Inca ruins and animal encounters in Ecuador
by Joyce Bruck, Ocean Ridge, FL
Ecuador is a fascinating country of varied topography and climates. In the space of two hours, one can go from high volcanic mountains to lush jungle vegetation with winding rivers. And then, of course, there is the famous bird habitat of the Galápagos Islands.
I had been to Ecuador twice before, but when Nova Southeastern University professor Barry Barker, representing the Wild Spots Foundation (Fort Lauderdale, FL; 954/816-1974, www.wildspotsfoundation.org), proposed an inexpensive March ’08 trip that included an opportunity to interact with animals and visit some remote indigenous areas, I jumped at the chance.
The original trip was for seven days, departing from Miami for Quito, the capital, then continuing on to the San Martín suburb of Baños in the Amazonia Cloud Forest. After doing some research, I decided to do a 3-night pretrip extension to the ancient city of Cuenca, located close to the Inca ruins of Ingapirca. Another member of the tour group would join me.
Making arrangements
From Quito we took a short flight over the Andes to Cuenca, the “colonial jewel of the south.” Upon our arrival, a 15- to 20-minute taxi ride took us to the lovely, 3-star Hotel Santa Lucía (phone 593 72828 000, www.santaluciahotel.com), located in the town center.
The hotel, built in 1859, had a central open-air courtyard, typical of old Spanish-style buildings, that was used for a dining area as well as a meeting place.
The cost of a single room for three nights was a surprisingly low $270 to $304, including breakfast and taxes (which can be high). I was told there is a discount for booking online.
When making arrangements, speaking directly to people in Ecuador from the US can be very frustrating if you don’t speak Spanish, as most people there do not speak English. However, Internet communications also can be troublesome. In trying to arrange the extended portion of my trip, I sent several e-mails to different local agents that went unacknowledged. So we just winged much of that part of the trip. I don’t like to chance the hotel arrangements or the car rental, though, so I did that in advance.
Cuenca
Cuenca, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is the second-largest Inca city, after Cusco in Peru. It’s very much like a European city, with cobblestone streets, whitewashed buildings, large plazas, churches and markets. Several of the old buildings have been converted to museums.
A walk around the town revealed some interesting sights, including the Plaza de San Francisco, the central square Parque Calderon, the blue-domed Catedral Nueva, the church of El Carmen de la Asunción, the Santuario Mariano and the flower market.
I had made reservations, before I left home, for dinner that night at the 3-star Villa Rosa Restaurant (phone 07 2837 944), situated in an old Cuencan home. Main courses cost $10-$14. Unfortunately, my meal was not as good as I expected for a 3-star restaurant. Sometimes it’s what you order, but I was disappointed.
Early the next morning, we picked up our Hertz car at the airport ($164 for three days) and headed out through the countryside to Ingapirca, the most northern of the Inca fortress-temple ruins that still remain. Ingapirca is about 60 miles northeast of Cuenca, high above the Cañar Valley at an altitude of 10,595 feet. The drive there was as interesting as the ruins. The mountainous areas were great for photos, and the scenery was spectacular. Taxis and buses also go to Ingapirca.
Seeing the sights
The ruin itself was enveloped in a light fog and later a drizzle. The focal point was the 15th-century site of the Temple of the Sun, built on an elliptical platform for ceremonial and religious purposes.
Entry to Ingapirca costs $6, which includes admission to a small museum. A restaurant/hotel is located a short drive away. There are signs that describe the structures, but you can ask a local person to go along for a small amount of money.
The site is open from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. That night we ate in the restaurant located in the courtyard of our hotel. The dinner, as well as our daily breakfast, was very good. For about $15, including service, I had porcini mushroom risotto, a dessert and mineral water.
On day three there were two alternatives: El Cajas National Park or village visits. Before our day’s excursion, we visited Cuenca’s multifloor market, Mercado 10 de Augusto. This was a fascinating indoor market that sold fruits, vegetables, meat, eggs, household items, flowers, herbs, medicines and many other things. It was a great place to unobtrusively people-watch, but the people were shy when it came to photos.
Then we selected a few villages to visit, including Chordeleg and Gualaceo, because of their “handicraft” (pottery, weaving, etc.) designations on our tourist map of the area.
The villages with their various artisans provided some wonderful nontouristy local color.
By the time we got back I was very tired. My last dinner in town was at El Maiz (Calle Larga 1-279 y Calle de los Molinos Casilla 12-62), where I had a cheese empanada appetizer, beef with pepper sauce, the typical cold cooked vegetables and dessert for under $15.
I took a taxi there because it was a little far from the hotel and I did not want to drive. Sometimes it was difficult driving around the city due to traffic and narrow one-way streets.
Early the next morning we drove the rental car to the airport and flew back to Quito to join the rest of the group.
Guest house stay
Our charter bus left immediately for the 4-hour drive to the guest house that was to be our residence for the next six nights. It was located close to the San Martin Zoological Park near Baños. Road work was progressing near Baños so that repairs could be made to an area destroyed by a volcanic eruption not long before. We were assured that everything would be okay for the near future.
A delicious cooked breakfast was offered the next morning with fresh fruit, fresh-squeezed juices, homemade bread and coffee or tea. The meal was always an adventure; one day it was scrambled ostrich eggs.
Our typical day included having breakfast, visiting the zoo for the feeding of the animals plus photos, meeting for lunch in town (not included in the tour price), going for an afternoon excursion, then returning to our lodgings. Delicious dinners, as well as the breakfasts, were covered by the package. Some days included lectures on photography or area biodiversity.
Animals up close
San Martin Zoological Park is a refuge for a variety of wounded animals that cannot be returned to the wild as well as animals brought in by the locals for protection. Their mission for the last 13 years has been to conserve and rehabilitate.
Because Dr. Barker’s organization provides assistance to them, we were afforded special privileges such as going into cages to feed birds and monkeys. The monkeys were a bit dirty and were jumping all over the visitors, so I passed on that.
One day another photographer, two attendants and I spent some quiet time with two ocelots in their large cage, which I really enjoyed. Pumas and jaguars roamed in a natural habitat within a caged area. I loved the jaguars the best, so I kept going back for better pictures. When one shot I was taking through the cage looked blurry I suddenly realized the animal had playfully put its paw on the front of my camera lens! I quickly jumped back from the bars. Needless to say, that was my last visit to the jaguar.
Among the birds we saw and sometimes joined in their cages were toucans, king vultures and green parrots. In the toucan cage, one group member was bitten on the arm, causing a slight bruising. So it is essential to know that care must be taken.
Excursion options
In the afternoons, it was left to each person to decide what to do, depending on his or her interests. We usually broke up into groups for sightseeing, hiking, horseback riding, “swing jumping” or visits to the various types of spas in the area.
I was told everyone who participated enjoyed the strenuous pursuits, but I opted for the more relaxing experiences. Baños (elevation over 5,000 feet) is close to four volcanoes (Tungurahua, Chimborazo, Altar and Carihuairazo), some of which produce heated water. Many mineral baths are available in both public and private facilities.
I visited Stay In Touch, located near the waterfall near the town center, for a massage. Treatments cost about $25. On another afternoon I took a taxi to one of the exclusive resorts in the area, Luna Runtun (phone +593 3 274 0882, www.lunaruntun.com), which offered a half-day package for about $65 that included an excellent full-course lunch and a spa treatment. I selected veal for lunch, then went for a honey body wrap.
There are also two nearby national parks — Sangay and Llanganates — but people in the area did not know much about gaining entry.
The local market in Baños was worth the visit for pictures and souvenirs. The town has several good places to eat and bars for music and dancing, and everything was reasonably priced.
Another day, three of visited two small villages and the city of Ambato (west of Baños) by taxi.
Salasaca, the first village, had locally woven items, wool, tapestries, textiles and beaded work for sale at the small daily market, which provided very good photo opportunities of the indigenous people in their local dress. The other, Quisapincha, had leather goods at reduced prices.
At Ambato, our intent was to visit the market, as I had done in 1968, but when we arrived we were advised that this was a dangerous place, so after a pizza lunch at a local restaurant we headed back to Baños. The Ambato market I had seen years ago was basically a field where they brought various animals for sale. Now, it seems, the market is indoors in a large building where thieves are present. Times change.
Puyo
On the next-to-the-last day we went to the small city of Puyo, an embarkation point for jungle trips. We visited the Jardín Botánico las Orquídeas, located 15 minutes south of Puyo on the road to Macas, then went to have lunch at a well-known restaurant in a local bed-and-breakfast, El Jardín Hostel (phone/fax 03 2887 770, www.eljardin.pastaza.net).
The orchid garden was a fascinating place. The owner, Omar Tello (who does not speak English), has created a home for hundreds of species of orchids, many of which are becoming extinct.
We had a translator along to provide some assistance, but the group dispersed. Although the path is wide, one could get lost. Some areas are also difficult to negotiate due to small hills and streams.
The entry fee is $5, and the garden is open 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., but you must call ahead to make arrangements (phone 03 2884855).
For lunch at El Jardín I had fresh ginger chicken, which was delicious and plentiful ($9). I immediately fell in love with the place and decided to stay overnight. Fortunately, I had anticipated this and packed an overnight bag just in case. There was so much food, I had to delay my chocolate dessert until later, after dinner. The excellent chef and co-owner is the wife of Omar.
My room cost $18 (usually about $30) for the night, including a wonderful breakfast of coffee, fresh fruit, bread, yogurt and granola. It was clean, modern and bug free (important near the jungle).
At my request, the owner/bar tender/waiter/tour organizer set up a visit to a monkey habitat the next morning. My taxi ride there from Puyo and the return to Baños cost $45. Entry to the Monkey House cost only $1.50 plus a tip to the guide.
The monkeys are not in cages but seem to hang around, so I imagine they are fed. We walked down a path with monkeys running alongside us, jumping into the trees and sometimes landing on our backs. I wanted to stay longer, but I had to get on the road.
My short time at El Jardín was not enough; three to four days would have been better. Puyo was really my favorite part of the trip, and I plan to return sometime so I can visit the indigenous communities along the river.
The cost of the 7-day tour, including accommodations, airfare from Miami, transfers and breakfasts and dinners in Baños, was $2,290. The Cuenca extension cost was on an individual basis, as previously described. Round-trip air from Quito to Cuenca on Aerolíneas Galápagos cost extra ($130 with taxes). I was able to book an e-ticket online at www.aerogal.com.ec.