Description:
12 Days / 11 Nights $1,990
• Help construct cabin for community eco-tourism project
• Visit to beautiful Lago Cuicocha crater lake
• Adventure in the Upper Amazon Basin including: river rafting, birding and exploring the high altitude cloud forest
• Visit the world famous market town of Otavalo to barter over textiles
• Spend time pampering yourself and soaking at the Termas Papallacta Hot Springs and Spa high in the Andes
• Learn about the real Ecuador during dinners and conversations with indigenous authors, speakers and community leaders.
TRAVEL ITINERARY
Day 1 Sunday, Aug. 5
Arrive in Quito late; travel to Hostal Los Andes; rest-up.
Day 2 Monday, Aug. 6
Breakfast; walking tour of the Viejo Quito colonial center.
Our tour will start in Parque Alameda, the site of the April, 2005 protests that brought down president Lucio Gutierrez. From the park more... we will walk up to the gothic Basilica de Quito where we can take in 360 degree views of the city and the Central Andean Valley. The tour is followed by a lunch and organizational and info meeting.
Dinner; Overview of the socio-economic history of Ecuador and recent political events.
Day 3 Tuesday, Aug. 7
a.m.: travel to the world famous Otavalo market about 2.5 hours from Quito (throughout the trip, we will be traveling as a group in a chartered” Greyhound” type bus); lunch;
p.m.: Visit to a local weavers home for a tour and demonstration; travel to the nearby highland town of Cotacachi and our home for the next week, Rancho Sante Fe, located in a beautiful country setting just outside of Cotacachi; dinner.
Day 4 Wednesday, Aug. 8
a.m. - travel to the highland Quichua farming village of Peribuela: the location of our volunteer work project. After arriving we embark on a walking tour of the Bosque Primario Peribuela, one of the last stands of old growth high-altitude forest in the northern Andes. The village of Peribuela has decided to develop an eco-tourism plan and manage it as a community reserve; lunch; talk with community members about agricultural life and the eco-tourism project. p.m. optional visit to a local organic agriculture project.
Day 5 Thursday, Aug. 9
a.m. - travel to Peribuela; Volunteer Project: working alongside community members, we will help build two 8-person cabins that will house future groups of tourists, students, scientists, and volunteers. The cabins will be simple, stick-frame constructions made of pine selectively cut and milled on-site. Lunch will be cooked and served on-site. We work long half-days (8:30-1:30) and, after lunch return to Cotacachi; optional visit to the Cotacachi Museum of History and Culture.
Day 6 Friday, Aug. 10
Peribuela volunteer project, p.m. - optional talk with Patricio Lima, a life-long resident and author of two books exploring the culture, history, and cosmovision of the Otavalo people.
Day 7 Saturday, Aug. 11
am: visit the Cotacahi-Cayapas Ecological Reserve and the beautiful volcanic crater lake of Lago Cuicocha. Several options exists for the day’s activities: 1) kayaking around the lake’s volcanic cone islands, 2) a guided motorized boat tour of the lake followed by an easy walk, complete with orchids, to a view point overlooking the Otavalo Valley, or 3) a six hour hike circumnavigating the crater rim; lunch; return to Cotacachi.
Day 8 Sunday, Aug. 12
Peribuela volunteer project; afternoon and evening festivities, with traditional Andean music and folkloric dance, to celebrate the project.
Day 9 Monday, Aug. 13
breakfast; A four hour bus ride takes us through the Central Valley of the Andes and then up and over the Continental Divide where we descend the eastern flank of the mountains into the upper Amazon Basin and the town of Papallacta. Here we stay at the Termas Papallacta, where stunning views of the Antisana Volcano and lush cloud forest compliment luxurious cabins centered around volcanic hot springs; lunch; lounge in hot springs; dinner.
Day 10 Tuesday, Aug. 14
Today is a day of relaxation or adventure depending on your tastes. Those seeking adrenalin may choose a three hour long Class 3 rafting trip on the Rio Salado (1.5 hours from Papallacta). For nature lovers, there are guided naturalist and bird watching tours (on foot and horseback) exploring the high altitude cloud forests surrounding Papallacta. Finally, those who just want to relax can enjoy the Termas’ professional spa complete with massage, facials, mud baths, etc; dinner.
Day 11 Wednesday, Aug. 15
a.m.- breakfast; travel to Quito and Hostal Los Alpes (3 hours); lunch; p.m.- enjoy the National Art and Archaelogical Museum, browse the Quito Artesan’s Market, or just enjoy walking through the city’s parks and shopping district; end-of-trip dinner at Café Mosaico, with a beautiful view overlooking the historic district of the city.
Day 12 Thursday, Aug. 16
Fly Home
~Contact us for full trip details~
Responsible Action:
JourneyWays Provides Volunteer Vacations to primarily US residents. During a two week trip we will spend one week working on a project in a small rural community. The cost of the project is paid by us. We have local contact on the ground to help the community decide on a project that will benefit the whole (thus providing that our presence does not distrupt the status quo). We ask that members of the local community work alongside of us to ensure local ownership and a true cultural connection.
The other week we spend touring the country doing traditonal ecoturism activites. I always ensure that we are working with reputable local operators.
Website:
www.JourneyWays.org
Telephone:
814-667-2130
