|
 |
Itinerary:
Where
and when we went, how we traveled and where we stayed
| 2001 |
|
| Friday,
5th October |
Taxi
from York to Leeds-Bradford Airport. Had over a 3-hour wait
because of extra security (practically no different from normal!)
Mid-afternoon flight to Amsterdam, then a midnight flight to
Quito |
| Tandayapa |
|
Saturday,
6th October
|
One-hour
stop-over at Curacao, then flight to Guayaquil, with views of
Cotapaxi and Chimborazo. Further 1-hour stop-over then back
past the volcanoes to Quito, arriving shortly before 9 am. Met
by driver from ground agents, Angermeyers', for drive to Tandayapa,
passing the Mitad del Mundo equatorial monument. Afternoon coffee
on 'The Deck', watching the humming birds, then a short stroll
along the Potoo Trail to the water tank. Brief visit to the
lower Canopy Platform. |
Sunday,
7th October
|
Pre-breakfast
on The Deck and the lower Canopy Platform. Morning walk along
the whole of the Potoo Trail, and another walk along part of
it in the afternoon. |
Monday,
8th October
|
Morning:
drive up to Upper Tandayapa Valley. Afternoon: Potto Trail and
Antpitta Trail. A long day - was getting dark when we returned. |
Tuesday,
9th October
|
Early
breakfast so we could be at the bridge in the village by dawn
(for the White-capped Dipper - no luck!). Rest of morning spent
walking along old road towards Nono. Afternoon on the Potoo
and Nunbird Trails. |
| Road
to Nono, La Cienaga, Cotapaxi and Pasochoa Reserves |
Wednesday,
10th October
|
5
hour birding drive to near summit of old road to Nono, then
a retreat to Tandayapa (road blocked by broken-down earth mover).
Drove through Quito and then out to Hosteria La Cienaga (oldest
hacienda in Ecuador). Stroll around the gardens as light was
fading. |
|
Thursday,
11th October
 Pre-breakfast
at Lasso Marsh. 9 am - 2 pm in Cotapaxi National Park, reaching
Laguna de Limpiopunga and a bit further on the plateau (3,834
metres, 12,578 feet). Lunch back down at the San Mateo restaurant.
More birding in the grounds of La Cienaga.
|
Friday,
12th October
|
Pre-breakfast
again at Lasso Marsh. 9.30 am - 1.30 pm in the Pasochoa Reserve.
Lunch at the newish La Matilde restaurant (good food, very friendly).
Drive back to Quito to stay at Hostal La Rabida (small and very
comfortable). Evening spent in Internet Cafe (!) and with Raphael,
our Tandayapa guide, and his family. |
| La
Selva Lodge, Rio Napo, Amazon Basin |
Saturday,
13th October
|
Picked
up from Hostal La Rabida at 8.15 am for short drive to airport.
Slight delay in takeoff, then half hour flight to Coca. Met
at airport by Rodney, a La Selva nature guide, and driven through
Coca to the Napo wharfe. Two hour motorised canoe ride (100
km) to La Selva, followed by boardwalk walk and paddle canoe
ride to the Lodge. After refreshments in bar and unpacking,
met José Hualinga, our guide, then a 2-hour canue ride,
birdwatching round Garzacocha lake. |
Sunday
14th October
|
6
am start, reaching the Rio Napo via Garzacocha and the boardwalk
at 7 am. Short excursion downstream to view parrot lick area,
but did not land. Returned upstream to land on south bank, spending
up to 3 pm in Terra Firma habitat (tropical rainstorm lasting
about an hour just after mid-day. Back to the Lodge at 4 pm
for cool beer and some lazing around |
Monday
15th October
|
6
am start and walk to the Canopy Tower, staying there from 7.15
am to 9.15 am. Then a walk through várzea forest to Mandicocha
Lake, where we spent an hour or so gliding across the lake and
through back waters. Back at the Lodge for lunch and a long
siesta, before another trip on Garzacocha (4 pm to 6.30 pm),
returning in the dark. |
Tuesday
16th October
|
6
am start, and across Garzacocha again, and along the boardwalk.
Walked across to one of the Rio Napo islands (not an island
at this time of year, but retains its unique vegetation). The
over to the South bank again, and downstream to the Parrot Lick,
reaching the hide there at 9 am. The back upstream, to spend
the rest of the day on Terra Firma, covering some of the same
ground as two days ago. |
Wed
17th October
 |
 Early
morning last trip across Garzacocha and the boardwalk to get
the motorised canoe back upstream for two and a half hours to
Coca. About an hour "sight"seeing(!) before getting
an uneventful flight back to Quito and to the Hostal La Rabida.
Arranged for an English-speaking taxi driver to give us a rapid
two-hour tour around Quito's sights. |
Thursday
18th October -
Friday 19th October
|
The
long haul back to England! Late morning flight from Quito to
Amsterdam, with a stop-over at Curacao. Then flight early Friday
morning back to Leeds-Bradford airport |
|
