Showing posts with label Life in Quito. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Life in Quito. Show all posts
Wednesday, May 4, 2011
Monday, May 2, 2011
Our Week of Fun!
We're back from a whirlwind tour of the South of Ecuador! We left Sunday morning (Ryan's Birthday) and took the bus to Ambato. We wanted to eat the traditional dish from Ambato but it was late and we ended up eating chicken and rice. Then we hopped on the overnight to Cuenca.
We arrived in Cuenca Monday morning around 5am. We were tired, hungry and crabby. We navigated to the hostel but it was 5am and so we crashed on some couches in the living room until around 8. Then we spent the day exploring about 50 churches and museums in Cuenca. We went out for dinner and then back to the hostel for the night.
Tuesday morning we got up and got ourselves together and left for Loja. We didn't really spend any time in Loja, just changed buses to Vilcabamba. We arrived in Vilcabamba around 6 and had dinner in the little town. We decided to splurge and stay at a more expensive place outside of town. IT WAS AMAZING. We were really sad to leave Vilcambamba. So we got to the place and crashed. Then Wednesday we got up and hung around the hotel for a while until about 10:30, when we checked out and got ready for a nice 4 hour hike on the ridge line. Well the first couple of hours of the hike were great but then we got extremely lost. We ended up hiking for something like 6 hours, not on any particular path. In fact a machete would have been nice to create a path. Anyways, there was a while when I was pretty sure we might not make it off the mountain by nightfall but then we did and it was fun, when it stopped being scary. After the craziness of the hike we decided to stay another night at the nice hotel and have a big meal with wine! Which is exactly what we did. We made friends with a Dutch couple and spent the night eating, drinking and chatting with them. There was a bonfire and a sunset and just general merry making. Then on Thursday we got up and... get this... got massages! 75 minutes for $18. One of the best massages I've had. Still doesn't beat the little lady is Martinique but pretty amazing. We went swimming, laid out by the pool, played chess, ate dinner and then left again for Loja and another bus around 8pm. We went back to Loja and caught the overnight to Guayaquil.
Friday morning we arrived in Guayaquil around 6am and then changed buses to get to the beach. We arrived at the beach around 10 and found a place outside of town to stay. Montanita is a crazy beach town with infastructure, which is nice, but it is pretty loud at night so it was a great relief to not be staying in town. We walked around a bit, ate, and then napped. After our nap we did what everyone does at the beach... nothing. We walked a bit, sat on the beach, swam, you know. We were exhausted and so we made dinner at the hostel and went to bed early.
Saturday Ryan had an upset stomach so I spent a good part of the day on the beach by myself and walking around town picking up things he wanted (bread, pepto, water, etc). I got a nice little sunburn but of course went back for more! Saturday night we watched an AMAZING sunset. The kind where you see the sun as a big red circle sinking into the water. It was pretty awesome! We had some snacks on the beach and then went back to shower and get ready for dinner. We went out for dinner to a delicious italian place. I had linguini with all different fresh seafood and Ryan had ravioli with seafood. It was yummy!
Sunday we got up and went to buy our bus tickets in the morning but they were all booked for the day. EEKS! The bus guy told us we could just keep hopping city buses until we eventually got to Guayaquil, which was really our only option because we had to be back today so we can take Chuki to the vet and the airport. But that didn't matter because we had SURF LESSONS to deal with first. We've learned a lot of things in Ecuador and now we can add surfing to the list! IT WAS SO FUN! Seriously so fun! We both managed to surf! We need lots of practice but now we know how you do it. I can't wait till the next time we're at a beach and we can rent surfboards! Let me just say this, it's exhausting! I understand why surfers usually have great arms and why they only go out for like 30 minutes at a time. After our surf lesson we went back to the hostel, packed up, showered, and feasted! We had bought a pound of fresh shrimp and one side of a tuna fish the day before and we were going to have both for lunch! We made rice with cilantro, a big salad, shrimp in garlic and seared tuna steaks with cilantro. It was SO good and SO much food. We put what we couldn't eat in a bag and gave it to one of the million dogs roaming around Montanita. After lunch we cleaned up and headed to the bus station. It was great because there was like a minibus (15 passenger thing) that had two more seats to fill. We threw our bags on top, hopped in, and off we went. Then we got the 7:30 night bus from Guayaquil to Quito and we were home in our own 'bed' (read : super thin mattress on the floor) by 3am.
It was a great trip! Lots of fun! More to come but first, we've got so much to do! Pack, take care of Chuki, sell the rest of our things, celebrate Ryan's birthday/going away with our friends, shop, go to the park, stop by one last time at inlingua, etc!
We arrived in Cuenca Monday morning around 5am. We were tired, hungry and crabby. We navigated to the hostel but it was 5am and so we crashed on some couches in the living room until around 8. Then we spent the day exploring about 50 churches and museums in Cuenca. We went out for dinner and then back to the hostel for the night.
Tuesday morning we got up and got ourselves together and left for Loja. We didn't really spend any time in Loja, just changed buses to Vilcabamba. We arrived in Vilcabamba around 6 and had dinner in the little town. We decided to splurge and stay at a more expensive place outside of town. IT WAS AMAZING. We were really sad to leave Vilcambamba. So we got to the place and crashed. Then Wednesday we got up and hung around the hotel for a while until about 10:30, when we checked out and got ready for a nice 4 hour hike on the ridge line. Well the first couple of hours of the hike were great but then we got extremely lost. We ended up hiking for something like 6 hours, not on any particular path. In fact a machete would have been nice to create a path. Anyways, there was a while when I was pretty sure we might not make it off the mountain by nightfall but then we did and it was fun, when it stopped being scary. After the craziness of the hike we decided to stay another night at the nice hotel and have a big meal with wine! Which is exactly what we did. We made friends with a Dutch couple and spent the night eating, drinking and chatting with them. There was a bonfire and a sunset and just general merry making. Then on Thursday we got up and... get this... got massages! 75 minutes for $18. One of the best massages I've had. Still doesn't beat the little lady is Martinique but pretty amazing. We went swimming, laid out by the pool, played chess, ate dinner and then left again for Loja and another bus around 8pm. We went back to Loja and caught the overnight to Guayaquil.
Friday morning we arrived in Guayaquil around 6am and then changed buses to get to the beach. We arrived at the beach around 10 and found a place outside of town to stay. Montanita is a crazy beach town with infastructure, which is nice, but it is pretty loud at night so it was a great relief to not be staying in town. We walked around a bit, ate, and then napped. After our nap we did what everyone does at the beach... nothing. We walked a bit, sat on the beach, swam, you know. We were exhausted and so we made dinner at the hostel and went to bed early.
Saturday Ryan had an upset stomach so I spent a good part of the day on the beach by myself and walking around town picking up things he wanted (bread, pepto, water, etc). I got a nice little sunburn but of course went back for more! Saturday night we watched an AMAZING sunset. The kind where you see the sun as a big red circle sinking into the water. It was pretty awesome! We had some snacks on the beach and then went back to shower and get ready for dinner. We went out for dinner to a delicious italian place. I had linguini with all different fresh seafood and Ryan had ravioli with seafood. It was yummy!
Sunday we got up and went to buy our bus tickets in the morning but they were all booked for the day. EEKS! The bus guy told us we could just keep hopping city buses until we eventually got to Guayaquil, which was really our only option because we had to be back today so we can take Chuki to the vet and the airport. But that didn't matter because we had SURF LESSONS to deal with first. We've learned a lot of things in Ecuador and now we can add surfing to the list! IT WAS SO FUN! Seriously so fun! We both managed to surf! We need lots of practice but now we know how you do it. I can't wait till the next time we're at a beach and we can rent surfboards! Let me just say this, it's exhausting! I understand why surfers usually have great arms and why they only go out for like 30 minutes at a time. After our surf lesson we went back to the hostel, packed up, showered, and feasted! We had bought a pound of fresh shrimp and one side of a tuna fish the day before and we were going to have both for lunch! We made rice with cilantro, a big salad, shrimp in garlic and seared tuna steaks with cilantro. It was SO good and SO much food. We put what we couldn't eat in a bag and gave it to one of the million dogs roaming around Montanita. After lunch we cleaned up and headed to the bus station. It was great because there was like a minibus (15 passenger thing) that had two more seats to fill. We threw our bags on top, hopped in, and off we went. Then we got the 7:30 night bus from Guayaquil to Quito and we were home in our own 'bed' (read : super thin mattress on the floor) by 3am.
It was a great trip! Lots of fun! More to come but first, we've got so much to do! Pack, take care of Chuki, sell the rest of our things, celebrate Ryan's birthday/going away with our friends, shop, go to the park, stop by one last time at inlingua, etc!
Sunday, April 24, 2011
Traveling
Sorry there haven't been many/any updates as of late. We've been traveling and busy finalizing things here. Since the last update we've...
-Sold most of our belongings. We still need to sell baking trays, cutting boards,glasses, a vase, two pitchers, some tupperware, the coffee pot, a french press, an electric griddle, pots, a small desk, a small bed, two plastic shelve things, a side table and a tv stand. It sounds like a lot, but considering that we're selling all of it for around $100, it's not that much.
-Gone to the jungle. We spent four days in the Amazon. THE. AMAZON. It was pretty great! They had had a lot of rain lately so everything was luscious and green. We saw lots of birds, some snakes, lots of bugs, lots of monkeys, some caimans, spiders, and more. We went to a native community and made yuca bread. We saw a shaman. We spent a lot of time riding around in boats.
-Climbed Cotopaxi. Well we didn't actually summit but we got pretty darn close. The way was impassable. Well, probably not impassable but there was a high chance you would die doing it, so we decided not to. It was the hardest thing I've ever done. The half marathon didn't even compare and I don't think the full marathon will either. This mountain is famous because it's a perfect cone and we basically just chose a side and climbed up the cone. UP. Straight UP. We spent the night in the refuge, not sleeping, so we were exhausted from the start. After about an hour and a half I didn't think I could go anymore. 4 hours later we sat and watched the sun rise just below the summit. We had to get going before the sun was completely up because there was a fear that the sun might melt some of the passes we had crazily gone over. It was crazy and if I hadn't been so tired and it hadn't been so dark I probably would have said I wasn't going to keep going. But I did and I'm impressed no one got hurt. With all of that said, it was SO fun and there's a chance I might even try it again.
-Celebrated a birthday. Well, actually we're celebrating it today. Ryan turns the big 25 today! We'll be celebrating by packing up and heading out on a week long trek across Ecuador, to the south first and then to the beach.
We probably won't write while we're gone. Check facebook for photos. I'll upload some to the blog once were home, but that will be a while.
MULUB,
Taylor
-Sold most of our belongings. We still need to sell baking trays, cutting boards,
-Gone to the jungle. We spent four days in the Amazon. THE. AMAZON. It was pretty great! They had had a lot of rain lately so everything was luscious and green. We saw lots of birds, some snakes, lots of bugs, lots of monkeys, some caimans, spiders, and more. We went to a native community and made yuca bread. We saw a shaman. We spent a lot of time riding around in boats.
-Climbed Cotopaxi. Well we didn't actually summit but we got pretty darn close. The way was impassable. Well, probably not impassable but there was a high chance you would die doing it, so we decided not to. It was the hardest thing I've ever done. The half marathon didn't even compare and I don't think the full marathon will either. This mountain is famous because it's a perfect cone and we basically just chose a side and climbed up the cone. UP. Straight UP. We spent the night in the refuge, not sleeping, so we were exhausted from the start. After about an hour and a half I didn't think I could go anymore. 4 hours later we sat and watched the sun rise just below the summit. We had to get going before the sun was completely up because there was a fear that the sun might melt some of the passes we had crazily gone over. It was crazy and if I hadn't been so tired and it hadn't been so dark I probably would have said I wasn't going to keep going. But I did and I'm impressed no one got hurt. With all of that said, it was SO fun and there's a chance I might even try it again.
-Celebrated a birthday. Well, actually we're celebrating it today. Ryan turns the big 25 today! We'll be celebrating by packing up and heading out on a week long trek across Ecuador, to the south first and then to the beach.
We probably won't write while we're gone. Check facebook for photos. I'll upload some to the blog once were home, but that will be a while.
MULUB,
Taylor
Friday, April 15, 2011
This and that
Our friends, Grant, Pablo and Eddie, came last night to take the desk, the couch, a set of plates and all of the kitchen utensils.
There are two other projects that I want to do in the apartment (fix the hinges of the door and fix the window that Chuki broke). But Ryan thinks we don't need to because she (the landlady from you know were) has $400 to pay for all of that.
Today is our last day of class! We have to go into inlingua this afternoon and drop off books and reports.
Tonight we're going to a dinner party. Tomorrow we're going to Otavalo. Sunday we're hiking to the refuge at Cayambe. Then Sunday night we're off to the jungle.
We're watching an insane amount of LOST. We're halfway through Season 5. WHAT? We just started watching Season 3 a couple of weeks ago. We're lame, we know.
MULUB,
Taylor
We noticed under the couch that there are some scratches in the wood floor. Any ideas on how to remove them? I'm going to see if I can find some wood polish at Megamaxi today. Wish me luck!
There are two other projects that I want to do in the apartment (fix the hinges of the door and fix the window that Chuki broke). But Ryan thinks we don't need to because she (the landlady from you know were) has $400 to pay for all of that.
Today is our last day of class! We have to go into inlingua this afternoon and drop off books and reports.
Tonight we're going to a dinner party. Tomorrow we're going to Otavalo. Sunday we're hiking to the refuge at Cayambe. Then Sunday night we're off to the jungle.
We're watching an insane amount of LOST. We're halfway through Season 5. WHAT? We just started watching Season 3 a couple of weeks ago. We're lame, we know.
MULUB,
Taylor
Thursday, April 14, 2011
What's in Your Pack?
So we've been hiking these last two weekend and it's been fabulous. I could go on for ages (and I might in a later post) about all of my gear envy and ESPECIALLY my camera envy that I've been having within our hiking group. But I won't do that right now. Right now, I thought you might want to know what we take with us in our packs. Usually when we're just hiking in Metropolitano, or taking a pack for a day trip, we share one. There's no use in both of us carrying a 1/2 full pack. But yesterday when we hiked Illinizas we both took our own because we needed a little more stuff. So without further a do...
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| Ryan's Pack |
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| Chapstick with sunscreen |
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| Headlamp |
 |
| Garbage bag... can't leave it in the forest |
 |
| Extra bags |
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| Snacks |
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| Dry and clean change of clothes |
 |
| Lots of water |
 |
| Warm layers |
 |
| Rain layer |
 |
| First Aid |
Wednesday, April 13, 2011
Monday, April 11, 2011
Job Search...
So the job search has begun. It actually began last week. I hate the whole process because I'm not a very good waiter. I'm the type of person who likes to send an email and get a response within 24 hours! I've been looking and looking for just about anything online. There's actually quite a bit out there but a lot of it I'm not qualified for.
I got super excited a couple of days ago because I received an email back from one of the positions I had found on craigslist but it turned out to be a scam. Note to self - don't apply for real jobs via craigslist. I've been looking mainly for babysitting jobs and office work jobs so far (secretary/admin stuff). And this week I'm about to branch out into the retail sector. I've been talking with a couple of families about regular sitting hours, which would be great. So everyone pray and keep your fingers crossed that those pan out, if they're supposed to.
If you know of anything in the Rockford area, send it our way. We'll do just about anything. I'd love to learn how to do something new!
MULUB,
Taylor
Ps. Our neighbors dogs are driving us crazy! They've always been barkers. When you open the door, when we lock the door from inside, when we get in the elevator, when we throw our trash down the tube, they bark. But for the last couple of days they have been barking all day for no apparent reason. I don't know what's going on but I seriously want to knock on their door and complain. It's so annoying!
I got super excited a couple of days ago because I received an email back from one of the positions I had found on craigslist but it turned out to be a scam. Note to self - don't apply for real jobs via craigslist. I've been looking mainly for babysitting jobs and office work jobs so far (secretary/admin stuff). And this week I'm about to branch out into the retail sector. I've been talking with a couple of families about regular sitting hours, which would be great. So everyone pray and keep your fingers crossed that those pan out, if they're supposed to.
If you know of anything in the Rockford area, send it our way. We'll do just about anything. I'd love to learn how to do something new!
MULUB,
Taylor
Ps. Our neighbors dogs are driving us crazy! They've always been barkers. When you open the door, when we lock the door from inside, when we get in the elevator, when we throw our trash down the tube, they bark. But for the last couple of days they have been barking all day for no apparent reason. I don't know what's going on but I seriously want to knock on their door and complain. It's so annoying!
Sunday, April 10, 2011
Project Number 2 - Day 32 (Saturday)
We eat differently on hiking days then normally. The biggest difference is we have a lot more snacks and only really one actual meal.
Remember the scones I had made the night before for the car ride that got soaked in the rain? Well turns out you can put them back in the oven on low heat and they'll taste almost good as new! I had a pumpkin scone in the car on the ride to Illinizas.
On the trail Ryan and I had packed (to share between all of us) a bag of peanuts, a bag of habas, two individual packages of these new crackers we bought called TOSH (they're supposed to be healthy but they just tasted like crackers), two mandarins, and two bananas. For lunch when we stopped at the refuge I had also made each of us a small ham and cheese sandwich. Plus I had made us each a peanut butter and strawberry sandwich. Ryan ate his on the trail and I ate mine once we got home. Now we share all of these things with everyone (not just the two of us). So I also had a couple of nibbles of papas, one chocolate covered coffee bean, a couple of pieces of chocolate and a couple of gummies. Plus at the refuge I ordered a cup of herbal tea. We came home with about 1/2 a bag of peanuts and a tangerine left over.
For dinner we had a big bowl of chili over jalepeno corn bread! It was delicious and filling and all we had to do was reheat it (which was the best part!).
Remember the scones I had made the night before for the car ride that got soaked in the rain? Well turns out you can put them back in the oven on low heat and they'll taste almost good as new! I had a pumpkin scone in the car on the ride to Illinizas.
On the trail Ryan and I had packed (to share between all of us) a bag of peanuts, a bag of habas, two individual packages of these new crackers we bought called TOSH (they're supposed to be healthy but they just tasted like crackers), two mandarins, and two bananas. For lunch when we stopped at the refuge I had also made each of us a small ham and cheese sandwich. Plus I had made us each a peanut butter and strawberry sandwich. Ryan ate his on the trail and I ate mine once we got home. Now we share all of these things with everyone (not just the two of us). So I also had a couple of nibbles of papas, one chocolate covered coffee bean, a couple of pieces of chocolate and a couple of gummies. Plus at the refuge I ordered a cup of herbal tea. We came home with about 1/2 a bag of peanuts and a tangerine left over.
For dinner we had a big bowl of chili over jalepeno corn bread! It was delicious and filling and all we had to do was reheat it (which was the best part!).
Saturday, April 9, 2011
A mountain and an engagement!
We're home from Illinizas! We had a ton of fun but now we're so tired and hungry! I'm so glad that we made dinner for tonight last night. Such a huge relief! Ryan is playing with Chuki right now then we're about to hop in bed and watch LOST. More details and photos to come!
A BIG BIG BIG Congratulations to one of Ryan's closest friends, Josh, on his engagement! Josh and Tina we're so happy for you! Hopefully we'll be home for the wedding!!!!
MULUB,
Taylor
A BIG BIG BIG Congratulations to one of Ryan's closest friends, Josh, on his engagement! Josh and Tina we're so happy for you! Hopefully we'll be home for the wedding!!!!
MULUB,
Taylor
Friday, April 8, 2011
VISAS!
We have VISAS! Woo Hoo! I was so relieved I could have cried, but I didn't. Plus they're fancy visas! Also, we registered and paid for our jungle trip! Another thing crossed off the check list. We decided on this trip.
Tomorrow we're heading off bright and early to climb Illinizas. We've got tasty snacks packed. I'm baking pumpkin scones for the car ride in the morning. Plus I made chili for when we get home. That way we don't have to think about cooking, just reheating. I'm assuming we'll be drained!
Photos to come!
MULUB,
Taylor
Tomorrow we're heading off bright and early to climb Illinizas. We've got tasty snacks packed. I'm baking pumpkin scones for the car ride in the morning. Plus I made chili for when we get home. That way we don't have to think about cooking, just reheating. I'm assuming we'll be drained!
Photos to come!
MULUB,
Taylor
Just a few things...
1. We have one week of class left. WHAT?!
2. We're going today to book our jungle trip and to pick up our visas. Wish us luck.
3. I'm so proud of Ryan because he figured out how to post our bed and refrigerator on Mercado Libre and the bed has already sold! WOO HOO! Keep your fingers crossed that the refrigerator sells soon too!
4. We're climbing Illiniza tomorrow and still looking for someone to come and give Chuki a walk! If you're in Quito and are available tomorrow afternoon to walk and feed the pup, call us! There's a bottle of rum waiting for you!
5. Our to do list is getting much shorter. Almost everything concerning Chuki is done, except for his last vet visit and going to the airport to pay his export fee (or whatever the heck it is).
6. Speaking of Chuki, I feel like he's doing better already. He has no fresh scratch wounds and his eyes look clearer. It could just be my imagination...
7. We've watched almost 2 seasons of LOST in less than a month. It's borderline obsession.
8. We're taking 'orders' if anybody wants anything Ecuadorian brought home to them. There will be a post on it coming soon!
I think that's about it. If I think of anything else, I'll update!
MULUB,
Taylor
PS. I've been reminded to let everyone know that commenting is now much easier then in the past. You don't have to sign in any more. Just click comment and click on Anonymous/Name and you can just type in your comment that way.
PSS. For all you haters out there about the photos, I've got something planned just for you!
2. We're going today to book our jungle trip and to pick up our visas. Wish us luck.
3. I'm so proud of Ryan because he figured out how to post our bed and refrigerator on Mercado Libre and the bed has already sold! WOO HOO! Keep your fingers crossed that the refrigerator sells soon too!
4. We're climbing Illiniza tomorrow and still looking for someone to come and give Chuki a walk! If you're in Quito and are available tomorrow afternoon to walk and feed the pup, call us! There's a bottle of rum waiting for you!
5. Our to do list is getting much shorter. Almost everything concerning Chuki is done, except for his last vet visit and going to the airport to pay his export fee (or whatever the heck it is).
6. Speaking of Chuki, I feel like he's doing better already. He has no fresh scratch wounds and his eyes look clearer. It could just be my imagination...
7. We've watched almost 2 seasons of LOST in less than a month. It's borderline obsession.
8. We're taking 'orders' if anybody wants anything Ecuadorian brought home to them. There will be a post on it coming soon!
I think that's about it. If I think of anything else, I'll update!
MULUB,
Taylor
PS. I've been reminded to let everyone know that commenting is now much easier then in the past. You don't have to sign in any more. Just click comment and click on Anonymous/Name and you can just type in your comment that way.
PSS. For all you haters out there about the photos, I've got something planned just for you!
Wednesday, April 6, 2011
Food
Yesterday we signed up with Anderson Organics for our first ever CSA! I'm super excited! We're going to be receiving a half share every week from June until October of delicious organic veggies.
Our signing up has been a long time coming. Ryan and I have had lots of great conversations about food since we've been in Ecuador. We've both seen some pretty dramatic weight loss (yes, Ryan too!) with the change in lifestyle that Ecuador has brought. We feel livelier, we have less cravings, we eat better and we get regular exercise.
So as the 'regressamos' looms less than a month away, we've been talking about our attitude towards food when we're in the USA. Here, as you know, we really stock up on veggies and fruits. We eat a lot of rice/quinoa/beans. And we mostly only eat chicken. I'm sure the chickens that we eat here aren't the cleanest or really organic in the way that the USA would deem them. But the chickens are normal sized, they eat grass, and they aren't full of hormones. We rarely eat beef. But when we do it's life is similar to the chickens'.
What does that mean for us back at home? Neither of us want to put the weight back on, neither of us want to go back to feeling tired and sluggish, and neither of us want to support the corporate food industry in the States. (If you haven't watched the movie FOOD INC, please do.)
These are the principals rolling around in our heads...
1. Grow an organic garden. We're really excited about this because we'll be living with a gardening expert (my mom) and we have Grandpa Jo just down the street! We're going to build a raised bed and go from there!
2. Buy local and organic. I understand that these cost more and I know that we don't have a lot of money, which I know will be the argument of some. But it all comes down to priorities. Our priority is not quantity, it's quality. My priority is my health and the health of the Earth. If we keep eating food with pesticides and hormones, the industry will keep producing them. Which will continue to deteriorate the health of the nation and the health of the Earth. Plus local tastes better. It tastes more real, fresher. This is where Anderson Organics comes into play. I'm also so excited to hear about this great farmer's market Rockford has going! Go Rockford! I know that we'll run into problems come the winter, but we'll deal with them then.
3. Avoid processed foods. We rarely buy something in a can or a jar or a box or a bag that has already been processed. Here, in Ecuador, we eat slow food; real food. And that's been probably the biggest contributing factor to our health improving. I like to have a snack in the afternoon but it's usually a piece of bread, a piece of fruit or a bag of papas or chifles (potatoes fried or plantains fried). It's amazing to me what happens when you remove corn syrup from your diet and replace it with real sugar, or better yet with panela. Your body has to work (burn calories) to burn those types of sugar down. This is a good process. With corn syrup, it breaks down so quickly that there are very few calories burned. This is a bad process. So we're going to try and avoid it. At least in our home and when we are in control of the food on the proverbial table.
4. Keep moving. We walk, run, hike, climb, lift, and swim here all of the time. In the States we drive. Granted we have convenient weather and we live in a big city with public transportation. In IL that will be harder because of the location of my parents' house. But I'll be training for a marathon and Ryan can't wait for regular soccer games and basketball games. Plus we've got Chuki to walk and we both want to start lifting actual weights (not the water bottles we've been lifting here) together. There are tennis courts just down the street, bikes to be rode, and hikes to be had within hours of Rockford! We're looking forward to doing a lot of exploring in our own neighborhood for new hikes and forests to enjoy, something we've gotten extremely used to here.
There you have it! There's really nothing more important than your health and doing what you can to preserve it for as long as you can. Everyone owes it to themselves to take care of your body in a healthy, non-abusive, non-judgmental way. It's not a competition of who can be the skinniest. Life is so much more than that. It's about maintaining your health so that you can enjoy all that life has to offer: the people you love, the smiles, the laughter, the tears, the adventures, the delicious food, the nature, and the beauty of this Earth.
MULUB,
Taylor
Our signing up has been a long time coming. Ryan and I have had lots of great conversations about food since we've been in Ecuador. We've both seen some pretty dramatic weight loss (yes, Ryan too!) with the change in lifestyle that Ecuador has brought. We feel livelier, we have less cravings, we eat better and we get regular exercise.
So as the 'regressamos' looms less than a month away, we've been talking about our attitude towards food when we're in the USA. Here, as you know, we really stock up on veggies and fruits. We eat a lot of rice/quinoa/beans. And we mostly only eat chicken. I'm sure the chickens that we eat here aren't the cleanest or really organic in the way that the USA would deem them. But the chickens are normal sized, they eat grass, and they aren't full of hormones. We rarely eat beef. But when we do it's life is similar to the chickens'.
What does that mean for us back at home? Neither of us want to put the weight back on, neither of us want to go back to feeling tired and sluggish, and neither of us want to support the corporate food industry in the States. (If you haven't watched the movie FOOD INC, please do.)
These are the principals rolling around in our heads...
1. Grow an organic garden. We're really excited about this because we'll be living with a gardening expert (my mom) and we have Grandpa Jo just down the street! We're going to build a raised bed and go from there!
2. Buy local and organic. I understand that these cost more and I know that we don't have a lot of money, which I know will be the argument of some. But it all comes down to priorities. Our priority is not quantity, it's quality. My priority is my health and the health of the Earth. If we keep eating food with pesticides and hormones, the industry will keep producing them. Which will continue to deteriorate the health of the nation and the health of the Earth. Plus local tastes better. It tastes more real, fresher. This is where Anderson Organics comes into play. I'm also so excited to hear about this great farmer's market Rockford has going! Go Rockford! I know that we'll run into problems come the winter, but we'll deal with them then.
3. Avoid processed foods. We rarely buy something in a can or a jar or a box or a bag that has already been processed. Here, in Ecuador, we eat slow food; real food. And that's been probably the biggest contributing factor to our health improving. I like to have a snack in the afternoon but it's usually a piece of bread, a piece of fruit or a bag of papas or chifles (potatoes fried or plantains fried). It's amazing to me what happens when you remove corn syrup from your diet and replace it with real sugar, or better yet with panela. Your body has to work (burn calories) to burn those types of sugar down. This is a good process. With corn syrup, it breaks down so quickly that there are very few calories burned. This is a bad process. So we're going to try and avoid it. At least in our home and when we are in control of the food on the proverbial table.
4. Keep moving. We walk, run, hike, climb, lift, and swim here all of the time. In the States we drive. Granted we have convenient weather and we live in a big city with public transportation. In IL that will be harder because of the location of my parents' house. But I'll be training for a marathon and Ryan can't wait for regular soccer games and basketball games. Plus we've got Chuki to walk and we both want to start lifting actual weights (not the water bottles we've been lifting here) together. There are tennis courts just down the street, bikes to be rode, and hikes to be had within hours of Rockford! We're looking forward to doing a lot of exploring in our own neighborhood for new hikes and forests to enjoy, something we've gotten extremely used to here.
There you have it! There's really nothing more important than your health and doing what you can to preserve it for as long as you can. Everyone owes it to themselves to take care of your body in a healthy, non-abusive, non-judgmental way. It's not a competition of who can be the skinniest. Life is so much more than that. It's about maintaining your health so that you can enjoy all that life has to offer: the people you love, the smiles, the laughter, the tears, the adventures, the delicious food, the nature, and the beauty of this Earth.
MULUB,
Taylor
Tuesday, April 5, 2011
Sunday, April 3, 2011
Pichincha Hike
So as you know we're training to climb Cotopaxi in a couple of weeks. We've been running sprints for two weeks now and yesterday was the first training climb. We climbed Pichincha. Pichincha is the volcano straight to the west of Quito. We see it every day. I love this volcano. It's the one I've been taking photos of (although I'm seriously behind on this project).
Sebas is organizing the whole thing. We just show up where and when he tells us, ready to climb. Yesterday we were to be in Plaza d'Argentina at 8:15am. Our hiking group was Sebas, us, and Edgar and his son Daniel. Edgar is the pro. He's climbed all but two volcanoes and mountains in Ecuador. ALL BUT TWO! Holy Mackerel! He's summited Cotopaxi 10 times and he's summited Chimborazo, the biggest mountain in the world, twice. His son Daniel is 12 and a trooper.
We drove to the Telefirico, took it up part of the mountain and then hiked from there.
The hike took us about 3 hours up and 1.5 hours down, I think. For the most part it's just a nice hike. Mostly uphill, but nothing too steep, nothing too strenuous. The last hour is the most difficult. There's about 30 minutes of hiking uphill in volcanic ash, which is a pain in the butt because for every step you take uphill you slide a little back downhill. It's just really slippery and you have to be sure of your footing and you have to just move fast. Then the last 30 minutes was an actual climb. Not a technical climb, there were no ropes and harnesses. But you're climbing over rock faces and you have to be careful of where you put your hands and feet or else you would seriously die. I found that part a little bit scary but mostly exhilarating. It's pretty stinking amazing to think of what your body is capable of doing.
We summited and ate lunch. The summit is 4696 meters. Which means we only climbed around 500 meters from the TeleferiQo. And we were about 1800 meters from Quito.
The way down is always a million times worse for me. I much prefer going up than going down. I prefer my hamstrings to burn than my quads. Plus I feel much more in control going up. Going down you have to work with gravity and just go for it. Way scarier, I think!
The craziest part about the hike was the change in weather. When we started it was nice, sunny and warm. By the time we got to the top the fog was so thick you couldn't see anything. On the way down we had rain and hail. And then when we got back home to the apartment it was sunny.
We're feeling good! The plan is Illinizas next Saturday at 6am. Then maybe Cayambe and then maybe Cotopaxi. We're not quite sure. If we add one more mountain, which sounds like we will, then we'll probably have to rearrange the jungle trip. We're thinking we might be done teaching on Monday instead of Wednesday and then go during the week. Who knows? We'll figure it out as we go!
If there's one thing I love, it's being on top of a mountain! And I'm so happy that Ryan loves it too! (This was his first time!)
MULUB,
Taylor
Sebas is organizing the whole thing. We just show up where and when he tells us, ready to climb. Yesterday we were to be in Plaza d'Argentina at 8:15am. Our hiking group was Sebas, us, and Edgar and his son Daniel. Edgar is the pro. He's climbed all but two volcanoes and mountains in Ecuador. ALL BUT TWO! Holy Mackerel! He's summited Cotopaxi 10 times and he's summited Chimborazo, the biggest mountain in the world, twice. His son Daniel is 12 and a trooper.
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| Pichincha at 8:00 in the morning while we were walking to the Plaza to meet Sebas. |
We drove to the Telefirico, took it up part of the mountain and then hiked from there.
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| Ryan and me at the TeleferiQo lookout |
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| Quito from the TeleferiQo lookout |
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| Pichincha from the trail |
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| The volcanic ash part |
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| The ridge that we had to climb over |
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| Sebas climbing |
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| The group at the summit! |
The way down is always a million times worse for me. I much prefer going up than going down. I prefer my hamstrings to burn than my quads. Plus I feel much more in control going up. Going down you have to work with gravity and just go for it. Way scarier, I think!
The craziest part about the hike was the change in weather. When we started it was nice, sunny and warm. By the time we got to the top the fog was so thick you couldn't see anything. On the way down we had rain and hail. And then when we got back home to the apartment it was sunny.
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| One of the hailstones during the hail storm. |
We're feeling good! The plan is Illinizas next Saturday at 6am. Then maybe Cayambe and then maybe Cotopaxi. We're not quite sure. If we add one more mountain, which sounds like we will, then we'll probably have to rearrange the jungle trip. We're thinking we might be done teaching on Monday instead of Wednesday and then go during the week. Who knows? We'll figure it out as we go!
If there's one thing I love, it's being on top of a mountain! And I'm so happy that Ryan loves it too! (This was his first time!)
MULUB,
Taylor
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
What a day...
So no visa! We have to return on Friday miraculously with $1000 in a bank account for each of us. From what I understand we'll be canceling our student visas and extending our original tourist visas. Who really knows?! All I know is that it's always frustrating to wait for 3 hours and not have anything to show for it. Also, um I have $32 in my bank account. That might be a slight problem. We're working on a solution hopefully with inlingua, and if that doesn't work, we'll be knocking on some familiar doors =). Oh the joys of living abroad. I must say I hate these sort of things. Visas, rent agreements, moving, importing a dog, etc. I love the living abroad but I hate the arranging to live or leave. Its just too stressful for me. So hopefully, we'll return on Friday and we'll get our visas and we'll be on our merry little way to tackle whatever it is that may be waiting to stress me out next.
Side note - After having a year to decompress, I don't know how I worked in such a stressful job for over a year. I really don't know. In college I used to wait to the last minute for EVERYTHING! My friend and I had a joke about doing 'the printer dance' because I would wait to the absolute last minute to write a paper that I had to dance around the printer hoping it would print faster so that I could run out of my dorm to hand in the paper. Oh youth!
Anyways, I was feeling awful after we left the immigration office. I hadn't eaten, except for too much coffee and a little bread roll. We popped into a restaurant for almuerzo and I felt worse. I decided to cancel my classes for the afternoon and come home and nurse this headache. Remember how a couple of days ago I said there was a migraine just brewing in my head? Well it's still brewing. I'm having more and more blurred vision and more and more general cloudiness of sight and this constant headache. I came home and laid down with a damp towel over my eyes (courtesy of the best boyfriend ever). This was at around 1:45. I just woke up about 45 minutes ago, which means I slept for 3 hours straight. I feel so much better but my headache isn't gone. It's less intense, but still present. URGH!
So no visa and no Chuki tag, but hopefully still spending time with the Matson's tonight! I'm looking forward to it!
MULUB,
Taylor
Side note - After having a year to decompress, I don't know how I worked in such a stressful job for over a year. I really don't know. In college I used to wait to the last minute for EVERYTHING! My friend and I had a joke about doing 'the printer dance' because I would wait to the absolute last minute to write a paper that I had to dance around the printer hoping it would print faster so that I could run out of my dorm to hand in the paper. Oh youth!
Anyways, I was feeling awful after we left the immigration office. I hadn't eaten, except for too much coffee and a little bread roll. We popped into a restaurant for almuerzo and I felt worse. I decided to cancel my classes for the afternoon and come home and nurse this headache. Remember how a couple of days ago I said there was a migraine just brewing in my head? Well it's still brewing. I'm having more and more blurred vision and more and more general cloudiness of sight and this constant headache. I came home and laid down with a damp towel over my eyes (courtesy of the best boyfriend ever). This was at around 1:45. I just woke up about 45 minutes ago, which means I slept for 3 hours straight. I feel so much better but my headache isn't gone. It's less intense, but still present. URGH!
So no visa and no Chuki tag, but hopefully still spending time with the Matson's tonight! I'm looking forward to it!
MULUB,
Taylor
Busy Busy Day
Today is a very busy day. I have to leave for class in 7 minutes. 2 classes back to back. Then we're going to attempt to sort out our visa situation. Pray for us. Then 3 more classes back to back. Plus a very long bus ride and a very annoying cab driver. 3 highlights of the day: 1. possibly crossing visa off the to do list 2. picking up Chuki's traveling tags 3. 'seeing' Mark and Toby tonight via skype
I'll write more later, hopefully! Send us all the good vibes and prayers you can! We'll need them today!
I'll write more later, hopefully! Send us all the good vibes and prayers you can! We'll need them today!
Monday, March 28, 2011
No Cleaning Sunday
Ryan and I have a strict rule on Sundays: No Cleaning! We abide by in whole heartedly. And it's fantastic. The rule is really for me, mostly. I would always feel behind or guilty for not cleaning the house up on Sundays. A clean house is a really great way to start the week. But guess what... cleaning takes time and we decided that Sundays are fundays; the last day of the weekend for us to spend time together. So the decision was simple, there will be no cleaning on Sundays so that we have more time to spend together.
Yesterday I started the day with a nice swim in the pool. I've never thought of the pool as exercise before but goodness gracious it sure is. I always feel so tired, out of breath and sore after swimming laps in the pool. Ryan started the morning by sleeping in! To each his own =) Then we skyped with my parents. Which was good, except for one tiny part which involved my extraordinary emotional side. Oh well, it's certainly a part of me, so I guess I should, and everyone else should, just accept it!
Then we took Chuki to the park (Metropolitano). It's good for all of our souls to spend time outside of the city. It's refreshing and relaxing and rejuvinating all in one. Plus after an hour running around in the sun, Chuki literally sleeps ALL DAY, only getting up to eat and to change rooms when we change rooms.
After the park we left Chuki at home and went to drop off our towels at the laundry mat. Can I tell you what a treat it is to have our towels washed in a machine by someone else! Best $5 I spent all day! Then Ryan and I headed to the park (Carolina) for lunch. It was gorgeous out yesterday. I wore a tank top without a sweater! Ryan wore shorts! It was perfect! We started with juices at the juice stand. Pineapple, orange, strawberry for me. Orange, strawberry and naranjilla for Ryan. Delicious! Then we moved to one of the restaurants in the park because we had heard that there was great fish, but we decided it was too expensive. So we went over to the cevichocho area. Ryan had a large, I had a medium! It was great, except I always forget to ask for no tostado. So I end up having to pick it out. Then we split a pincho (like a kebab with sausage, a potato and a chicken piece). SO SO GOOD.
It started to rain while we were eating our pincho so we hung out under a tree and finished it. Then we ran across the street to the pet store to buy Chuki's water bottle for his cage, pee pads and a new ID tag. They didn't have the pee pads so were going to have to buy regular diapers to line the bottom of his crate with. Should be interesting. This week we'll get the diapers, the tag engraved and buy a new collar (one that snaps shut).
We picked up our laundry and headed home. We wanted to take a nap and watch a movie but we ended up watching LOST Season 2 disks 1 and 2. Needless to say we didn't fall asleep. Ryan made an amazing dinner of coconut and passionfruit chicken over rice! While it was cooking we slipped outside to watch one of the best sunsets we've seen in Quito in a while! Then we came back in to eat. Seriously, it was SO SO SO good! Kind of spicy, very tangy... mmm!
Then we went to bed. All in all a great Sunday, but certainly no time for cleaning. That's what we'll do today in between classes. I've already swept and picked everything up. All that needs to be done is dishes and laundry. YIKES!
MULUB,
Taylor
Yesterday I started the day with a nice swim in the pool. I've never thought of the pool as exercise before but goodness gracious it sure is. I always feel so tired, out of breath and sore after swimming laps in the pool. Ryan started the morning by sleeping in! To each his own =) Then we skyped with my parents. Which was good, except for one tiny part which involved my extraordinary emotional side. Oh well, it's certainly a part of me, so I guess I should, and everyone else should, just accept it!
Then we took Chuki to the park (Metropolitano). It's good for all of our souls to spend time outside of the city. It's refreshing and relaxing and rejuvinating all in one. Plus after an hour running around in the sun, Chuki literally sleeps ALL DAY, only getting up to eat and to change rooms when we change rooms.
It started to rain while we were eating our pincho so we hung out under a tree and finished it. Then we ran across the street to the pet store to buy Chuki's water bottle for his cage, pee pads and a new ID tag. They didn't have the pee pads so were going to have to buy regular diapers to line the bottom of his crate with. Should be interesting. This week we'll get the diapers, the tag engraved and buy a new collar (one that snaps shut).
We picked up our laundry and headed home. We wanted to take a nap and watch a movie but we ended up watching LOST Season 2 disks 1 and 2. Needless to say we didn't fall asleep. Ryan made an amazing dinner of coconut and passionfruit chicken over rice! While it was cooking we slipped outside to watch one of the best sunsets we've seen in Quito in a while! Then we came back in to eat. Seriously, it was SO SO SO good! Kind of spicy, very tangy... mmm!
Then we went to bed. All in all a great Sunday, but certainly no time for cleaning. That's what we'll do today in between classes. I've already swept and picked everything up. All that needs to be done is dishes and laundry. YIKES!
MULUB,
Taylor
Sunday, March 27, 2011
$$$
I often wonder how other people live abroad. Maybe that's ironic, but I am fascinated by it. I understand study abroad and now I understand teaching abroad but if you're not doing one of those two things, I don't get it. It got me thinking about if people wonder about how we live abroad. I just want to clarify to anyone that is thinking, 'oh I wish I could do that' that you can! We quit our jobs and came here with about 2 paychecks worth of money. We had arranged jobs ahead of time, which I would recommend. We didn't have a place to live. We didn't have a ton of money. Less than $5,000 for sure, significantly less. And we just committed to living within our means, for the most part. Our parents and grandparents have been very generous whenever we've been in a bind here and for that we'll forever be grateful. But we're not here living off of an inheritance or a free ride or a huge savings. We're just making it work. And if you want to, you can too. You should.
MULUB,
Taylor
MULUB,
Taylor
Wednesday, March 23, 2011
Our Vet
We loved our vet in the beginning but now it's safe for me to say that I dread going there. A lot of the vets are afraid of Chuki which makes him afraid of being there. It's just not a pleasant place to be. But yesterday we had this doctor, who we actually thought didn't work there anymore. And he was an absolute dear. He wasn't afraid of Chuki at all. He spent time petting him and calming him down. And he was thorough. Usually the doctors just do what we ask and send us on our way. But this guy gave him an exam and answered all of our questions about flying with him. He was actually knowledgeable and helpful! We thought we had to sacrifice one for the other. So thank you doctor whatever your name is. It really meant a lot to me that you didn't just assume Chuki is a mean or bad dog.
With that said, I can't wait to be in IL and find a vet for Chuki that is both helpful, knowledgeable, good with big dogs. And most importantly, that I can fully communicate with.
If you're in the Rockford/Rockton/Roscoe area and have a vet that you just LOVE, we're looking for recommendations. Send them our way via facebook, email or just leave a comment!
MULUB,
Taylor
With that said, I can't wait to be in IL and find a vet for Chuki that is both helpful, knowledgeable, good with big dogs. And most importantly, that I can fully communicate with.
If you're in the Rockford/Rockton/Roscoe area and have a vet that you just LOVE, we're looking for recommendations. Send them our way via facebook, email or just leave a comment!
MULUB,
Taylor
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
If you had the choice...
Alright so Ryan and I are now deciding which jungle tour to do. We need your help. Here are the two descriptions, which would you chose?
3.- Enjoy the jungle. We leave our camp after a hearty breakfast. The walk back to the cabañas is shorter and more level than the first hike. On our way, we can stop for fishing. Back at the cabañas, we have lunch and then some time to relax. The afternoon is spent with activities of your choice, like making handicrafts or chocolate, bathing in the river, or a guided tour of the various plants cultivated around the cabañas. Enjoy your last dinner and night in the jungle.
Samona Lodge - Cuyabeno
The Samona Lodge is nestled deep in the primary forest of the Amazon Jungle. For those looking for a wildlife adventure at a reasonable price than look no further. The people at Samona lodge deliver time and time again. With fully bilingual naturalist guides, activites ranging from: Piranha fishing, hikes in the rainforest, caiman spotting, night walks and heading out at dusk to watch the sunset against the backdrop of the Aguarico river makes your stay at this lodge one to remember.
Sample Itineraries
Itinerary 4 days / 3 nights: Price - $210
1.-Quito - Lago Agrio - El Puente . Flight 06:15 a.m. or bus journey (one day before - 8 hours) to Lago Agrio. Drive from Lago Agrio to el Puente. Canoe trip down on Cuyabeno river to Samona Lodge. Exciting night walk.
2.-Cuyabeno River. After breakfast we paddle by traditional dug-out canoe on the Caiman-cocha lake (Laguna del Caiman) where we will enjoy the nature uniqueness, lunch, hike in the primary forest including lessons in the use of plants for survival. Before we go back to our camp, we’ll have a relaxing time to swim and enjoy the sunset on the magnificent Laguna Grande.
3.- Cuyabeno river. In the morning, visit to the Kichwa Community, our naturalist guide will explain about the culture and traditions of the native people. Piranha fishing in the afternoon Back to our camp. Night canoe trip in search of caimans (alligators).
4.- El Puente-Lago Agrio-Quito. Early morning bird watching. After breakfast journey up Cuyabeno river to El Puente. Drive back to Lago Agrio at 16:00. Flight or bus journey back to Quito.
Itinerary 4 days / 3 nights: Price - $ 150
1.-Quito - Papallacta – Tena. After meeting up at the Secret garden hostel at 8:00am, we catch the bus at Terminal Terrestre at 8:50am. If you wish, we can stop in Papallacta to enjoy the hot springs and have a fresh trout for lunch. Depending on your choice, we arrive in Tena either by 3:00pm or around 6:00pm. Our local guide picks us up and drives us approx. 30min out of Tena, from where it is a walk of 30-40min to the cabañas. There we will have dinner, followed by a traditional dance performed by the guides’ children and a Shamanic spiritual ceremony.
1.-Quito - Papallacta – Tena. After meeting up at the Secret garden hostel at 8:00am, we catch the bus at Terminal Terrestre at 8:50am. If you wish, we can stop in Papallacta to enjoy the hot springs and have a fresh trout for lunch. Depending on your choice, we arrive in Tena either by 3:00pm or around 6:00pm. Our local guide picks us up and drives us approx. 30min out of Tena, from where it is a walk of 30-40min to the cabañas. There we will have dinner, followed by a traditional dance performed by the guides’ children and a Shamanic spiritual ceremony.
2.-Into the wild. After breakfast we start our hike deeper into the jungle. Make sure you bring enough drinking water and your headlight. All you don’t need for the second night in the jungle can be left behind and locked in the cabañas. Depending on the conditions, the trek will take 3 to 4 hours. We will stop regularly for explanations of the flora and fauna, as well as Kichwa traditions. After we arrive at our camping site around 2:00 to 3:00pm, you can take a shower in the nearby waterfall and relax until we have dinner. You will sleep in a cave, in hammocks or on sleeping mats, with nothing but a mosquito net between you and the nightly forest.
3.- Enjoy the jungle. We leave our camp after a hearty breakfast. The walk back to the cabañas is shorter and more level than the first hike. On our way, we can stop for fishing. Back at the cabañas, we have lunch and then some time to relax. The afternoon is spent with activities of your choice, like making handicrafts or chocolate, bathing in the river, or a guided tour of the various plants cultivated around the cabañas. Enjoy your last dinner and night in the jungle.
4.- Tena – Amazoonico – Quito. It’s a quick breakfast before packing up and trekking 30-40min back to the nearest road. A pickup takes us to the point at which we board the motorised canoe for the ride down the main river to “Amazoonico” animal refuge and rehabilitation center. A compulsory donation of $ 2.50 (to be paid there) includes a tour in English and helps support this excellent project. We will stop for a swim in the river, or floating down the river on tree trunks (wearing a life jacket is compulsory for this activity). After lunch on the riverside we will be back in Tena around 3:00pm. Catching a bus at the terminal at 3:30pm, we will arrive in Quito around 9:30pm.
Optional: White water rafting on Day 4
If you like, we can organise a white water rafting on the last day of your trip (instead of the visit to Amazoonico). Depending on the length and difficulty of the ride, the rafting is charged $ 30 to $ 40 extra.
After our hike back to the road, the rafting company picks us up and takes us to the starting point. Life jackets and helmets will be provided, and the guides give you security instructions before we start. Good sun protection and insect repellent are highly recommended for a day on the river. We will stop for lunch on a beach and be back in Tena around 3:30pm. Catching a bus at the terminal at 4:00pm, we will arrive in Quito around 10:00pm.
Optional: White water rafting on Day 4
If you like, we can organise a white water rafting on the last day of your trip (instead of the visit to Amazoonico). Depending on the length and difficulty of the ride, the rafting is charged $ 30 to $ 40 extra.
After our hike back to the road, the rafting company picks us up and takes us to the starting point. Life jackets and helmets will be provided, and the guides give you security instructions before we start. Good sun protection and insect repellent are highly recommended for a day on the river. We will stop for lunch on a beach and be back in Tena around 3:30pm. Catching a bus at the terminal at 4:00pm, we will arrive in Quito around 10:00pm.
or
The Samona Lodge is nestled deep in the primary forest of the Amazon Jungle. For those looking for a wildlife adventure at a reasonable price than look no further. The people at Samona lodge deliver time and time again. With fully bilingual naturalist guides, activites ranging from: Piranha fishing, hikes in the rainforest, caiman spotting, night walks and heading out at dusk to watch the sunset against the backdrop of the Aguarico river makes your stay at this lodge one to remember.
Sample Itineraries
Itinerary 4 days / 3 nights: Price - $210
1.-Quito - Lago Agrio - El Puente . Flight 06:15 a.m. or bus journey (one day before - 8 hours) to Lago Agrio. Drive from Lago Agrio to el Puente. Canoe trip down on Cuyabeno river to Samona Lodge. Exciting night walk.
2.-Cuyabeno River. After breakfast we paddle by traditional dug-out canoe on the Caiman-cocha lake (Laguna del Caiman) where we will enjoy the nature uniqueness, lunch, hike in the primary forest including lessons in the use of plants for survival. Before we go back to our camp, we’ll have a relaxing time to swim and enjoy the sunset on the magnificent Laguna Grande.
3.- Cuyabeno river. In the morning, visit to the Kichwa Community, our naturalist guide will explain about the culture and traditions of the native people. Piranha fishing in the afternoon Back to our camp. Night canoe trip in search of caimans (alligators).
4.- El Puente-Lago Agrio-Quito. Early morning bird watching. After breakfast journey up Cuyabeno river to El Puente. Drive back to Lago Agrio at 16:00. Flight or bus journey back to Quito.
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