The past 24+ hours were grueling. We departed the Galápagos Legend at 9am-ish, flew from Baltra to Quito at around 11am-ish, had dinner in Quito and left for the airport at 9:30pm-ish, and arrived in Baltimore after our redeye flight at around 10:30am-ish the next day (Friday).
All students, faculty, and luggage accounted for!
We are starting a photo sharing site:
http://egi2012jhu.shutterfly.com/
Thanks to everyone for their help and support. We had an amazing experience with a stellar group of interesting and fun students.
Papers and final journals will be due on Monday, Feburary 13th at 5:00pm.
Get some rest!
- Eric Fortune
Friday, January 27, 2012
Wednesday, January 25, 2012
Safely in Galápagos without Internet
For the first time in many years, we do not have internet access while on the boat in the Galápagos Islands. I am writing from an internet café in the capital of the Galápagos, Puerto B. Moreno.
This has been a magnificent visit to the islands! The animals are unusually plentiful this year, and the weather has been milder than most.
Everyone is safe and sound, we're learning tons, and we're having a fabulous time. I will update with photos and what not when we get back to Quito on Thursday evening.
- Eric Fortune
This has been a magnificent visit to the islands! The animals are unusually plentiful this year, and the weather has been milder than most.
Everyone is safe and sound, we're learning tons, and we're having a fabulous time. I will update with photos and what not when we get back to Quito on Thursday evening.
- Eric Fortune
Monday, January 23, 2012
Day: 7 Highlands
Update to come when we have internet again... We are safely back in Quito, ready for our transfer to the Galápagos Islands!
Last highlands day included Rain, Condors, Owls, Raptors.
- Eric Fortune
Last highlands day included Rain, Condors, Owls, Raptors.
- Eric Fortune
Saturday, January 21, 2012
Day 6: Highlands
The transition from our intensive biological experience to the highlands could not be more abrupt. We went from lectures on hidden biological signaling in the rainforest to an immersion in the Otavalo culture that extends well before the Conquistadors and the Incas (Tawantinsuyu).
We were woken up "rainforest" early - which meant a 5:30am room call and a 6:30am departure for Otavalo. The drive from Quito to Otavalo is lovely, though hardly anyone noticed since pretty much everyone fell asleep on the way. Dr. Richter managed to sneak a few shots... Cayambe is one of the four snow-capped volcanoes in the Avenue of Volcanoes here in Ecuador.
We arrived at the Otavalo animal market to find it running full force, despite rain the night before. Most of our students have never been on a farm or seen a market like this... it can be an overwhelming experience for some.
All sorts of animals are for sale - most of which are destined for someone's dinner table (which includes the Guinea Pigs, known as Cui in Quichua). There are also pets for sale including dogs and cats - but they seem no better treated than any of the other animals.
Tourists are welcome everywhere here and we are largely ignored as the locals go about their business. Nobody batted an eye as we lined up for our group photo...
The market has a mix of goods for sale from trinkets for tourists to food staples for locals. Surprisingly, it is a serene place. People bargain quietly and calmly - which is why it is also known as the Silent Market. Many of the students were pleasantly surprised, and thankful after their educational but generally not pleasant experience at the animal market.
With roses in hand ($6 for 25), we headed off for the rest of the day's activities. One surprising tradition in Otavalo is that girls will board the bus and sing traditional Quichua songs while we take them up to their towns.
After lunch we went to a Yachac demonstration. Yachac is a Quichua local word that roughly means 'shaman' - and we visited perhaps the most well known Yachac in Ecuador. She did a traditional "limpia" or cleansing and explained the symbolism and meanings of the materials, artifacts, and methods that she used. The cleansing was not so clean by our standards as it involved large quantities of aerosolized spit.
Our evening ended with a bang. Years ago we overlapped with a wedding at our hotel in the highlands where they had a common and traditional Ecuadorian event known as Vaca Loca. The Crazy Cow is a fireworks-laden bamboo structure that is in the form of a cow and is worn by a man who chases the spectators as the fireworks go off.
Our Vaca Loca was not quite as crazy... ours was a stationary cow-shaped incendiary device that was appropriately impressive but thankfully did not move.
A little dancing to traditional music, and off to bed at Las Palmeras. Most rooms have a fireplace to keep us warm on this chilly evening.
Tomorrow we visit the pyramids of Cochasquí and a hike around CuiCocha crater lake where we will see paramo habitats and, if we are very lucky, an Andean Condor.
- Eric Fortune
We were woken up "rainforest" early - which meant a 5:30am room call and a 6:30am departure for Otavalo. The drive from Quito to Otavalo is lovely, though hardly anyone noticed since pretty much everyone fell asleep on the way. Dr. Richter managed to sneak a few shots... Cayambe is one of the four snow-capped volcanoes in the Avenue of Volcanoes here in Ecuador.
Cayambe this morning.
We arrived at the Otavalo animal market to find it running full force, despite rain the night before. Most of our students have never been on a farm or seen a market like this... it can be an overwhelming experience for some.
Know when to count your money.
Cui - a delicacy in the highlands of Ecuador and a tool used in traditional medicine.
All sorts of animals are for sale - most of which are destined for someone's dinner table (which includes the Guinea Pigs, known as Cui in Quichua). There are also pets for sale including dogs and cats - but they seem no better treated than any of the other animals.
Tourists are welcome everywhere here and we are largely ignored as the locals go about their business. Nobody batted an eye as we lined up for our group photo...
...until a passerby decided to get involved and take a few pictures himself. Of course, Dr. Richter has a quick trigger finger and caught him as he caught us.
We then took the 3 minute transfer over to the Plaza de Ponchos, the famous Otavalo market that has been running on Saturday mornings for well over 500 years, and perhaps many hundreds of years before that.
Otavaleña examines her neighbor's wares.
The market has a mix of goods for sale from trinkets for tourists to food staples for locals. Surprisingly, it is a serene place. People bargain quietly and calmly - which is why it is also known as the Silent Market. Many of the students were pleasantly surprised, and thankful after their educational but generally not pleasant experience at the animal market.
Tree tomatos, Chirimoya, Maracuya, etc. etc.
After lunch we went to a Yachac demonstration. Yachac is a Quichua local word that roughly means 'shaman' - and we visited perhaps the most well known Yachac in Ecuador. She did a traditional "limpia" or cleansing and explained the symbolism and meanings of the materials, artifacts, and methods that she used. The cleansing was not so clean by our standards as it involved large quantities of aerosolized spit.
Of course, sport seems to be universal, and outside it only took 2 minutes of play with the ball for our soccer team to attract a group of willing local players.
Our evening ended with a bang. Years ago we overlapped with a wedding at our hotel in the highlands where they had a common and traditional Ecuadorian event known as Vaca Loca. The Crazy Cow is a fireworks-laden bamboo structure that is in the form of a cow and is worn by a man who chases the spectators as the fireworks go off.
Our Vaca Loca was not quite as crazy... ours was a stationary cow-shaped incendiary device that was appropriately impressive but thankfully did not move.
A little dancing to traditional music, and off to bed at Las Palmeras. Most rooms have a fireplace to keep us warm on this chilly evening.
Tomorrow we visit the pyramids of Cochasquí and a hike around CuiCocha crater lake where we will see paramo habitats and, if we are very lucky, an Andean Condor.
- Eric Fortune
Friday, January 20, 2012
Days 3,4,5: Sacha Lodge
We may have spent the past 3 days in a so-called "rainforest" - but it wasn't until we returned to Quito that we experienced any. We had one of those rare trips where we had no rain whatsoever while in Coca and at Sacha Lodge. Rather, we seemingly got all of the rain in torrents after our arrival back in home base.
I think all of the students were impressed not only with the wildlife and forest that we saw, but also with Sacha Lodge - the people there are lovely, they care about their work, and everyone from the trail cleaners, to the cooks, to the guides do a superior job. The food, especially the dessert, was fabulous!
Each day usually includes 2 day hikes (each of which might also include a canoe ride) and a night hike plus some other activities like fishing for pirañas or taking a power nap! During the hikes the guides explain what you are (or perhaps are not) seeing along the train. One of my favorites is the Pootoo, a bird that mimics a dead branch.
I think that the group may have gone through a terabyte of disk space with all of the photos of fabulous plants and animals.
But the event that got the whole lodge chattering was a rare sighting (honest) of a jaguar track at Sacha Lodge. Jaguars are much more common on the southern side of the Napo, and are scarce on the northern side which inclues Sacha Lodge. What impressed our students most was that they guides actually hauled out their own personal cameras and started taking pictures.
Thankfully we got to see far more than tracks of the many species of monkeys that roam around Sacha Lodge. We got plenty of up-close and personal moments with the squirrel monkeys, capuchins, and black-mantled Tamarins.
We were very sad to leave Sacha Lodge, but other adventures await.
Back in Quito we ate 15 different types of local pizza, including pizza with Choclo on it (a type of corn with large white kernels) and pineapple. Very tasty indeed! Now stuffed with food and dead tired from our adventures and from our long journey out of the forest, we trudged over to the Museum of the Banco Central, only 4 blocks away. Don't let the name fool you - this is an internationally recognized collection of pre-incan artifacts and gold that is absolutely stunning.
Our evening culminated with a traditional Chiva ride. The Chiva is an open air bus with a band on the roof that plays traditional Ecuadorian folkloric tunes while you drive around Quito. Of course, there are stops for everyone to disembark and dance in the streets. And you get plastic whistles to make absurd amounts of noise.
- Eric Fortune
I think all of the students were impressed not only with the wildlife and forest that we saw, but also with Sacha Lodge - the people there are lovely, they care about their work, and everyone from the trail cleaners, to the cooks, to the guides do a superior job. The food, especially the dessert, was fabulous!
Dinner with Luis Garcia (bottom left), King of the Jungle.
Each day usually includes 2 day hikes (each of which might also include a canoe ride) and a night hike plus some other activities like fishing for pirañas or taking a power nap! During the hikes the guides explain what you are (or perhaps are not) seeing along the train. One of my favorites is the Pootoo, a bird that mimics a dead branch.
I think that the group may have gone through a terabyte of disk space with all of the photos of fabulous plants and animals.
Dr. Ricther shoots!
But the event that got the whole lodge chattering was a rare sighting (honest) of a jaguar track at Sacha Lodge. Jaguars are much more common on the southern side of the Napo, and are scarce on the northern side which inclues Sacha Lodge. What impressed our students most was that they guides actually hauled out their own personal cameras and started taking pictures.
All I see is mud.
Thankfully we got to see far more than tracks of the many species of monkeys that roam around Sacha Lodge. We got plenty of up-close and personal moments with the squirrel monkeys, capuchins, and black-mantled Tamarins.
We were very sad to leave Sacha Lodge, but other adventures await.
Back in Quito we ate 15 different types of local pizza, including pizza with Choclo on it (a type of corn with large white kernels) and pineapple. Very tasty indeed! Now stuffed with food and dead tired from our adventures and from our long journey out of the forest, we trudged over to the Museum of the Banco Central, only 4 blocks away. Don't let the name fool you - this is an internationally recognized collection of pre-incan artifacts and gold that is absolutely stunning.
Our evening culminated with a traditional Chiva ride. The Chiva is an open air bus with a band on the roof that plays traditional Ecuadorian folkloric tunes while you drive around Quito. Of course, there are stops for everyone to disembark and dance in the streets. And you get plastic whistles to make absurd amounts of noise.
Tomorrow off to Otavalo...
Thursday, January 19, 2012
Days 3 and 4: Sacha Lodge
No internet yesterday, limited internet today.
We return to Quito on Friday the 20th. I will update when we get back.
Everyone is healthy and happy - we've had a spectacular experience here at Sacha Lodge.
We return to Quito on Friday the 20th. I will update when we get back.
Everyone is healthy and happy - we've had a spectacular experience here at Sacha Lodge.
Tuesday, January 17, 2012
Day 3: Quito to Sacha Lodge
An easy morning - Wake up call at 8am, breakfast at 8:30, and departure for the airport at 9:30am on the dot! Half of our bags were stored at the Hotel, and the other half - the rainforest half - was loaded under the bus.
It was cloudy in Quito this morning, and so we missed an opportunity to see two of the four snow covered volcanoes in Ecuador. Our flight out from Quito to Coca takes us between Antisana volcano to the south and Cayambe volcano to the north. We eventually dropped below the clouds in our descent from over 9000 feet to about 500 feet above sea level were we saw both the expanse of rather pristine Amazonian rainforest and the devastation of local plantations of palm.
We were greeted at the small airport in Coca after our short 45 minute flight by Lucy, the local administrator of Sacha Lodge. We were whisked away to the Sacha House in Coca where we had our lunches and prepared for the 2.5 hour motorized canoe ride down the Napo river to the Lodge.
We could not have had a more perfect day... hot, but not painfully so, clear skies, and the river was at a high level which makes the trip much faster.
The lodge is on the edge of a blackwater lake known as Pilchi Cocha. Our first order of business was to get settled in our rooms and prepare for our first swim in the piranha, electric eel, and caiman infested waters (no exaggeration, no joke).
Of course, we didn't tell them that the waters were full of all of those, and many other creatures. But the water is perfectly safe, if not wonderfully pleasant... during the day. Swimming at night - now that is another story entirely.
The amount of wildlife at Sacha Lodge is stunning. It is hard to miss seeing absolutely amazing animals. The lodge is exciting because the flora and fauna are in a constant state of flux. Case in point - a colony of Casiques have set up light housekeeping above the dock.
A lovely dinner. Some night hikes. And off to bed early for almost everyone.
- Eric Fortune
It was cloudy in Quito this morning, and so we missed an opportunity to see two of the four snow covered volcanoes in Ecuador. Our flight out from Quito to Coca takes us between Antisana volcano to the south and Cayambe volcano to the north. We eventually dropped below the clouds in our descent from over 9000 feet to about 500 feet above sea level were we saw both the expanse of rather pristine Amazonian rainforest and the devastation of local plantations of palm.
View over the outskirts of Quito.
We were greeted at the small airport in Coca after our short 45 minute flight by Lucy, the local administrator of Sacha Lodge. We were whisked away to the Sacha House in Coca where we had our lunches and prepared for the 2.5 hour motorized canoe ride down the Napo river to the Lodge.
We could not have had a more perfect day... hot, but not painfully so, clear skies, and the river was at a high level which makes the trip much faster.
Stunning. (thanks to Dr. Richter for this photo (and pretty much all of the photos so far...))
The lodge is on the edge of a blackwater lake known as Pilchi Cocha. Our first order of business was to get settled in our rooms and prepare for our first swim in the piranha, electric eel, and caiman infested waters (no exaggeration, no joke).
Swimming in Pilchi Cocha.
Of course, we didn't tell them that the waters were full of all of those, and many other creatures. But the water is perfectly safe, if not wonderfully pleasant... during the day. Swimming at night - now that is another story entirely.
The amount of wildlife at Sacha Lodge is stunning. It is hard to miss seeing absolutely amazing animals. The lodge is exciting because the flora and fauna are in a constant state of flux. Case in point - a colony of Casiques have set up light housekeeping above the dock.
A lovely dinner. Some night hikes. And off to bed early for almost everyone.
- Eric Fortune
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