Ecuador In Depth 8 26 September 2017

Ecuador In Depth 8 26 September 2017

ABOUT US Aurora Expeditions embodies the spirit of adventure, travelling to some of the most wild and remote places on our planet. With over 25 years experience, our small group voyages allow for a truly intimate experience with nature. Our expeditions push the boundaries with flexible and innovative itineraries, exciting wildlife experiences and fascinating lectures. You ll share your adventure with a group of like-minded souls in a relaxed, casual atmosphere while making the most of every opportunity for adventure and discovery. Our highly experienced expedition team of naturalists, historians and destination specialists are passionate and knowledgeable they are the secret to a fulfilling and successful voyage. Whilst we are dedicated to providing a trip of a lifetime, we are also deeply committed to education and preservation of the environment. Our aim is to travel respectfully, creating lifelong ambassadors for the protection of our destinations.

DAY 1 Friday, 8 September 2017 MEEting in Quito Around 7 pm we finally met each other in the lobby of the beautiful Hotel Casa Gangotena, located in the old town of Quito. Between colourful orchids we started introducing ourselves and getting to know our fellow travellers for the next 20 days on this amazing trip to discover Ecuador. With a glass of good wine and some new flavourful snacks to discover, we started our briefing about the next day s adventures. A map of Ecuador, a short explanation about the geography of the country, some questions, and we were ready to start exploring! Time for our welcome dinner at Casa Gangotena and for most of us, to discover our favourite option of the Ecuadorian cuisine - the tasty Locro (potato soup) which would become a staple for the entire trip!

DAY 2 Saturday, 9 September 2017 SACHA Lodge An early start full of expectations. Today, we had our first contact with the Amazonia rainforest! A very short flight over the Andes and we landed at El Coca, a very small town on the Napo River shore. After a 5-minute drive and short stop for some snacks, we were sitting on a motorboat with life jackets on, sailing the Napo River into the depths of the rainforest. Cameras were on, and the nature in front of us started to show itself as an amazing changing landscape. Green everywhere, a strong wide river, lots of birds, huge trees emerging from the thick canopy and from time to time another boat to wave to. We finally saw a sign Welcome to Sacha Lodge. We walked 45 minutes to reach a small pier where a canoe took us to the Lodge. It was an amazing trip, and we could feel the rainforest strong and full of life all around us! They were waiting for us with a great lunch on a beautiful spot facing the lake. The lodge over the next few days would become our favourite place to relax in between activities. The afternoon was already planned, we split up in three small groups and before starting we met our local guides: Daniel and Jaime, Gus and Jerry, Alex and Bolivar. We were ready to explore! A short walk or a quiet canoe ride, we all had our first Amazonia experience.

On the way to the cabin we saw tiny squirrel monkeys and capuchin monkeys close enough almost to touch, and a black agouti, ran out from under our cabin, which is on stilts. Judith Thompson

DAYS 3-6 10 13 September 2017 AMAZOniA RAinFOREST Sacha Lodge is a carefully designed place, in the middle of the rainforest. Our cabins were constructed with traditional materials, high thatched roof, shaded terraces and a special bathroom that makes you feel as though you were having a shower in the middle of the jungle. They were well camouflaged into the lush surroundings and gave us all the comfort we needed without losing the feeling of being in the wild. During the time we spent in the rainforest, Daniel, Gus and Alex always had a plan for us. Depending on the groups, the weather, the time of the day and even our energy, we had a great time exploring. From an early wake-up for birdwatching on the canopy walk, to enjoying a wonderful sunset from a platform on a giant Kapok Tree, we thoroughly enjoyed each activity. For the most courageous, the high Canopy Walkway had the opportunity to explore the rainforest up in the treetops with amazing open view of the vegetation growth. The other heights activity was the Kapok Tower, with a viewing platform on the top. It was a unique experience to be up there during sunset. Another unforgettable moment was getting closer to the sound of the howler monkeys. That wild sound thrilled us and sent a shiver down our spines. Together with Jerry, Jaime and Bolivar, they took us on many opportunities to paddle around streams and lakes in indigenous, dugout canoes and gave us a close up to trees, flowers, bromeliads, monkeys, kingfisher, caimans, toucans, tarantulas, frogs, and more!

Lots to see and do, from freeing the canoe every time it got stranded on submerged logs to photographing monkeys in the branches near our heads and admiring them swinging by their prehensile tails. One thing I noted about the jungle is its absolute stillness - no hint of breezes, no sound save for the rustle of creatures swinging and landing and displacing leaves. It is extremely restful and almost hypnotic. Judith Thompson

Black-mantled Tamarin Caiman Crested Owl Fungi Lesser Kiskadee Tarantula

Dragonfly Pink-toed Tarantula Mantis Religiosa Moth Squirrel Monkey Red-Capped Cardinal

An early start to the jungle trek. We began trekking through dense jungle shortly thereafter breakfast. We walked and walked through tangled vines and past massive kapok trees, admiring the insectivorous wildlife that was in evidence until we reached the objective: The Three Towers. Judith Thompson

In the afternoon we rested during the worst heat, then set out with our group on a long walk through the jungle to a lagoon. This took over an hour of heavy tracking, but when we reached the lagoon we hopped into a canoe and were paddled around the islands to inspect the ecology and view the bird life. Thereafter followed a fast forced march home as the light was going. Judith Thompson

YASuni NAtiONAL PARK Another very early start, this time to visit a new area of the rainforest - the Yasuni National Park. With more than 980,000 hectares, it is the largest protected area in continental Ecuador, created in 1979 and declared a Biosphere Reserve by UNESCO in 1989. This time we sailed together on a boat down the Napo River until we reached the Parrot Lick. Soon after we arrived the parrots start flying down from the trees to the wall lick to get the minerals needed for their diet. Beautiful colourful parrots from 4 different species gave us a great show that morning. We kept sailing the Napo River and then down a small creek till we landed at the Waorani Reserve, where a group of Waorani women welcomed us with a wonderfully interesting talk. They show us their daily routine and taught us how to prepare the drink Chicha, how to cook fish on plantain leaves, we got a lesson in using a blowpipe, and some of us even tasted grilled Amazonian worms! Definitely a special moment! We shared a unique lunch and learned a lot from the local people. In the dark we boarded small canoes and then larger canoes equipped with outboards. In these we travelled down the brown, fast flowing Napo River for about an hour until we came to a clay lick. We saw dozens and dozens of green parrots swarming all over one clay lick high on a pan earth cliff. It was really impressive. Then we went on to a native village where we were welcomed ashore. Judith Thompson We were given a lesson in using the blowpipe as a killing instrument with a target of a green wooden parrot set up about four metres. Some of us went out in a canoe and enjoyed an evening gently going down creeks to see monkeys and hear the marching wasps again, and then finished up taking photos of the sunset across the lake. Judith Thompson

DAY 7 Thursday, 14 September 2017 MIDDLE OF THE WORLD & TULIPE ON THE WAY TO THE CLOUD FOREST Today a new adventure: we moved to the Cloud Forest on Mashpi reserve, and on the way there we had to cross from the inside valley to the east side of the Andes. During this travel across that amazing and changing landscape we had two special stops. One in the small town of Calacalí, where in the main square a milestone showed us that we were standing on the Equator. Some mandatory pictures and a chance to sample some tasty local Empanadas and we had to keep moving now in the northern hemisphere! A few hours later, and after crossing different small towns that appeared along the bumpy road, we finally reached the breath taking Mashpi Lodge, where the staff were waiting for us with a refreshing juice and a wonderful lunch. The Cloud Forest was right here on the other side of the big windows, begging for us to explore it! And that s exactly what we did that afternoon. After a while transiting a bumpy, windy road we made another stop at Tupile Archaeological Site and Museum. The site was originally built by the Yumbo people who lived in the valleys and mountains surrounding Quito before the arrival of the Incas and Spanish people; and once served as the tribe s main ceremonial site.

DAY 8 10 15 17 September 2017 THE CHOCÓ CLOUD FOREST AT MASHPI RESERVE The Mashpi Reserve and Lodge are located in the Ecuadorian Chocó Bioregion, one of the most biodiverse centres of endemism in the world. Between lower montane rainforest and cloud forests, the lodge is surrounded by a profusion of plant species, from ferns and bromeliads to large numbers of orchid species. Mashpi is also a real birding paradise, and we realised that every early morning, standing on the rooftop of the hotel with a nice cup of coffee in hand and our eyes on the branches looking for some birds, the perfect the start to our days in Mashpi. One hour and a hearty breakfast later, and we were ready to head out! Gumboots on and backpacks filled with water, cameras, repellent and a poncho, and off we went. We split again into small groups, with our local guides, who were always enthusiastically sharing with us all their knowledge of the area. Going for a walk through the cloud forest means: meeting with mushrooms below tree trunks festooned with orchids; walking among lichens, mosses and giant ferns; clouds of moisture clinging to our skin; spotting different colourful tanagers; the sound of rushing water; waterfalls perfect for bathing, walking along banks of rivers... the list goes on! The Sky Bike gave us an original and exciting way to explore the forest canopy up close. Some scared faces were seen, but in the end we all enjoyed the ride! We also climbed up the almost 30-metre Observation Tower. There we were able to enjoy an exciting 360 degree bird s-eye view of this awesome natural world and a beautiful sunset. The Hummingbirds Observation was one of our highlights; the shelter provides a relaxed and contemplative way to enjoy these amazing winged creatures as they buzz around the feeders. We loved to observe and photograph these magnificent flying machines, as well as toucans, tanagers, agutis, tayras that had also come closer to also take advantage of the bananas! At the Life Centre, we had a look at the butterflies house and from the peaceful balcony we also observed the landscape in between the mist and again, more colourful toucans and tanagers coming close enough to get some unforgettable pictures. For those who still had some energy and weren t daunted by the rain, a Night Walk was next. We could really say that the Mashpi forest transforms at night! Suddenly some nocturnal creatures appeared in front of us, ranging from moths, croaking toads, lizards, tarantulas as big as a hand, strange insects, long snakes, scorpions and even phosphorescent fungus. It s a magical world that our local guides helped us to discover. We also had some presentations by the naturalist guides, which allowed us to learn a bit more about the amazing place we were in. We saw some pictures taken by a Camera Trap of mammals that live in the forest but are very difficult to be seen, like wild cats, pumas, monkeys and wild pigs. It was great to realize how varied and rich the life is out there! We also enjoyed the dining experience, where we enjoyed a drmataic panoramic setting for a delicious and varied Ecuadorian buffet. Among our favourites were the Chipá bread made from yuca flour and cheese, the different Ceviches, the soups, and some of us were particularly attracted by the mini-dessert at every meal! The floor-to-ceiling panoramic glass windows in our rooms immersed us in the forest life. Opening the windows at night allowed us to go to sleep with a live orchestra of birds and frogs. Something that we really loved!

We then walk to the Copal Cascades and try swimming under them. This was really quite a feat as the path was mountainous and often only about a foot wide with lots of slippery brown. We climbed up and we climbed down until at last we could hear the roaring of a cataract and saw a stream of white water cascading over the side of the mountain and rushing down onto the rocks below. Some of us had thoughtfully worn out bathers, so as we reached the bottom we stripped off and one by one went under the torrent. It was COLD but very bracing and buffeting and most welcome after all our trudging through the mist and rain.. Judith Thompson

After we had watched the birds and several Tyras for rather a long time, we were taken into a mariposarium, which was full of flowers and plants and very charming. We also went to the lepidopterous laboratory and learned a great deal about the life cycle of the butterflies and how voraciously the grubs eat and saw for ourselves. Most charming. Judith Thompson

Parrot Lick Squirrel Monkey Black-mantled Tamarin Rufous Motmot Hummingbird Mariposarium

Aguti Tayra Mariposarium American Pygmy Kingfisher Pink-toed Tarantula Caiman

DAY 11 Monday, 18 September 2017 GalapagOS NationAL PARK We woke up early, had a good breakfast, jumped into the bus and went to the airport. Soon we were already landing at Baltra and entering Galápagos National Park! There we met the rest of the group that would be our fellow explorers for the next nine days. We also meet Cathy, Viviana and Andres, our guides in the National Park. They took us onto a small boat to reach Santa Cruz Island, from where buses drove us across the island to Rancho El Manzanillo. After lunch it was a short walk to meet for the Giant Tortoises for the first time. It was amazing to walk around the field and have those huge animals so close to us and a special moment as we learned about the life of these emblematic animals. Later, after a short Zodiac ride, we finally embarked Isabela II, to unpack and have dinner on board together with our new friends.

DAY 12 Tuesday, 19 September 2017 Santa Fe Island & South PLAZA Our first day started with Cathy s lovely voice waking us from our slumber and letting us know what the weather looked like and what the temperature of the water was. A few minutes later Gerd, our hotel manager, would invite us to join him for breakfast. One hour later we were already landing on Santa Fe Island. We visited the northeast end of the island where some sea lions patrolled the beach. During the walk around the area we saw the endemic land iguana of Santa Fe, which is distinguished mainly by the larger and paler colour. In the afternoon we visited South Plaza Island, east of Santa Cruz Island, which forms part of two islands known as Islas Plazas. The dry landing was on the north coast of the island in a channel that separates it from North Plazas Island. There we saw some big sea lions, lots of iguanas, lava gulls, frigate birds, finches, cactus and a beautiful sunset on the blue sea of Galápagos. We returned to the boat, had time to relax and share our experiences, before our guides briefed us on tomorrow s activities and we sat down to another wonderful meal. Lunch was on board and after a short time to relax or check emails we had a safety talk about the upcoming water activities, and those who choose to snorkel or kayak jumped immediately into the Zodiac with all their necessary gear. It was our first contact with the Galápagos underwater world. Amazing!

DAY 13 Wednesday, 20 September 2017 North SEYMOur & BACHAS at Santa Cruz Island After breakfast, we prepared for a dry landing on North Seymour, where we did a short but very interesting walk. North Seymour is home to thousands of different kinds of creatures: seagulls, blue-footed boobies, sally light-foot crabs, sea lions, land iguanas, lizards and marine iguanas. The walk took us across two different types of terrain, boulders and sand, which are the nesting grounds of a countless amount of life forms. Later, there was time for snorkelling or a glass bottom boat ride, so that everyone could enjoy the underwater life. Next up was snorkelling off the beach and our first encounter with an energetic young sea lion who was eager to play. A really exciting moment. Back on board we enjoyed our tasty dinner and finished the day off with a briefing from our guides before retiring to our cabins. A lovely end to a wonderful day. After our nice lunch on board (and maybe a short nap for some of us) we were again loaded into the Zodiacs and on our way to Las Bachas beach. This site, located in the northern part of Santa Cruz Island, is a very important nesting site for the green sea turtle. We were able to see the holes left after burying their eggs. This place is also a feeding area for flamingos and several other shore birds.

DAY 14 Thursday, 21 September 2017 BARtHOLOMEW Island & SuLLivan BAY Today s first activity started with a dry landing and hike on Bartolomé Island, probably one of the most photographed locations of all the islands. The great view from the top was worth every breath from the steep wooden staircase we had to climb. We also learned today a lot about the geology of these islands. In the afternoon, we landed on Sullivan Bay for a walk through an amazing pahoehoe lava field of a very young age. Sullivan Bay, located on southeast corner of Santiago Island, is of great geological interest and we were lucky to be able to discover it.

DAY 15 Friday, 22 September 2017 CHARLES DARWin RESEARCH Station & Santa Cruz Island After breakfast, we prepared for a dry landing on North Seymour, where we did a short but very interesting walk. North Seymour is home to thousands of different kinds of creatures: seagulls, blue-footed boobies, sally light-foot crabs, sea lions, land iguanas, lizards and marine iguanas. The walk took us across two different types of terrain, boulders and sand, which are the nesting grounds of a countless amount of life forms. Later, there was time for snorkelling or a glass bottom boat ride, so that everyone could enjoy the underwater life. Next up was snorkelling off the beach and our first encounter with an energetic young sea lion who was eager to play. A really exciting moment. Back on board we enjoyed our tasty dinner and finished the day off with a briefing from our guides before retiring to our cabins. A lovely end to a wonderful day. After our nice lunch on board (and maybe a short nap for some of us) we were again loaded into the Zodiacs and on our way to Las Bachas beach. This site, located in the northern part of Santa Cruz Island, is a very important nesting site for the green sea turtle. We were able to see the holes left after burying their eggs. This place is also a feeding area for flamingos and several other shore birds.

DAY 16 Saturday, 23 September 2017 Floreana Island As our trip moves on, we land on an island that was the inspiration for many of Robinson Crusoe s stories; as well as pirates, sailors, and settlers who saw Floreana as their new home. Even though isolation is what they found, their time here was certainly a hard act to follow. Among other visitors, the famous Charles Darwin landed on this island back in 1835; this was his only encounter with a human population. His meeting with the islands vice governor proved to be crucial in Darwin s later views of the Giant Tortoises. In the morning we landed on Floreana Island where seabirds, sea lions, marine iguanas and waders of different kinds were able to be seen, as well as the famous Post-Office Bay. Here we had a chance to help keep Ecuador s oldest mailing system alive. Most of us left a postcard, and many also took a postcard to personally deliver to the recipient near home. Again, we made the most of the place with a snorkel, swim or kayak along the beach. Champion Rock was our destination for the afternoon, one of the best places in the archipelago for enjoying the aquatic environment. Some of us jumped into the water to snorkel with turtles, sea lions and colourful fish while others choose the glass bottom boat for a warmer experience. And at the end of the day, a wet landing on Punta Cormorant gave us the opportunity to finally see some flamingos on a brackish water lagoon, together with ducks and sandpipers. Before returning to the Isabela II we experienced one of the most beautiful sunsets of the trip.

DAY 17 Sunday, 24 September 2017 ESPAñOLA Island The early morning called for an exciting walk, where boulders and some rough terrain prevailed at this site. Today we headed for the old part of the archipelago on Española Island. The rocks here are around 3.5 million years old. We landed on Punta Suarez, one of those unique places in the Galápagos where wildlife abounds. Every single inch of this site has something happening. Throughout the walk we saw the marine iguanas with their wild combination of red-black colours, blue-footed boobies, masked boobies and red-billed tropicbirds. The afternoon gave us the chance to enjoy the underwater worlds of the Galápagos once again, a snorkel or a cruise in the glass bottom boat. There was also a landing on Gardner Bay, a beautiful white sand beach inhabited by large colonies of sea lions and endemic mockingbirds of the island. A great place for photographs!

DAY 18 Monday, 25 September 2017 San CristOBAL Island San Cristobal is the easternmost island in the Galápagos archipelago, and one of the oldest geologically. We started the visit with a hike at Punta Pitt, located at the east end of San Cristobal Island. The trail included on olivine beach and a trail that ascends to the top of a volcanic tuff cone passing through several natural viewpoints. This is the only site in the Galápagos Islands where you can find the three species of boobies and the two species of frigates nesting in the same area. And we saw all of them! Later we made the most of our last snorkel and kayak, before having a nice lunch on board. In the afternoon we enjoyed a coastal exploration in the Zodiacs, followed by a wet landing on Cerro Brujo an impressive volcanic formation (tuff cone) located at the north west of San Cristobal Island. We visited a beautiful coral sand beach, where we took a long stroll to the very end. We admired views from the beach and the volcanic landscape were amazing, adding to the sea lions, sea birds and shore birds in the surrounds. A peaceful and unforgettable walk. Back on board we enjoyed a sunset farewell cocktail on the deck of Isabela II, before having a lot of fun with the photo presentation of our expedition trip organised by our guides. We are thankful to the entire team and crew for the great moments they helped us to experience and for the excellent group of people we had met.

DAY 19 Tuesday, 26 September 2017 PuERto BAQuERiZO and back to Quito An early wakeup call and the halls lined with luggage were a clear sign that ship life was coming to an end, but before disembarkation it was time for a short documentary about the Galápagos for a final review of what we had seen and learnt over the last nine days. Once in Puerto Baquerizo we visited the interpretive centre and had some free time in town for the last shop visit, have a snack on the pier or just take moment on the beach for some reflective thoughts about this incredible place. The time to leave arrived, so we bid farewell to Cathy, Viviana and Andreś, deeply thankful for all their help and for making those days so special, and we boarded our plane for our flight back to the Ecuadorian mainland. The four-hour flight took us back to Quito. We had an excellent and very special last dinner at Casa Gangotena. Not only had the Galápagos come to the end, but also our whole Aurora adventure through Ecuador! We toasted to the many unforgettable moments we shared, to the memories we will keep, to the special places we visited, to our luck of having known deeply another part of the world, and especially to the good group of people we met and the new friends we had made. Thank you for joining us on this unforgettable adventure! Hasta luego!

Swallow-tailed Gull Galápagos Penguin Frigatebird Mockingbird Great blue Heron Blue-footed Booby

Galápagos Sea Lion Giant Tortoise Yellow Warbler Brown Pelican Galápagos Hawk Land Iguana

Expeditioners Libby Hindmarsh Richard Ireland David Fickling Judith Thomson Ivan Solomano Linda Broschofsky Ross Hindmarsh Cherry Kline Michele Beslich Babette Urban Maggie McCafferty Yvonne Youlden Judy Ersvaer David Newell John Bazzano Tricia Bygrave Anne Skillicorn Anne Clark Sonja Ross Marie Macdonald Graeme Turnbull Fyfe Bygrave John Skillicorn Cath Andrew Geoff Ross Malcolm Macdonald Rhonda Turnbull Sue Constable David Shevill Jane Lobo Gill Ireland Janette Forster Phyllis Parker Frank Fraser Sally Egan John Lobo

Expedition Team PHOTO CREDITS Expedition Leader: Captain: Hotel Manager: Doctor: Expedition Leader: Naturalists: Lelia Cataldi Richard Robalino Gerd Rubsam Oscar Arevalo Catherine Iturralde Viviana Herrera Andres Moreano Babette Urban David Newell Elizabeth Hindmarsh Janette Forster David Flicking Judith Ersvaer Malcom Macdonald Marie Macdonald Phyllis Parker Sonja Ross Lelia Cataldi Isabella II Staff Ship s log compiled by Lelia Cataldi Paper made from 100% recycled material.

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