Blogs from East, Ecuador, South America - page 8

As I whizzed through an efficient border crossing and was greeted by smiley people at every stop on the bus to Quito, selling everything from hamburgers to cancer-curing pills, I had a feeling I was going to like Ecuador. Unfortuntaley, this first impression was quickly ruined on my first attempt at exploring Quito´s old town the following day. Out of nowhere, a bucket of poo (yes, actual poo, as in human faceas - maybe mixed with vomit and water for a runny effect) was thrown over me and my friend. Utterly shocked and completely baffled, we stood looking bewildered, quickly pulling out tissues from my bag to try and clean up the siutuation. In an instant, a kind Ecaudorian man with some tissue came to our rescue and as he pointed at a place we could ... read more

When I went to the jungle for a week, I hit right in the middle of the “love” season. It was the wet season and therefor reproduction time. I guess that is why I did not see too many animals, as public displays are prohibited by law and even the animals respect that ;) I stayed in a simple lodge by a river. Rivers here are the roads of the jungle. My hut was open to all sides of the forest and at night it was pitchblach and the sounds of the Amazon were overwhelming! You just lie under your mosquito net and listen to the sounds and try to figure out if they were love calls or cries of life and death…but in the end, even I had a dream of being pregnant, it really ... read more

Buenos dias! Alicja here. We have spent the past week in the Ecuadorean Amazon Rainforest, which was the most thrilling part of our trip so far! On the Monday, we took a flight from Quito to Coca, and then took a 3 hour boat to the jungle, and another 1 hour canoe to our hotel, which was a traditional lodge made of bamboo. After we had settled in, we went for a walk in the jungle with Lindsay and Leah (also in our group), our tour guide, Jorge, and our native guide (Pajarito, it means little bird) who could spot a camouflaged frog in the dark ten meters away! Later in the evening after dinner we went on a canoe on the river to spot Caymen. We didn't manage to spot any that night but ... read more

According to the website of the Jatun Sacha Foundation their Amazonian reserve is situated at: The southern bank of the Upper Napo River, at an altitude of 450 meters above sea level, at 1º 04' S, 77º 36' W, in the Napo Province of Ecuador. This is the edge of Amazonia and was our chance to complete some volunteer work in an area that was always an ambition to visit. Ants, termites, butterflies, bugs and birds are abundant visitors and easy to see each day during the volunteer activities. Humidity and rain were constant companions during our month long stay in this ecological hotspot. During your time as a volunteer, you will assist with reforestation and learn about the forest. You might be able to teach English and will enhance your Spanish. You will almost definitely ... read more

I´ve now completed my four weeks in the Amazon Rainforest. It is a tragic story here in one of the most biodiverse places in the world. Continuing deforestation and segmentation of the rainforest in these areas make a bleak future for the rainforest. There has been an airport built near the Jatun Sacha Amazon station. This is between this reserve and another one. Air and noise pollution, road expansion and increase in tourism will deteriorate this unique environment. Simulation studies have shown that this will decrease the population of sensitive bird, vegetation and other species. Unfortunately, the support of the local community was bought out by developers. The money was not wisely invested as education is lacking in these areas. Many of the property owners bought out spent the money on fancy vehicles or celebrated until ... read more