The Amazon, Ecuador - February 2023

After coming back from the Galapagos and Guyaquill, we stayed in the historic downtown Quito for the night. The Viajero Hostel turned out to be a nice place to stay and convenient to get to the Independence Plaza and many historic landmarks. 

Our hotel in historic city center.
 

 Viajero Quito Hostel in Quito old town. Our room is on the second floor with double door balcony, facing the popular Venezuela Street.

The hotel helped us book a "shared" taxi ride to Tena, about 5 hour from Quito.  Tena is the big town, gateway to the Amazon. 

Downtown Tena

The river walk in Tena

The bridge and river walk lit up beautifully at night. We were there during the four day weekend of carnival, Ecuador's Mardi Gras. Tena is getting ready for the festival.

The balcony of our bungalow in Tena

Cacao tree in Tena Naui property.

 The manager at the Tena Naui hotel did not speak much English but we're able to communicate using the "Google translation app.". The manager was able to get a taxi for us the morning we left for Itamandi Eco-lodge. Itamandi Lodge is where we stayed for four days and three nights, all inclusive in the Amazon. We were nervous about how to get to the lodge because there would not be any land transportation to the lodge. Per check-in instruction, we needed to be at the Arajuno River Bridge to meet the lodge canoe at noon. The Arajuno river bridge is about an hour by car from Tena. From there, it's about 15 to 20 minute boat ride to the lodge. We had a very nice room overlooking the river. 

The Arajuno River Bridge

The Arajuno River from the bridge

On the bridge, waiting for the canoe

View of the bridge from the river

A cafe by the road with a trail leading down to the river bank.

The location where we waited for the canoe

Our luggage and all our belongings also waiting for the canoe.

The canoe finally arrived. We and two young women (Briget and Whitney) were only passangers to catch a boat ride to the lodge. 

The canoe ride

The Itamandi Ecolodge with rooms overlooking Arajuno River.

Our room at the lodge.

Inside the room. Very clean, elegant, nicely decorated and eco friendly

Relaxing by the pool

Meeting area

The Itamandi Ecolodge. Gate1, National Geographic and many tour groups use this lodge for their Amazon destination.

The (lodge) resident bird.

And its nest 

The Itamandi Ecolodge is a great hotel/resort to stay. Once we checked in and settled, everything was well planned and excecuted. From the jungle walk, night walk, bird watching, trip to Anaconda island were all well organized and enjoyable. Our guide, Octavio was very personable and knowledgable. We made a right choice staying at this lodge for our Amazon adventure.

The (canoe) driver assistant

Parakeets landing to eat the salt and mineral at Parrot Salaredo. It's a unique place where parrots and parakeets gather early in the morning to eat the minerals that help them digest the fruit seeds.

We did a two hour hike through the primary and secondary rainforest.
 

Cacao tree with fruit in the jungle

Capoc tree, (type/family) one of tallest trees in the Amazon forest.

Tallest tree with huge system of roots

The poisonous dart frog

Skeleton of a mushroom in the Amazon jungle

Tarangula from the night walk

Creature from the night walk

Spider 

Night explorers

We had a bird watching trip and a visit to an indingenous village about half an hour boat ride from the lodge.

 

Dancing at the village

The village women who prepared the food and entertaining.

Grilled fish in banana leaf

Trying delicacies

Tasting yucca and fish

Lemon grass ?

Huge banana trees in the village

Ready for the morning hike.

Bird watching adventure

Our guide, Otavios taking picture of the birds through his binocular.

Our last full day in the Amazon was wonderful. We visited the Amazon Rescue Center (Iquitos) on Anaconda island. The center was a rescue and rehabilitation for all kinds of Amazon animals. 

Monkey 

Caiman 

Wild Pigs

Scarlet Macaws in the rescue center


Charapa turtle


Charapa tutles in the rescue center

Made it to the Laguna Caiman after a picnic lunch prepared by the chef from Itamandi Lodge.

Hoatzin - Prehistoric birds in the Amazon

Caiman in the laguna

Beautiful wild orchid in the Laguna Caiman

Parrot and cacao beans

Trying out the blowgun

Paul's turn with the blowgun

Hit the target. Yes!!

After Laguna Caiman adventure, we went back to the canoe to return to the lodge. The canoe had a rough time to turn around going back on the Arajuno (instead of continuing on the Napo). It was quite an adventure. With Octavio's lead, Paul and all people (except me) got out of the canoe, helped to push it out of the rock bed.

Our guide, Otavios ready for the return trip

Help pushing the canoe


Canoe on the rocks

Otavio clearing the rocks

All hands on deck to get the canoe out of the rocks and to the river

Mission accomplished. Ready to sail. 

We came back to the lodge safe and sound. We thought we are the only two at the lodge for that evening as Briget and Whitney left early for Quito. However, we were surprised when the lodge's two canoes came unloading 14 people and their guide who will stay at the lodge the next two days. Later we learned that these tourists are from National Geographic Tour.

We had a great time exploring the Amazon. Octavio arranged a taxi to take us from Arajuno River Bridge back to Tena when we checked out of the lodge. From Tena we took local bus to Quito. We were glad that the rain had held up nicely the whole time we were at Itamandi and in the Amazon. It rained almost the whole day riding the bus and the last night in Quito.

Quito outskirt from the bus

View of Quito