Suggested Itinerary
Day 1: Quito-Lago Agrio- Chiritza-Zabalo. This is a long day, folks! But by evening, you'll be in our village of Zabalo, enjoying an excellent meal and unwinding in the thatched roof cabins which will be your homes for the next five nights.
Day 2: The Zabalo River. This river is so beautiful... during rainy season it runs deep black as it drains the ecosystem known in Brazil as "igapó" and in English as the "flooded forest". We take a large motor boat up the river as we look at the nuances of the habitats we are passing and keep our eyes, noses and ears peeled for interesting birds, mammals, reptiles, and others. Star wildlife for the day include numerous birds; parrots, macaws, hoatzins, caciques, anhingas, toucans, herons, kiskadees, trogons and many more; one day's count frequently passes fifty species. May is a good month for seeing several of our 12 types of monkeys along the river side. Anacondas come in sizes up to 20 feet long; we often run into herds of white lip peccaries numbering 200 or more. We usually stop and get out for lunch and for special sightings like the peccaries, with the rest of the time in the boats. Depending on the conditions we might try floating with the motor off for a few hours after lunch, and we usually carry some lines to try out the piranha fishing. All in all, a pretty exciting day, with a return for a swim in the Aguarico and a good supper late in the afternoon. A bit of a briefing about day 3 and to bed for sleep to the sound of cicadas and tree frogs.
Day 3: By this time certain portions of your anatomy are probably rebelling against the thought of another day in a boat. How about a real hike through some of the most beautiful rain forest in the world? Known to scientists as "terra firma" and to us as "hill forest", this is the dominant environment of Amazonia. It also happens to be the source of most of our useful plants. We actively use well over one hundred of its medicinal plants alone, not to mention plants used in building, craftwork, canoes, and the rest of our daily needs. So today we head out at around 8 am to learn about this ecosystem. Depending on the size and interests of the group, we usually spend the morning going slow and stopping frequently as our guides explain the subtle interactions which make up this world and show and demonstrate the various useful plants. After a hot lunch, we divide up in to groups of two or three, giving everyone a chance at what they like to do best. For the hikers, a good, rapid pace as they go to look for the elusive woolly monkeys; for the photographers, an opportunity to stop and get a picture of that mushroom; and for the tired, a chance to head for the village and a relaxing swim. Our trail system can keep you going for well over a week, so don't get too carried away! Truly one of the wonders of the world, this forest is a place of such beauty and complexity... I who live here never tire of it, and never fail to find something new.
Day 4: Today is a bit slower paced. We leave as always at around 8 am, this time for the environment known to scientists as "varzea" and to the rest of us as "flood plain forest". Created by the "white water" Aguarico River, this flood plain is characterized by extremely fertile soils and fast growing colonizing forests. Trees are taller than in the hill forest, and include the huge ceiba, a species which definitely ranks with the big trees of the world. Our examples are seldom over 250 feet tall, but their canopies often cover over an acre, and their trunks will still be 10 feet thick 150 feet off the ground. There's a lot less variety in this ecosystem, and we'll find stands of the beautiful oshame tree where scarlet macaws sway to the breeze as they watch over their nests. We'll also have time to look at the complexities of the fish life in the ponds which dot this habitat- Amazonia's hatcheries. After a snack in the forest, we return by way of the village museum- what purports to be a typical Cofan house. While you'll have opportunities to visit with crew members in their own houses, this is a chance to see a lot of stuff we no longer use daily, like the bark cloth clothing and clay pots. We return to the camp for a late lunch, followed by a chance to buy some of our crafts at a sort of "instant market" our people have evolved, and then some time to just visit in the village during the afternoon. Depending on how we're doing for time and your interests, we can also visit some of our scientific projects such as our turtle project. A full but varied day...
Day 5: And then a day for personalizing your trip. We offer three basic options, but you can modify or put in your own ideas on this one. A lot of our visitors want to go back to the quiet beauty of the Zabalo river. How better than to drive up to where we have some small dug-out canoes stationed and then float slowly down the stream with a crew member to steer and help point things out, moving in silence, just watching the river unwind...? Or maybe you're into fishing and would like to try going for a big one- we'll take a small motor canoe up the river and see if they're biting. Or were you frustrated by not being able to go farther the other day on the hike? How about getting up at dawn, and, after a good breakfast, heading out at a fast clip for the deep forest, where humans seldom go and the animals have never known fear? Anyhow, the idea is to take advantage of this day to do things in smaller groups, get a chance to know your crew members better, and enjoy the uniqueness of our Forest in a more relaxed way. And when you return in the evening, we will have a "typical meal" awaiting you- a chance to try a variety of the different foods which are our staples here in the Forest. Enjoy!
Day 6: All good things come to an end. Today is the day to get up early, catch the motorboat, and head back toward Quito. All things being equal, you will be in Quito by shortly after noon, although its always wise to maintain an attitude of adventure until you actually arrive at the hotel- a lot of things can happen! We hope you will take with you a better feel for what Amazonia is, a deeper appreciation of both the Forest and its people, and memories of a unique and wonderful adventure.