Ecuador provided a great getaway to experience historic haciendas, beautiful volcanoes with sweeping vistas and natural rain forest jungle in the Amazon Basin. All of this was experienced during a 10 day trip in November 2008.

View Larger Map

We took 700 pictures and 2 1/2 hours of High Definition Video. The following videos summarize portions of our trip.

Episode 1 - Cotopaxi
Cotopaxi is the name of a near-perfect volcano near the Hacienda where we stayed. We saw wild horse, deer and birds while in the National Park.

Episodes 2-6
Note: You will have to register in order to view the rest of the videos. Click the player below and then look for the word REGISTER.

See the SkyMallElectronics & Gadgets - $49 Mobal GSM World Phone website.

Source: www.skymall.com
$49 Mobal GSM World Phone from Mobal Communications: Find $49 Mobal GSM World Phone at SkyMall: Cell Phones.

.

.

.

.

Let us know what you think!

.

.

.

.

.

Let us know what you think!

.

.

.

.

Over New Year’s in 2007, we visited Belize and Guatemala. Belize is just three hours south of the United States by plane. The flight from Belize to Tikal took around an hour. Our focus was the Mayan archeological ruins of Tikal in northern Guatemala. The unique thing about Tikal is that it is surrounded by dense jungle inhabited by a variety of wildlife including monkeys and toucans. The first video above is a trip overview showing just the highlights of Tikal.

We also spent a night in Belize City upon arrival and three nights in Placencia, in southern Belize at the end of the week. In Placencia we relaxed in a bungalow on the beach and spent a day learning to scuba dive in Laughingbird Caye National Park.

View Larger Map

The other three video episodes include much more content of the trip, including getting there, as well as the site at Tikal.

Episode 1 covers the trip getting there. If you haven’t ridden in a small plane before, you can get an idea of what it’s like by watching this video. You will actually see one of the archaeological sites (Yaxha) from the air near the end of the video.

Episode 2 covers the site called Yaxha. It is nearby Tikal and wonderfully preserved. The roads near the airport start off pretty good, but get worse as you enter the countryside. Along the way, you will pass through villages, getting a glimpse of their daily life. We had lunch at a nearby ecolodge.

Episode 3 covers Tikal itself. We stayed at an ecolodge inside of the park. This enabled us to walk through the ruins at anytime. Towards the end of our stay, we reentered the ruins in the late afternoon and watched the sunset from the summit of one of the ceremonial temples. Fabulous sight. While at the top, we were also treated to conversations with people from around the world.

At the end of the video you will see some excellent shots of a toucan. I used a 10X lens and a 2x multiplier to get this shot. It was fun to hear the toucan call to other toucans nearby before he flew away. We were completely by ourselves on the walk back to our lodge where we celebrated the day with a cold beer.

Other Sites
I found these other sites to be helpful.

• Nice photos - http://fourlittlefeet.wordpress.com/2008/08/10/tikal/
• History of area - http://traveltomove.com/2008/07/26/history-of-tikal-tikal-guatemala/
• More photos - very detailed - http://lifeisbutadream.wordpress.com/2008/06/19/honeymoon-review-tikal/
• Nice adventure writing and some videos - http://xiebob.wordpress.com/2008/06/14/yucatan-2008-day-10-tikal-guatemala-2008-03-25-tuesday/

2 - 4 November 2008

We left Los Angeles early on Sunday (2 November) for our five hour flight to Miami. We had lunch at the airport before connecting with our flight to Quito. It was only about three hours there and in the same time zone as Miami, which was really nice. We arrived in Quito and cleared customs at about 10pm. The weather was rainy when we met our driver from the hotel outside of the airport. He drove us about 50 miles north (taking a little over an hour on mountainous roads) to Hacienda Cusin, about six miles from the city of Otavalo. The rain was really coming down when we arrived and we were very happy to get to our cottage, which already had a warm fire going!

The next day it was still raining so we spent the morning exploring the grounds of the hacienda, which dates from the 17th century. There were extensive gardens, a library and a monastery, which were all beautiful. Some of the buildings contained Andean tapestries and church relics. Next, we decided to walk a short distance to the adjacent village of Laguna de San Pablo, which we could see from the roof top balcony of our cottage. It was still raining a little and the town has deserted during the middle of the day but we enjoyed the walk. We could feel the altitude of about 8,500 feet after a while so we found a restaurant to get a bite to eat and a drink. The ceviche restaurant had delicious shrimp and rice. After a relaxing afternoon back at the hacienda we enjoyed an excellent dinner at the restaurant there.

On Tuesday (4 November), it was still raining slightly. We took a taxi six miles to Otavalo to view the famous market. We were dropped off in the middle of the city and first took a walk over to the animal market a short distance from town. After trying without success to find it, we came back into the center of the city and came upon a local food market. It was complete with fruits, vegetables and various cuts of meat. We bought a couple of drinks and watched the people for a while. We then went to the craft market and spent a couple of hours viewing the items and doing some shopping. After having lunch at a local restaurant, the rain increased so we went back to the hotel and spent the afternoon relaxing. Dinner was another great meal in the hacienda dining room.

Current Time in Ecuador:

5 - 6 November 2008

On Wednesday morning we left Hacienda Cusin after breakfast to our next hacienda destination, located about 40 miles south of Quito. On the way there, we stopped at the equator, which is located about 15 miles north of Quito. There we spent about 90 minutes viewing a small museum and getting a local tour of the area, including actually standing on the equator line itself. The guide also provided water demonstrations (it empties opposite directions on either side of the equator and straight down right on the line), sun dial viewing and an attempt to balance an egg on a nail (easier to do on the equator).

Back with our driver, we fought through some traffic in Quito and then arrived at the Hacienda San Agustin de Callo in the late afternoon during a downpour of rain. This is reputed to be the best-known hacienda in Ecuador. Many of the rooms are built upon the walls of the best preserved ruins of the Inca empire. We spent some time walking around the beautiful grounds between rain storms that afternoon. The dining and living rooms were great places to relax and engage in conversation with other travelers. We enjoyed dinner and conversation with several other guests and the owner.

After a good night’s sleep, we awoke Thursday (6 November) to much better weather. Through the hacienda we hired a driver and guide to take us on a day trip to the Parque Nacional Cotopaxi, just a short distance away. As we drove through the park, the clouds cleared and we were fortunate to get clear views of the volcano, which at 5,897 meters (19,347 feet) is the second tallest mountain in Ecuador. We drove to about 14,700 feet and took some pictures of the sweeping vistas and of the hut at 15,748 feet which is a starting point for those attempting to summit the mountain.

The driver took us back down to about 11,800 feet and then we went on a short hike around a lake with our guide. We saw several birds and some wild horses. After enjoying a picnic lunch, we continued our drive through the park and then back to the hacienda. We had another excellent dinner before retiring to our room for the evening.

Current Time in Ecuador:

Date: Saturday, 25 October 2003 01:50 PDT
Subject: Greetings from Chobe National Park, Botswana

Captions for the pictures:
1. The Bitch - our transportation
2. Cheetah at dusk
3. Hippos cooling down
4. Dinner after a game drive
5. Thendia and Barnard changing a tire
6. Typical village in Botswana

19 October 2003 - Day #29

Last time you heard from us, we were driving from Windhoek, Namibia to Maun, Botswana. We left Windhoek at 7:30am and arrived in Maun at about 3pm. As we approached Maun (about 50km away), we passed a village called Toteng. We didn’t see any cars, bikes or stores. In fact, the only reason I noticed it was that the speed limit was reduced from 120km to 80km. Here, all of the brush is cleared from around the trees. The inhabitants are mostly goat ranchers. They live in compounds built with branches placed sided by side to form a fence. Each compound has several buildings. In some cases, the building is constructed with cement blocks with tin for the roof. Other times they are built with sticks and mud with reeds used to form the conical roof (see pictures for example). Simplicity.

When we got closer to Maun, we hit a security checkpoint. Our Namibian driver’s English was limited (the Botswanan police officer’s was excellent). Because he didn’t answer the questions quickly and clearly, we were asked to pull off the road for an inspection. As our driver opened the back, Sandy jumped out of truck. The officer asked to see the contents of one of the bags. Sandy opened the first bag and declared that all of the bags were ours. The officer immediately backed down and we were allowed to pass. We found security checkpoints outside of Windhoek as well. The purpose is to control immigration (Angola and Zimbabwe) and theft as well as to collect fees as applicable.

As I write this, we are in the middle of a 5-day safari through the heart of Botswana. We left Maun on 17 October with the goal of arriving in Kasane on 21 October. We will spend most of our time in the Moremi and Chobe National Parks. Moremi is part of the Okavango Delta formed by a river with the same name. The Zambezi River is the major water feature of Chobe.

The total distance traveled on our driving safari is 350km. Today’s distance will be 108km. The roads are all dirt tracks with the exception of one short stretch of paved road between the parks. The condition of the roads so far varies from flat and smooth to extreme uphill or downhill with big ruts. Our speed rarely exceeds 40km/h. The average is probably about 20km/h. So, 108km is a long way.

Our pattern has been the same both days. We wake about 6am (not with an alarm clock but a profusion of sounds like no other I’ve heard). By 8am, we’ve broken down our tents and loaded all the equipment. We view game along the way. Once we arrive at the camp, we set up our tents and unpack our gear. We then take in a late-afternoon game drive followed by a gathering around the fire for a beer, conversation and dinner. Today, we were fortunate enough to see a pride of lions and a cheetah. We also saw monkey, baboon, elephant, giraffe, impala and hippo.

Our guide’s name is Eve. She is originally from South Africa. She is one of the few women guides in the area and the only one we’ve seen in Africa. We estimate her age at 60-ish. She is energetic and knowledgeable. She has been married for 32 years. She has two kids and one grandchild. Eve is great with the kids.

Our “man” is named Thendia (Kristen had trouble with the pronunciation and calls him India instead). He lives in a small village in the bush when he’s not on a safari. He is unmarried at 26. His language skills are good. But, he has a thick accent and doesn’t speak much. Thendia is a jack-of-all-trades. He is skillful at changing tires (see pictures), cooking and spotting animals. He is a warm person who plays with the kids and patiently answers all of their questions.

We are traveling with two others: Barnard (pronounced with a double A - Baarnard) from South Africa and Annick (pronounced like Monique with a short “A” replacing the “Mon”) from Belgium. Both are in their 30’s. Barnard and Anike are “dating”. They work for the same company and must have met at a company meeting of some sort. They spent the time giggling and comparing Flemish and Afrikans (pronounced “Africons”) - their native languages. Both Flemish and Afrikans have their roots in Dutch.

Our vehicle is a 101 Land Rover. It is big, ugly and noisy. It gets three km/liter (less than eight miles/gallon… worse than a Hummer H2). It is at least 30 years old. Since the odometer only has five digits, no one has any idea how far it has gone. It has a strong motor, but it is fussy. At times, we have trouble starting it (if we shut it off in route after viewing game). If this occurs, Thendia, Barnard and I jump out and push start it. This vehicle has a name: The Bitch (appropriate). It has a nameplate on the front so everyone knows it’s coming. It carries us and pulls a trailer with our gear.

On the first night, we camped in a wetland area. Most of the surrounding area is swamp covered with tall reeds. As the sun fell, the activity of the animals seemed to increase. On top of the crickets, there was another bug that sounded like water dripping. After more joined in, had a cascading sound that reminded me of orchestral wood blocks. There are a vast number and variety of birds. Their activity would increase at nightfall and then grow silent until daybreak. One bird’s call sounds like an iron gate closing or a child learning to whistle (single hissing note). Others are impossibly complex and couldn’t be described in a short email.

Then there are the hippos. They are more active at night. Hippos make many noises. The one they use the most sounds like a deep, sinister laugh (it reminded me of Jabba the Hut in Star Wars). Even though the hippo was several hundred meters away, it sound like it was just outside the tent. One night, just before we went to bed, we actually heard a male lion roar (several times). Again, it was at least 500 meters away (we had seen it during our game drive). However, it sounded quite close. For some reason, we all retired to our tents shortly after hearing this.

Miss you all.

God’s Blessings,
Darren

The 10 ways to know if you are in the middle of nowhere…
10. People in cars coming from the opposing direction wave as they pass
9. Passing on a blind corner is no big deal
8. You fill r’ up when you still have half a tank
7. You bring extra car parts with you
6. You can’t find any radio stations
5. You turn off your cell phone to save power
4. You bring more than two days food and water
3. The only signs are mile (kilometer) markers
2. You use the middle of the road to avoid hitting the animals
1. Locals have never heard of Arnold

7 - 9 November 2008

On Friday morning (7 November) we left the Hacienda San Agustin and were driven to the Quito airport. Upon arrival we met up with several others who were making the short flight to the town of Francisco de Orellana (also known as Coca) and on to Sacha Lodge. Our 30 minute flight passed over the third tallest volcano in Ecuador, Cayambe (at 5,790 meters or 18,996 feet) and soon we could see the Amazon basin below us. Upon landing in Coca we transferred to the Rio Napo river and took a two hour speed boat trip to the lodge.

Sacha Lodge is located about 50 miles from Coca. We had to walk about 20 minutes from the river landing, through the rain forest, to a lake, where dugout boats rowed us to the lodge itself. It was really peaceful and beautiful! Our room was at the end of the hotel property and had a great balcony and hammock. At night the sounds of the jungle could be heard right outside the room. The bar and dining areas were also very nice. We spent three nights hiking and viewing wildlife with our two guides and another couple. After dinner the first night we all went on a night hike in which we saw frogs, spiders and bugs.

Early Saturday morning we hiked a short distance into the jungle and then climbed 120 feet to a series of three canopy towers, separated by swing bridges. It was quite high but the views were spectacular! From the towers we were able to see several types of toucans and a vulture. We also spied black-mantled tamarins and squirrel monkeys. We even saw a tarantula climbing the tower next to us. We hiked back through the rain forest and enjoyed viewing different flowers. In the late afternoon another hike along a boardwalk took us through a wonderful swamp. We also saw several monkeys in the trees and leaf carrying ants on the ground. A storm took place in the distance as the sun set.

Sunday morning (9 November) was an early wake up call. We boarded a boat that took us downriver to the Parque Nacional Yasuni and several bird licks. These are primarily for parrots but we were also very fortunate to see scarlet macaws as well. Hundreds of parrots visit the lick each day and we enjoyed the show. After relaxing back at the lodge we took part in a late afternoon activity to climb a 90 foot tree canopy. To get there, we took a incredible jungle cruise in a dugout canoe down a beautiful stream. Once we reached the top of the canopy we spied more birds, a sloth and some wonderful trees below us. The final evening was a lakeside barbecue adjacent to the lodge.

Current Time in Ecuador:

People asked a lot of questions about the videos we showed. Here are a few of the questions they asked:

What type of video camera did we use?
Answer: Sony HDR-HC3 with 2x multiplier and a Nikon D70 with a 400mm Telephoto lens

What editing software we used?
Answer: Pinnacle Studio 10

What equipment did we use to play our presentation and the videos?
Answer: Sony Vaio and an Optoma EP1691 projector. Sound was through Altec Lansing Multimedia Speakers.

We were approached by several other people who asked if we were interesting in giving our presentation again at another gathering. We said, “Yes”.

.