Reserva Biologica Guandera

---

The Guandera Biological Station was established in 1994 and is situated in the northern inter-Andean valley of Ecuador, near the town San Gabriel. The station is managed by the Jatun Sacha Foundation and its dedicated manager, Don José. Guandera is a unique place on the globe and has been classified as a primary hotspot for conservation. Nowhere else in Ecuador live the mysterious huge Guandera trees (up to 30m) which grow roots from top to bottom. Also, Guandera is just one of two places in Ecuador where the incredible frailejones grow. And there are millions and millions and millions of them, it is so amazing. When the sun shines on them it looks like millions of shining stars or sparklers or Christmas straw stars.

I stayed a few days and went on a couple of walks with Don José and Kathleen, a volunteer from Idaho. It was beautiful with all the orchids and bromeliads and Guandera trees in the forest, but what really enchanted me was the paramo with the frailejones. On the second hike we went up to devil's nose, a mountain at nearly 4000m, behind an amazing canyon. Unfortunately on top it was raining, so we didn't have such a great view.

The one mistake I made was not to bring rubber boots. As it had been raining a lot lately here (haha, any news in Ecuador?), everything was muddy, more muddy than in any other place I had been before. Not too good for my expensive leather boots which were constantly filled with water and now have a disgusting smell that doesn't seem to leave them any more...yak...

---