Together with a couple of my travel companions, I had decided to travel to Quito a few days before meeting the rest of the group. It made sense both to acclimate to the altitude (Quito is located at around 2,800 meters) and to explore some areas not covered in our itinerary. Taking the Teleférico cable car to the Pichincha volcano area at 4,000 meters was an amazing experience!
After a couple of days in Quito, Skandino picked us up from our hostel. In a private bus driven by a charismatic guy named Carlos, we set off towards the first highlight of the trip: Antisana Ecological Reserve. In the last light of the day, we arrived at Tambo Condor Lodge at around 3,500 meters. The sunset was breathtaking, offering a display of orange hues in the sky over the mountain peaks. I also fulfilled one of my big hopes for this trip – to see the world’s largest bird of prey, the Andean Condor. A pair had settled for the night on a cliff near the lodge, and in the last light of the day, we could just make them.
An essential part of traveling the world is sampling the local cuisine. Therefore, it was a delight to end day 1 of our journey with an authentic meal. I particularly enjoyed the “Locro de Papa” soup served as an appetizer, a creamy soup made with potatoes and cheese, topped with avocado slices.
The main purpose of our trip was to experience Ecuador’s flora and fauna, with a focus on the impressive birdlife. After a good night’s sleep, we were up before sunrise (easy to remember on the equator where the sun rises and sets at 6 am), when the birds are particularly active. While the two condors majestically soared around the mountain peaks, we spotted some exciting new highland species. After a delicious breakfast, we headed to higher altitudes, driving up to the mountain-surrounded Laguna de Mica at around 4,000 meters, where we walked in the unique nature at this thin air layer. In a European context, this altitude would typically be barren, but it’s incredible how much life thrives in the Andes. With keen eyes and ears, we discovered many species with limited distribution.
It’s a very special feeling to have visited such a remote place – an experience only granted to a few.
Spoiler alert: In hindsight, many of my memorable nature experiences from Ecuador can be described this way. During the journey, we managed to completely avoid the feeling of being part of a “mass tourism crowd.”
After a 10-hour bus ride through sometimes very uneven terrain, we arrived at the riverbed in Cuyabeno, where two motorized canoes from Tucan Lodge awaited us. Stepping into this climate was a significant change. From walking half-puffed in the thin and cool highland air, sweat was now running down my back even when standing still, due to the high humidity and over 30 degrees Celsius. Inside, I was almost ecstatic about experiencing such different biomes in such a short time. At the same time, I had a really good feeling about the upcoming days of nature experiences, as the long transfer here surely meant that not many people frequent this area.
After lunch and a few snack purchases from the only store around, we eagerly boarded the longboats, ready for 3 days off the grid, without internet and other “everyday luxuries.”
In the dry season, the water level is low, so we were occasionally allowed to help push the boat over shallow passages. The journey to the lodge, which could have taken 3 hours, ended up taking 5 hours because we constantly spotted wildlife near the river. Soaring high above, we saw the rare King Vulture and several species of playful monkeys in the trees, including a couple of troops of the distinctive Squirrel Monkeys, aka Pippi’s Mr. Nilsson.
At one point, a pair of large orange butterflies became enamored with my camera. For about fifteen minutes, they either perched on it or fluttered around. Perhaps the extra warmth absorbed by the black camera body from the sun had an enticing effect?
Arriving at the lodge, we settled into the small cluster of tree cabins on stilts with palm leaf roofs. We occupied a couple of rooms, each with 6 beds, well-covered in mosquito nets. The common area also served as a gathering point for meals. We learned that a large bird spider inhabited the adjacent toilet. Longer visits to the toilet did not happen there. I made a deal with it: if I kept my distance, it would do the same.
After the evening meal, it was straight to bed to catch up on some sleep that had been elusive during the bus journey. I’ll probably never be a sound sleeper on bus or plane rides.
We woke up with the surrounding nature, a little before sunrise. The birdsong here is completely different from other places I’ve been. I found out that my favorite sound in the world is the song of the Oropendola. The beautiful birds had a colony in a tree near the lodge, allowing us to enjoy the sound of their song during the bright hours, which sounds like “metallic tinkling, followed by a medium-sized stone dropping into water and going plop.” It sounds strange when I describe it, but in practice, it’s really how they sing 😀
While the forest truly came alive, we sailed for a couple of hours on the river, spotting several Toucans and small flocks of squawking Macaw parrots.
After breakfast, the program included a longer trek on foot through the muddy understory. Over about 7 km, we encountered an incredible diversity of both flora and fauna. It’s crazy to think that large parts of the Amazon rainforest are still unexplored. I made sure to keep a safe distance from a couple of Bullet Ant nests. It is supposedly the most painful insect bite in the world. In some Amazonian tribes, it’s a rite of passage for young boys to let themselves be bitten without crying. I happily skipped that 🙂
It was indeed nice to have borrowed some rubber boots from Tucan Lodge because the narrow single-track trail led through some deep mud puddles. On a long morning excursion in oppressive heat, I was very grateful for my decision to stock up on salted crackers and cookies resembling Oreos. Quite a few were consumed along the way 😉
In the afternoon, as we lounged in hammocks near the river, we were blessed with another memorable experience. Up the river, there was something moving, creating ripples in the water. Upon closer inspection, it turned out to be a couple of river dolphins gliding past us on their journey down the river. It was a cool experience!
After another fantastic boat trip, we landed on what is actually the lake bottom during the rainy season in “Laguna Grande.” It was a fun experience to feel the slightly damp mud between our toes. We witnessed a beautiful sunset while observing numerous herons catching their last meal of the day.
As darkness fell, the river’s many crocodile-like Caymans began their nightly search for food. On the boat ride back to the lodge, the light from the boat driver’s flashlight constantly reflected off a new pair of reptilian eyes, the only body part elevated above the water’s surface.
The experience that stands out most from the Amazon trip, however, is the night walk. It was pitch dark. At 10 pm, led by our knowledgeable guide Gilver, we set out on the muddy trail. The number of insects that emerged with the darkness was overwhelming. Spiders, the size of my palm, hung everywhere in their intricate webs. Other strangely looking insects lurked outside their dens. There was truly a “kill or be killed” atmosphere on the forest floor. I’m glad many of my companions were biologists and had a vast knowledge of our surroundings. It was reassuring to be in their carefree company, including the many venomous creatures.
At various points, we turned off all lights for a couple of minutes, letting the multitude of sounds from the forest’s inhabitants envelop us. One might think that silence descends at night, but no, the colossal number of nocturnal creatures creates a resounding echo of sounds. It’s wildly fascinating!
Especially memorable was when Gilver suddenly spotted a large freshwater stingray in a small stream. I must honestly admit I didn’t know that such creatures existed so deep in the rainforest, thousands of kilometers away from the sea. Yet, the Amazon once again proves the broad spectrum of life it harbors.
Before going to sleep, pillowcases and mattresses were thoroughly inspected for bugs one more time 😉
The next morning, we hopped back into the canoes and began the long journey back to the riverbed. The day before, another boat had seen a large Anaconda in the act of devouring a turtle, but we were unfortunately not fortunate enough to witness that. However, we saw so much other exciting wildlife in the 3 days in the rainforest. During the many boat rides, it was fascinating to observe the huge Morpho butterflies with wingspans of up to 20 cm. That’s the length of the classic school ruler. Despite their size, they fly calmly and elegantly over the river, illuminating in a clear metallic blue color when their wings unfold.
Now, our journey continues with our own bus back to the mountains.
It has been a 10 out of 10 experience so far!
