Itinerary

= This page contains the latest Itinerary Information. (**It is not editable)** =

** PROVIDED BY JEN WATT FROM EF **

 * BACKGROUND: ** Jen will accompany us on the tour along with Alex Luther who presented to our group. As you will see from the email communication that I have posted onto the EF Page of our Wiki, Jen is incredibly knowledgeable having lived in Ecuador for some time several years ago. Be sure to check out her additional tips and fabulous info on the EF wiki page.
 * Day 1 ** – Travel to Ecuador

**Day 2 -** We first travel to Tena and to the Napo River just south of Tena. Our motorized wooden canoes will take us down river, North East towards Peru. Sounds funny, I know. We will visit the Amazon Rescuewhere we can see a variety of species in a wildlife zoo of sorts. There are monkeys, cats, birds, and so on. It is very hot there, and even so I will be wearing sturdy sneakers for walking up and down along the trail, and very light loose pants to prevent ankle biters. This is a place people can also purchase jungle products even wooden hunting tools and darts, chocolate, and medicinal plant oils/creams. I took a photo of the cabinet (we were in a bit of a rush), and am just translating off the p arts of the label I can read, but am including if anyone is interested in further research... > looking this up online. I find these things very interesting. > why I would purchase this even after researching it, but I got a chuckle > investigating it...
 * Quitadolor - for rheumatism and insect bites (!)
 * Dulcamara - for injuries
 * Fitoderm - maybe just another cream for injuries etc
 * Palosanto cream
 * Uncaria tomentosa (this is cat's claw - or una de gato). I just had fun
 * Sangre de Drago (Dragon's blood, also sangre de grado). I can't imagine
 * Aceite de Tungurahua

My photo also shows an oral tincture called SA42, a complete mystery.

Continuing we will then head back up river the way we came, and a little further from where we started to arrive at our jungle lodge. This is a beautiful place, with a view overlooking the river from high above. The view makes every stair climbed worth while. I had phone service, but there is no wifi here. Electricity is on from 6pm to 10pm.

The community is about ten minutes away, further inland/upstream/west.

**Day 3**

Regarding the jungle lodge in the Ecuadorian Amazon basin: A few tips that helped me included citronella/tea tree oil (I am bringing both and will gladly share) in addition to deet bug repellant. I additionally wore light loose pants during the day in the jungle, and avoided all insect bites during our time there. At night it was cool enough to sleep comfortably, and most rooms had hot water. Electricity is on 6pm to 10pm. We also climb quite a few stairs to arrive at the rooms, \and then another staircase to get to the outdoor eating area. We aren't at altitude, but it is very hot there so that adds to the stair climbing experience. We will be taking a 20 – 30 minute boat ride to the Amazon Rescue down the Napo river which flows east and then south all the way into Peru. After that we return upstream to the lodge.

The school visit should be exciting. We were just there with a group of 34 students from Cincinnati, and the teachers and students are so looking forward to your visit. The group from Ohio brought many things - I hope we will see signs of use – from soccer balls to picture books.

The community teachers were beside themselves over even basics – large index cards for instance. They will be thrilled with any and all pedagogical supplements… (See School Donations Info Page ~mad) This school has incomparably less than the school in Peru.

While we were there the kids were in two classrooms because the third teacher was getting his license renewed. I don't know if they will be in two or three classes when we are there, but the one on one time or small group size was great. In this community, the students stayed for lunch, and then we got to work on about 5 different projects. I'm not sure what our project work will include at this time. I had thought bookshelves might be nice – even.

On **Day 4**, we will leave the heat behind and make our way to Otavalo, north of Quito, enjoying a stop at a hot spring/spa (Papallacta Hot Springs) along the way. It is so beautiful there, the water is hot, and there is a cold pool for the fun of it too.No towels needed. Easy and cheap to rent towels and lockers - maybe US$1.00. There are a lot of pools at varying heats, and the cold plunge too. Here, we are already back up at 7OOOish feet (Papallacta Hot Springs). You can find this on google maps, highway E28 between the towns of Baeza and Tumbaco.

We wrap up the day in Otavalo, globally known and recognized for the arts, crafts, and especially weaving. The things you will see here are nothing at all like what Peru offers, for anyone who has been to Peru. But the history of this culture and the way they have adapted to change is very interesting. I am finalizing the date/timing with Maria Virginia to ensure she is able to join us, but she does very much want to meet you all over breakfast so let's keep our fingers crossed we can overlap with her!

**Day 5**, we will explore Otavalo before making our way to Bosque Jerusalem.

Here is a link with an English website: []. Here we will enjoy a beautiful medicinal plant/trail walk to a view of an entirely unique landscape and the unmarked equator.

**Day 6** highlight, we visit Yunguilla - a cloud forest community known for having evolved from production of plant based charcoal (much deforestation) to a sustainable economy including a jam factory, a cheese factory, orchid research we should have the opportunity to buy some jam, the black raspberry jam we had here at lunch was the best I have ever had. I bought some to bring home, and forgot to check my bag at the airport. I cried when they took it. The orchids took my breath away, and overall this is one of the most beautiful landscapes I have ever laid eyes on.

I am quite sure our time in the Galapagos is nothing I can capture ordescribe here. Bring your cameras! We are asked to maintain a distanceof at least 4 feet from the animals. The history of people and theseislands includes wayward and lost navigators cringing at the mercilesslava flows and lack of fresh food/water, pirates, settlers who broughtthings like goats to wreak utter havoc on the fragile and uniqueecosystems, and of course Darwin, who sat on his theory for more than 2decades before publishing. The islands were also home to Lonesome George,the land tortoise who died last year, sending his species into extinction.
 * Galapagos (my very incomplete interpretive version) **

We will enjoy the warmer waters of the Panama current (vs the Humbolt current), and as with the rest of Ecuador we can expect some varying degree of rain.