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Global Adrenaline's "Galápagos and
Amazon Explorer" tour offers two of Ecuador's most sought-after travel
experiences in one seamless package. We'll have the opportunity to delve
deep into the Amazon rainforest before moving on to explore the great
ecological diversity of the Galápagos Islands. Thrown in for good
measure are fascinating visits to the Otavalo Indian Markets, including
Peguche and Agato, in the northern highlands, and a rafting adventure
on the Rio Blanco. This trip offers a good glimpse of the great diversity
of Ecuador's landscapes, culture and history.
After arriving in Quito, we'll
head out into the wilds of the Ecuadorian countryside, for four days and
nights deep in the heart of the rainforests of the Amazon's headwaters.
We will be based during this segment of the trip at the Kapawi Eco-Lodge,
.jpg) |
| Kapawi Eco-Lodge and Reserve, Achuar Territory.
(Amazon Rainforest, Ecuador) |
where we will learn about the
rainforest ecosystem and have the chance to interact with the local Achuar
people. The lodge is located in one of the most remote areas of the Ecuadorian
Amazon, in the territory of the Achuar people. The lodge enjoys a spectacular
setting on a lake near the Pastaza River, a major tributary of the Amazon.
Since the nearest town of any size is 10 days away on foot, we'll access
the lodge by air. Our program at the Kapawi Eco-Lodge, rooted in the ties
our partners have built with the local Achuar community, offers us the
opportunity to experience the Achuar lifestyle and to explore their pristine
rainforest home.
The Kapawi Eco-Lodge was designed to comport with
the Achuar concepts of constructing without a single metal nail. The lodge
utilizes solar energy, biodegradable soaps and garbage recycling systems.
Kapawi offers 20 double rooms with heated showers and private bathrooms.
At Kapawi, our guides will plan the group's activities based on the group's
interests and physical capabilities. Kapawi's setting is abundant with
wildlife, including pink dolphins, macaws and many other bird and mammal
species. We can expect to enjoy the area's 500 bird species and countless
insect species, many of which have not yet been identified by scientists.
The area also boasts thousands of plant species (many with interesting
medicinal purposes), mammals, rodents, amphibians and reptiles.
Our tour will then move on to the town of Otavalo and
its Indian Market, situated in a valley between two extinct volcanoes.
To the east is Volcán Imbabura (15,210 feet, or 4,609 meters),
and to the west is Ecuador's eleventh-highest mountain, Volcán
Cotacachi (16,299 feet, or 4,939 meters). To
.jpg) |
| Giant tortoise, Cerro Azul Isabela. (Galapagos,
Ecuador - Photo by Andy Drumm) |
the east and northeast of Otavalo are several small
"otavaleños" weaving communities, including Peguche and
Agato. The Indian Market in the town of Otavalo is the Ecuadorian Highland's
best-known attraction. The market has served as the social and economic
center of Ecuador's northern highlands for at least 4,000 years. After our
time in Otavalo, we will spend a day in the cloud forest and a day rafting
the Rio Blanco, before shifting gears and flying to the Galápagos
for the final segment of our tour.
Upon our arrival in the Galápagos, we will be
met by our naturalist guides who will assist us in processing through
the control point of the Galápagos National Park, where a park
entrance fee is payable in U.S. dollars. Once on board our comfortable
vessel, our guides will provide an introductory briefing, where we will
receive detailed explanations about life on board, safety procedures and
the National Park Service's rules and regulations for the Galápagos
National Park. Each evening while we are aboard ship, our naturalist guide
will present a lecture about the following day's activities.
In order to protect the islands,
the Ecuadorian National Park Service has decided to limit visitation to
63 terrestrial visitor sites, in addition to the islands' small towns
and communities. The visitor
.jpg) |
| Eagle Rays. (Galapagos, Ecuador - Photo by
Andy Drumm). |
sites have been selected to provide access to the
best wildlife-viewing opportunities. Visitor sites are reached by disembarking
from our yacht onto smaller dinghies or pangas, which permits non-invasive
shoreline explorations and landings. Most landing sites will be on sandy
beaches or rocky promontories, as there are few docks on the islands. Landings
may be "wet" or "dry," with the pangas, in appropriate
circumstances, delivering us into shallow beach waters rather than directly
to the beaches or rocky shores. In any event, there is a likelihood that
we will be splashed at least once during the course of the trip, so we recommend
that our guests bring dry-bags or waterproof day packs to protect any valuables,
including camera equipment.
The Galápagos Islands feature approximately
30 dive sites. Two dives per day are the norm, with night-diving opportunities
also offered. A normal diving itinerary offers dives together with land
visits to the islands. This affords divers the unique opportunity to compare
their experiences. They often find that life above water is as spectacular
as that below. If you are interested in pursuing
any of our diving options, which are offered at an additional charge,
please discuss your interests with our representatives at the time of
your booking.
The tour will begin and end in Quito, Ecuador's lively
capital city, thus providing an opportunity to get acquainted with one
of South America's lesser-known capitals.
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No previous experience is required to enjoy this
tour. However, in order to fully enjoy the expedition's activities, particularly
the trekking and rafting portions of the trip, participants should be
fit, in good health, spirited and properly equipped.
Those planning to dive in the Galápagos must
be experienced divers. Most of the good diving sites have strong currents,
surges and cold waters. Furthermore, most dives are drift dives along
the cliff faces of offshore rocks and pinnacles.
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After our arrival in Quito, we'll transfer to
our overnight accommodations at the Hotel Café Cultura. A beautiful
old colonial house situated in the new part of Quito, the hotel is located
only a block from the lively Avenida Amazonas, perfectly situated for
exploration of the city's museums and other attractions. Guests can enjoy
the hotel's carved-stone log fireplaces, its wood-paneled library, its
private hammock-hung garden, and the chance to take breakfast or afternoon
tea on its garden terrace. Each of the hotel's 16 rooms is decorated in
an individual style and has a private bathroom.
After breakfast, we'll transfer to Quito's airport
for a 45-minute flight aboard a private plane (a Beechcraft 1900, carrying
19 passengers) to Montalvo. At Montalvo, we'll board a light aircraft
(a Cessna 207 or a Cessna Caravan) for a 30-minute flight to Wayusentsa.
From Wayusentsa, we'll load into motorized canoes for the 1-1/2 hour trip
to the Kapawi Eco-Lodge and its spectacular
.jpg) |
| Rainforest trekking with a local shaman. (Amazon
Rainforest, Ecuador) |
setting on the banks of the Pastaza River. A box
lunch will be served en route. Upon our arrival at the lodge, our naturalist
guide will present an introductory briefing, after which we will enjoy a
short late-afternoon hike. We'll enjoy our first dinner and evening in the
lodge, getting acquainted with its interesting features, including its construction
in the typical Achuar style without metal nails.
After breakfast, we'll go on an hour-long canoe
ride on the Pastaza River. From the Pastaza's shores, we'll hike to the
Ishpingo River over a Mauritia forest. We'll enjoy lunch beside the Ishpingo,
before setting out in motorized canoes to explore the river. We should
see many birds and giant otters along the river banks. The lodge will
offer an optional fishing program for those interested. We'll return to
the lodge for dinner and the night.
Once again, we'll begin with a canoe ride on the
Pastaza, delivering us to a trailhead that leads to Kusutkau. We'll take
a three-hour hike on the trail through a terra firma forest, before reaching
Kusutkau, where we'll enjoy lunch at a campsite in the area. Our afternoon
will include a visit to an Achuar village. We'll return to the lodge on
an inflatable raft, a trip that will take about two hours. We'll enjoy
dinner and the evening at the lodge.
We'll start with an early wake-up call for the
lodge's bird-watching program. After breakfast, we'll visit a black-water
lagoon, where there is a good chance that we'll spot caimans and birds
such as the black-billed cuckoo, the white-chested puff bird, the spotted
puff bird, the black bush bird, the Amazonian umbrella bird, the orange
yellow flycatcher (Tolmomyas trailli, sp. Novum) and the Moriche oriel.
Who knows? The area is so uncharted that we might even record a new species
of our own. We'll return to the lodge for lunch. In the afternoon, we'll
take a short hike to Lalococha, a white-water lagoon in the area. We'll
return to the lodge in the evening, each of us at the paddles of our own
canoes. We'll enjoy our last dinner and evening at the lodge.
Before breakfast, we'll make an early trip to
the Capahuari River searching for the area's captivating pink dolphins.
After returning to the lodge for breakfast, we'll take a short self-guided
hike on the lodge's trails. After a light lunch at the lodge, we'll depart
for the airfield of Wayusentsa, where we
.jpg) |
| Kapawi Eco-Lodge. (Amazon Rainforest, Ecuador) |
will begin retracing our steps to Quito. We should
arrive in Quito at about 3:30 in the afternoon, once again returning to
our old home at the Hotel Café Cultura.
Early in the morning, we'll drive north out of
Quito on the Pan-American Highway, heading towards Otavalo and its Indian
Market. After a morning visit to the market, we'll enjoy lunch in the
beautiful Hacienda Pinsaqui. In the afternoon, we'll visit the towns of
Peguche and Agato and their weavers, well known for their hand-made embroideries
and tapestries. In the late afternoon, we'll return to Quito for dinner
and the night.
The Hacienda Pinsaqui is located in the heart of Imbabura
province, only 3 miles (5 kilometers) from Otavalo, and less than 5 miles
(7 kilometers) from Cotacachi. The elegant and traditional hacienda truly
represents a peaceful respite in beautiful surroundings, complete with
a view of the majestic Volcán Imbabura.
After an early breakfast, we'll depart Quito,
heading towards the northwestern slopes of the mighty Andes. We'll begin
cycling on the Nono road around the slopes of the Pichincha volcano, on
a smooth up-hill to the 10,000 foot (3,000 meter) level, followed by a
thrilling descent into the cloud forest. Until our arrival in the Mindo
Reserve, about three or four hours later, we'll pass beside majestic waterfalls
and through excellent primary cloud forests, marveling at the variety
of orchids and butterflies to be encountered along the way. We will spend
the evening in a private lodge, Amigos de la Naturaleza.
We'll begin another exciting day as we push off
from the shores of the Rio Blanco. The river's name is Spanish for "white
river," so called because of its continuous flow of thrilling rapids.
After a safety briefing, we'll chart our course through almost twenty
miles (30 kilometers) of rapids and waves, admiring the river's spectacular
scenery and abundance of bird life. Along the way, we may
.jpg) |
| Kapawi Eco-Lodge at night. (Amazon Rainforest,
Ecuador) |
encounter the Southern River Otter. Late in the
afternoon, we will return to our hotel in Quito for the night.
At 10:00 a.m., we'll depart from Quito's international
airport on our 2-1/2 hour flight to the Galápagos. Arriving at
the islands' Baltra Airport at about 12:30 p.m., we'll meet our Galápagos
guide and transfer to our yacht. As we sail to North Seymour Island nearby,
we'll take in a brief orientation session. In the afternoon, we'll enjoy
a 1-1/2 to 2 hour shore visit to North Seymour, where we'll observe sea
lions, blue footed-boobies, magnificent frigate birds and other examples
of the islands' unique wildlife. If time and conditions permit, we will
also have an opportunity for some snorkeling. As will be the case with
all of our days aboard our vessel, we'll enjoy lunch and dinner on board.
In the morning, we will make a 3-4 hour visit
to Punta Suarez on Hood Island, also known as Española. Our walks
at Punta Suarez will lead us past large colonies of blue-footed boobies,
masked boobies, marine iguanas, albatrosses and swallow-tailed gulls.
In the afternoon, we'll visit Gardner Bay, also on Hood Island. We'll
have about 2-1/2 hours to enjoy snorkeling and panga-riding, before returning
to our ship for dinner and the night.
In the morning, we will go ashore at Puerto Ayora,
on Santa Cruz Island. While on Santa Cruz, we'll visit the Charles Darwin
Research Station and visit the island's main town. We'll spend about three
hours on the island, leaving plenty of time for souvenir shopping and
other activities. In the afternoon, we will visit Plazas Sur, the site
of several large sea lion colonies. In our 2-3 hours
.jpg) |
| Bull sea lion and giant prickly pear, South
Plazas. (Galapago, Ecuador) |
ashore, we'll also expect to see land iguanas, opuntia
cacti, swallow-tailed gulls, and red-billed tropic birds. Once again, there
may be time for some snorkeling before we return to our ship for dinner
and the night.
In the morning, we will visit Bartolomé
Island, where we'll take a hike to get a panoramic view of Bartolomé
and its famous Pinnacle Rock. After some swimming and snorkeling on Bartolomé,
we'll move on to visit Puerto Egas on Santiago Island. On Santiago, we'll
enjoy a coastal walk, which will afford the opportunity to discover a
great variety of tidal marine life, lorded over by the amazing Galápagos
fur seals. There will also be time for swimming and snorkeling during
the afternoon hours at Puerto Egas. We'll return to the ship, where we'll
enjoy our last dinner at sea.
In the morning, we will return to Santa Cruz Island,
making a stop at Caleta Tortuga Negra, where
.jpg) |
| Marine iguana. (Galapagos, Ecuador - Photo
by Andy Drumm). |
the Galápagos green sea turtles really
are green, not black as the Spanish name of their home implies. We'll
then head on to Baltra Island, in time to catch our 1:00 p.m. return flight
to Ecuador's mainland. We'll arrive in Quito at approximately 4:45 p.m.
After settling into our old home, the Hotel Café Cultura, we'll
enjoy dinner at Quito's La Querencia Restaurant.
After breakfast at the hotel, we'll transfer to
the Quito airport for our return flights home.
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