A highlight of our stay in Ecuador was a trip to the Amazon basin in the Cuyabeno Wildlife Reserve. The reserve is 2,300 square miles and is the second largest reserve of the 54 parks and protected areas in Ecuador. Our home base was the Bamboo Ecolodge; all travel was via motorized or paddle canoe.
It was an experience that exceeded all expectations.
The dock at the entrance to the Cuyabeno Reserve. From here is it a two hour ride to the lodge.
The motorized canoes hold eight people plus the guide and the captain. The guide sits in the front keeping a sharp eye for wildlife.
Bamboo Lodge from the bird watching tower.
The afternoon sun streaming into our room.
The lodge at night.
The moon over the birdwatching tower.
A misty morning on the river.
Some of the river ways were quite wide...
...and other parts were very narrow.
The Bamboo Lodge is located on Laguna Grande which offers endless photo opportunities. We had refreshing evening swims in the lake; later we went looking for caiman in the same lake...the same lake that is fed from the river where the piranha live. It took a bit of mental fortitude to jump in with that info floating around in our heads. Still, the water was refreshing and the sunsets were amazing.
One of our trips was to a Siona community where we learned how to harvest yucca and make cassava, a traditional bread. The Indigenous community is part of the Sucumbios Province and their native language is Tucanoan. The experience was fascinating as we learned about their local culture and traditions while we watched and participated in making this simple but delicious food.
Preparing the fire
Harvesting yucca
The best tool for grating the yucca is a piece of tin with hundreds of nail holes.
Don't slip!
Extracting the water from the paste
Sifting the yucca where it becomes a course flour.
Ready for cooking
Carefully tending the bread so it cooks evenly and doesn't burn.
As you might expect, the jungle offers many exciting things to see. During our stay, we did a day hike, an evening hike, and a hike in the late afternoon as we experienced the jungle transition from day to night. The biodiversity and symbiotic relationships were genuinely spellbinding. We were very thankful for our guide's knowledge and willingness to share his many years of experience.
There were many things so see, some of them harder to find than others. This mushroom cap was 1/4" round.
A termite nest.
The jungle canopy at sunrise.
Parrots over the canopy. A group of parrots is commonly referred to as a pandemonium due to their noisy, chaotic, and manic behavior.
I am Groot!
Cicada nymphs create turrets to prevent mud and water back-filling their holes until they are ready to emerge.
Jungle hike at night 👀
The sap from the cut in this trees bark smelled like menthol.
For our day hike we paddled our canoe to the trailhead.
