January 2011 Quito and Amazon jungle .
Photos will folow the trip narrative. Having flown into the 10,000 foot high single runway airport in the heart of Quito, we were met and taken by car to a modern Swiss hotel in downtown Quito. The next day was really fun, with an English speaking guide, car and driver. We toured the Historic Center of old Quito on foot, seeing the Government Presidential palace, Quito Cathedral, Gothic Basilica, landmark 17th century San Francisco Church, and the old main tourist areas. The interiors and ceilings of the cathedral and Basillica were amazing. Then we were taken up to the El Panicillo view point and monument overlooking the city. The big Pichincha volcano was towering up 4783 meters high(15,000 ft ) over the city. Further to the south and in the distance looms the spectacular, nearly 6000 meter volcano, Cotopaxi, Ecuador's highest. We then had an hours car ride out to the Equator and another wonderful guide with several fun experiments for us to try right astride the equator. I have pictures with one foot of mine in each hemisphere. The day concluded with us being dropped off near the base station of Quitos long cable car lift, which we then took high onto the shoulder of Pichincha to 13,300 ft. There we looked down to the entire city far below. We hiked a ridge trail that overlooked the city with many great views. Then it was back to our hotel and dinner after an extremely full and interesting day.
The next day we were up at 4:30 am for a 5 am pick up and ride to the airport. We then took a plane ride up over the Andes and out to the upper Amazon jungle basin to the little oil rush boom town of Coca. A taxi ride through the bustling streets to the river bank brought us to our boat and a fast ride down the big Napo river. The river was wide, fast, muddy, and it wound through unbroken jungle and flat terrain on both sides as far as the eye could see. Only an occasional giant Cebo tree would stand far above the surrounding jungle. After about a 3 hour boat ride down the river , we pulled into a small side stream and landing. There we were transferred into big canoe like craft that were then paddled up the brackish back water stream through the dense jungle for 2 hours to the lake and our Napo Wilderness Lodge. Enroute we stopped and went ashore to spot a big herd of the Javelinas or wild pigs, who stampeded away when we got close. Overhead we saw spider monkeys in the trees in two places.
The next 4 days were unforgettable! We had both day and night hikes in the jungle, a morning hike with a half day stay up near the top of a giant Cebo tree on a platform nearly 200 feet above the jungle floor. We bird watched and saw Macaws, Toucans, and many other birds of the jungle. There were both day and night guided canoe rides around the lake and its side channels, and we saw many caymans and water birds. One highlight was a long hike back to the Napo River, a boat ride downstream, and then side hikes to view dozens of big green parrots at a famous salt lick. A second salt lick area was where small parrots and parakeets usually flocked each day. The thatched bungalows and main open air dining room and bar looked like something out of a movie set. It was hard to believe that I was actually on the edge of the lake in the remote Amazon jungle. We then had another long canoe ride down the back water stream to the Napo river and the boat ride back up to Coca . There the plane flew us back to an over night in Quito. The next morning we had another early morning flight over to Guayaquil and then far out into the Pacific to the Galapagos and the next leg of this unforgettable South American adventure.
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| Huge Gothic Basilica in old central Quito |
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| Central Quito- Plaza to Independence in Old city |
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| Plaza in front of Gothic Basilica |
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| Plaza to Independence with Government Palace to right and historic Quito Cathedral in back |
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| front facade of Government Presidential Palace |
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| Historic Quito Cathedral with incredible interior |
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| group of school children anxiously awaiting entrance to Presidential Palace |
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| Famous San Francisco church |
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| El Panicillo and statue to Virgin of Quito and viewpoint at south edge of city |
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| view of city of Quito from El Panicillo view point on south edge of city |
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| ART straddling the exact true Equator |
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| Fun Equador guide challenging us to balance egg on exact Equator |
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| ART balancing egg ! |
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| The old French incorrectly located Equator and the park and monument |
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| Quito from top of cable car up Pichincha Volcano . We hiked from the lift top at 13,300 up to about 14,000 ft. |
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| another view of Quito from our hike to 14,000 of the 15,000 ft volcano |
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| Our VIP airlines turbo prop from Quito over the Andes to Coca and the Amazon basin |
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| Boat landing at Coca & start of boat trip down Napo river , an Amazon main tributary |
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| scene from river boat on big dirty Amazon river tributary |
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| arriving at rivers edge and jumping off point for long canoe ride up jungle back water stream to Napo jungle lodge |
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| Jungle guides paddling us up brackish stream into heart of Amazon jungle |
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| arriving across lake to Napo wilderness jungle lodge |
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| Map of cabins and main buildings in Napo Lodge complex |
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| Art relaxing in one of the cabins |
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| View from highest tower over lodge and cabins towards lake |
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| another view from highest tower to lst canoe headed out for jungle exploration. |
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| a medium sized Cayman at the edge of the lake |
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| Guide and travel companion Sergey in lead behind guide on hike to treetop bird watching tower |
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| The 200 ft high metal stairs tower to viewing platform in top of giant Cebo tree |
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| our guide and two of our party in tree top above jungle |
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| our 2 guides at base of huge , 200 ft high Cebo tree. |
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| our guide showing off a slender vine snake |
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| The salt lick where hundreds of small parrots usually gather |
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| enjoying a lunch break at the Napo edge camp after a hike from lodge and parrot viewing. |
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| Sergey enjoying the short after lunch break |
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| Dinner at the Napo lodge open air dining room |
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| Sergey following guide at start of spooky night hike into jungle near end of trip |
