Throwback to a trip in Spring 2011 to Ecuador, which encompassed all I wish for a in a trip these days: eco-friendly, culture-rich, and adventurous. Despite (maybe) having appropriate funds for staying in hotels, etc., I am completely invested in the idea of continuing to stay in hostels and ecolodges in order to (1) Save money, (2) Meet more people, and (3) Travel minimally.
Nestled in the Napo River area of the Amazon--far away from Ecuador's main civilization--lies Yacuma Ecolodge. Here, solar energy provides lighting (and is shut off at a certain time), mosquito nets surround the beds, and indigenous people share their wisdom and appreciation for the land. Traveling to this ecolodge was extensive, with a 5-hour bus ride from Quito to Tena, followed by a canoe ride along the Amazon to the ecolodge. The distance from Ecuador's capital alone was an adventure. As we rode along the Napo River in the lush Amazon, I felt immensely connected with nature. At the lodge, we further appreciated the land as the indigenous Kichwa tribe showed us how they use the land for herbal medicines and nutrition. We ate lemon-flavored ants and cacao beans. We chopped a tree with a machete to excrete Sangre de Dragón--a red liquid used as toothpaste when mixed with water, insect repellant when rubbed on the skin, and as a tea to help cure stomach ulcers. We used monkey comb as brushes (well, not really, but we could have). We saw a few Congo Ants (Bullet Ant), which thankfully did not bite us as it's the most painful insect bite!
We spent three days in the Amazon, and I embraced every second. We panned for gold, tubed down the Napo River (along side piranhas), planted a yucca tree, hiked at night (and ended up having an insane amount of ants crawl up our legs while stationary on tree stump--ah!), read while laying in hammocks, ate fish cooked in a banana palm leaf, attempted to visit the Shaman of the Kichwa tribe (only to meet his chickens), and fell asleep to the silence/sound of nature's purest form every night.
The remainder of this particular trip consisted of a stay at Hostal Posada del Maple in Quito and sightseeing in the capital, followed by an (attempted) ice climb to Cotopaxi Volcano. There is no photo evidence of our trek to Cotopaxi, but essentially it involved:
- Signing up with a guide (duh), and fitting for crampons and climbing boots, plus gearing up with an ice axe, ropes, and other climbing gear (+ headlamp). We were prepared with layered clothing as ice climbing is quite cold, of course.
- Hiking to a total of 200 meters from a parking lot to an elevation of 4,800 meters, where the José F. Ribas Refuge is located. This is the base camp for the hike.
- Staying at the refuge for a few hours, sleeping from ~6pm to midnight while wrapped in multiple layers and sleeping bags (no heat in the refuge! Burr!)
- Waking at midnight to eat dinner, followed by hiking initiation by light of our headlamps and the moon. Climbing must begin during the late hours due to risk of avalanches in daylight.
- Vigorous and challenging climb! Unbeknownst to my friend and I, the hike is far advanced for first-time ice climbers. Also, we were NOT acclimated to the elevation. Think of going from sea level to about 14,500 feet in one clip without an adaptation period. This was a recipe for disaster and led to unsafe mental/physical states to complete the challenging climb.
- Elevation of Cotopaxi is 5,897 meters (19,347 feet), and there are tons of crevices! The other two groups who successfully made it to the summit have been studying mountaineering and it took them about 6 hours to make the climb!
My future may hold a second attempt of climbing Cotopaxi Volcano, but for now I'll stick to warmer adventures!
#WanderlustWednesday
ॐ KConn
#WanderlustWednesday
ॐ KConn
* For more ecolodges around the world, visit Travel + Leisure for 25 Great Ecolodges *