Quito sightseeing tour

That day we had to wake up at 4:30!!! This was because our organizers from NWC were obliged to deliver us to the airport for the flight from Coca back to Quito. So we started during pitch black night over the black waters of the lake, among caymans, paddling to the Napo river. Then they moved us back to motorboats and we had over two hours nap on way to Coca. In Coca they checked us for the VIP flight to Quito. And I must say that finally I came across the airport that is smaller than Warsaw Okecie! It's really hard to find such an airport, but they have one in Coca - you can check it for yourself. Eventually we got boarded on small Dornier 328 with the most beautiful stewardess I've ever met. I must say that ecuadorian airlines have really beautiful girls and it's a pleasure to flight with them. Strongly recommended.
We arrived to hotel Cayman about 12:30 and in 15 minutes were ready for Quito sightseeing tour. I will not write a lot about it, because it's hard to pass written information while you really must see this wonderful city. It real name is San Francisco de Quito, but most often is called just Quito - capital of Ecuador. Quito is actually a big city - its population counts over 1.8 million people and it has large area - 324 square km. Elevation of the capital of Ecuador is 2800 m over sea level that makes it second-highest administrative capital city in the world (first is La Paz in Bolivia - to be visitied on one of my next trips, definitely) and the highest legal capital. The other very interesting fact is that Quito, along with Krakow, were the first Cultural Heritage Sites declared by UNESCO in 1978!
So we have nice about 4 hours trip over the old city and visited all the most interesting churches and monuments. Our guide had a great knowledge of Quito and good presentation skills. I really like this city. It reminds me old european cities like Lisaboa or Barcelona, but has much better atmosphere and more pretty girls. After all see the pictures yourself...

Parrot clay licks

On the second day wake up call was scheduled at 5:00 am. We had to get to parrot clay lick #1 at 7:30 to catch parrots there. And to get there we again had to paddle trickle up to Napo river. Then take a motorboat for few minutes over Napo itself. Finally we arrived to the clay lick and saw only boa snake on the tree. No birds. Naturalists asked us to be quiet and wait - parrots should come in few minutes. Unfortunately something had scared birds and they decided not to come this day to the clay lick. So our guide ordered to get us to clay lick #2 - activity there was supposed to be at 10:30. We reached our destination about 10:10 and immediately noticed hawk on the tree. It meant that we have another problem and birds might not come. But to our surprise hawk flew away and birds started to get closer to the lick. When it was almost 10:30 and birds was just at the destination something scared them and millions of them escaped in a fraction of second. It wasn't our lucky day, but we were patient. All the strongest from the group decided to stay at the place and wait for some activity. It was worth waiting. First of all we had some time to take a nap or read a book. Second, after two hours, macaws - the most beautiful parrots - arrived. First slowly, but finally one of them landed on the lick. We were observing them for about an hour, but they also were not brave enough to get down to the lick. Our naturalist told that these macaws can be observed here very rarely - only in December and January. So eventually we had some luck! And saw nice, big, colorful birds.
Before getting back to the lodge, we had to eat lunch in the Anangu welcome center (the place located at the tributary of the trickle to the Napo river) and visit handcraft store. The most interesting thing in the store turned out to be another boa braided into roof structure. Miguel explained us that few days ago he saw here some bats and where are bats, are boas, so he had expected it.
On the way back Miguel joked that it's good sun for anacondas. They like to sunbathe. And it was really very sunny day. But it was jungle. After 1.5 hours of paddling everything changed in a second and it slowly started to rain. Where we were in the middle of the Anangu lake, wind started to blow really strong. Waves were bigger and bigger, everything started to get wet and first of all I protected my backpack with provided poncho. It was more and more water inside our canoe, but Mariano and Alex paddled quickly to get to the pier as fast as possible. It was the most scary moment in my life. I was always sure that my backpack will sink in the black waters of the lake forever... Fortunately everything had happy end. We reached the pier and I got to the cabin completely wet - however my backpack was almost dry - it's more important than me myself as you can imagine. After such day, full of adventures and wild animals I was tired and fell on the bed... but still please enjoy some pictures.

Observation tower

First day in the jungle was easy - wake up call 5:30. Our naturalist guide Miguel and native guide Mariano (in the movie on previous blog entry) took us to the other side of the Anangucocha lake (paddling) then to the observation canopy tower in the jungle. We had to walk for 30 minutes with rubber boots on our feet. Tower is constructed with stainless steel structure and has about 40m. You must get to the top by stairs. It is installed next to the giant Kapok tree and at the tree there's a platform. We were observing different birds and monkeys, because from this place you can see everything that's going on at the roof of the jungle and it's the most interesting place. Then on the way back we had a short loop around the amazonian forest and Mariano explained us a lot about Indian's customs and medicine trees. So now we know for example how to cure snake bite.
After getting back to the lodge we had lunch and siesta time. In the evening they arranged us paddle trip around lake and nearby streams. It was one of the most interesting part of the jungle experience. We saw a lot of different birds, giant otters (one of the most endangered species in the jungle and very rarely seen here), many bats, frogs and monkeys. But the top of the show was the part where we were searching for caymans during pitch black night with our flashlights. It turned out to be millions of them in the lake - we saw their amber eyes over the water. Naturalist mentioned also that we can easily swim in the lake during the day, but must make sure that are not injured. Otherwise piranhas will get you quickly. We didn't risk the swimming, but the older couple from Argentina was brave enough and survived!

Mariano and Alex preparing the canoe for the short trip to Observation Tower

View from the Canopy Tower

Hungry? Bats on the stick :)

Birds,

Giant Otters,


Monkeys,


Birds at night (photo taken with flash and better beamer in complete darkness, flashlight used for autofocus support),


frogs in complete darkness (photos taken with flash and better beamer, flashlight used for autofocus support)

and caymans (photo taken without flash, ISO 6400, complete darkness, flashlight light)

Welcome to the jungle

New day in Quito lazily awaken from the sleep. We also woke up to pack before taking new challenge – 4 days trip to the jungle. To get there we got across Andes with Tame airlines, then had 3 hours motorboat ride from Coca to Anangu Community, and then 2 hours of canoe paddling. We got deep into the jungle. And I must say what I felt - it was like the movie trailer:

In the middle of nowhere,
Deep in the jungle,
At the black waters of the lake,
There's a place
Like no other in the world -
Napo Wildlife Center

This was in my head when we arrived to the lodge. Place was amazing and looked really great. Plenty of cabins at the lakeshore and in the middle of them all, large building with big observation tower reaching high above roof of the jungle. At the pier it was a waiter waiting with tray full of jucie glasses. It was nice welcome. Then we got to our cabins - beautiful stylish finishing with beds covered with mosquito nets. It was not as I imagined jungle to myself. But it was only illusion. This place was like oasis in the middle of wild forest. But this was what I had understood another day...

Here's unprocessed movie from D10 camera. Just to show you a piece of paddling exercise - it was over 1.5h of such experience...



Motorboat ride from Coca to Anangu Community Welcome Center - about 3 hours

Paddling on the trickle upstream - about 1.5 hours


Watching some birds on the way - "alarm bird" and heron


Finally view of Napo Wildlife Center...


And the plan of premises

Last of very early wake up calls

Today was our last day on Galapagos. We had very early wake-up call - 5:45. Even before breakfast, first thing in the morning, we've visited North Seymour Island. There we had a chance to see blue footed boobies, sea lions, frigate birds, pelicans, yellow iguanas and other beasts for the last time. Due to very early wake up call, we got to the island in darkness. I had to use ISO3200 to get anything, but finally managed to get some photos with frigates with their red sac. Excursion to the shore was rather short, so just after that we had breakfast on board and cruised to the Baltra island where airport is located. There we got to the airport to catch plane to Quito. Flight back was strange, because we also had stopover in Guayaquil. However this time they asked as to get off the plane and board another, smaller one! In the evening we reached our hotel in Quito. After leaving luggage, we decided to eat something and started wandering around the city. Hotel Cayman is located in the so known new Quito where there's a lot of nice restaurants. I had tomato soup with avocado and two big empanadas. Place was nice, so maybe we'll visit it again. After visiting some shops we eventually got back to hotel and grabbed Internet, so I'm updating my blog, reading corporate e-mails and generally catching up with my second life. Especially for MickeyW and other guys some more pictures - this time weather was worse, so I'm also suffering sometimes :)