Holidaying with Matt and Claire

Matt and Claire arrived at the end of March for a holiday. In the last week of March we went with Mark on a trip to the rainforest and stayed in Bataburo lodge, an ecotourism project in Huarani ( indigenous group) territory. It is deep in the rainforest: after flying to Coca we took a bumpy 3 hour bus ride along a road built for oil extraction and then met the river Tinguino.

The road...
Drying washing on oil pipeline
The river...
After waiting for a rainstorm (and arguing about the lack of life jackets and veggie food...) we set off in a canoe with outboard motor. The river is amazingly meandering - bending back on itself lots and narrow so we could see the plants and wildlife from the boat.


We arrived at the lodge just as it was getting dark after three hours in the canoe. We stayed for 3 nights and spent the days walking in the rainforest and taking tours on the river and of an oxbow lake in the boat.


It was amazing to see the rainforest and learn about all the weird and wonderful survival/competition strategies - like a palm tree that walks to get to the light, a lemon something tree that has a symbiotic relationship with little ants that taste of lemon if you eat them - they live in little hollows in its branches and help the tree by secreting an acidy lemon substance that kills off other plants and big strangler vines that climb up trees to get to the light, killing them in the process.

Lemon ants...
strangler vine
walking treebig tree...
We saw monkeys, lots of birds including toucans and macaws, caiman, lots of turtles basking in the sun, a snake, lizards and lots of bugs.

Otavalo

We got back to Quito on the Thursday night, all with various degrees of food poisoning and celebrated my birthday on the Friday in a very subdued fashion - lying around drinking herbal teas! I was delighted to get lots of cards and gifts from the UK - thanks to everyone who sent them!

Then on Saturday when we had recovered a bit we went to Otovalo, a town about 2 hours north of Quito. We shopped at the tourist/indigenous market, ate lots, tried in vain to order 'a nice cup of tea' (British style) and on the Sunday went to the volcanic crater lake Cuicocha.

Cotopaxi

Then Matt and Claire went to Peru and Mark and I went back to work. But they came back the next weekend and we went to Cotopaxi for some high altitude walking and cycling

Sinchilagua volcanoThe cosy cabin we stayed in

You can just see Cotopaxi through the clouds ( you have to use some imagination)

Climbing up to the refugee

Cycling down (the best bit)

Now back at work and Matt and Claire have gone, and Mark has gone, and I'm wishing I was still on holiday...