Quito area, Ecuador. Hummingbirds, roses and hike. 10th May 2017

Wednesday 10^th May 2017

Quito area. Unfortunately pouring with rain which put paid to the 15km hike which Tomaz had planned. Secretly pleased, as the ground was sodden and it was ‘Equatorial Flat’ i.e. up and down some serious hill/mountainsides.  With the Galapagos in sight, I didn’t want injuries or soaked clothing in ‘left luggage’ for a week.  Instead we went to a Hummingbird centre where hundreds of different varieties were supping a sweet liquid, only feet from us.  Diane and Terry braved an hour hiking in the pouring rain. We stayed watching birds under cover, and having hot tea next to a wood fire.  The lunch (nose) bag was a fabulous huge sandwich with multi-slices of meat and salad. Very tasty.

Visited a rose distributor where we saw hundreds of roses boxed up ready for sending abroad. Beautiful perfect roses with 3foot long stems (Russian market like them long for some reason) were selected, de-thorned and packaged in what appeared to be a small family-run outfit.  Roses are one of the main exports for Equador (Oil first, then tuna, bananas and coffee).

The rain eased a little and I decided to get wet and brave an afternoon walk with Tomaz, Diane and Terry.  As luck would have it, the clouds cleared and it started to get quite hot! Walked to the Lagunas de Banos, at altitude of 3800metres – a lovely waterfall and then tried to reach the mountain lakes until mud stopped us.

Back to Quito, staying at the Posada Mirolindo Hotel, a hacienda outside of town, but 15 mins from the airport. Lovely little walled homestead with llama, chickens, donkey and their own veggie patches.  Very friendly and allowed Gunna and crew to leave their luggage there whilst they went on the Galapagos boat trip.

Equator Line. Otavalo, Ecuador. 9th May 2017

Tuesday 9^th May 2017

Equator. Otavalo

Drove through Ecuador. Very green mountainous countryside with views of the base of volcanos, masked by cloud.  Stopped off at the Equator for the usual touristy pictures of feet either side of the northern and southern hemisphere.  Given an interesting talk about the location of ancient buildings, placed exactly on the location of the rising sun at the spring and autumn equinox. The ancient civilisations clearly were very advanced in their thinking. Also the churches in Quito, which were all built over the original temples, all line up to match the summer solstice.  We bought a dvd explaining the science, including the links to the star systems of the hemispheres.

I used the banos and tried the Coriolis Effect (see whether the water would drain counterclockwise, clockwise or straight down).  It went straight down, but that was probably just the design of the sink. Had to be done!

On to Otavalo for some serious shopping.  This town was never conquered and managed to keep its artisan roots.  En-route we stopped off for some coffees and the Ecuadorian version of biscotti.  Then an entrepreneurial lady boarded the bus, explained her dress and different ways to wear her shawl (usual thing that different styles for single or married). After a short song, she then produced a couple of bags of scarfs and pashminas and sold a batch to us all as the bus continued its route.  We dropped her off at the next town – great way to do business.  Once at Otavalo, we all disappeared into a lovely big market full of textiles and crafts. After some haggling I managed to buy a couple of tablecloths and a pashmina.

We then continued to Cotacachi, a town known for its leather-work.  As soon as we left the bus we were accosted by a man selling belts and Iain bought a couple.  We wandered through town through a batch of shops selling bags, jackets, saddles, shoes etc and bought some more bits for souvenirs.  Belts only cost $8. After an exhausting days’ shopping we found a café selling beers and indulged.

Stayed at Hacienda Pinsaqui, a family-run historical building, where Simon Bolivar had stayed (in Ed and Jude’s room).  Our room had a huge window which was popping out and seemed to be more at home on HMS Victory.  It was also on three levels with an ancient bathroom (free standing bath) on the lower level and a small single bed loft.  I liked the old rooms and open wood fireplaces, Iain hated it!  We had a welcome meeting in the old stables with cheese nibbles and a cocktail, entertained by five guys wearing the traditional white trousers and shirts and white shoes, playing guitars, pan pipes and unfortunately a recorder.  They were pretty average and failed miserably in selling any CDs.  The owner gave a little speech of welcome then we all trooped into dinner. Although a very posh hotel, our meal of pork in traditional spices was quite dry. Soup of sweet potato, with avocado and cheese was nice.

A nice bonus was that we had hotwater bottles put into the bed, as it was quite cold (still at altitude).

Return from Amazon to Quito. 8th May 2017

Monday 8^th May 2017

Return from Amazon to Quito

An earlyish start – left at 8am for the paddle then motorised canoe, this time against the current.  We were issued with rubberised ponchos for the trip.  Unfortunately it was hammering down with rain, and with no sides to the boat, the seats got wet and even with the ponchos, we were soaked.  Law of averages, we were lucky to have got away with such lovely weather in the rain forest.  After a couple of hours we finally arrived in Coca and changed clothes in the tour office. A private minibus took us back to Quito and the Hotel Reine Isabel, who had kindly looked after our main bags for a few days.  We located a launderette just around the corner and deposited a couple of bags of smelly clothes which they washed and dried for just $4 (about the same price as one pair of shorts at hotel launderette prices). Finding a launderette anyway is a major luxury!!  We were also broke so found an ATM to get sufficient money for the Galapagos, including the $200 park fees. Feeling noble having done our chores, we had a beer at a local café and I had a full manicure for the grand total of $4. 

Met up with Ed and Jude and went for a wander, but found that most of the town had closed (found later than restaurants close on Mondays!).  Therefore settled for a pizza.

Coca – Orellana Province and Sucumbios Province. Meet indiginous community. 7th May

Sunday 7^th May 2017

Coca – Orellana Province and Sucumbios Province.

La Selva Lodge

Another 5.30am start, this time to paddle up the river, then motorised canoe, to see the clay lick.  This occurred where a part of the bank had collapsed to reveal a cliff of clay, a magnet for parrots and macaws.  They are fairly safe from anacondas and eagles, so use the area as a ‘parrot facebook’ to meet up in the mornings, catch up on gossip, and nibble the clay which is full of vital minerals.  This only lasts about an hour, hence the early start, then they all disappear to their own patch.  Hundreds of parrots descended to give us a show.

We then continued up-river to visit a local indigenous community.  A Ketchewan-speaking native, Marta, gave us a lovely welcome and showed us around her village – school, community centre, elders house, all surrounding a very boggy football pitch (everyone in South America seems to be fixated with football).  Then she showed us various plants which were used for medicinal purposes, as well as eating, and how to plant Yucca/cassava.  The piece de resistance was using a blow pipe to spear a guava, including some arrows laced with kurari poison!  Iain and I had a go and managed to kill the guava which didn’t put up much of a battle. Diane became Queen of the Jungle with a hand-weaved crown and some make-up made from a small hairy fruit!   We were then shown the kitchen area where plantains and corn were being cooked, and given a bowl of chichi and small plate of local foods including catfish. Quite tasty.  They had various handmade jewellery for sale but nothing that would stand the test of use in our world.

Back to the Lodge for lunch and more fishing for piranha and a swim.  Ed, Jude and I decided to indulge in a bit of yoga which was very odd. Luckily she didn’t make us do a mantra, but lots of deep breathing and ‘I am’ repetition. We tried not to laugh, but after some stretching we proved how relaxed we were by all falling asleep in the middle of her lesson!  Oops.

Late afternoon we went for another walk through the jungle and then met up with our canoe for a paddle around the lake and up river, but again we failed to find any sloths. However the monkeys came out again for some entertainment and lots of lovely birds.  This time I took a go-pro video of the jungle scenery.

Back for some pre-dinner drinkies and a cocktail supplied by the hotel.  Another lovely 3x course dinner with the whole dining room to ourselves. Caught up with the intermittent wifi access.

Packed.

Coca – Swim with Piranhas! La Selva Amazon Lodge 6th May 2017

Saturday 6^th May 2017

Coca – La Selva Amazon Lodge

Up very early – 5.30 start for breakfast, then donned our Wellies, and went for another walk through the jungle to eventually reach a clearing with an enormous Kapok tree. Next to the tree was a metal staircase which worked its way around the branches to a platform right up in the canopy. From there we spent a couple of hours armed with our binoculars and Jairo’s telescope to spot all varieties of birds and a troupe of monkeys. 

Once back at the Lodge we all messed around doing various activities.  Jude and I went for a swim in the lake – surprising warm, but with hot patches then very cold sections – like a thermal reaction for some reason.  Iain and I then took a canoe around the lake to explore the surrounds – lots of turtle basking in the sun on low branches, smelly turkeys, and lovely scenery.

Back for a three-course lunch made by an excellent chef, then the rest of the hotel guests disappeared and we had the whole place to ourselves for the remainder of the stay!  Seriously pampered service!  The afternoon was very hot and humid, so we swam again then entertained ourselves fishing for piranha in the same lake where we’d just been swimming!  Iain caught a large sardine, Gunna a large piranha and Terry caught the majority of fish.  I caught nothing but managed to feed the contents of the lake with my raw red-meat bait which was nibbled off as soon as it went in the water!

Another canoe ride up the river and we were lucky enough to see a troupe of monkeys leaping around the trees and eating any fruit in sight.

Over dinner it started to rain so we had a few drinks expecting the evening canoe ride to be cancelled.  It wasn’t, so in the drizzle, we started off on a 10person canoe – very wobbly and not helped by the wine we’d consumed. Also no life jackets so not the most sensible decision.   We were paddled around and saw lots of swifts and some bats, but not much else. No sign of any sloths. The rain got a little heavier so we called an early halt.

Quito to Coca. La Selva Amazon Lodge 5th May 2017

Friday 5^th May 2017

Quito to Coca.

Flight to Coca, then bus to the shore where boarded a large motorised ‘canoe’ style boat. Fast trip down the Napo River, with the current, avoiding all the sand banks and pieces of floating detritus from fallen trees and river bank.  After a couple of hours, walked across a piece of land to a parallel river/lake system. This time we had a smaller canoe, hand paddled through a beautiful winding river, narrowly missing the banks either side. Eventually made it to our private lake belonging to the La Selva Amazon Lodge.

The Lodge was an eco-lodge, so we had a briefing on trying to conserve the environment as well as a talk about the Amazon basin (enormous – the USA would fit into it completely). Then after being supplied with Wellie Boots, we went off for an evening walk through the jungle with our guide Jairo (pronounced Hyro) and Hose, an indigenous guide.  Most of the flora/fauna they picked out, we would have completely missed.  Cicadas that looked like leaves, praying mantis, frogs and toads etc.  Also weird fungus that get ingested by small insects then act as an hallucinogen eventually making the insect climb to a high point before killing them and using the carcass as a basis for growing.  Yuck.

Very nice dinner on our return – three courses after Ecuatorian Caipirinhas. Our room was just outside the restaurant area, past a tree with a large tarantula as resident host.

Banos to Quito, Ecuador. 4th May 2017

Thursday 4^th May 2017

Banos to Quito

9am start with private minibus driven by Lenin (this is a Socialist country after all !). Driven through very agricultural area with most pieces of land covered with sugar and banana plantations as well as fruit trees and vegetables. All surrounded by volcanos and mountainside. Very picturesque, but unfortunately they’ve removed lots of forest in order to maximise the farming.  About 30 km from Quito we ground to a halt with part of the fan-belt disappearing.  Used opportunity to catch up on blog while they sent a replacement vehicle.

Eventually arrived in Quito, booking into the Hotel Reina Isabel.  Quite good location with lots of cafes, hotels and small shops.  All the gang went for a walk into the old part of town.  Very large city, buzzing with usual food and trinket sellers through the park.  The cathedral was massive and seemed to be in three sections. I quite liked the outside stone carvings – instead of usual angels, it had different jungle animals.  Otherwise, they charged $2 entry fee, as did all of the churches in Quito.  Iain didn’t bother – all Churched out.  Gunna found a nice little café opposite, so we indulged in a late lunch of mixed churasco and some dodgy wine which they found lurking in a cupboard somewhere.   On way back, Iain and I wandered into some music shops and I managed to stop him buying a charanga (small Andean guitar with 5x double strings like a lute, with an armadillo as the ‘box’!). Not sure that customs or my ears would stand it.