Hi again friends! Here I am writing one of my final blogs. How will you survive without me? I’m not really sure, but maybe you can get by. This trip has been so unbelievable, and this last leg further emphasizes that. We started by driving to the Quito airport, making a stop at a nature…
Category: Plus3 Ecuador
Wao, What an Adventure!
Hi friends! After a surprisingly quick 8 hours of travel, we arrived at the place we would be staying in Waorani territory. Unlike last year, we would not be staying directly where the people in the community lived, but instead a 2 minute canoe ride downstream. It was nice because our canoe was the last…
Beaches, Boobies, Farewells
Wednesday, May 17th: Today started with a trip to a national park beach. There I got to see great views, wildlife, and swim in amazing water. A short hike to an overlook was how we started and the views of the beach beneath us were amazing. Also got to see pelicans, vultures, and frigates flying…
Rivers, Monkeys, and Trees
Sunday, May 14: After breakfast today we spent some time listening to a conversation between Elle and the recently arrived ASU students. We were technically part of the conversation but everyone was so tired I don’t think we had it in us to get involved. I did learn some things listening like Iyarina meaning “to…
Wao!
Thursday, May 11th: Today we took a canoe ride into the Waorani nation. After a bus ride we got into the canoes 70 miles downriver from our destination. My boat was filled with mud and water, but we still had a great time watching the forest go by. Along the way saw some turtles that…
Into the Woods (Jungle, Actually)
Ok friends, this was a BIG day. We visited the Waorani Nation, particularly one community within said nation that lives about a 6 hour canoe ride through the Amazon Rainforest. As per usual, breakfast was bright and early, nothing to see here except the amazing views from the lodge that I have gotten quite accustomed…
From the Largest River Basin to the Largest Ocean
On day 11 of the trip, we began our two day stay at Puerto Lopez which is a city surrounded by the Pacific Ocean and dry forest. Our hotel was amazing. It consisted of great views of the ocean, great food, and a very unique maze that led us to our rooms. We began the…
The Lodging Lifestyle
What’s good friends?!! Our first night at the Iyarina lodge was definitely an adjustment. We went from the comforts of a Quito hotel to an environment that was per se… more connected to nature. Said nature, however, completely made up for the lack of the comforts that I am used to in my day-to-day life….
In the wise words of Lana Del Rey, “Down on the West Coast”!
Let’s go to the beach! We flew from Quito to Manta, and made our way down to Puerto Lopez, a beautiful beach town on the very west coast of Ecuador. It was such an amazing way to end the trip with everyone. Our first day there, we went to an incredible National Park beach called…
3 Days 3 Biomes
After having a blast while spending three days off the grid, miles away from any civilization, we returned to lodge. After assuming that I would not be doing much the next two, I was proven wrong. Day 8 was a little quieter compared to the following day, but it was still a ton of fun….
Final Days on the Coast
Day 11 It’s our first day in Puerto Lopez! After a wonderful beachside breakfast, we headed to Machalilla de National. There, we did a short hike up to a beautiful vista. We all were sweaty and a bit tired, but the wind and the scenery made it all worth it. Then we walked to Turtle beach…
A Great Ending
Waking up to the sound of the ocean is always a great way to start your day. Then two minutes later it was accompanied by Spanish dancing music as Donya and I prepared ourselves for the day. The hotel we stayed at was super cool because it was like a maze to get to each…
On the Move!
Hello again!! We did not skip a beat today, even with it being our first “travel day” of the trip. A few of my friends and I began our last day in Quito by going up to the rooftop balcony of the hotel to watch the sunrise (at 5:00 A.M., not to mention). Skip took…
Chocolate, Flowers (And Dogs!)
Hi again friends! I know it was only the second day, but I am not sure if anything is going to be able to top it. I was particularly excited about this day’s journey, since I am very much a nature kind of guy, and I knew we would be venturing towards more rural areas….
Saying Goodbye
At our final hotel in Ecuador, Sachi, Sami, and I had a bit of a cockroach problem while staying in Puerto Lopez. It was unexpected but once again, I felt myself being desensitized by all of these bugs that I used to despise. Anyway, we started Wednesday morning with a hike at Machalilla national park…
Woa, A Day to Remember!
After fishing, we all enjoyed a tasty lunch with spaghetti and pork. I sat there and thought about the unique experience I just had with the Woarani. Soon, it was time to go to where the Woarani actually lived and learn how to throw a spear, shoot a blow gun, get our faces painted, and…
Back to the Lodge!
Day 8 Today we had a pretty relaxing day. We worked on our final presentations and after dinner, we went on a night walk to look at so me of the insects that are nocturnal. We saw a bunch of spiders and some very large insects. This was not my favorite activity, but it was…
Te extrañaré Ecuador
Day 12 was very bittersweet since it was our last full-day but we also went on my favorite excursion of the entire trip to Isla de La Plata. It was an hour boat trip from Puerto Lopez and as a person who gets motion sickness, I was feeling nervous. But Dramamine really did the trick…
The End To A Forever Lasting Experience
We knew it was coming and the time is officially here, the final blog. I am currently writing this in the Quito airport waiting for our 5 hour flight back to the states. Before I go on and talk about the past 3 days I first just want to say, what an experience! I will…
Swimming in the Pacific
Day 11 was the day I had been waiting for: beach day! We all had breakfast and then headed over to Machalilla National Park. We started by going on a short hike up to a lookout point where you could see the blue and beautiful Pacific Ocean. We also went to Playa Tortuga (Turtle Beach)….