May 17, 2021 – Napo Wildlife Center (Author: J)

When we left off, our second full day in the Amazon had been mostly rained out.  Because we had missed out on most of our wildlife-watching activities, our group voted to return to the clay licks the following day.  That meant another early wakeup. 

We dragged ourselves out of bed to cloudy skies, but no rain.  Although we were worried that our day’s activities would once again be cancelled, we decided that the safest bet was to dress and head down to breakfast.  Once there, we met the rest of our group and they confirmed that the clay licks were a go.  After breakfast, we once again piled into our canoe for the journey back to the welcome center.  Throughout the ride, I was paranoid that the rain would return to spoil our trip.  But the dry weather held and, upon arrival at the welcome center, we loaded into a motorized canoe.

We arrived at the clay lick to find it empty — again.  I was a little grouchy at this point after so many days of pre-6 am wakeups and I grumbled a bit about wasting our time.  But David assured us that the parrots were actually gathering to use the lick.  Sure enough, using his binoculars, D was able to spot a bunch of birds in a tree near the clay lick.  After a bit of a wait, the birds fluttered down to the clay wall and started licking.  Because of the wet weather the day before, the number of birds was less than it otherwise might have been, but it was still more parrots than I have ever seen in any one place.  Without telephoto lenses, our photos did not come out great, but we did take turns watching the show with our binoculars.  Once the birds flew off, David confirmed that they were truly gone and we headed to our next destination.  The entire activity was a good illustration of the benefits of a talented guide.  Without David there to tell me otherwise, I would have assumed trip two to the clay licks was a failure. David’s knowledge about the birds’ behavior meant he knew just where to look to confirm whether any birds were planning to visit the lick that day.  And that meant that we did not miss the show.

Visiting the second clay lick required a short hike into the forest to an observation blind that the community built.  The blind is used not only by Napo guests, but also by guests at other properties.  What we did not know when we asked to return to the licks is that there is a long wait between the time the parrots leave the first lick and the time that animals tend to arrive at the second lick.  Had we not been rained out the day before, we would have passed that time at the cultural center.  Instead, we passed the time sitting in the blind.  We were literally there for hours with only a brief sighting of some wooly monkeys to entertain us.  As lunch time approached, I got antsy and asked David how long we planned to stay.  He suggested waiting another 30 minutes.  We did and, when there were still no animals, I packed up my camera and water bottle and headed out.  The dad/daughter part of our group was also tired of waiting and they followed, which prompted David to gather the full group.  (I can only assume that a glorious display of wildlife appeared at the blind just after we left because it seems like that is just the sort of thing that would happen to punish impatient tourists).

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We elected to hike the short distance from the blind back to the welcome center.  And it really was a short distance.  The whole hike was no more than ten minutes, although it did afford a short sighting of tamarins.  P began shouting that he needed his camera, which I was carrying for him.  Of course, the shouting prompted the monkeys to skitter off, so no photos were had.  

Back at the welcome center, I was still feeling grumpy — this time because the day had had too much sitting.  I grumbled about it to D before realizing that I might be in earshot of David.  My fear that David had heard my griping — and was potentially offended by it — made me a little uncomfortable around him for the rest of the trip.  Fortunately, the next item on the agenda was something sure to soothe my grumpiness: lunch.  We once again had a lovely buffet of hot food items served in the dining pavilion.  Our meal was briefly interrupted by screeching sounds in the trees, which one of the guides identified as titi monkey calls.  We all ran out to look for the monkeys, but we only saw distant rustling in the trees.

After lunch, most of our group chose to canoe back to the lodge.  David had offered to take those of us who were interested on a guided hike to the lodge and I gladly took him up on it.  Another member of the group volunteered to come along so that I would not be deprived of my walk. 

If I had been paranoid that David had heard my “too much sitting” gripe, the hike seemed to confirm it.  We kept a punishing pace that ensured I got my exercise for the day.  But David somehow still managed to spot tiny frogs and interesting plants to point out along the way.  I was in high spirits when we arrived back at the lodge having gotten my blood pumping and seen a variety of amphibians and reptiles.

Imagine our surprise, then, when the canoe somehow made it back before us.  As we were enjoying our welcome back drinks on the dock, P scampered down to show me the secret of the canoe’s speedy return.  He proudly showed me a short video he had made of D paddling the canoe.  Apparently, without David paddling, the other rower (whose name now escapes me) seemed to be having a very hard time, so D offered to take a seat at the front of the canoe and row.  With two rowers and 3 fewer people, the canoe made record time — even with several stops to admire monkeys.    

That afternoon, P and I engaged in our now traditional happy hour and wildlife watching.  The snack of the day was fresh popcorn and we ate way too much of it while watching the trees for movement.  We did eventually see a tayra, a meat-eating member of the weasel family.  Although it was neat to see one up close, its presence more or less guaranteed that no little monkeys would be stopping by, which meant we would not be getting any up-close views of the mantled tamarins that are frequently seen at Napo. 

When it started to get dark, P and I returned to the cabin where P announced that he was feeling ill (which he attributed to too much popcorn).  Within minutes, he was soundly asleep.  I had to fight with him to get him to wakeup for our night hike, which I thought he would be sad to miss.  I really thought I was doing the right thing in ensuring that P got the fullest possible Amazon experience.  The fact that he complained about being forced to do the hike for days after suggests that I made the wrong call.  The hike itself was brief and covered a small loop around the lodge building.  We saw a variety of creepy bugs and one little frog.  

After the hike, we headed to dinner.  P declined food and instead took a nap in his chair.  D and I enjoyed our last meal at Napo, which was served buffet style.  There were plenty of meatless options on the buffet, so we were a little surprised when the chef also gave us special meatless plates.  That meant that we both ate the equivalent of two dinners because we had already loaded up plates for ourselves before the special meals were delivered.  Once D was done eating, he took P back to the cabin for bed. Meanwhile, I decided I had room for dessert and elected to stay behind.  It is a good thing I did because we received important instructions about how departure would work after dinner along with information on how to pay our bar tab.  Once I had cleared our account and given David his tip, I headed back to the cabin where I had to deal with the unpleasant task of repacking our bags.  Then it was another early bedtime before our earliest wakeup yet.  In order to make our flight the next day, we needed to be up at 4:30 and at the dock by 5.  It had been another amazing day of beautiful, sunny weather in the rainforest and we were sad to be leaving.

May 15, 2021: Napo (Author: J)

Another day at Napo, another early wake up.  The plan for the day was to visit two clay licks and the Kichwa Añangu community.  That required hitting the river as early as possible because we needed to paddle out to the welcome center and transfer to the larger motorized canoe in time to see any parrots that might visit the first clay lick.

After breakfast, we had a pleasant trip to the welcome center, including spotting more monkeys along the banks of the river.  Unfortunately, it was clear that a storm was developing.  By the time we reached the welcome center, it had started to drizzle.  And once we were in the motorized canoe, the rain began to pick up.  Although the bad weather made it unlikely that any parrots would visit the clay lick, we set out in that direction to look for a jaguar that had been spotted along the banks of the river.  The prospect of seeing such an elusive animal was exciting enough that we forgot about the bad weather for a minute.  But, sadly, the jaguar remained hidden in the foliage and we did not catch a glimpse of him. 

Since we were already out on the river, we headed in the direction of the clay licks.  As was to be expected given the weather, there were no birds to be seen.  We gave up on the first clay lick and headed to the community.  The Kichwa Añangu community, which owns Napo, has a cultural center in their village where lodge guests can learn about the traditional way of life in the Amazon and see some of the projects that the lodge supports, which include schools and a medical center.  In non-pandemic times, families from neighboring communities send their children to be educated at the community schools.  The community also operates a second lodge in the community that focuses on cultural activities, but that lodge is not operating during the pandemic.

The first stop of our village tour was to watch a dance by the community’s women’s club.  We also had the opportunity to try some of the traditional instruments.  Unfortunately, P became very upset because one of the drums was made of monkey skin and he refused to participate in the dancing.  (I would assume that the drum was at least 20 years old because the community relinquished their hunting rights when they founded Napo in order to ensure abundant wildlife and attract eco-tourists).

After the welcome dance, we moved to a recreation of a traditional home to try some of the traditional foods of the community.  We started with a tea-like drink called Guayusa and then moved on to foods that were more unusual to us, including grubs and chicha, a fermented corn drink.  I did my best to eat the grub, but I found it too meat-like after years of vegetarian eating.  (Technically, it is meat, I suppose).  I wound up taking a small nibble and then slipping the rest in my pocket out of fear I would offend our hosts by rejecting food.  In the same spirit, D drank all of the chicha. It reminded me of a very sour yogurt drink and P and I were satisfied with just a small sip. 

Finally, we visited a shop where handicrafts made by members of the women’s club were for sale.  I was surprised at how large the shop was and the wide variety of items for sale.  Since we were travelling with only carry-on luggage, we chose a few small items — jewelry and some wood carvings –and then spent some time browsing the rest of the collection. 

It was David’s hope that the rain would clear at some point, allowing us to visit the second clay lick.  For that reason, we returned to the traditional home to try to wait out the rain.  With the cultural activities over, there was not much to do but watch the sky with anticipation.  Unfortunately, the rain continued through to lunch time and David made the difficult call that there would be no clay lick excursion.  Instead, we piled back into the motorized canoe and returned to the welcome center for lunch.

When we were told that we would be eating at the welcome center, I expected something simple, like sandwiches.  Instead, we were treated to a full buffet of hot food items and a cooler of beer and sodas.  We ate in a small, covered pavilion that was apparently designed for lunch service on days when guests do the clay lick excursion.  There were several points during lunch where I thought that I could almost see the sun, but it never quite broke through the clouds.  Indeed, by the time we were ready to return to the lodge, the rain had picked up again.  For the second time, we had a wet and uncomfortable canoe ride back to lodge.  I was so soaked when we finally arrived that I did not even stop to enjoy the welcome drinks that the bartender had prepared for our group.  I just ran past him, shouting apologies about wet pants.

Back at our cabin, we decided to give the jacuzzi tub a second try.  D went to the main building to ask for matches so that we could light the citronella diffuser and I cleaned all the dead bugs out of the tub.  Then we started the long process of filling the tub.  (Perhaps I have exaggerated it in my mind by this point, but I remember it taking over 30 minutes to fill the tub).  D returned with environmentally friendly matches.  Unlike regular matches, they pose no risk of starting a forest fire because it is impossible to light them.  We went through the entire box, breaking every match.  At the end, we had an unlit diffuser and a pile of unlit matches.

After a short dip in the tub, P and I got dressed in dry clothing and headed to the lobby with books and cameras in hand.  Our plan was to read and keep an eye out for any animals that might appear when the rain finally stopped.  We enjoyed more drinks from the bar while waiting and P posed for portraits by two college-aged twins who were studying art in school.  (One of them drew him as a terrifying green thing and the other as a middle-aged man; P preferred the non-zombie portrait).

Our optimism that the rain would clear was not rewarded.  After two hours, we gave up and went back to the cabin to take a break before our planned night hike.  Unfortunately, the hike was cancelled when the rain continued right on into the evening. 

At dinner, I asked David if it was usual for it to rain all day in the Amazon.  He confirmed that wash outs were rare, but said that we would likely have clear skies the next day after so much rain.  We also asked where we could best spot certain monkey species and we were sad to learn that pygmy marmosets are no longer spotted by the lodge.  These adorable and clever little monkeys have been nearly wiped out by the pet trade and David believes that the last family in the area was captured and sold for that purpose.

P would like me to use this opportunity to remind our readers that monkeys do not make good pets.  And buying monkeys — even those captively bred — encourages the type of poaching that David described.

We were very sad to hear about the plight of the marmosets.  It really underscores the importance of projects like Napo, which provide sustainable economic activities for the community.  

After another tasty meal, we headed back to our cabin for another early bedtime.  The plan was to get up super early the next day to make a second attempt at seeing the clay licks.  (One member of our group made the request and David agreed after confirming we were all amenable).

May 14, 2021: Napo Wildlife Center (Author: J)

Our first full day at Napo Wildlife Center was one of the best days we can remember having on any vacation.  The beautiful weather, great activities, and wonderful hospitality combined to create as close to perfect an experience as it is possible to have. 

Our day began — as all days at Napo do — with an early wake up.  We had breakfast with our group in the main lodge building.  “We” in this context means D and I.  P took a roll and some fruit from the breakfast buffet and proceeded to lick them for several minutes before declaring himself “stuffed.”  When I insisted that he actually bite the food, he took a nibble of the roll so small that a mouse would find it a stingy portion.  D and I had some fruit, yogurt, and cereal — along with an omelet for D. 

After breakfast, our group loaded into a canoe for a short paddle to the canopy observation tower.  Because the river levels were high, we were able to take a shortcut that put us fairly close to the tower.  That meant it was just a short walk from where we were dropped to the tower itself. 

Considering that it is in the middle of a rainforest, the canopy tower is impressive in both construction and amenities.  There was even a little bathroom building next to the tower with pit toilets and hand sanitizer pumps.  I decided the smart thing to do would be to use the facilities before making the climb up the tower.  I pushed open the stall door and let out a blood-curdling scream.  Then, in a failed effort to appear cool, I pretended that it had been a scream of excitement.  “Who wants to see a tarantula?” I called to the group.  Everyone dutifully trotted over, but the giant tarantula that had been on the bathroom wall was nowhere to be seen.  We spent several minutes searching for him without success.  “He must have left,” our guide, David, suggested.  Comforted — sort of — I set about to actually use the bathroom.  The tarantula reappeared right on cue once I was inside with the door shut.  I hurriedly finished up and went outside where I reported my rediscovery.

We then climbed the stairs leading up to the observation tower, which, true to its name, is in the canopy layer of the rainforest.  I was worried that I would be frightened given my fear of heights, but I found that my reptile brain did not appreciate how high I was because the thick layer of trees masked the distance to the ground. 

In the tower, David would spot wildlife for us and then set up a spotting scope so that we could all take a look.  Initially, we saw only birds — and far away birds at that.  But just when I started to think that canopy towers were not great for spotting wildlife, the real show began.  A spider monkey, sloth, and family of wooly monkeys all put in appearances.  Even the bird life became more impressive with assorted toucans, parrots and even a rare harpy eagle perching in nearby trees.  We passed a pleasant morning watching the animals, eating the snacks that David had brought for us, and just generally soaking in the fact that we were actually in the Amazon! Up a tree! Just like the scientists I had read about in nature magazines as a child.

After our time in the tower, we hiked back to our canoe.  We took a slightly longer route this time and David showed us some of the interesting plants that grow along the path and explained their uses.  P was getting cranky at that point, so I had a hard time listening to David and keeping P quiet simultaneously.  I apparently succeeded because we received compliments from the rest of the group on how well-behaved P was.

After our hike, we paddled back to the lodge for lunch and a rest before our afternoon activity.  P was interested in purchasing the wildlife guide that the lodge offers, so he and I headed upstairs to the shop.  We found that it was closed until later in the afternoon, but our detour meant that we arrived back in the restaurant just in time to see a troop of capuchin monkeys in the banana trees near the lodge.  We watched as they ate and squabbled, and then headed back to the cabin for a bit. 

Our afternoon activity was a canoe trip to spot wildlife.  We once again had absolutely perfect weather.  Not a drop of rain.  We saw a wide variety of wildlife, with the highlight being a huge troop of squirrel monkeys that jumped right over our canoe to cross the river.  We also saw more capuchins and some red howlers.  Everyone was in great spirits by the time we returned to the lodge, where we were met by the bartender, who had fresh juice for everyone.

We spent the time before dinner reading, relaxing, and admiring the scenery.  At some point, we went to the dining room for drinks and to stake out the banana trees, but no monkeys appeared.  We then returned to the cabin where we relaxed on the porch and watched the beautiful sunset. 

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Dinner was at 7:30 again.  By that time, we were treated to a star-filled sky for the first and only time during our trip.  The other nights were all too cloudy to see the stars, so we were happy that we spent a few minutes admiring the night sky before dinner.  Our meal was excellent as usual, and P surprised us by actually eating.  He particularly enjoyed the popcorn garnish on our vegetable soup and the fried plantains that came with our beans and guacamole.  Dessert was a layered fruit jelly cake, something I had only seen on the Great British Baking Show.  It was not something I would have ordered if given a choice, but it was interesting to try something new. 

After dinner, we headed back to the cabin to sleep.  In the dark, we could not see any wildlife, but we could hear rustling, chirping, and splashing.  I had a momentary chill thinking about how easy it would be to fall off the elevated walkway and into the lake.  Although I am very much of the mindset that you can take your kids anywhere, I was glad we waited until P was 8 to take this trip.  I can’t imagine having to keep watch over a younger child in a place where there is no where to safely run around.  At 8, though, P was old enough to use care on the slippery walkways and steady enough on his feet that I didn’t worry about falls. I shook off my heebie-jeebies and we turned in for the night, exhausted.  It had been a magical day.  

May 13, 2021: Transfer to Napo Wildlife Center (Author: J)

After a rough night of stomach trouble for two in our party, it was a relief to be able to check out of the Swissotel and head to the airport.  We made a quick stop at the restaurant so that I could have some yogurt and a breakfast pastry.  (No one else was up to eating yet).  We left for the airport around 7.  I had originally planned to just hail a taxi, but the enhanced Covid measures made us nervous that we might run into transportation issues.  For that reason, we prebooked a car through the hotel.  Our driver was waiting for us well ahead of our scheduled departure.

We did not encounter any traffic on the way to the airport.  I spent most of the trip asking P and D how they were feeling.  The drive was no more than 40 minutes door-to-door.  Within minutes of our arrival at the airport, we had printed our tickets using the Latam ticket kiosks and cleared security.  That left us with about two hours of sitting in the terminal.  (The whole experience made me wonder why our Amazon lodge advised us to arrive at least two hours before our flight.  It could have been worse, though.  At least we didn’t follow the advice of the Swissotel concierge and leave at 5:30 for our 9:50 a.m. flight). 

Shortly before boarding, a gate agent came around to take the temperatures of everyone in the gate area.  Boarding began with courtesy boarding for families with small children who need additional time.  Since P is 8, we assumed we were past the point where it was appropriate for us to take advantage of early boarding.  When we did not head to the gate for courtesy boarding, the same gate agent who had taken our temperatures came over to personally invite us to board the flight. 

The flight itself was quick and uneventful.  The only surprise for me was how large the plane was.  I had been expecting a plane similar to what you would find on a short haul flight between two nearby cities in the US (such as the 2 seat across, 12 row planes we have flown between Detroit and Toledo while visiting my in-laws).  Before long, we were passing over large expanses of jungle — and then over areas that were depressingly denuded of trees. 

Latam handled deplaning in an organized fashion, calling us off in groups to maintain social distancing.  The arrivals area in Coca is basically just a big, empty room with two small restrooms.  Using the restrooms seemed like the smart option, so we queued up.  P succeeded in using a dark and smelly men’s room, but I admitted defeat when I realized that there were neither lights, nor toilet paper in the ladies’ room.  Then we headed outside where we were greeted by two men holding a Napo Wildlife Center sign.  One of the men took our luggage and the other stood with us while we waited for the rest of our group.  All together, there were seven of us: our family, a retired couple, and a father and college-aged daughter. 

The drive from the airport to the dock in Coca was incredibly short.  We then had time to use the restroom and put on our sunscreen and bug spray.  Our guide, David, also distributed release forms for everyone to sign and explained how we would be travelling to the lodge.  The wait in Coca was just long enough for P to grow impatient.  Eventually, we were given life jackets and invited to board a motorized canoe. 

I had a moment of confusion upon boarding.  I thought we were supposed to grab our lunches as we boarded and I wasn’t sure which ones were vegetarian, so I stopped at the front of the boat to rummage through the pile of lunches.  David came to investigate the bottleneck and explained that we would actually have lunch delivered to us at our seat.  I caused another delay when lunch was delivered because D and I received vegetarian meals, while P was given a meat sandwich.  I tried to just return the sandwich (and keep the snacks) since P wasn’t going to eat the vegetarian salad options anyway.  David instead offered to have another meal delivered for P.  But another guest decided to get things moving by giving P his salad  (which P, of course, did not eat). 

With lunch sorted, we were on our way.  The ride to Napo Wildlife Center is about 2 hours by motorized canoe, followed by an hour in a regular canoe.  We ate as we travelled.  The vegetarian salad option did not look impressive, but it was surprisingly tasty — primarily because it included a huge chunk of ripe, delicious avocado.  Our lunch bags also included an amaranth drink, an apple, chips, and a chocolate bar.

Because of how fast the motorized canoe travels, you do not see much wildlife on the first segment of the transfer.  For that reason, P was excited to reach the Napo welcome center and transfer to a paddle canoe.  We had another opportunity to use the restrooms and stretch our legs.  Then, our group of seven climbed into a smaller canoe for the last leg of the journey.  Things started out pleasantly enough as we rowed along looking for wildlife.  But the rainforest soon lived up to its name.  What started as a drizzle developed into a downpour.  We put on our raincoats and accepted the ponchos that David offered in the hopes of keeping our backpacks dry.  For a while, our efforts seemed to be working.  But as the boat filled with water, our backpacks became partially submerged.  Meanwhile, our raincoats proved useless at keeping our bottoms dry.  If you so much as twitched a butt muscle, a pool of water would make its way under the coat and soak through your pants. 

By the time we arrived at Napo, our bottom halves were soaked through.  But even for people stewing in a mix of rainwater and sweat, the first sight of Napo is something to behold.  You come around a bend in the river and it appears before you across the lake, enticing you with promises of dry towels and clean underpants.  David told us that the main tower is even more impressive on a sunny day, but it looked fairly amazing in the rain too.

Upon arrival, the hotel required all of us to stand in an ozone box one by one.  Then we were welcomed by the hotel manager and the restaurant staff with cocoa, fruit, and a little plate of cheese and veggies.  I was not excited to sit down again in my wet pants, so I stood awkwardly behind the table while trip logistics were explained.  When we received our room assignments, I made a beeline for our cabin (and dry clothing).

The rooms at Napo are bungalows set on stilts above the water.  Our cabin had a large main room with a sitting area and two beds, and a separate bathroom.  There was a deck in front with a hammock and chairs and a second deck in the back with a jacuzzi tub.  The tub had been filled for our arrival; being greeted by bubbly water and the lit citronella candles was a wonderful welcoming touch.  We had a dip in the tub and then relaxed in the cabin.  We went down to the restaurant area around 5 to see if we could spot any wildlife from the observation tower.  Unfortunately, another guest had beaten us to the tower and was operating a noisy drone.  (We later learned that we could have seen monkeys if we had looked behind our cabin; our neighbors reported seeing a whole troop of tamarins there).  We accepted defeat and went down to the bar for snacks and drinks.

Dinner was at 7:30.  We were seated in the same group of seven with whom we had arrived.  (That was something I had not anticipated.  Fortunately, everyone in our group was very nice.  But I am not great with new people at the best of times and so it took a lot for me to be sociable after so many months of isolation.)  The meals were a set menu each night, but the chef did accommodate dietary preferences.  I do not remember the details of what we ate and when, but dinner was always 3 courses.  The first course was soup, followed by a main dish, and a dessert.  Everything was always well-seasoned, well prepared, and delicious.  I was a particular fan of the hot sauce that was on the table at every meal.  We did not see it in other places in Ecuador, so I think it was a regional specialty.

May 12, 2021: Papallacata Hot Springs with Ecuador Best Tours (Author: J)

On our final day in Quito before heading to the Amazon, we booked a tour to Papallacata Hot Springs (pronounced “Papa-Jacque-Ta” according to Luis) with Ecuador Best Tours.  I was worried about having too many early wakeups in a row, but we were up long before our 8 a.m. alarm.  For the first time, I woke up feeling almost normal.  Although I still had a bit of a headache, it responded to the aspirin and water I took.  The rest of the family had, by now, accepted my gospel of good hydration, and we polished off all 3 bottles of water that the hotel had provided.

We went down to breakfast when we were ready — and were happy to see the hot food out this morning.  After our meal, we had time to kill before our 9 a.m. departure, so we headed back to the room for a bit. 

Luis was waiting for us when we came back downstairs, and we were soon on our way to the hot springs.  The drive to the hot springs took us into a different area of the Andes than we had seen the day before — although there was very little “seeing” considering how heavy the fog was.  Luis drove carefully, cautioning us that sometimes people stopped on the highway, even on foggy days.  At points where the fog cleared, we did our best to look for wildlife.  There were signs everywhere warning us about bears and tapirs, but we were not fortunate enough to locate any. 

As we approached the hot springs, the weather was drizzly and foggy.  Luis suggested that we switch up the order of our itinerary and make our scheduled bird watching stop first.  I assumed he was hoping for better weather for our swim, but the real reason for our schedule change soon revealed itself.  Hummingbirds prefer overcast weather because it makes it hard for birds of prey to spot them. 

The deck at the ecolodge we visited was buzzing with dozens of the little birds sipping from several feeders.  The birdwatching blind was similarly crowded with birds — and birders.  A group of birders armed with binoculars and fancy cameras were in the midst of trying to capture photos of the various hummingbird species.  Although the group clearly took birding seriously, they welcomed P with open arms, offering him the opportunity to hold the little cup of nectar that was being used to lure the birds.  P soon had the birds eating out of his hand.  Then he took a few hundred photos of his new feathered friends.

We had to cajole P away from the birdwatchers in order to take a short hike to look for aquatic birds.  Unfortunately, we did not locate any torrent ducks (our target species for the hike), but we did see some colorful songbirds.  After the hike, we headed back to the lodge for more hummingbird watching.  The lodge had a table with packaged snacks, coffee, and tea, and we were able to enjoy a small snack while we watched the hummers.  Along with a cup of regular black tea, I tried a cup of coca tea.  Whether it was all in my mind or not, the tea cleared the last vestiges of fog from my altitude-addled brain and I felt 100% for the first time since arriving in Quito. 

After our snack and more birdwatching, we decided it was time for a swim.  We made the short drive to the hot springs where Luis paid our entry fee and translated the safety instructions into English for us.  We then headed for the locker room to put on our swimsuits.  Then it was time for a relaxing dip in one of the many hot spring fed pools.  We selected a small pool with no other guests and plopped into it.  D and I enjoyed the beautiful views of the Andes for approximately 15 seconds; then P suggested that it was time to try another pool.  This cycle repeated itself several more times until D finally snapped and told P that if he couldn’t sit still for 5 minutes, he was welcome to continue his madcap scramble to try every pool on his own.  P begrudgingly confined himself to one pool for a while, until I agreed to accompany him to the largest of the pools.  (He lasted just a few minutes in that pool before announcing that he could not swim and returning to one of the smaller pools).

The downside to rearranging our schedule was that I started to get hungry for lunch almost immediately.  But I waited until we were suitably relaxed and prune-y before suggesting that we shower and find something to eat.  We had lunch at the cute little restaurant at the hot springs, which resembled a little ski lodge.  There were lots of lunch combo options, but they were mainly meat-centric, so we went with some a la carte options — cheese empanadas for D and cheese sandwiches for P and I.  I was delighted that I was able to use some of my Duolingo Spanish to ask questions about the menu items, and the waitress either understood me or did a great job of humoring me by pretending I made sense.

After lunch, we met Luis outside the hot springs for a hike.  By this point, P was starting to feel off and he was very vocal about not wanting to hike.  But since I did not know he was feeling ill, I insisted that he take the walk.  The entire hike was less than an hour and provided a nice opportunity to admire the mountain landscapes.  P was angry that we saw no animals and his mood did not improve when he fell and scraped his knees.  By the time we reached the halfway point of our hike and looped back towards the lodge, I was feeling great.  (Breathing normally for the first time in several days was a pretty exciting feeling).  I was chatting with Luis and taking in the views, oblivious to P and D struggling behind us.  At some point I turned back and saw that they were practically running to keep up with us, and both of them looked positively miserable.  I reduced my speed and we eventually all reconvened back at the car. 

On the drive back home, I suggested to Luis that we stop for ice cream because I thought it would cheer P up.  When we arrived at the planned stop, P was fast asleep.  I woke him and attempted to entice him with a treat, but he was having none of it.  I felt vaguely annoyed by his lack of cooperation, but we elected to continue on to the hotel without our snack.  Our drive proceeded uneventfully until, on the outskirts of Quito, we were snapped out of our fog by a flurry of honking.  I looked over to the offending car and a small child was frantically waving out the window.  It turned out to be Luis’s wife and son headed to soccer practice.  (Luis told us that this was his son’s one chance each week to socialize with children as he had not been to school since the pandemic began; we told him that P was more or less in the same boat, although we hadn’t been smart enough to suggest soccer). 

We arrived at the Swissotel around 5 and started the unpleasant work of repacking our suitcases.  Because everyone was tired, we decided on room service for dinner.  We ordered a pizza, a veggie burger, some fruit, and a piece of cake.  The burger caused a stir when it arrived because it looked freakishly meat-like — not what we were expecting based upon the menu description of a “lentil burger.”  D called room service to confirm there had been no mix-up, but, despite assurances, we only nervously picked at the burger. 

It was another early night for us. Everyone was in their PJs and reading or watching TV by 8.  Unfortunately, it soon became clear that P’s malaise was more than fatigue.  He started to exhibit symptoms of food poisoning and was ill through much of the night.  Sometime during the night, D also succumbed to illness.  We struggled to pinpoint the culprit because no one had eaten anything I hadn’t and I was perfectly fine.  It was an unpleasant and restless night, fraught with worries about whether we would actually be able to make our flight to the Amazon the next morning.  Poor P was convinced that his illness was his fault because he hadn’t exercised enough during the pandemic and he made many sobbed apologies throughout the night.  But whether through good luck or sheer force of will, P and D both announced that they were well enough to fly in the wee hours of the morning.  (Our best guess is that the culprit here was actually the lemonade at the hot springs. It was the only thing P and D had that I did not; we did not ask if it was made with filtered water before ordering it).

May 11, 2021: Antisana Reserve with Ecuador Best Tours (Author: J)

On day 3 of our trip, no one woke up before the alarm, which we had set for 6 so that we could be downstairs for breakfast when it opened at 6:30.  We discovered that the early bird gets no hot food items at Swissotel, but almost all of the cold items were out, so no one went hungry.  After breakfast, we met our guide, Luis, from Ecuador Best Tours in the lobby.

Luis seemed surprised that we were waiting for him when he arrived and thanked us for our punctuality.  We were in the car and on the road to Antisana Ecological Reserve by 7.  The early departure was, in part, an effort to beat the fog, and, in part, because the reserve closes fairly early in the afternoon.  Because rush hour had already started, Luis took a short cut intended to bypass some of the traffic; it necessitated driving down a winding cobble-stone road lined with vine-covered walls and trees.  He apologized for the rough road, but we had remembered to take our Dramamine, so we were able to enjoy the views without experiencing any motion sickness.  Luis told us a bit about the neighborhoods we passed and the creation of the reserve.  Antisana is a fairly new addition to Ecuador’s public lands; it was purchased by the government from a private family in the 1990s after Ecuador’s then-president was turned away from the volcano while on a hiking trip.  He apparently felt that having a volcano privately owned was not right and proposed the idea of the reserve.  According to Luis, not many tourists visit the reserve, so he was curious why we selected the tour.  (The short answer was condors).

The drive to Antisana is a little less than two hours.  The last bit is over unpaved roads that are as bumpy and windy as an amusement park ride.  We were very happy we had taken that Dramamine.  Just before we reached the park, we stopped at a local restaurant for a bathroom break.  (At the risk of TMI, the altitude increased the number of bathroom breaks I needed, which I was told is fairly common because your respiration rate increases.  Just something to keep in mind as you plan your activities in the Andes).

Once we reached the reserve, Luis checked us in and we drove slowly through the reserve looking for wildlife.  Luis would frequently point and tell us where we could expect to see Antisana itself on a clear day.  It was, unfortunately, overcast, foggy, and awfully cold.  We were glad we had brought two layers of jackets, gloves, and knit hats.  Even with all of that, we were chilly.  Before too long, Luis pulled over because he had spotted the animal I was most excited to see — an Andean condor.  We watched the condor circle for a bit and took some photos.  (We also saw a hawk and I now have no idea which of our pictures are the condor and which are the hawk.  They look pretty similar in photographs taken with a point and shoot camera). 

After the condors, we piled back into the car and continued our slow drive.  We saw plenty of birds, but no bears or foxes.  Eventually, we reached a parking area and Luis suggested a hike.  By then it was sleeting, and P was none too pleased with the idea of being away from the car.  I suggested that P eat some of the miniature chocolate bars that Luis had given him (correctly identifying some of the whining as hunger-based), and we set out on a short trail to an alpine lake.  Unfortunately, we were walking into the wind and our pants were soon soaked through.  Our rain jackets kept our top halves dry, though, so it could have been worse.  The lake was pretty, even in foul weather, but we did not linger long because of the weather.  It continued to sleet and rain throughout the return hike, stopping just before we reached the parking lot.  It was very pleasant to pile into the car again with the heat going.

Given the weather, we decided to forgo any additional hiking.  Instead, we slowly drove out of the park, keeping an eye out for wildlife.  Again, we saw more birds, including another pair of condors, but no larger animals.  We never saw Antisana itself, which remained stubbornly obscured by clouds.

After Antisana, our next stop was Tambo Condor for lunch.  Tambo Condor is a small hotel and restaurant catering to ecotourists and it is absolutely magical.  It has a rustically designed wood building set in a beautiful location overlooking a valley, along with a small grounds with hiking trails and bird feeders.  We ate lunch on the second floor, which has floor to ceiling windows overlooking hummingbird feeders.  We were able to watch dozens of hummingbirds while we ate.  Lunch was locro, an Ecuadorian potato soup topped with cheese and avocado.  P was less than impressed, but D and I ate ours and then D finished off P’s serving.  While we ate, Luis was able to catch up with some other tour guides that he had not seen in over a year because of the pandemic.

After lunch, we went outside to visit with the hummingbirds.  Then we took a short hike to the outskirts of the property where other guests had spotted Andean bears the day before.  We did not find any bears, unfortunately.  P then asked to head back to the hummingbird feeders to take more photos.  He would have gladly stayed on the deck taking photos all day, but we eventually told him it was time to head back to Quito.  After an uneventful drive, we arrived back at the hotel around 4 and bid Luis farewell for the evening.

We had dinner that night at Restaurant Maitane, the tapas bar in Swissotel.  We shared an assortment of small plates including patatas bravas and stuffed mushrooms.  And I was even feeling well enough to have a glass of wine.  We felt bad that we were the only guests in the restaurant, but we hopefully made up for it by ordering every dessert on the menu and leaving an extra tip.  Maitane was excellent and we would recommend it to those staying at Swissotel.

The Antisana and Condors Tour was P’s favorite activity that we did in Quito and we would highly recommend Ecuador Best.  Luis was a friendly and knowledgeable guide and he was particularly good with P. 

May 10, 2021: Equator Tour with Happy Gringo (Author: J)

The day after our flight, we did not have anything planned until the afternoon.  I assumed that, after our late arrival, we would want to sleep in.  Unfortunately, my body did not cooperate.  I was up before 7 and feeling a bit headachey given the altitude.  Swissotel had provided us with several large bottles of drinking water, so I did my best to hydrate and caffeinate (using the in-room espresso maker, which is always a highlight of any hotel stay for me).  P woke up shortly after I did and we spent time reading and enjoying the views from the room.

When D woke up, we headed down to breakfast, which was included in our room rate.  After a quick temperature check, we were shown to a table in Café Quito.  I was happy to see that the Swissotel was still serving a buffet-style breakfast despite the pandemic.  To prevent contamination of food items, most of the cold items were individually wrapped, while a staff member served the hot items.  There was a really nice assortment of items, including standard fare like eggs and some local specialties.  I remember that I tried a seasoned corn cake along with my eggs, fruit, yogurt, and breakfast pastries. 

After breakfast, we had some time to kill before our appointment at the pool.  During Covid, Swissotel requires guests to reserve time to use the pool.  This turned out to be the only day we were able to get a spot due to a combination of low capacity restrictions and the fact that residents of the neighboring condo tower can also reserve swim slots.  We spent the time between breakfast and our swim watching soccer on the in-room television.  When our swim appointment arrived, we headed down to the pool area.  D then had to run back up to the lobby to get towels and bathing caps, which the hotel inexplicably requires guests wear in the pool. 

Once we were properly attired, we headed to the pool area, which was full of lap-swimmers from the condo tower.  We chose a corner of the pool where we thought we would be out of the way and jumped in.  The pool was a pleasant temperature and offered the opportunity to swim through a tunnel to an outdoor courtyard.  We decided to do so, carefully timing things to avoid interfering with those swimming laps.  As soon as we were away from the wall, P started floundering.  “You can swim,” I reminded him.  “No! I’m drowning,” he screamed as he clutched at me.  Somehow, we made it outside, which we immediately deemed much too cold. And so, we turned around to head in.  This time, P crossed the pool by crab-walking along the wall since he still would not admit that he knew how to swim. 

We spent about an hour swimming, including a chunk of time that P swam on his own (having somehow regained his ability to do so once mom and dad were not in the pool).  Between my headache, shortness of breath from the altitude, and the pinchiness of the hotel swim cap, I was ready to leave when the hour was over.  As always, we had to pry P out of the pool with (what would be unfulfilled) promises to return at a later date. 

After our swim, we cleaned up and then had lunch at the Quito Deli, another of the restaurants at the hotel.  We then planned to head up to our room to pack for our afternoon tour.  We stepped off the elevator to the sight of housekeeping in our room; too late, we realized that the do not disturb sign would have come in handy.  In broken Spanish, we attempted to ask how long it would be and were told an hour, so we headed back down to the lobby.  After 30 minutes, we went back upstairs and found no one in our room.   

We quickly packed our day bag and headed back downstairs where we met Jose Luis, our tour guide from Happy Gringo, in the hotel lobby for our equator tour.  The equator turned out to be much farther from Quito than I had anticipated, but Jose provided interesting narration about the city and life in Ecuador as we drove.  Since we hadn’t planned much time to actually see Quito, it was nice to get a sense of the neighborhoods as we made our way to our first stop.

One of the nice things about using a local tour guide is that they almost always show you sights that you would not have picked on your own, but which turn out to be highlights.  Such was the case with Pululahua volcano, a volcanic crater filled with farms.  We stopped to peek down into the crater from the scenic overlook and were lucky to get there just before the afternoon clouds rolled in.  The crater was incredibly peaceful and seeing homes inside a volcanic crater was a novelty.  On the way back to the car, I stopped to use the restroom, where I learned a lesson that I would keep failing to heed: many public restrooms in Ecuador do not have toilet paper. 

Our next stop was the Inti Ñan museum.  This is a small museum about local indigenous cultures that P was interested in visiting because he wanted to try out some of the equator science experiments — like seeing how water drains in different hemispheres and trying to walk along the equator — advertised on the museum website.  While the museum grounds are beautiful and some of exhibits are interesting, this stop was something of a bust for us.  That is because you cannot explore on your own and our guide (the museum guide, not Jose Luis, who had to wait in the parking area) marched us through the exhibits at a rapid pace, barking at us to hurry when we spent too long looking at any particular item.  I would be curious to hear whether the issue was covid crowd control, or if the museum always rushes guests through. 

Our final stop was Mitad del Mundo, a touristic complex at the location identified as the equator by a 1736 French scientific expedition.  The expedition is the subject of The Mapmaker’s Wife, a non-fiction book that I started reading on the plane ride to Quito, but would not finish until several days after our return to the U.S.  We started our time at Mitad by climbing the monument tower.  Unfortunately, the exertion of climbing stairs before we had adjusted to Quito’s altitude just about did P and I in and we were not able to enjoy any of Jose Luis’s narration.  D did his best to listen, while I took P right back down the stairs (at his request).  From there, we were supposed to have free time to explore, but after eating popsicles, which, incidentally, did wonders for our headaches, we were too exhausted for further exploration.  Thus, my dream of drinking a cocktail on the equator was crushed, but it was probably for the best given the aforementioned headache.  As soon as we were outside the complex, we realized that we had left P’s sunhat inside.  D ran back in while P and I did our best to avoid making eye contact with the creepy Mickey Mouse trying to entice tourists for photos.  (He was about as endearing as a Times Square Elmo, but you had to admire the zeal with which courted the few tourists who wandered by).

We headed back to the Swissotel by a slightly more direct route, arriving in time for an early dinner at Sports Planet, a sports bar connected to the hotel.  The food was rather uninspired Tex-Mex, but P was excited to watch soccer while he ate.  After dinner, we went up to the room where we read before going to bed early.  I was happy that I was finally starting to feel better, having realized that much of my “altitude-sickness” was actually dehydration. 

May 9, 2021 (Author: J).

I was able to use miles to book our flight to Ecuador on one of my favorite airlines: JetBlue.  Our flight left from Boston at 2 p.m. and had us arriving in Quito after 10 p.m.  This made for a long travel day, but everything went fairly smoothly.

Although we were not leaving until the afternoon, we still set our alarms so that we could drop our dog and cat off at the pet sitter’s condo by 10 a.m.  The early drop-off worked to our advantage because our airport pickup (booked through Boston Airport Express) arrived early.  Our driver explained that he had another pickup right after us and was worried about the timing.  Since we were all packed and ready to go, we did not mind leaving early. 

Because it was a Sunday morning, there was no traffic on our way to Logan.  We wound up arriving before noon, which gave us more than 2 hours to clear security and make it to our gate.  With no bags to check and no lines at security, all of that time was unnecessary.  After a leisurely lunch at the Mexican restaurant at the airport, we still had more than an hour until boarding.  The airport was not crowded, but we did see many people disregarding mask requirements.  We did our best to give those folks a wide-berth and crossed our fingers that no one was contagious.  We passed the time until boarding looking at the planes, playing cards, and pacing around in the boarding area.  Inevitably, P got antsy, but the excitement of finally going somewhere outweighed his annoyance at having to wait.

Our first flight boarded on time.  Despite reminders to social distance, people still crowded the gate once the first boarding group was called.  Not wanting to be left out of the fun, we stood up and milled about until our group was called.  Once on the plane, I was excited to see that it had features like cabin humidification and touch-screen entertainment.  (I hate the trend towards requiring me to lug multiple devices on a trip so that everyone in the family can be entertained on the flight).  The JetBlue experience was much like it was pre-Covid.  There were still complementary snacks and drinks, as well as food available for purchase.  However, fresh items have been temporarily removed from the menu.  The biggest surprise for me was that I did not have my usual pre-take-off panic attack.  I am usually terrified to fly, but I only felt excitement during this trip.  Perhaps all of the stress of the pandemic used up my reserve of fear.  After a somewhat bumpy flight, we touched down in Fort Lauderdale ahead of schedule.

While Boston had been quiet, Fort Lauderdale was a zoo.  People were packed into the waiting areas and many were not abiding by distancing and mask guidelines.  In fairness, the percentage of non-compliant people was not any higher than in Boston.  It was simply much more crowded, making it hard to avoid all the people wearing their masks on their chins or around their necks.  After about 2 hours, a gate agent called our names and asked us to approach the podium.  When we did so, it was quickly apparent that something was wrong.  The process of checking our passports and Covid documentation took much longer than it should have, leading P to panic that we might be left behind.  (With more than half the passengers queued up behind us, there was no chance of that).  Eventually, the gate agent was able to get our information into the system and we were allowed to board.  But the issues that we experienced were not unique to us.  It turned out that JetBlue’s computers were not working properly, causing a big delay in the boarding process.  Those passengers with proper documentation were all eventually boarded (and those without the required documentation were turned away in tears). 

After the boarding fiasco, we enjoyed a smooth and pleasant flight to Quito.  The captain did his best to make up for some of the lost time in flight and we touched down sometime before 11 p.m.  Customs was painless.  We had to show our Covid documentation again upon arrival and we were then directed to passport control.  In my exhaustion, my DuoLingo Spanish failed me and I started blankly at the passport control agent when she asked how I was doing.  Fortunately, she did not hold it against me and proceeded to stamp our passports and welcome us to Ecuador.

Once we were through customs, we quickly found the driver that I had prebooked through the hotel.  While he spoke limited English, he happily chatted with us in Spanglish throughout the 45 minute drive to the hotel.  P was exhausted by this point and spent the drive snoozing with his face smooshed uncomfortably against the car window.

There was some confusion on arrival because I thought that the hotel would bill us for the ride, while the driver was expecting a payment in cash.  Once that was sorted out, we checked in to our room.  I was pleased to be upgraded to a higher floor, which meant we had views of the surrounding mountains from our window.  After figuring out how to work the blinds, we collapsed into bed and immediately fell asleep. 

In May 2021, we took a family trip to mainland Ecuador. In this post, we provide an overview of that trip along with tips for visiting Ecuador and traveling during Covid-19. (Author: J).

About The Trip

This trip replaced a long-planned trip to Borneo that was originally scheduled for 2020, then rescheduled for 2021, and is now set for 2022. Once it was clear that Malaysia would not be admitting foreigners this spring, I started researching which destinations were admitting US tourists without a quarantine and also had wild monkeys. The choices were fairly limited and Ecuador ultimately won out over Colombia because it had fancy lodges in its Amazon region. Once it was clear that D and I would be vaccinated by May, we booked the trip. Unfortunately, Ecuador experienced a spike in Covid cases in April and imposed various new restrictions that remained in place for most of our trip.

Itinerary

Because we needed to be in Quito for flights and transfers to the destinations we planned to visit, I designed the trip using Quito as our hub. We started and ended there and returned to Quito in between visiting other destinations. Our 13-night itinerary was:

4 nights in Quito with day trips to sights in the Andes. We stayed at the Swissotel in the La Floresta neighborhood.

4 nights at Napo Wildlife Center in Yasuni National Park in the Amazon region.

1 night old town Quito at Casa Gangotena.

3 nights at in the cloud forest outside Quito. We stayed at Mashpi Lodge.

1 night in Quito. We returned to Swissotel.

Covid Information

Entry to Ecuador: D and I both received 2 doses of the Moderna vaccine before travelling to Ecuador and we had no issue using our vaccine cards to gain entry. Be aware that the cards will be checked both in the US and upon arrival in Ecuador. P, who was 8 at the time of the trip, was not eligible for vaccination. I took him for a rapid antigen test two days before flying to Quito. The test results were also checked in both the US and Ecuador. The officials in Ecuador kept a copy of the test results, but returned our vaccine cards. (Be sure to bring paper copies of all travel documents, with an electronic copy for backup).

Return to US: In order to return to the US, we were required to obtain Covid tests in Ecuador. We used the Medical VIP location at Mariscal Sucre airport (across the street from the airport on the 2nd floor). We arrived 5 hours before our flight to be sure we were able to check in 3 hours before our flight time. The testing process at Medical VIP took about 40 minutes from start to finish and cost $40 per person. They accepted credit cards. American Airlines checked our test results and had us fill in an affidavit before they would issue our boarding passes. (This meant that we could not check in online, something I was unaware of before the trip).

Covid Restrictions: Shortly before our trip, Ecuador announced new Covid restrictions including curfews in certain provinces. We were nervous about how this would impact our trip, but the overall impact turned out to be minimal. We were fortunate to arrive in Quito late on Sunday night, so we missed the weekend curfew. The evening curfew wound up being a nonissue for us because we were so tired after touring that we were always back at our hotel long before 8 pm. The only night where I felt any impact at all was at Mashpi lodge. We did a night hike one evening and had dinner after; since it was after 8 pm, I could not order a glass of wine. (The fact that I even asked about wine at that hour shows how little the restrictions crossed my mind throughout the trip).

Ecuadorians seemed to do a much better job of following mask and social distance rules than what we have experienced here in the U.S. The only time I felt nervous about Covid was in the airport in Fort Lauderdale during our layover on the way to Ecuador. The airport was crowded and there were many people disregarding the mask rules with no apparent consequences.

Health and Safety

Crime: Before travelling, we read a number of alarming reports of crime in Quito. Statistics show that there is a much higher rate of property crime (like theft and mugging) in Ecuador than in the U.S., but a much lower rate of violent crime (like random shootings). For that reason, we did not carry bags when walking around Quito and kept our money in an inconspicuous location (inside raincoat pocket).

Stomach Bugs: Before our trip, I read in various travel guides that the water is safe to drink in Quito. However, our hotels advised against doing so because the mineral content can cause stomach upset. We were not careful about avoiding drinks mixed with water or drinks with ice and that did eventually cause us some issues. I would advise avoiding drinking anything made with water in Quito unless you are sure the water is filtered.

Altitude: Quito is one of the highest capital cities in the world, sitting at around 9,000 feet above sea level. It makes for some beautiful views, but also creates the risk of altitude sickness. We all did feel the altitude. D and P, who ignored advice to keep hydrated, had a more difficult time than I did.

Overall Rating for Ecuador

We absolutely loved Ecuador. I will honestly admit that we would not have visited but for the pandemic. It is not a destination that was even on our travel radar and the mainland seems to be somewhat underrated as a travel destination. (People within Ecuador seemed very surprised that we were not visiting the Galapagos — almost like it was unheard of to only visit the mainland). But everywhere we went we found beautiful landscapes, friendly people, and great food. Plus the tour providers and hotels went out of their way to make sure P was included and having a good time, down to details like making sure he had his own robe and slippers in every hotel room and recruiting an extra guide to help him locate frogs at Mashpi.