Save the Rainforest!

We recently returned from a visit to the Cuyabeno Reserve, one of the deep Amazon rainforest areas that is accessible to tourists.  Ecuador continues to amaze me in how incredibly diverse one small country (about the size of Colorado) can be.  We boarded a flight in cold, dry Quito and stepped off the plane 30 minutes later in what felt like a steam room.  I've never been anywhere so humid (and I'm from the midwest/worked in Houston).

To help illustrate, let me explain that we were visiting the Amazon in the middle of the "dry season", although that's a complete misnomer, and maybe they should have gone with "slightly less wet season".  It poured - absolutely poured - every single day we were there.  We hiked in knee-high rubber boots which *almost* always protected our lower bodies from the enormous puddles of mud and water pooling everywhere.  One area we hiked through for several hours is apparently a "flooded forest" that is actually underwater six months of the year. 

Having hiked the entire Appalachian Trail for five and a half months, weathering tornadoes, snow, wind, ran, hail, and a storm that killed two people in Virginia, I like to think that we have a pretty solid level of familiarity with the awesome power of mother nature.  Hearing the thunder in the Amazon, however, was a new and amazing experience.  I'm embarrassed to say that I actually said the words "It sounds like the Rainforest Cafe!".

A short plane ride, a two hour bus ride, and a two hour canoe ride later, we arrived at our rustic lodge on "Laguna Grande", or the big lake.  From there, we spent four days exploring the rainforest by foot and canoe.  We spotted caiman (like alligators), six different species of monkeys, a sloth, Amazonian pink river dolphins, and toucans (and countless wacky bugs and frogs).  One couple in our group had the thrill of seeing a giant anaconda soaking up sun on a tree branch, which we missed out on, although there's still no way I was going swimming in that lake.  

We visited the rainforest at a controversial time in Ecuador, as oil drilling has recently started in the Yasuni Reserve, one of the most unique and biodiverse places on this plant.  There are more species of insects in one hectare of land in Yasuni than exists in the entire continent of North America.  There are also indigenous tribes living there that voluntarily have no contact with the outside world and have killed missionaries and other indigenous people who try to contact them or inadvertently get too close.  

In our two months of sitting around dinner tables at hostels and lodges with Ecuadorians, we've gotten a taste of how passionate people are about the Yasuni issue and the current President Rafael Correa's handling of it.  Correa started his presidency with huge improvements to the country's poverty rates, healthcare systems, education, and crime rates.  He also put forward what many considered a groundbreaking proposal surround the Yasuni Reserve, which sits atop billions of dollars worth of crude oil.  For a poor but quickly developing country like Ecuador, where oil accounts for more than a third of public revenues, tapping into these oil reserves is almost irresistible.  

In 2007, Correa proposed to international leaders that if he could raise $3.6B (about half of what Ecuador stands to make by drilling for oil in Yasuni), Ecuador would refrain from allowing drilling.  The money raised would go into research and development of sustainable energy sources.  Since then, only a fraction of the money has been pledged, and meanwhile, the drilling starts.  More than one Ecuadorian has told us they cried when they heard the news that the oil companies were moving forward.  Many others have criticized that the initial proposal was meant to garner support for Correa, and never meant to succeed.  

Since Correa took office in 2006, he has taken drastic steps to increase his power, and some Ecuadorians fear that he is creeping steadily toward dictatorship.  He has changed the constitution several times to oust opposition in congress and increase the number of terms he can serve (he's now in his third).  In a series of battles with the press, he has ejected editors, closed newspapers, and filed lawsuits for crimes like "spreading false information" for criticism of his administration.  Some Ecuadorians have told us that recently, they are most upset that he has prohibited peaceful protests through his control of the police and military.  

So, unfortunately, you and I may never live to see the Yasuni reserve, a sad fact over which many Ecuadorians are understandably highly emotionally-charged.  There are probably unknown species of birds, frogs, and insects there today that will never be discovered.  And after witnessing the beauty and life of the Cuyabeno reserve last weekend, that makes me really, really sad.  If I could have planned our time here over again, I would have sacrificed some sanity and squeezed in a trip to Yasuni.  I feel your pain, Ecuador. 

And now on a brighter note, I'll leave you with some pictures of this stunning place - enjoy!

Kelly

PS: If you're interested in learning more, here's a great National Geographic article (credit for finding it to my Dad!) on the Yasuni crisis.

PPS: If you're interested in donating to help protect the rainforest, Rainforest Trust (www.rainforesttrust.org) is a wonderful organization and Brian and I will be donating our Honeyfund charity gifts from our wedding there, in honor of our love of all things outdoors.

Miles and miles of this in all directions

Tree frog hanging out on one of our hikes

The knee-high rubber boots in action. One couple in our group fell off the submerged log that Brian is standing on and got sucked into mud up to their knees.  

Awesome sunsets every night are just one of the many bonuses of all the clouds and rain

Saki monkey (one of six species we saw from our canoe)

Grating yucca as we learned how to make yucca bread from scratch with one of the indigenous tribes along the Cuyabeno River

All smiles grilling the yucca bread

Squirrel monkeys were the most common species of primates we saw

Can you tell that we're birding in this picture?

Can you believe this ash-hole?

So you're going to think I'm just full of hot air, but last weekend* Kelly and I got to see an actual volcano erupt! We spent a long weekend in Banos, a beautiful city in central Ecuador known for its hot springs which are without question currently being peed in by at least 10 Ecuadorian children. You may gather that we didn't have the best experience at the hot springs, which are essentially warm, non-chlorinated, crowded public pools. But the real draw of this city for us was its natural beauty. Banos is home to more than 60 waterfalls, is known as the gateway to the Amazon (which we'll be hitting up in due time), and is located on the foothills of the very active Tungurahua volcano.

Not the best picture due to the cloud cover, but that distinct black puff back there is volcanic ash.

Our first day in town, we threw some snacks and rain gear into a pack and headed up the volcano. Throughout the day, we kept hearing what we assumed was thunder off in the distance. I joked to Kelly that maybe it was the inner rumblings of the volcano. We stopped for lunch at a small hostel/cafe/commune on the way back down the mountain, and just before our food arrived one of the locals popped his head in the door and motioned excitedly for us to come outside. He pointed up to the sky, and lo and behold there was a big black mushroom cloud of ash! After he did some explaining in the most basic Spanish possible for us gringos, we realized that the sound we had been hearing all day actually was the rumbling of the volcano. Apparently, the volcano has been fairly active since 1999, and once or twice a year it goes through eruptions of varying degrees. Luckily for us, this was just a very small eruption, and we were extremely thankful to be witnessing something so unique without being in danger.

Aside from volcano-viewing and pee-swimming, there is a ton to do in Banos. Most of it revolves around adventure sports like rafting, mountain-biking, zip-lining, and canyoning. We chose to do the latter two. Zip-lining over mountains, rivers, and waterfalls was obviously amazing, but for us, canyoning was the highlight of the trip. Canyoning is essentially repelling down waterfalls. For $30 per person, we were driven by a tour company out into the forest where there is a series of 3 waterfalls that are 50, 65, and 150 feet tall, respectively. I wanted to put an exclamation point there, but it just doesn't fit in after the word respectively. Not only was this an extremely beautiful setting, but we got to get right in the thick of it by donning wet suits and repelling down the waterfalls attached to a safety line. The 150 footer was admittedly a bit terrifying, but well worth the adrenaline rush that stuck with us for the rest of the day.

The 150 footer

No seriously, she's having a great time!

As usual, Ecuador continues to amaze us and give us the opportunity to do incredible things at an extremely low cost compared to most other tourist destinations and the U.S. On the docket for the next two weekends...the cloud forest in Mindo and the Amazon rainforest, respectively!

*Editor's Note: I actually wrote this blog a week ago and forgot to post it, so Banos was two weekends ago, and we went to Mindo last weekend so we're a week behind. Which means we're going to the Amazon this weekend!

Ecuador in Pictures - Some Favorites!

It's been awhile since we've posted pictures, so I thought I would dedicate a post to some of our favorites so far (with a de-emphasis on my 500 pictures of Galapagos animals...you're welcome) .  Ecuador is an incredibly beautiful and diverse place, and it's sometimes hard to describe it in words, so - photos will have to do.  Enjoy!

Kelly

The sun beginning to fade over Cumbaya Valley in Quito

Horses and tortoises grazing in the highlands of Santa Cruz Island in the Galapagos

Ecuadorians seem to love these like mini "scenes" and hang them up all over the place.  I get it....they're pretty!

Iguana food

Funky plant life on the Galapagos

Sea lion snoozing on the beach

My adorable husband :)

Lagoons and volcanoes

Sunset boat ride

Brian and I watching the sunrise in the Galapagos

I *think* this is a flower that blossoms on the cotton trees in the Galapagos.  But I could be wrong.

I love this pictures - fond memories of our friends from the Galapagos trip!

Kayak with a Magnificent Frigate Bird in the background

Lava Cactus (and some lava)

The skeleton of an unlucky Flightless Cormorant in the Galapagos.  I love this pictures because to me, it represents the havoc that the warm El Nino current wreaks on the Galapagos by destroying the rich marine life there that so many of the animals depend on.

Some old married people

Sunset over the ocean

Flowers in Quito's botanical gardens (which we have visited not once, but twice!)

The race track in Ibarra where our hosts, Jose and Ana, took us for a festival in which people chase a man dressed as Zoro (on horses) and try to grab his cape for a prize.  Not a joke!

View of La Plaza Grande in old town Quito, where there is literally ALWAYS a political gathering.  The Presidential Palace is the long white building in the background.

View from our bedroom of the volcano Pichincha

View of Banos from the San Francisco bridge.  You can participate in "puenting" (puente means "bridge" in Spanish) by jumping off in a harness.  

Panoramic view of Banos from our hike up the volcano

View of Quito and beyond from our hike up the volcano Pichincha

View from our hike up the Tungurahua volcano in Banos

Lovely alpine flora on the hike up the volcano Pichincha