Rainforest – Maldo Travels

San Andres – Islands Tour

Jean Maldonado — Wed, 21 Apr 2021 20:00:00 +0000

This was the first tour we purchased when we arrived at the island. There are several tour reps walking along the main strip in Centro advertising tours. Usually, for any tours involving boats, it’s normally cheapest to buy tickets at the pier from where they depart. The tour that we bought was scheduled to depart at 8.30 AM from a pier on the south side of Centro. There are several entrances and we were unsure what entrance to go through, but when we showed our voucher we were pointed in the right direction. We arrived at the pier at around 8.20 AM and they took our voucher to register our arrival. They told us to wait to be called to be given a wristband. After about 20 minutes of waiting we went up to ask them again and they said they were delayed so we had to wait a bit more. At around 9 AM they gave us our wristbands and told us to board one of the boats. We began setting out before one of the crew members said we were on the wrong boat and so we had to go back to the pier to change to another boat. The whole thing was very unorganized and we finally made it on the right boat at around 9.30 AM.

Johnny Cay

The tour we got was for one of the fast boats and it fit around 20 people. Our first stop was the island of Johnny Cay which is a short 15-minute journey away. The arrival to the island is very beautiful as you can see the palm-tree-lined sandy shore surrounded by the colorful turquoise water. We were left to roam the island and asked to be back at the boat at 12.30 PM to continue onto the next island. The island is very small so we decided to walk the perimeter which took us about 30 minutes. The center of the island has a couple of facilities and some seating areas in the shade of tall palm trees. You can also buy some food and drinks in this area. You can get in the water on some shallow parts of the island, but be careful because the waves can be very strong. Overall, it’s a nice place to relax during the day.

Aquarium

The boat came back on time and we promptly set out to the next destination which was the Aquarium. It takes about 35 minutes to get there and on the way the tour guide asks everyone if they want to make a stop by the ghost ship. However, they ask for an additional 5000 COP¹ contribution per person which was a little annoying, but fortunately, everyone on the boat agreed. The tour guide tells the story of how the cargo ship got stuck on the corals and was abandoned since it was too expensive to pull it out. It was a quick stop and then we continued to our destination which is known as the aquarium. The water is much calmer here so it’s perfect for snorkeling. There are several stalls there and you can rent snorkeling gear if you didn’t bring any with you. However, the highlight of this place is the sandy path that goes into the sea. The waves come in ankle-deep at most, but it’s a very picturesque walk.

Haynes Cay

There is also a safety line that connects to Haynes Cay that you can walk along. The water is waist deep and it takes about 10 minutes to walk across. This island is smaller than Johnny Cay and also less maintained. There’s a restaurant here as well to buy food and drinks which is the main attraction, but most people stay in the Aquarium. We walked back across and relaxed in the water while we waited for the boat to come back at 3 PM. We then got on the boat and one of the sting ray handlers brought a sting ray by the boat. We saw it swimming around the boat and you could reach out to touch it as it swam by.

Mangroves

Next, the tour guide took us to the final destination which was the mangroves. We cruised around here for a couple of minutes while the guide told us about the flora and fauna in the area. Then it was a quick 10-minute journey back to the pier.

Mindo – Nature and Adventure

Jean Maldonado — Sat, 02 Jan 2021 23:04:00 +0000

Located only 2 hours away from Quito, this is a popular holiday spot for residents of the capital. We drove there but you can take a bus as well. The town is small but filled with tour agencies and restaurants. I’ve been on several occasions and we normally stop at a tour agency on the main road to look for activities. There are many things to do and here are some of the activities I’ve done in my last couple of visits.

Zip-lining/Canopy

There are many different places to do zip-lining in the mountain cloud rainforest terrain. You can buy the tours in the town and they normally do bundles with other activities. However, you can also go directly to the zip-lining locations which will probably be cheaper. From the town center, it takes about 15 minutes to get to the zip-lining location. As you leave the town, the route turns to narrow winding dirt roads. There was plenty of parking available at the site. The staff helped us put our gear on securely and we then set out with 2 guides. It took about an hour to go through a circuit of 10 zip-lines and it was great fun.

Whitewater Tubing

This is a more adrenaline-inducing activity as the current of the river is very strong. The tour agency provided life jackets and helmets which we put on before heading out. They also told us to put on swimsuits or clothes that we didn’t mind getting wet, since we were guaranteed to get soaked. We then hopped on a pickup truck to the riverside location for the tubing activity. It took about 20 minutes to get there and they also took the buoys in other pickup trucks. The guide then gave us a safety briefing and since we were a large group, they divided us up into 2 groups. The tubes are about 6 tubes tied together so it’s 6 people each plus the guide. Unlike rafting where you have to row, your only job in the tubing activity is to hold onto the ropes. The guide will then do the rest of the work navigating which is quite amazing to watch. You’ll see them jump around the tubes and the river to navigate and dislodge the tubes when they get stuck. It takes about 20 minutes to go down the river and everyone gets completely soaked. At the destination location of the river, the pickup truck was waiting for us to take us back. It’s only a 5-minute drive back from this part of the river.

Waterfall Rappelling

For this activity, we hopped on the pickup trucks to go into the rainforest. The waterfall is deep inside the rainforest and it took us about 30-40 minutes to get there. We first arrive at a lodge where we waited for a guide to come back with the previous group. We then hiked up the rainforest for about 15 minutes to reach the waterfall. When we got there, there were a couple of people from another group rappelling down the waterfall. We arrived at the base of the waterfall and could see it was quite high, maybe around 15-20 meters. There wasn’t much water coming down though, which makes it suitable for rappelling. Once the previous group had come finished coming down, the guides put the harnesses on us before hiking up to the top of the waterfall. It’s a short 5-minute hike up and then the guide gave us instructions on how to rappel down. Initially, it’s a little scary as you have to lean back, but once you get a hang of the technique you lose the fear. It takes about 5-10 minutes to rappel down, depending on how quickly you go. The guide rappelled down in 10 seconds which was insane.

There are many other activities which include a trail to visit waterfalls, renting buggies, visiting a butterfly sanctuary, and lots more. You can also just head to the river. The current is a little strong, but some parts are quite shallow so you could sit on some rocks and get a hydro-massage.

Iguazu Falls – Foz do Iguacu, Brazil

Jean Maldonado — Mon, 08 Oct 2018 22:29:00 +0000

From the bus terminal in Puerto Iguazu, we booked a bus to Foz do Iguacu leaving at 8.30 AM for 60 ARS² each. The bus seems to be a standard public transport bus rather than a tour company bus. It takes about 10 minutes to cross the bridge and arrive at the Brazilian Customs Border Control office. Here, the driver told us to go to the customs office and that we’ll be picked up from where he left us. There was no one else at the customs office so we got our entry stamp quickly. We then went back to the bus stop and waited for the next bus into town. The next bus which came wasn’t from the company we booked with, but we got on anyway and they didn’t ask to check our ticket. So we assume they just pick people up from here and assume they’ve paid. It was then another 20 minutes to get into town and the bus stopped at several locations, so we got off at one which was close to our hotel.

The City

The city was much bigger than I was expecting, and a lot bigger than Puerto Iguazu. The city center was quite busy and there is even a mall near the city center. Our hotel was in the city center, and after dropping off our bags, we headed to the bus terminal to try and find a bus to the falls. We needed cash though and we stopped by an ATM on the way but it didn’t work. The bus terminal only takes cash, so we headed to the mall which was a 20-minute walk away. There were ATMs there and if they didn’t work for our cards, then we planned to buy a SIM to order an Uber. Luckily. the ATM there worked and at this point, it was around noon so we hailed a taxi to get back to the terminal rather than walk back. However, when we got in the cab, the driver said he could take us to to the national park for 50 BRL³. It was only a 30-minute drive by taxi and this was cheaper than expected so we agreed.

Foz do Iguacu National Park

At the park entrance, we joined the queue and waited about 15 minutes to buy our tickets. It cost 63.60 BRL and they accept credit card payments. With the tickets, you have access to buses that go up and down the park. They leave every 10 minutes or so and are on a first come first serve basis. The bus makes several stops and we got off at the one of a viewpoint with the start of a trail. From the viewpoint, you get a panoramic view of the smaller falls. We took some pictures here and then started the trail to the viewpoint for the Garganta do Diabo (Devil’s Throat). About 10 minutes into the trail, there is another viewpoint of another panoramic of the falls. This viewpoint was a little busy so we had to wait a couple of minutes to get some pictures here. Then, we continued for another 10-15 minutes to reach the Devil’s Throat viewpoint.

From the trail, you walk onto some bridges which extend into the river. There are falls all around you and below you. You’ll get wet from walking around since the force of the falls creates a mist that reaches the bridge. On this day, we had clearer skies so the sun created a small rainbow on one of the falls below. The bridge can get quite busy so it took some time for us to get pictures with the surrounding falls. We spent around 20 minutes walking around the bridges before heading to the Elevadores do Garganta do Diabo (Devil’s Throat Lifts). This is a concrete observation tower built next to the falls. You can get some close-up pictures from the deck below. From the upper deck, you’ll get a panoramic view of the falls from above. Leaving this deck, there is a food court and bar to grab some lunch or drinks whilst enjoying the view. It was now around 3 PM so we decided to get take the bus back to the Macuco Safari where the boat tours leave from.

Once at Macuco, there were still some slots left for a safari and boat ride to the falls. It was quite pricey at 215.40 BRL, more expensive than when we asked in Argentina, but it’s a once in a lifetime experience so we went for it and did not regret it. The safari tour goes through the rainforest to the shore. A train buggy takes you about halfway through. Then you’re given the option to walk the rest of the way for about 15-20 minutes or continue on the train buggy. On the walk, the guide leads you through the rainforest giving info on the flora and fauna in the area. Once we reach the shore, there are changing room facilities and lockers to leave your stuff. Lockers cost 10 BRL and you should leave all valuables and electronics that aren’t waterproof since you will get soaked. Once the group has changed, we head down to the pier, put on life vests, and board the speedboat. The speedboats are quite large with capacity for about 20 people. We then set out upstream for about 10 minutes. The river has a strong current and the boat maneuvers into the waves which make for an adrenaline-filled ride.

Once we reach the falls, the boat floats around for a couple of minutes for everyone to take pictures. Then the boat positions itself in front of one of the towering falls. Everyone holds their breath as the boat heads towards the waterfall. As we get closer, sprays of mist turn into a high-pressure shower as the water comes thundering down meters away. These 5-10 seconds are exhilarating and the boat pulls away for a couple of seconds allowing us to catch our breath before heading in again. It’s amazing feeling the power of the falls this close up. After going in a second time, the boat pulls away, and it’s then time to head back; our hearts still pounding fast as it recovers from what we’ve just put our body through. Back at the pier we return the life vests and head up to the changing rooms to get our belongings. We then take the train buggy back to the main road where we wait for the bus back to the park entrance. It was now around 5.15 PM and the buses were coming by already full. We managed to get on the 3rd bus which had a couple of empty seats. At the park entrance, we asked where we could take a bus back to the city and were directed towards the bus stop. Several people here were waiting for the bus which came after about 10 minutes of waiting. The one-way ticket cost 3.05 BRL and took about 40 minutes to reach the city center.

Iguazu Falls – Puerto Iguazu, Argentina

Jean Maldonado — Sun, 07 Oct 2018 20:45:00 +0000

There’s a bus option that takes 18-hours from Mendoza to Puerto Iguazú, but we decided to take a flight leaving at 5.55 AM and arriving at 7.45 AM. The Puerto Iguazú airport is very small and being an internal flight, getting through customs was quick and easy. The airport is quite far from the town so you have to get a taxi or bus transfer. There’s no ATM at the airport and only some agencies take credit cards. Also, there’s bad network service at the airport so the sales rep had to try to take our credit card payment 3 times for it to go through. With that in mind, it would be best to take some cash just in case. Our bus transfer cost 200 ARS¹ each and it took about 30 minutes to get to the bus terminal in Puerto Iguazu. If you’re staying at one of the large hotel chains on the highway to Puerto Iguazu (e.g. Marriott), the driver will ask beforehand to drop passengers off there.

The Town

Since we arrived in the early morning, our room wasn’t ready at our hotel so we went for a walk around town. Puerto Iguazu is quite small with most of the shops and restaurants concentrated around the town center. There’s a boundary post mirador about a 30-minute walk from the town center which we visited. This is a tri-border point where you can see Paraguay and Brazil from the Argentinian side of the river. What’s most interesting here, is how the muddy brown waters of the River Iguazu and the grey/blue waters of the River Paraná merge. Other than the viewpoint, there are a couple of stalls at this site to buy drinks, snacks, and souvenirs.

On the way back, we walked by the riverside road and came across a small boat port. Here, there were boat tours available of the river and also boats to Paraguay. As we continued along the road, we went by a customs office. So if you came to Argentina by boat, that’s probably where you have to get your entry stamp. We continued further to the town center to find a restaurant for some lunch. There are several options around an area called 7 Esquinas (7 Corners). However, we found a lot of places didn’t accept credit cards, so we headed to an ATM first to take some cash out. By the time we were done with lunch, it was around 3 PM so we headed back to the hotel to get some rest. Later that evening we went for dinner in the 7 Esquinas area but this time walked further down the Avenida Brasil. There were several pop-up restaurants here serving mainly grilled skewers and steaks. It was very lively with musicians performing in the outdoor seating areas.

Iguazu Falls

At the terminal, we booked return tickets the day before for a bus to Iguazu Falls National Park for 260 ARS each (cash only). You can take any bus and we took one for the second departure leaving at 8.30 AM. It took about 30 minutes to reach the park entrance and at this time, there were already some short queues. We waited for about 15 minutes and bought our ticket for 600 ARS each which you can pay by cash or credit card. Once inside the park, there’s an information area, some shops, and restaurants. Going past all of these, there’s the platform entrance to take the train to different parts of the park. There are 3 main trails in the park; Garganta del Diablo (Devil’s Throat), Upper Circuit, and Lower Circuit. The main site is the Devil’s Throat which is the biggest part of the falls. You have to get a (free) ticket first to get a time slot to board the train. We got our ticket for the train leaving at 10 AM, so we had about 30 minutes to check out the information center. There is also a trail to walk between different parts of the park but it’s really hot and humid outside.

Once on the train, it takes about 30 minutes to reach the station for the start of the trail to the Devil’s Throat. The trail goes to some wooden bridges that go over the River Iguazu to reach the Devil’s Throat. As you get closer, the roaring sound of the falls gradually grows louder. It takes about 10 minutes to reach the viewpoint and here, the sound is completely deafening from the power of the falls. You will also get wet since the water falls with such force that it creates a permanent cloud of mist above it which reaches the viewpoint. A section of the viewpoint is cordoned off by a professional photographer who takes an elevated picture from a step ladder. There is plenty of space elsewhere, although you may have to wait a couple of minutes to shift into an empty spot. We spent about 40 minutes at this viewpoint before heading back to the train station.

For the way back, there’s no need to get a ticket and it’s on a first come first serve basis. We got off at the next stop after a 20-minute ride which was in the center of the park. This is where the Upper and Lower Circuit trails start and we chose to first go on the Upper Circuit. This trail takes us through several falls with views from above. You can hear the thundering noise of the falls fade in and out as you go past them. There are several viewpoints along this route which took us about 45 minutes to complete.

Once back at the station at the center of the park, we were about to start the Lower Circuit trail but it started to pour down with rain. We took refuge in the food court for about 15 minutes to wait for the rain to die down before setting out again. The rain didn’t completely stop, but we set out anyway since the grey skies indicated it wasn’t going to stop raining anytime soon. This Lower Circuit trail overlaps with some of the falls from the Upper Circuit trail, but you get a view from a lower elevation. There are also several viewpoints and panoramic photo opportunities. The highlight of this trail is when you reach Salto Bossetti (Bossetti Falls). This is one of the bigger falls and the viewpoint gets pretty close. As you walk up to the end of the viewpoint, you’ll feel a gust of mist from the force of the waterfall literally take your breath away. Needless to say, you’ll get soaked from approaching the waterfall but it’s a great experience and my favorite part of the visit. From here, the circuit then leads you back to the station at the center of the park. It took us about an hour to complete this circuit so we were done at around 3.20 PM. There was still one more trail that goes through the rainforest, but because it was still raining, we decided to head back to the hotel.

Cuyabeno Wildlife Reserve – Days 3 & 4

Jean Maldonado — Sun, 12 Aug 2018 22:34:59 +0000

On the third day, breakfast is served at 8 AM and we were scheduled to leave around 9.30 AM to go to the Indigenous settlement. We made stops when we spotted wildlife and reached the settlement around 11 AM. The people lived in wooden huts living off the land and hunting. A local lady showed us the process of making yuca bread. Yuca grows in the root like a tubercle. The women of the village are in charge of agriculture in the village whilst the men go hunting. Pulling out the root requires a lot of strength but the lady pulled it out with ease. She uses a machete to cut off the yuca from the root and makes an incision before handing it out to us to peel them. The root is replanted and it takes 48 hours for the leaves to grow again. It then takes 6-8 months depending on the climate for Yuca to grow again before it can be harvested.

The group then heads into the hut to wash our hands and then take turns in grinding the yuca. The lady then puts the ground yuca in a flat wood-like woven utensil. This utensil is called an anaconda by the locals as it uses a constriction method to squeeze out the water from the ground yuca. The lady wraps the utensil over the yuca and hangs it on a pole. She uses a stick to rotate and squeeze out the water into a container. This liquid can be used to make a chili sauce, soup, or even a face mask. The dried yuca now has a solid coconut-like like texture. It is placed on a sieve and everyone crumbles it and rubs it against the sieve to thin it out and make yuca flour. The lady then pours some of the flour onto a hot wood-fired plate. She spreads it evenly and presses it down with a wooden bowl to flatten it out. No oil, salt, or any other condiments are used, it is pure yuca. After a couple of minutes, the lady flips it over to cook the other side. The end product is a delicious tortilla shaped flatbread with a little crunch. Total prep time – approximately 45 mins. The locals have it with some hot sauce and make burrito like meals. We had it with the meal we’d been given at the lodge to take to the settlement.

We finished lunch around 1 PM and some of the local kids came to lay out handicrafts their families had made. There were necklaces, rings, and wristbands for sale. Following lunch, there was some time to play football with the locals. It got really hot in the afternoon and at around 2.30 PM everyone was exhausted so we took a dip in the river to cool off. The canoe came to pick us up around 3 PM and we head to the shaman’s village. We made a quick stop at a small village to buy some snacks and water. We got to the shaman’s village around 4 PM. The talk and demonstration with the shaman cost 5 USD⁴ and lasted 1 hour. He mainly talks about his experience of becoming a shaman. There is also a demonstration of how to use a blow gun and an opportunity to fire one. He also asked for a volunteer who wanted their face painted with achiote. The last demonstration was of a ritual cleaning on a volunteer. After the talk, we headed back to Laguna Grande for the last sunset of the tour around 5.30 PM.

Day 4 - Homebound

The final day begins early in the morning to go out on the canoes for some bird watching at 6 AM. It had rained overnight so we didn’t see much and were back by 7.30 AM for breakfast at 8 AM. We left the lodge at 9 AM to go back to Lago Agrio. On the way back we came across a number of canoes by the shore. Turns out they had spotted an anaconda chilling on a tree and we got a chance to stop there for pictures. Due to heavy rainfall the night before, trees had fallen into the river so the driver had to accelerate over them. The canoe got stuck on one and we had to help out with getting the canoe back in the river. We had to be quick since another canoe could turn the corner and crash into us. We made it back to the main port by 12 PM to catch the bus back to the hotel meeting point where we’d parked the car.

Cuyabeno Wildlife Reserve – Day 2

Jean Maldonado — Fri, 10 Aug 2018 21:23:00 +0000

The lodge has a tower which provides an aerial view of the cabins and the surrounding forest. If you’re into bird watching, the guide recommended getting there at dawn since it’s more likely that you’ll spot them. Binoculars and a long lens camera is essential for good pictures. Breakfast is served at 8 AM and the group is scheduled to leave in the canoes at 9.30 AM to go for a walk in the rainforest. The area for the 1-hour 30-minute walk is called Tierra Firme which translates to Firm Ground. The guide mentioned that it’s called this because it doesn’t flood during the wet season which we were currently in at the time. Wellingtons are provided in different sizes but do get there early, since your size may run out resulting in ending up with oversized wellies. The boat ride took about 1 hour after making stops to see dolphins before arriving at the starting point of our walk.

Upon arrival, the guide gives out health and safety instructions and then begins to explain the medicinal use of trees and plants. Here are some of the most interesting highlight.

The Quinina tree has medicinal features and its flower smell is similar to that of a jasmine flower. The indigenous people cut the bark with a machete and cook it for around 1-hour to 1-hour 30-minutes producing a brownish liquid. They drink it and it’s known to clean the bacteria in your body that causes malaria from mosquitos and also other diseases. The bark can also be chewed and you swallow the liquid to clean out your blood. It is sour and numbs your mouth and is also known to cure cavities. The tree is in danger of extinction because pharmaceuticals have started cutting it down for its medicinal features.

The Curare plant is a paralyzing nontoxic, non-poisonous plant used to coat hunting darts. The indigenous boil it in water for around 24 hours. The water evaporates leaving behind a jam-like solution which is used to coat the darts. When a dart hits a monkey, it takes about 2-4 minutes to paralyze their muscles after which it’ll fall off the tree. If the hunter doesn’t find the monkey, after a couple of hours the paralyzing effect will wear off and the monkey will be able to escape. The guide shaved some of the bark off and gave to us to put on the tip of our tongue. It is sour and numbs your tongue with an anesthesia-like effect. The indigenous also use it like anesthesia for numbing pain when healing cuts from machete/hunting accidents.

Termite nests are used in agriculture to feed fish and chickens. When burned, the smoke can have a fumigating effect to repel cockroaches and also serves as a natural mosquito repellent.

The Yoko tree bark oozes a white liquid when cut with a machete. It has a sweet nectar taste which can be used to treat ulcers, gastritis, or inflammation of the stomach.

By 12.10 PM, we were back at the canoe and the guide showed us how to attempt fishing using a hair and fly – we were not successful but it was fun. On the way back, we made a stop at Laguna Grande for a refreshing swim before heading back to the lodge for lunch and some free time to relax. At around 5 PM we headed back out to Laguna Grande to get there in time for the sunset followed by a night walk through the rainforest. After taking in the breathtaking colors we got to the jungle around 7 PM. Torches are not provided but we used our phones to light the way. We managed to see a leaf frog, grasshopper, tarantula, and many other insects. At one point, the guide made everyone turn off all the lights and stand in darkness for a couple of minutes so that the insects come out because they hide when they see light. We were back at the boat around 8 PM and at the lodge for dinner at around 8.30 PM.

Cuyabeno Wildlife Reserve – Day 1

Jean Maldonado — Thu, 09 Aug 2018 13:35:00 +0000

Approaching the tri-border of Ecuador, Colombia, and Brazil lies the vast national wildlife reserve of Cuyabeno. This protected area is immensely biodiverse and well known for the pink river dolphin. The tours generally begin from Nueva Loja although the area is better known as Lago Agrio. Since it is a protected area, you cannot make your own way there and must go with a tour. There are 20+ eco-lodges in the wildlife reserve and all offer tours starting from 3 days and 2 nights directly or via agencies. We booked a tour for 4 days and 3 nights from an agency in Quito starting early in the morning on Thursday and ending Sunday afternoon.

Getting to the Green Forest Eco-lodge

The drive from Quito to Lago Agrio is about 6-7 hours so we left before midnight on Wednesday and arrived at the hotel meetup point by 7 AM. Public transport is also an option but takes about 8 hours. Travel time also depends on the weather, since the road down from the mountain can get foggy resulting in longer travel time. The hotel has parking spaces to leave the car throughout the duration of the trip. A complimentary breakfast is served at around 8 AM. The hotel serves as a meeting point for many tour agencies. Between 9 and 10 AM, several coaches will arrive to pick up the different tour groups and it’s then a 2-hour drive to the park entrance. Upon arrival, the guide instructs the group to leave backpacks for them to load onto the boats while lunch is served at a restaurant across the bridge. They advise to take out anything fragile and warn that the bags are not accessible throughout the boat ride and likely to get wet. A home-cooked meal is distributed to the group in containers and we make use of the restaurant’s seating area. At around noon, we go back across the bridge to the pier where the guides hand out life jackets and water ponchos. We’re split up into groups and embark on the motor canoes to commence our journey into the rainforest.

The total journey time to the Green Forest Eco-Lodge is about 3-hours 30-minutes to 4 hours. The guide makes stops when he spots wildlife and we managed to see several birds, monkeys, and sloths. It started pouring down about 1 hour in so we put on the water ponchos. The canoe driver also slowed down since during rainfall, trees are more likely to fall into the river so he had to be more cautious. After an hour of rain the sun came out again and it was very hot for the remainder of the journey. When we arrived at the Green Forest Eco-Lodge, we were shown to our cabin and given about 1-hour 30-minutes to unpack and rest. At approximately 5.30 PM we set out on the canoes to Laguna Grande to catch the sunset which is about 30 minutes away. However, we made a stop since we spotted some pink dolphins at the entrance to the lake. We stayed there for about 15 mins watching them surface every now and then. They only come up for air for about 2 seconds so you have to be very attentive. For the best pictures, you need a proper camera lens; my GoPro only captured a distant glimpse of them.

We managed to make it into the middle of Laguna Grande around 6.20 PM and the sun had already set by then. Nevertheless, the colors of the sky and twilight are magical. This is also an opportunity to go for a quick dip in the lake. Whilst there are alligators and anacondas in the Cuyabeno, they tend to keep away from the canoes and there were dozens of canoes in the lake. So the guide ensured us that it’s safe to go for a swim – ‘more certain/safe than marriage’ were his exact words. By 7 PM it is dark and that’s when we start heading back to the lodge. On the canoe ride back in the dark, the guide looks for animals in the trees. The canoe driver is practically navigating blind which goes to show how well he knows the river. The guide is intermittently waving his flashlight into the trees. He says that the animals’ eyes shine if the flashlight hits them. We were mainly looking for alligators but instead, we found a snake – an Amazon Tree Boa. This one was one of the smaller ones at roughly 1 meter long and the guide said they can grow to 2.5 meters in length. After taking a couple of pictures we continued on our way back to the lodge for dinner.

Following dinner, we are free to head back to our cabins or stay in the dining area to make use of the power outlets which are only available here. Lights and electricity are switched off about an hour or two after dinner at around 9 PM. The cabins are basic with bunk beds, linens, and a mosquito net. Hot water is heated in outdoor containers by the sun, so shower in the morning or afternoon, but at the water may be a little cold at night. Filtered water is provided in the dining area as well as tea and coffee. Meals are tasty and portions are good too. The dishes are standard Ecuadorean meals and not specific to the region as they are not allowed to hunt/eat the animals in the protected area. Only the Indigenous natives of the region are allowed to do so.