Ecuador's Amazon Basin Adventure Dispatch

December 17, 2008 – Amazing First Day in the Amazon

When we arrived at our lodge we were given a reception by Fausto, the resort‘s manager from Quito, and one of the local owners of this property, Miguel. We were indeed impressed by the motivations and the standards of this place; it truly seems to be an “Eco Lodge”.

Miguel is of Kichwa heritage. He explained to us that his people have stopped the trade in animals from the forest and are now seeking to support themselves with completely sustainable methods that do not impact the ecology. All our food is brought by plane and boat from Quito as there is no farming in Yansuni National Park. Also, to preserve the waters of Napo River, there are no motorboats allowed in water, only paddle canoes. The peaceful sound of the paddles in the still water, our cameras clicking and the guides whispering descriptions were the only human noises that were made as we approached the lodge.

Robby, our naturalist guide explained that the Kichwa people, who came to settle in the Amazon after the incursion of the Spanish in the Andes 500 years ago and who are descendants of the Incas, are the newest of the “native” groups who live in the Andes. There are at least 8 other ethnic groups who have lived within the National Park for thousands of years. There has always been commerce and exchange between different cultures in Ecuador and the Kichwa people but it is intriguing to think that far into the forests around us there are people living a much more “primitive” lifestyle than the people of this community. The preservation of these small groups of people is as important, and perhaps more important than the preservation of the flora and fauna of the Amazon.

We went for a hike this morning and after a while we stopped at an observation platform rising more that 40 meters into the canopy of the forest. We went up to view the life in a Kapok Tree, one of the giants of the Amazon. Kapok trees can grow to 65 meters in height, and each one is an eco system in itself. One Kapok tree in the Amazon can be the home to as many as 44 species of ants! From the top of the platform we used spotting scopes to view the colorful and amazing array of life around us. Among the many birds were some colorful Toucans, brilliant butterflies and magnificent flowers all around.

We hiked back from the platform in the late morning, just before the midday heat set in. We used our canoe to cross the lagoon to the lodge and then discovered a nice tradition here. Marcello, the bartender, met us on the dock with glasses of cold fruit juice upon are arrival! This wonderful tradition is something that we can definitely get used to! After our juice we went swimming in the surprisingly cool lake. The water on the surface is heated by the sun, but only a couple of feet down it becomes very cool.

After a great lunch and a midday siesta, we went back out in the evening in our canoe. As the evening turned to darkness along the waterways of the jungle we stopped watching the many species of monkeys and then started checking out the eyes that were along the banks of the rivers with our headlamps. They often turned out to be the eyes of Cayman, the small alligators that are native to this part of the Amazon.

It was an amazing first day of our jungle adventure! We love the routines here and are looking forward to the coming days of exploration.