Ecuador and the Galapagos – Day 2 can be found here.
I was up bright and early at 6:15 am this morning, despite my best efforts to sleep in until 7:20 am. Although I seem to have set my alarm clock for 7:20 pm so perhaps it was for the best.
We packed up as much as we could – the kids were somewhat out of practice, but we still managed to get most of our luggage sorted before we went to breakfast. We’ll be coming back to Jimenita on our way to the Galapagos but we still don’t want to risk leaving anything behind.
Back to the restaurant for another delicious breakfast – much the same as before, so no photos this time. Then back to our Gran Suite to finish packing, and off to feed the llamas again.
Hard to believe they’ll be loading all of our luggage onto a motorized canoe to take us deep into the Amazon, though at least we’ve been able to leave one bag behind for when we return.
Back to the main building for a couple more rounds of pool – the children are genuinely getting good – plus a bit more birdwatching. Then off for an early lunch, as we don’t know whether we’ll be able to get food at the airport or if anyone will be in the mood for the boxed lunches provided enroute by LaSelva.
We had a brief, small pizza lunch and then my wife and kids went back to our suite to bring out the luggage while I settled the bill. No real surprises, there, except for a US$37 charge to wash a load of laundry. Sigh.
It seems silly to worry about the price of laundry when we’re already spending this much on our trip, but it still irritates me to have to pay that much for a simple load of laundry. On the other hand, we can’t have laundry washed at LaSelva for any amount of money (barring emergencies), so I suppose we should count our blessings.
Back to our Gran Suite to set out our bags – including a large suitcase that Jimenita graciously agreed to hold until we returned – and then our driver from LaSelva showed up shortly thereafter to take us to the airport. In a large tourist van that could hold all our bags, no less.
LaSelva had given us the full rundown on how they expected this day to go – but you can imagine my amazement when everything actually went to plan. Pickup from Jimenita at 11:20 am? Check. LaSelva rep at the airport with our boarding passes and bag tags in hand, ready to take us through the VIP line? Double check.
Seriously, Silversea has a lot to live up to if they hope to match LaSelva’s level of customer service. Certainly after our post-cruise experience with them following our Dublin to Greenland last summer.
The ‘national’ terminal of the Quito airport was nicer and more efficient than expected. Not only did they have a nice café with a wide array of baked goods:
They also had one of the best children’s play areas we’d ever seen:
We didn’t have long to wait, though – about 20 minutes after we reached the gate, they had already announced pre-boarding.
It’s less than 30 minutes from Quito to Coca, so we didn’t even have time to enjoy a mid-flight beverage before they announced our descent.
But we did have the chance to get this photo leaving Quito:
And this photo on our arrival:
Once on the ground in Coca, we were immediately struck in the face with a wave of humidity. If Quito is the perfect temperature, then the Amazon is about twice that. But it was nice to breathe a bit easier, too – we had descended from 8,000 feet above sea level to a paltry 800 feet.
The hits from LaSelva also kept on coming – their rep was immediately available the moment we walked through the door. Our family and another couple were led out to another generously-sized tourist bus, and we were taken to their local, air conditioned office where we were given drinks, food, and one last opportunity to use the bathroom before we head off on our two-and-a-half hour motorized canoe ride along the Rio Napo.
Our chariot awaits.
The canoe ride was something else.
First, more great service from LaSelva in the form of an actually-edible boxed lunch that included a pesto chicken wrap, plantain chips and a brownie, all washed down with your choice of beverage, including a local beer.
Second, this was more of a speedboat than a motorized canoe. Rather than putt-putting our way down the river, we were carving through the currents at what must have been upwards of 50 – 60 km per hour.
Third, the scenery:
Truly beautiful. And yes, there is definitely an industrial edge to this section of the river. But it’s also nice to see how people actually live. And besides, the signs of human encroachment were few and far between – mostly we saw pure, unspoilt nature.
Some other details – you are (justifiably) expected to wear life jackets, and there is a good amount of sun cover. They recommend you have a windbreaker though we found the breeze pleasant rather than cold. There is a sunshade, but sunscreen is also recommended – particularly later in the afternoon, when the sun is coming in at an angle. But generally it was very civilized. There wasn’t even any water in the bottom of the boat.
The motorized canoe ride ended about 30 minutes earlier than expected, at which point we had the chance to deposit our boxed lunches, use the bathroom, and then take a 5 minute walk to the launch point for the non-motorized canoe. This they said would take about 45 minutes, though in reality it was closer to a half hour.
Everything needs to be brought in by hand – including the drinking water
… and your luggage
I’m liking this trend from LaSelva – under promise and over deliver.
The canoe ride was – well, if the first leg was beautiful, then this one was absolutely stunning. If someone had created a ride at Disney that looked like this, it would be panned for being too perfect.
We even saw our first bit of wildlife, which consisted of a bird that our guide referred to as a ‘stinky turkey’ (due to its diet of leaves, and its predilection for fermenting said leaves) – its actual name is the Hoatzin.
We eventually arrived at LaSelva, where the manager greeted us at the dock, along with staff bearing cold towels, welcome drinks, and even a small snack.
Then the monkeys arrived – both squirrel and titi monkeys.
When that excitement had passed, we finally settled in for our welcome briefing. Which was important, because LaSelva doesn’t operate the same way as most resorts.
First, everything here is scheduled around the excursions – which appear to be mandatory, as they’ll be sending staff to pound on our door at roughly 5:30 in the morning. And we’d better move quickly – because an hour later, we’ll be off and away on our next adventure.
Most activities happen either early in the morning or later in the afternoon. From about 2 pm to 4 pm we’re largely on our own. Naps are strongly recommended, though our children seem hellbent on both yoga and piranha fishing. (Perhaps combined into a single activity? We shall see.)
Power is provided by diesel generator and battery backup, so conservation is strongly encouraged. Hot water is turned off at 11 pm. (Which won’t be an issue due to the 5:30 am mandatory wakeup.) Meals would be taken together and would be announced via a loud trumpeting sound. Also, there are no locks on the doors.
At this point some might be tempted to hop back on the canoe out of here, but we knew from our own research that LaSelva is highly recommended. Plus we’re sure they’re kidding about the excursions being mandatory. Pretty sure, at least.
It was at this point that we were informed that our first activity was scheduled for 6:45 pm – at which point we all collectively took a deep breath to tell them that we’d be passing, thanks all the same.
But then they explained it would be for 45 minutes, and that dinner would follow immediately afterward. Which actually seemed quite reasonable.
So we decided to show up. And we’re very glad we did.
But first, we needed to swing by our ‘stateroom’ – which is lovely:
The path to the staterooms
Constructed from local materials
The kids bed and the master bed both share a bathroom, but there is ample privacy. Everything is open air (via screens) so you get the full jungle experience. There’s plenty of mosquito netting, though bugs were minimal.
We didn’t have long before it was time to meet up with our guide.
The night activity consisted of a simple canoe paddle around the lake, accompanied with both a naturalist guide and a local guide. We would be mostly listening for wildlife, but might also spot some fireflies, fish, bats and caimans.
It was a really special treat – and we saw all of the above.
One of the bats we saw was called a fish bat. Dear reader, did you know that bats could hunt fish? Because I did not. And I’m not entirely sure how I felt about a fish-eating bat flying around me, largely invisible. But I guess I had to get used to it, because the other option was swimming back to LaSelva amidst the caimans.
Speaking of which, we managed to get close enough to a spectacled caiman that he made quite the splash in his escape.
Meanwhile, the sky simultaneously opened up to reveal a blanket of stars, while flashing thunderously in the distance.
Downsides, if I had to name any? Well, the bugs could be a bit intense, but that was mostly when I had the glow of my phone screen shining back at me. But really, it was a truly fantastic adventure, and it feels like we’re only scratching the surface of what awaits us here in LaSelva.
We returned just in time for dinner, which I completely forgot to photograph with the exception of this plantain-based amuse bouche.
The rest of the meal consisted of a pumpkin soup, breaded shrimp with quinoa, and tiramisu for dessert.
For drinks, I had an Ecuadorian caipirinha made with a local Ecuadorian brandy known as cana manabita.
It reminds me a lot of the sugar cane spirit Guaro, which is made in Costa Rica. And that is a very good thing indeed.
I’d heard that the drinks at LaSelva were expensive, but really they were less pricey than similar drinks in Canada. The wine options seemed particularly reasonable. (Menus to follow.)
They also presented the kids with a lovely welcome package, which consisted of a stuffed frog, binoculars, pencil crayons and an activity booklet.
It seemed quiet at LaSelva, which we believe is due to the security situation in Ecuador. But that seems a bit of a shame to me – because everything we’ve seen so far makes the country seem incredibly safe.
We’re not saying that there isn’t cause for some concern – namely the region around Guayaquil – but it’s a shame that Quito and the Amazon region gets tarred with the same brush.
In any case, our discussions about the future of Ecuadorian tourism would have to wait for another day, as it was already closing in on 9:30 pm and the fateful 5:30 am excursions knock would be upon us before we know it…
Continue reading Ecuador and the Galapagos – Day 4.