LoveMaqui: March 2014

In a land far far away..

In the Mountains of the Andes,

The Clouds of the Rainforest

And the Sun of the Equator.

There lies a place so enchanting and fresh your heart will take a deep breath and smile.

The Reserve of Maquipucuna

Fundacion Maquipucuna (Ma-kee-poo-coo-na) is a non-profit organization established in 1988, whose mission is the conservation and sustainable management of Ecuador’s biodiversity.

Approximately 50 miles northwest of Quito, the Capital of Ecuador.

The reserve is 16,000 acres of indescribable beauty and ecological value that stretch from 2,950 to 8,800 feet above sea level.

20% of Ecuador’s plant and bird diversity have been registered at the Maquipucuna Reserve.

For those of us (like myself before discovering Maqui) who have little to no idea of biodiversity and the incredible importance of Ecuador.

Here are some enlightening facts to wrap your head around:

Ecuador is a small country, but it is blessed with one of the highest biological diversified lands in the world.

As I previously described in the last entry, the main reasons for Ecuador’s biodiversity are the vastly different terrains, the tropical location on the equator, the high Andes mountain range, the two major ocean currents along its coast and the deep and wild Amazon Rainforest.

{ Maquipucuna is located in or around all of this. }

There is an estimate of some 25,000 species of plants alone in Ecuador, Compared to 17,000 species in all of North America.

There are 1,600 birds found in Ecuador, more than half of the 3,000 species of birds in all of South America and more than double the species in Europe.

Species of 369 mammals known, most mammals per square meter worldwide.

The number of invertebrates, especially the insects are unknown but they are the most numerous of any living creatures, reaching into the hundred of thousands.

There is an estimate of some 25,000 species of plants alone in Ecuador, Compared to 17,000 species in all of North America.

There are 1,600 birds found in Ecuador, more than half of the 3,000 species of birds in all of South America and more than double the species in Europe.

I never would claim to be an expert in any of these subjects. On the contrary, I knew little of the science of nature before coming to Ecuador. Only while living at Maquipucuna have I learned of its true value and importance, the real reasons to appreciate it.

I have this to thank for many of the Maquipucuna workers, especially the amazing Arcenio, and for all of the scientists and guests, which have awakened my curiosity to the knowledge of the living rainforest.

Many interesting field observations have allowed me to understand how so many living creatures can work so simultaneously together creating the strong and rich biodiversity of the rainforest.

When you are there….

All you hear and all you see is nature.

Every sensation comes alive, every breath is deep and fresh, every sound if vibrant and alive and every color is pure and exotic.

Perfect harmony.

Once you find a place like this, you will never leave it.

It will capture your heart, tu corazón.

And it will intertwine your love for life with your love for nature.

And it will stay this way for the rest of your circulations around the sun.

This is a story I want to tell.

These are people I want you to know.

This is a place I want you to appreciate.

This is a life I want you to share.

And this is the #LoveMaqui I want you to spread.

The view of Maquipucuna from my bedroom

A waterfall

Bird watching with Arcenio

Ruffus Mott Mott

I want to remind you that this is not just an experience

It is an opportunity where one didn't exist before.

If there is one thing that a dreamer can do,

It’s create an opportunity and new possibilities from nothing.

Continue to press on and be fearless,

Because you've already captured everything you need to succeed.

-Anonymous

At 9,350 feet elevation, you hit the Andes as if you were going to crash right into them. Almost abruptly mountains and clouds surround you.

Astonished by the view, my gaze was focused down at the valley of buildings crawling up the mountains, forming the highest capital city in the world, Quito.

For a trip that took but four hours, it felt as if I had arrived in a far far foreign land.

So it begins, my journey through Ecuador.

In Quito, I was greeted by my friend Pamela.

With an Hola and a kiss on the cheek, she explained to me where we were to stay, The Community Hostel. No sooner than we arrived had I found what awaited me there.. a new group of friends, the boys of the currently established microbrewery in Quito, Bandido Brewery.

Several days were spent in Quito and I had already created relationships that would last far throughout my time in Ecuador.

Although, getting comfortable can be easy. A traveler must continue to travel, and once Pamela and I had learned about the Surf Competition of the World in Montañita, how could be resist?!

So with high expectations of this escapade, we grabbed our packs and began.

Although almost immediately we came to an erupt stop in Quito as I began to comprehend the structure of the notorious bus system’s in South America.

Extremely crowded lines led to extremely crowded buses...

With an overwhelming twenty-four hours of travel on four different buses we finally reached the coast of Ecuador.

Montañita was fabulous, a beautiful beach full of parties and surfers!

However, a funny realization we encountered to our surprise and perhaps one I am a bit hesitant to tell… was when we began to notice that many of these surfers were a bit older than we assumed. Yes, far older than the hot young bodied surfers we expected.

This is when we saw the sign, ‘World Masters Surf Competition’ Masters implying surfers over the age of forty or so..

As funny as this realization was, it was an amazing time and some of the most delicious fresh squeezed cocktails that have ever been presented to my taste buds!

This next adventure that awaited us was even more pleasing,

The GalápagosIslands

10 days in the Galápagos became 20 once we discovered that you can extend your flight ticket free of charge.

Migrating through three of the Galápagos Islands we enjoyed snorkeling, hiking on volcanoes, horseback riding and observing the many marvelous animals that are unique to the Galápagos.

The extension of our stay was mainly settled on the incredibly beautiful island of Isabela, the biggest and most remote island of the Galápagos. Here we created many friendships, especially with the two Ecuadorian boys, Bryon and Jose, who worked at the hostel, Posada del Caminante. Also the Australian traveler, Alex, which we had met wave surfing in the ocean, along with the mother and daughter whom owned the small shack we visited daily to relish in ceviche, empanadas and fresh juice and then after enjoy football (soccer) and Ecua-volley by sun-set on the beach with the locals.

As difficult as it was, we had to finally convince ourselves that we really did have to voyage back to the main land of Ecuador and that our Galápagos life had to come to an end.

It was time for the next travel in Ecuador..

Our next destination was a life-list item of mine, The AmazonRainforest

After a very long journey back to the main land of Ecuador, we embarked on an even longer journey to the jungle.

8 hour bus ride to Quito, 6 hour bus ride to the out-skirts of the Amazon, 4 hour jeep ride into the Amazon and a 3 hour canoe ride on the narrow Amazon Rivers in the pouring rain.

Arriving in Cuyabeno WildlifeReserve.

The four days in Cuyabeno were spent canoeing through the rivers and the large lake; fishing for piranhas, watching the caiman and swimming with the pink dolphins. Then hiking through the deep Amazon Rainforest, acknowledging what our guide had taught us.. that for every leaf you see, there are a set of eyes.

It was here where the spark of enlightenment started to shine inside me for the love of the deep and wild Rainforest.

Ecuador has an impressive diversity of terrains enclosed inside a small country the size of Colorado. I was fortunate enough to visit all of these beautiful terrains within just one month of landing in Ecuador.

The volcanic islands, The Galápagos, famously known through Charles Darwin’s discovery of evolution.

The pacific coastal plains, which are known as the Costa, the Coast.

The Sierra, the Andes, central highlands running north and south through Ecuador.

And the jungles of the Oriente, The Amazon, accounting for a little less than half of the country's total surface area and populating less than 5% of Ecuador's population.