get something done well. A protest blocks the way across town, the power goes out, someone decides not to show up, the cash machine is out of money, the cell phone network goes down, there is a national shortage of gas or things just move on a different path than the days or weeks before. This goes beyond things do not always go as planned.

When I first arrived here, this blew me away. More often than not at the end of a day fighting with the language, rattled by the lack of organization and befuddled by my apparent lack of ability to accomplish the smallest task, I ended up at the bar where I worked looking for the first of a few beers. My wise friend and boss would sit patiently with me and explain that things change swiftly in Ecuador and, if not ready for it, I would be back sooner than later to join her again.

The lack of care by the people passionately shocked another friend who taught me the ropes of travelling in Ecuador.  The complaisance in general would leave her swearing at the end of the day.  She would often insist that children whom she befriended begging on the streets to take us home to meet their parents.

An Ecuadorian friend who lived in the States for years finds the general disarray unsurprising. He thinks that eventually the whole world will reflect the same habits, as the economic fall of the west in recent years has to yield at some point. My experience lies somewhere in between the two views and goes back to conversations in the states with a brother of mine who lived in Africa for years amidst corruption and turmoil.

During these conversations, I was living with Joel, who had seen a lot of what the world can do when carelessly approached from his experience in the Peace Corps. I would come home shocked by a situation and aghast at the circumstances that occurred during a day and he would smile as I explained my frustration as if to say, “Why were you expecting something different?” While this may seem jaded at first, He has an activist mindset that balanced this view that I have adopted in Ecuador and karma plays a crucial role in this philosophy.

Hanging out at any Expat bar there is a strong urge to become complacent. A temptation to decide that things are going downhill; and nothing short of a revolution or a change in government will reverse the flow of the day’s events. This is the low grumble of the expat’s experience trying to accomplish pretty much anything in Ecuador.

Working and saving money here is hard and to do so one should expect to work more hours, come up with solutions to problems which will not be found elsewhere on the spot and take situations on with the passion of an activist. It is not enough to try to accomplish something and then sit fuming at the end of the day; there is a skill needed to navigate past belittling circumstances and keep moving towards the outcome that yields the most toward the common good.

There is no way to fake this. I have found that taking on the day with as much positive energy that I can muster tapped into the sense of karma that people exercise every day.   The frustrations I face are not mine alone. Despite the language barrier, there is a communal agreement about how things could work for the best. One that keeps things moving ahead despite the pitfalls and hindrances that can seem impassable on your own.

The random acts of kindness from strangers here at crucial times come unexpectedly and are surprising. The man in the corner shop discounts a purchase instead of jacking up the price, the taxi driver who took off with a backpack in his car returns an hour later with it in hand and the owner of the hostel where I was staying lets me pay when I can after someone swiped my bank card. For every complaint that I hear or mutter about the corruption here and the maze of bureaucracy, there seems to be an act of good will or unprecedented kindness that inspires me to keep trying.

It is this spirit of goodwill that I use as a rallying point and have come to see as the source of Ecuador’s resilience. Underneath the compliance within plain view, there are those who question why things turn out the way they do and go out of their way to help things go better. This is the source of the protests around the capital, the outrage over injustice and pleas for help at any given corner.

The Community

“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.” -Margaret Mead

When I first traveled to Ecuador, I was lucky enough to have an artist as my guide to the country.  Her sharp insights into the culture were heartfelt observations, drawn from piercing eyes taking in the landscape in front of her. This experience woke me up from a banal drudgery attributed to boredom in the States. Her expertise came from an upbringing of truth with parents who lived in Latin America for years.  She came to Ecuador to perfect her Spanish and step out of the footsteps and a shadow that spread far and wide.

Her belief in the power of the community won over the most ardent of objectors. From taxi drivers who saw her as a gringa to staunch male Ecuadorians who mistaken assumed that she was willing to endure their advances, my friend defied convention and left them wondering how to right the wrongs that they committed in her eyes.

One of the reasons I moved to Ecuador was the positive reactions that she received while wandering vacant roads and struggling to understand the culture around her. What remains of this experience in present day are the heartfelt efforts of the people of Ecuador towards keeping a community despite influences from the western world and circumstances beyond their control.

Case and point.

Taking a bus in Quito is not the dangerous adventure that most travel guides will lead you to believe. Instead, as I find in any city I visit or live in, it is a glimpse into the conditions of the day. No matter how crowded, there are school kids expectantly waiting for the next amusement, workers hurrying across the city, couples immune to all but each other and older people looking on with disapproving glances.

One occurrence that left me humbled and speechless here provides clear insight into the community which is the beating pulse of Ecuador. I have only experienced this in small communities in Colorado when residents would gather to support those in need of medical support or enduring crisis. Witnessing such compassion in the middle of a sprawling city it a testament to Ecuador’s people and their collective heart.

Sunday nights are a quiet reminder that the city shuts early in Quito. Streets are vacant of all but those with nowhere to go; the tourist district is rife with those looking to steal, and only the sure-footed trust themselves enough to step outside the confines of their houses. It is within these conditions that I found myself on a bus headed from the historic center to the new town.  I was meeting a friend for dinner at a Thai restaurant that has the distinction of being one of the few places open.

I made it past the group of lingering Ecuadorians at the bottom of my steps and found my way to the bus terminal. After boarding a bus filled with similar travelers, I thought myself in luck to have a seat on the fifteen minute journey spanning the main street across town.

Buses in Quito have an unknown element to the States as there is a tradition of salesmanship that jars the senses. People board and announce to the passengers that they are selling oils, candies, greeting cards or trinkets. They hand out samples while making a speech and assertively ask if anyone would like to buy their goods.

The flipside to this is those in need of help. Blind men and women, those with disfigurements and those down on their luck make heartfelt pleas to those in attendance.

Being a shy man in a land where the language and set of everyday circumstances often results in a state of intimidation, I tend to steer away from these people. As I know enough not to give handouts as a rule but care enough to be considerate with my fellow-man, I usually find myself torn when turning away from these situations.

On this particular Sunday night,  I reminisced in mass of my experiences with my passionate friend on my first trip to Ecuador.

A woman younger than me and with the resolve of a saint stood up started making a speech. Her voice quivered with sincerity as she explained with sheepish passion how a loved one had fallen ill and despite her efforts, did not have enough resources to fill the gap toward recovery.

As She talked, the whole bus fell silent, listening attentively to the details as she speaks and collectively feeling her frustration at not only being on the bus, but her struggle to do what was right despite overwhelming circumstances.

The typical procedure in these cases is to hand out candy in return for a quarter. True to the custom, she faithfully handed out sweet snacks to the passengers and not one person turned their heads instead of giving a small token of generosity.

This incident is an example of the community found in Quito. Be it Expats or Ecuadorians, there are moments where the individual appeals for help and the community provides in force. This can be in the form of a bus load of people pitching in to help someone in need or a neighborhood in the Mariscal coming together to fight an onslaught of crime on their streets.

It is this sense of a common good that at once reminds me of Colorado and motivates me toward the future in Ecuador. Just as in Colorado’s small mountain towns, there is a period where newcomers have to prove themselves to the people who make up the community. Being a group of Expats from all different places and backgrounds, there is a standard which needs to be set for the coming events. Those that prove that they have higher aspirations than making a buck, randomly finding something to do or using their circumstances for all that they can, make the cut. Others who fall short receive a reprieve until they figure out their circumstances for the better.

As much as I loved living in Colorado, moving to Ecuador has been an adventure and period of growth where my experiences living all over the states have come together.  Elements from the mountains, the cities where I lived and things that I did for the experience have proved themselves worthwhile.  Living in another culture has its ups and down but is never boring.  The people, friendships that I have made and things that I have learned are unique to an experience which has proved again and again to be far from over.

This post is a few years old.  Between the time of writing and the present, Project DCR has shut its doors.

I urge anyone interested in volunteering at a genuine project of substance working with kids in Ecuador to click on the link and read the article for one reason.  Karin Ernehed.

Karin was a driving force behind Project DCR for the years that She spent there.  She put in countless hours, inspired those around her and made the project work.  After she left in pursuit of a new project, they had a hard time keeping things moving without her.

Karin’s new project is a new school on the coast in Mompiche.  If you are interested in helping, click here for more info.

So when I started this blog, I spent a lot of time doing research about the good travel blogs out there.  Somehow in my search I stumbled upon a pair of panties and boxers.. The site, not the actual items.

This travel blog rocks.  Monica, the author, writes passionately about her travels and features a volunteer organization every Thursday for Do Good Thursday.

Do Good Thursday: Project DCR in Ecuador | A Pair of Panties and Boxers via kwout

I contacted Monica because I wanted to know if she would be interested in featuring Project DCR, the foundation here in Quito that helps street kids get into school, for Do Good Thursday.  She happily agreed to feature Project DCR.  Check out the article, bookmark the site and read my other articles about DCR.  If your interested in helping, get in touch through savvytravellerecuador@gmail.com.

Project DCR, What you can do to help

Project DCR, Overview

 A suprising rule of thumb that I´ve found since I´ve been in Ecuador is that people travelling here tend to find what they are looking for!  After all the worry, the planning, and the stress of making the trip actually happen I´ve seen people arrive in Quito and the circumstances that they find themselves in just happen to include the person that knows the places that they spent hours searching for on the travel forums, a fellow traveller who is going the way that they are, or even showing up at the airport to find someone in the baggage check that is going to the same hostel.

A general example of this is how certain nationalities tend to find each other far away from home.. On Australia Day this year the hostel where I worked was packed with fellow countrymen and women who just heard about the Aussie owners on the road.  At the Irish bar where I´ve spent long hours behind the bar, people stop in and find themselves next to someone who grew up an hour away from their hometown.  Last week at the Canadian owned bar where I currently spend my time working; a man from Canada who had been in town for a week saw the flag, wandered in, and spent hours realizing how much he had in common with the owner!  Small world indeed..

This is not to say that life is without hiccups when travelling but even when things get goofy somehow the global tribe  tends to sort themselves out once the tickets have been bought and the passport has been stamped.

This week I am featuring one member of that tribe who bought a one way ticket to Mexico and has been travelling through the Americas on a round the world trip to find those moments and discover the people and places that she meets on the road.

 Ayngelina packed up shop in Toronto, made a plan without using travel guides, has hit the ground running and is currently travelling with Mr. Bacon, a four-inch tall plastic icon that She has named her blog in honor of!

As you will see from the following interview, Ayngelina know how to travel well.  Her savvy for finding things while she is on the road and her wit in describing the experiences that follow are what I think traveling is all about.  She has just landed in Ecuador for a few weeks and I am seriously waiting for her first post about her experiences here..  They should prove to be interesting, funny, and inspiring!

Q. From reading your blog, Bacon is Magic, I found that you had a lot of experience travelling before deciding to go for it and take a year off for your trip. You quit your job, took a chance that you still had more to discover, and hit the road. Looking back after a few months travelling, what was the most difficult part of getting away?

A.  The hardest part was making the decision to go. For years it was always in the back of my mind but there was always a reason not to go. Once I paid off my student loan I was debt free and I realized all of the reasons were just my fears acting as excuses. But once I decided I plan a financial plan and sticking to it was rather easy

 Q. What’s the route been so far. I know you started in Mexico and played it by ear from there. What’s the most common factor for where you go? Word of mouth? Do you find people who are going your direction and join up for a leg of the journey? Where are a few places that you’ve been that weren’t on the agenda that you wouldn’t have missed?

A. I booked a one-way flight into Mexico and have traveled South through all countries (Guatemala, Belize, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica and Panama) except for El Salvador. While I heard there are beautiful beaches in El Salvador I wasn’t prepared to take the risk on my own. Also, I was only technically in Costa Rica. I passed through in a bus, staying two nights to break up the travel. But it was far too expensive and touristy for this trip.

 I used delicious bookmarks the year prior to leaving and every time I read of something that interested me I bookmarked it for future reference. But I always take recommendations with a grain of salt as travel is so personal. To be honest I don’t have an itinerary at all, often I show up in a place, check my delicious bookmarks and ask other travelers.

To plan something as long as a year I think you could get too wrapped up in the plans if you were so rigid.

Q. It’s obvious to me that you have a sense of humor. What the funniest thing that’s happened so far and biggest surprise?

A. Most of the challenges and humor derive from a language barrier. In university I lived with 5 guys from Mexico doing their PhD and they all spoke English so I naively thought that there would be more English in Mexico.

I quickly realized how wrong I was as I had many funny encounters: In my first week in Mexico I ordered food from an outdoor vendor, he was attempting to ask me where I was sitting so he could bring me the food but I thought he was asking me to dance. Finally someone came over to explain and I felt like an idiot.

In Guatemala with a week of Spanish under my belt I thought I had confidently ordered mayo to come with my french fries, a few minutes later I received chicken fingers.

 I can name countless things like this as I’ve struggled with the language. Fortunately people in Central America have been so kind and patient with me. I’ve been taking classes along the way and am now at an intermediate level and it’s really enhanced the experience.

 Q. I’ve sort of collected good hostels and people who own/run them around Ecuador. I worked at The Secret Garden and volunteered there and we tried to make it a one of a kind place with the talents and help of others who were volunteering. Do you have three hostels that rank on the top of your list? What makes them stand out?

Oh wow. Such a hard question:

Lost and Found Lodge in Panama: While I don’t normally write about where I stay, this was in a cloud forest and it was an amazing experience. Animals everwhere and the owners really care about the community. Many arrive and stay weeks to volunteer.

Hostel Calendaria in Valldolid, Mexico: The cleanest hostel I have ever been in. There is a team of women constantly mopping and cleaning.

Le Sous Bois in Montreal: Not a Central American hostel but whenever I visit Montreal I stay here. It has an amazing atmosphere and is in the heart of Old Montreal.

Q.Your blog covers the practicalities of travelling for a year like saving money and planning without a guidebook. Do you have any tips about spending, finding good spots, or travelling in general from the road?

As for spending I try to get by on $30 a day or $1000 a month and I really haven’t had any issues with that in Central America so fingers crossed for South America. I keep a daily record of what I spend in my journal and some days its over $30 and other times under $30.

I won’t turn something down just because it doesn’t fit in my budget but I am choosy. For example, sailing from Panama City to Cartagena Colombia does not fit under $30 a day but the experience is priceless. I can cut back a little for the next month to make it work.

The most expensive aspect is often the hostel and I generally ask travelers at the current hostel for recommendations, usually a few will quote Lonely Planet’s most popular and more seasoned travelers know cheaper destinations.

Q. Your coming to Ecuador from Columbia on the first of August. What’s on your bucketlist for your time here? Anything planned or have you heard about a must see spot from others who have been here?

This is actually a very important time in my trip as my mother and sister are coming to visit me for two weeks. My sister has only ever been to resorts and my mother has only been to the US and Spain.

Neither have backpacked before but want to join me on my trip which is very brave. We’re still ironing out the kinks but it looks like we’ll be doing a two-week loop which will definitely include Quito, Otavalo and Banos.

I need to do a bit more research though as getting to South America has been monopolizing my time.

One of the more notable aspects is that we’ve chosen not to do the Galapagos Islands. Based on our interests and budget we decided time could be better spent elsewhere.

You can read about Ayngelina´s travels on her blog, Bacon is Magic, which follows her and Mr. Bacon around the world while giving the rest of us time to plan our own trip!

The travel forums are full of people looking for advise on places to go and see in Ecuador.  These  include the Galapagos, the jungle and the coast.  Having travelled a fair amount in the hills, along the beaches and into the jungle, there are at least ten places that I would revisit and a few that I get away to whenever time permits.

Many say that Ecuador reflects the best of travelling in South America since traveling inside the small countries borders one encounters vastly changing terrain.  With the exception of the Galapagos, I’ve put a dent into my list of things to do and places to go.  Here are three that I would return to as they made a lasting impression and there is more to discover there.

1.Vilcabamba

Situated in the southern tip a few hours from the border of Peru, Vilcambamba was a vacation spot for the Inca, home to hippie havens and is presently becoming a retirement spot for people from all over the world.  While the later isn’t exactly smiled upon by the locals there, the spirit of enchantment which hangs in the air admist the towering mountains surrounding the town remains.

The small town’s residents has a reputation for long lives, some say it’s a mineral in the water, others insist that its clean living. Whichever the case there is a vibrant energy to the people there projected in warm smiles.

The idyllic setting, close proximity to Podocarpus National Park and the laid back attitude towards life lures many a traveller into staying at one of the many charming hostels.  Live music fills the air at night and conversations spark between those who have just arrived.  The first time I visited, me and my erstwhile travel companion were invited to a party in the hills outside of town.  The last time I was there I was befriended by a couple from Belgium who were riding across South America by bicycle.  They just got off the road after a few hard, uphill days and we spent the night both cursing and downing pilsner while comparing different aspects of Ecuadorian culture to our own.  Somewhere I still have their blog about their journey which despite being in another language, is an inspiring reminder of what people can accomplish.

How to Get There

From Loja, busses leave frequently during the day.  At night, there are taxis who cover the hour journey for reasonable rates, about thirty dollars.  I caught a ride back to Loja once with a good Samaritan who helped us after we missed the last bus.

Where to Stay

While many I know swear by Hostel Izhcayluma, I like The Hidden Garden. It’s close to the main square, has a great outdoor garden which includes a pool and hotub and the food is good.  On weekends there is live music.  Private rooms are bright and have amazing showers with piping hot water.

2.Napo Wildlife Center

Any search on Napo will give you a spattering of reviews saying that it’s the best in Ecuador.. I find that hard to disagree with.  But besides the remote setting, two hours up a tributary by canoe after a motor boat ride down from Coca, the mission of the place sold me outright.

Instead of selling their land to the might oil company, the community which owns it decided to build a lodge.  That they did.  Set on a tranquil lagoon alive with monkeys, otters, strange and exotic bird sounds and brimming with movement, the collection of thatched cabins are out of a movie.  Imagine the Swiss Family Robinson with room service.

The guides spent every minute of their time when working and relaxing pointing out the myriad of creatures around us.  At lunch one day, they hurried us to the edge of the property where a gang of monkeys were plating hide and seek with all the camera laden guests.  The staff went out of their way to be helpful and accommodating to both the adults and my three favorite heroes in this world, my nieces and nephew.  The smallest of which was one and a half.  (For the record, she arguable had the best time.. Falling asleep when bored and laughing hysterically when animals came into sight.)

Our guide was on his second to last trip, having joined the lodge in order to train the members of the community.  He decided that his job was finished and wanted to let the community get more involved.  That’s the level of commitment that the lodge inspires.

We stayed a total of three days and left feeling like we just saw the tip of the iceberg.  I wouldn’t hesitate to go back and spend more time discovering the many animals that call the Napo home.

3.Otavalo

A mainstay on any travellers itinerary for the blocks of stalls spread out through the city nestled between mountain peaks, this prosperous town boasts a stunning history.  Originally the textiles being sold were started by the Spanish, setting up factories and haciendas while forcing the indigenous people of the region to work in slave like conditions.  After Ecuador´s independence, these conditions remained until tourism in the sixties made it possible for a reprieve.  The indigenous people started selling their wares for themselves and today the region is seen as one of the wealthiest in Ecuador. 

Apart from the colorful blankets, the jewelery, the clothes and the thousands of knick knacks, I go to Otavalo to relax.  The hills surrounding the town, the many hikes to lagoons and mountain peaks and the peaceful ambiance are a welcome retreat from the hustle and bustle of Quito.  A short taxi ride from town takes one to La Luna, a tranquil hostel nestled in the hills with private rooms, fireplaces, a great view of the valley and good food.  The owners, English and Ecuadorian, maintain a low-key approach to running a hostel and laying in a hammock reading a book is the perfect counter balance to the frenzy of the market and of Quito.

I’ve been writing about a volunteer/adventure travel trip to the Galapagos for a while as I think it is a great way to explore the islands from a different, more adventurous perspective.

If you search this site, you will find a few attempts to give it the attention I think it needs as there are a lot of people trying to get you to spend your time there with their tours or companies.

I recently wrote an article about the trip, which is run by a company called Lead-Adventures.  Click the picture above to see how it turned out.

One note.. It lists my email address with Lead-Adventures for contact.  This was supposed to read that if people sign up through me, they will be also helping a foundation in Quito called Project DCR by doing so.  I made a special arrangement with Lead so that money directed my way for signing people up goes to the foundation which helps street kids in Quito get ready to re-enter the public school system. 

You can find out more about Project DCR on this site as well.  If your interested in volunteering with them, they require three months of your time and are great to work with.  Contact me for details.

I´ve been writing articles here and there for different travel sites as a way to get the word out about some really cool people and places in Ecuador.  I focus on people who I know who are continually coming up with new things or have been here for years and are still going strong.  Hopefully they help people who are headed this way as guidebooks often get things wrong and they are dated even if it´s a recent edition.  Click the screenshot to read about Canoa, The Surf Shak and the Betty Surf and Yoga camp!