Our report
The idea of planning this trip started with a documentary about Mashpi.
It took us less than half an hour to realize that visiting this place would be a once in a lifetime experience.
Adding the unique archipelago of the Galapagos islands and one understands the need of enduring the long flights.
Quito has a beautiful old city center, probably one of the best conserved of South America.
It is the ideal scenery to loose yourself in the winding streets and to enjoy a glass of cool Chilean wine on a patio! But don’t exaggerate because the altitude is 2800 m!
Lukily we get a lift to Mashpi by one of the rangers,because the road to the lodge is a hell of a challenge, even with a GPS.We drive through Tulipe and admire its archeological sites before descending to an altitude of 1000 m. All of a sudden we are standing on the Equator!
The entrance to Mashpi resembles the gate to Jurrasic Parc.
From this point on we live from amazement to astonishment.
1300 Hectare of primary and secundair Choco Rainforest, with an incredible biodiversity.
The lodge is fully integrated in nature.Not one single tree was cut to build it. Breathtaking architecture!
The assigned rangers have this typical connection with nature, that we observed on many of our journeys.But these guys are particularly proud of their rainforest.It is their second home and they know the trails by heart.
At down, mist rises from the forest. The observation deck is the ideal place to watch animals awaken, while sipping from a delicious cup of coffee.
There is so much to do at the nature reserve that it becomes difficult to pick a choice.
Don’t miss a visit to the Life Center or the Hummingbird look-out or a ride on the Dragonfly.
Every hike ends with a warm welcome-back at the lodge, a damp refreshing towel and fresh juice and a debriefing by the rangers.
During the night walk we see fluorescent firewood and Laura spots glass frogs everywhere.Speaking of amazement.
It is touching that nature has so much to offer and terrifying that it disappears day by day.
'It is not the strongest of the species that survives, nor the most intelligent, but the most responsive to change'-Charles Darwin
From this unforgetable location we go back to Quito to pick up our rental car.We start our journey through the Andes.
The first stop is Baños,a small village at the base of the Tungurahua volcano.Laura is very ill and we are considering to end our journey here.It is cold and wet.The town is a bit bedraggled.
People play in old bath-houses or end up dead drunk in local pubs.
Luckily she recovers after two days so we can leave and head on to Riobamba.This town is settled at the foot of the Chimborazo volcano.Again a very weird town with an authentic market and a ‘real’ haunted hotel.
On our way to Cuenca we miss the train to Devil’s nose, due to a failing GPS and a lack of roadsigns.We
decide that cruising the Panamericana is not our thing.
Cuenca is all about churches and cathedrals.It is Unesco world inheritance but still not our piece of cake.We are approaching Guayaquil now, the gate to the Galapagos islands.
The lack of interesting cities is amply compensated by the beautiful drives through the Andes.
The route from Cuenca to Guayaquil is breathtaking.You get the feeling to be on top of the world.Farmers,living in the mountains have a tough life but a surreal sight.
Guayaquil is a busy town.Only Isla Santa offers some rest.
We move on to the Galapagos islands. Ever since biology classes and the documentaries of Cousteau we thought this piece of nature would stay out of reach for us.
Everyone on the airplane seems excited.
The cabin and the soles of our shoes are being disinfected.Our luggage is being sealed after a very thorough check. This makes us suspect we are heading for another unique experience.
It excels our wildest expectations.
A clever fisherman offers us a 5$ lift to Santa Cruz.In the mountains we encounter the first giant turtles.They are breeded in farms,under strict regulations and still carry the same DNA as hundreds of years ago. These breeding programs are necessary since rats eat the eggs of the turtles (in the early days whale hunters and pirates did too).It would be a pity to watch Darwin’s source of inspiration disappear.
All animals are easily adapted to invasion of humankind on the islands.Luckily only a few islands are inhabited in the archipelago.
Nice hotel and great restaurants in Puerto Ayoro.Laura revives.She starts to forget the roasted guinea pigs on the mainland.
Next morning we schedule some dive trips (with double divesuits).The ocean is cold over here and the visibility is poor but we are rewarded by the under-water spectacle.The highlight is definitely our encounter with hammerheads.
After a three nights stay we take a speedboat to Isabela.The sea is rough.Not everyone is comfortable with that.
This island is completely different, even more laid-back.The small hotel is situated on a sandy beach, territory of sea-iguanas,pinguins and playing sealions.Even if you keep your distance, the animals seem to want to approach you.Again an unforgettable experience.
The Gopro camera does what it can.
We visit the Wall of Tears (remains of a horrendous labour by prisoners of war) by bike.Laura gets a flat tire.It becomes the ‘hike of tears’ but nothing can ruin the fun.
The Sierra Negra Volcano has a huge crater.It is erupting as we look down on it.It feels as if we are looking into the belly of our planet.
We run out of time to visit Wolf and Darwin island but our trip was more than magnificent.
We return home with loads of great memories, thanks to Mashpi Lodge,the Galapagos archipelago and the Andes mountains.
