Ecuador and the Galapagos – Day 7

Ecuador and the Galapagos – Day 6 can be found here.

As expected, 4:45 am came way too soon. Particularly as my wife woke us at 4:30 am.

I groaned as I parted the mosquito curtains for the last time – and while I didn’t know it then, I would soon be grateful for every last second of those extra 15 minutes.

We finished packing as quickly as we could, rolling our checked bags onto the porch so that they could be loaded onto the boats and sent ahead. Then off for a quick breakfast – but not too quick. Coffee was vital this morning, as was a final ham-and-cheese omelette.

Back to our stateroom to brush our teeth and finish packing – only to learn that the Napo river had flooded the night before, and that the path between the motorized and non-motorized canoe docks had been washed out. So we’d have to change out our hiking shoes for our La Selva-issued rubber boots.

This also brought our schedule into question – we had already woken up 15 minutes early due to our earlier-than-usual flight. What kind of delays were following that kind of rushing current?

But it was too late to shift the schedule. We just had to get going as quickly as possible. And that meant finishing up with packing and giving the stateroom one final sweep.

5:25 am, and we were lined up to board the non-motorized canoe. And for once, the perpetually-late group that was departing along with us was actually on time.

Into the canoes and off we went for what we’d thought would be a now humdrum canoe ride.

But now our guides were fighting against a much-heavier current:

Every time we think we understand the Amazon, it surprises us.

We eventually reached the dock, only to find out that it wasn’t docking much of anything anymore.

Followed by a quick tromp up the once-dry ‘path’, followed by our final bathroom stop before a 2 hour motorized canoe ride.

It was at this point that both our children fell into the river.

To be fair, the path looked relatively stable. But erosion had worked its magic, and some of the rocks were steadier than others. One rock gave way, then another – and before we knew it, the kids were dumping river water from their boots.

One of the kids ended up only needing to strip off their socks – the other changed into a pair of rain pants as they were completely soaked. It wasn’t an ideal solution, but it wasn’t going to get better before we got into Coca.

We always have a spare change of clothes in the carry-on suitcases – but unfortunately all luggage other than backpacks goes in separate transport from La Selva to Coca, which meant we couldn’t access them. So if you’re prone to falling into rivers, perhaps keep a spare change in your daypack…

With time of the essence, we boarded the motorized canoe and began to make our way upstream. The current was working against us now – and what a current it was:

But even the ticking clock in our ears couldn’t distract from the river’s intense beauty. Made all the more intense as our driver looked for shortcuts amidst the newly-enlarged channels:

We’d hoped that this portion of the journey would take a mere two hours, as it had on the way down. But we were nearing the two-and-a-half mark before the Capo bridge emerged from the cloud.

By then it was 9:05 am. Our flight left at 10:20 am. Quick hop out of the canoe, get in the van and head to the airport. It was tight, but we could still make it.

Except the dock was full.

For 10 minutes our guides attempted to position the motorized canoe in the narrowest of spaces, meanwhile watching the guests to ensure that no one lost a finger as the hull scraped against the other boats.

We just couldn’t fit. Not with the water level as high as it was. There was no place for the guests to disembark.

But then one of the other captains noticed the problem and thankfully hopped into his boat and sped away, and we had an opening.

We headed into the La Selva offices, hoping to find our carry-on bags so that the kids could change. No such luck. All of Coca had also lost power minutes before which meant that none of the lights in the washrooms were working (phone flashlights are the greatest invention ever).

It wasn’t clear whether our bags were ahead of us or behind, and frankly we didn’t have time to worry about that. We needed to get on the bus and head for the airport.

9:20 am. Boarding started in 20 minutes.

We were at the terminal in 10 minutes. Thankfully, La Selva had all of our boarding passes ready to go and kept a careful watch as we went to drop our checked bags. Then through security, and off to the bathroom so the wettest of the children could change.

5 minutes later, we were heading up the gangway to board our flight.

As you may have guessed, we are not fans of late arrivals at the airport. We both shuddered when one of our travel companions described her father’s travel style as, “If they aren’t calling your name, they don’t really want you on the plane.”

We prefer to arrive far too early, and spend an overabundance of time relaxing in the lounge. This is our method, and it’s worked well for us to date.

To be clear, we’re not blaming La Selva for this – it was just one of those rare times in which most of what could go wrong did go wrong.

But we made it, and that’s what matters.

As we began the brief flight from Coca to Quito, I had some time to reflect on our trip to La Selva. Overall, we found them to be exceptional – it’s immediately clear that they have learned a great deal in the 45 years they’ve been in business, and that they deliver a top-notch experience to their guests.

That said, there are limits to what’s possible in the Amazon. Those uncomfortable with insects should probably pass on this adventure. Ditto for those who can’t stand early mornings, or throwing your toilet paper in the garbage can, or sleeping without air conditioning (the ceiling fans were enough for us), or lengthy canoe-based journeys.

There’s a lovely spa, yoga and hammocks but the focus is most definitely on exploring the jungle by hiking and canoeing with the incredible naturalists and local guides. And there’s no way around it – you will see bugs.

But for those willing to put up with such inconveniences, it was a truly exceptional adventure. I don’t know if we’ll ever get back – but I hope we do.

One final caveat – La Selva welcomes children as young as 6 for regular tours, but my wife and I believe that 8 or 9 is a much better age. This depends on the interest and abilities of the child, of course – nature lovers who enjoy hiking are much more likely to be able to have fun on these tours at a younger age.

Touchdown, Quito. Time to gather our bags once more and make the journey back to Jimenita.

I was pleased to report that we spotted our driver right away, and that we were not stopped by police this time around. It took perhaps 15 to 20 minutes before we were watching the wooden doors of Jimenita opening for us.

And then, three of our most favourite words: early check in.

We tipped our driver, dropped our bags at the same Gran Suite as last time, and then headed off to the restaurant for an early lunch of pizza, lemonade, and ham-and-cheese sandwiches.

We dropped a million-jillion dollars worth of laundry at reception, fed the llamas, and then I went back to the Gran suite for a much-needed nap. I conked out almost immediately.

Looking for an alternative to counting sheep? Try counting llamas – you’ll be so exhausted from your Ecuadorian tours that you won’t even notice that there are only two of them

Back to the main building for a bit of pool with the kids, followed by another hike around the beautiful property. It’s cloudy today, showing us a different side of the Ecuadorian skyline.

And I looked for some less-photographed aspects of this beautiful property:

We also dealt with some other minor aspects of our trip, like breaking larger bills and shifting our transfer tomorrow so that we arrive right when our hotel rooms become available.

I did a small double take when I was given change for a twenty:

They are apparently legal tender! We debated hanging on to them because they’re so interesting but have since opted to use them for their intended purpose.

Back to the Gran suite to charge electronics and shift luggage around, and then it was time to head back to the main building for a pre-dinner game of pool: