Galivanting thru the Galapagos & the Amazon
Day 7 - Yarina Lodge back to Quito - Monday, December 20, 2021
We were up at 5:55am and set out luggage out for pickup. Then up to the lodge for our last breakfast. It was overcast, but not raining, so it was fine. Look at how low the water level was - 3 stairs showing this morning!
We had been told that most of the lodge staff were returning home for Christmas, so we weren't surprised to have them on the boat to Coca with us, but we thought it was funny that we found ourselves waiting for our last passenger to board - JC!!! Guess he had to finish cleaning the dining room & kitchen before they released him for his trip home!!!
Didn't get any new bird sightings as we took the short channel into the Napo. This might be a time to mention about the water types in the Amazon. Much of the waters in the Amazon are considered "white water." The Napo is "white water." The little tributary channel that leads to the Yarina Lodge is "black water." Part of the designation is due to the fast moving current in the Napo as opposed to the stillness of the channel. Also, the sediments in the Napo are mostly dissolved while in the channel, there is lots of vege matter just floating in the water. Also, the white water typically flows down from the Andes. Not a lot of rivers throughout the world are considered white water. That's one of the things that make the Amazonian basin significantly different.
Uneventful transfer back to Coca. Can't imagine having to do this boat trip everytime you needed to go anywhere, but guess it's better than sitting in traffic somewhere! There were quite a lot of high speed boats whizzing by us both ways. Delfin had told us they were mostly Oil company employees. The entire trip is takes a little over an hour. It's interesting watching their navigation from one side of the river to the other to avoid sand bars. They appeared to be training a new "captain," because several times we almost got stuck & the previous pilot was chattering in a loud voice. We didn't seem to be in any danger, it just took longer to get to Coca.
We arrived at the same dock as before in Coca & now we got the "surprise" Delfin had promised us for transportation to the airport! OAT has always liked to give us a taste of some of the local unusual transportation options, so we all loaded onto our little bicycle carts. They were not in extremely good condition, but what the hey, we weren't having to do the pedaling!!
The trip to the Coca airport was a bit on the nerve wracking side. Our little bike cart was weaving in & out of the traffic while our driver wheezed & complained under his breath. Several times George considered taking over himself!!! There was a lot of traffic & we were just right in the mix of it!!! No bike lanes here!
We got a little worried as we drifted further & further behind. At one point, none of the other carts were visible & we started wondering if our guy was going to have a heart attack or were we being set up for kidnapping??? He even got off the bike & pushed for a short time. Hummmm??? Must have been a last minute add on to the team!
None the less, we eventually arrived at the airport & Delfin looked very relieved as we pulled up. The Francisco de Orellana airport was fairly busy. The only commercial flights were Aero Regional & Avianca airlines, but other private planes fly in & out also.
Unfortunately, our flight was delayed a couple of hours, so we wasted quite a bit of time, just sitting there. Just like flights in the US recently, flights are inconsistent!
Once on the flight, it was easy & very short. Less than 100 miles back to Quito by air. It's a 9 hour bus ride done many times by Delfin - much cheaper, but soooo time consuming. He said OAT used to do it that way too. We loved the way the airlines had everyone deplane by sections. The overhead bins remain locked until released by the staff. They announce your release to get up & get your carryons out of the bins by sections, like rows 2-7 on the right side, rows 8-12 on the left side, etc. People remain in their seats until called & it's very organized. Impressive!!
First stop after landing in Quito was to stop at the Wyndham hotel where OAT had arranged for a nurse to meet us & give us our Covid test that is required before we can fly in to the Galapagos tomorrow. Very well organized & done in about a half hour.
Took the 45 minute drive back to the Mercure. We were assigned an excellent suite on the 9th floor. Even had a little view of the mountains! Delfin had organized for the hotel to collect our laundry, clean it & return it by 9pm! We gathered it up as quickly as possible & then back to the lobby to head out to our late lunch/early dinner.
We were all plenty hungry by the time we sat down to our catered lunch at the Mindalae. This quaint museum provided a catered meal with wine included. We had visited here before in 2015 after seeing Machu Pichu. The meal & the service were excellent,
After our meal, we had a personal guide through the 5 story museum. It is run by a not for profit Fair Trade organization that supports the indigenous artisans by providing them a place to exhibit & sell their wares. It is beautifully designed & organized. There are many examples of the religious ceremonial costumes & jewelry.
There is a unique jewelry store & then a more standard gift shop at the end of course. This time I bought cute little owl earrings & an interesting black & gold bracelet. It's my anniversary present of course!!
Back to the hotel to repack for the 2nd half of our adventure - 7 nights of cruising the Galapagos. We took a short walk looking for a bottle of wine, but settled on an expensive glass of Merlot at the hotel bar. All ready for the next week!!!!
No comments:
Post a Comment