Huaorani Experience

Huaorani Experience - Yasuní National Park

Overview

Quick Info
Price: From USD 600 Days: 4 / 5 / 6 Place: Amazon Jungle Huaorani Community (Auca, Sabela, Huao, Auishiri)
Overview
Huaorani Ecolodge is small. It has been designed to be intimate, harmonious and environmentally sustainable way to share time with the Huaorani and experience the richness of their natural environment, while creating the least possible impact on the surroundings. To that end the lodge provides accommodation for a maximum of ten people housed in five comfortable, traditionally built, palm thatched cabins. All cabins are fully meshed to keep you safe from biting insects, and are spaced to provide privacy and a chance to enjoy the sounds of the balmy Amazon nights. The Huaorani (sometimes written "Waorani") are a timeless tribe. Their origins are unknown and their language (Huaorani translates as "The People") has no relation to any other known tongue. For thousands of years they have made their home in the lush forests of the Amazon, moving silently through the jungle, living amongst the animals and plants, leaving little trace of their presence. "The People" still maintain their traditional lifestyle. But unlike some closely related tribes, who shun outside influences and can be dangerous to approach, they are no longer nomadic hunters. The Huaorani now lead a more settled and open existence in the humid tropical forests of Ecuador. Huaorani Ecolodge has all the characteristics that define community-based ecotourism, namely that tourism activities take place within the community's territory and work to promote and conserve the land. In addition, the Ecotourism Association has substantial control and involvement, a major portion of the benefits remains in the community, and the program has been approved by the relevant higher organization, in this case by NAWE.

PRICE 2009-2010 (USD)
PROGRAM TYPE	4 DAYS / 3 NIGHTS (Monday to Thursday)	5 DAYS / 4 NIGHTS (Thursday to Monday)	6 DAYS / 5 NIGHTS (Thursday to Tuesday)
Double or Twin	600	750	900
Single Supplement	300	375	450
Please note that these rack rates exclude transportation charges. The daily rate for activities and accommodations is $ 150 gross per person based on double occupancy (2 people per room); please note that it is possible that a solo visitor will share a cabin with another visitor of the same gender. Should you require a single room, this can be accommodated by paying a single supplement fee of $ 75 per day.
NET TRANSPORTATION CHARGES (SUBJECT TO CHANGE) The basic transportation package cost $ 250.00 and includes: journeys by mini bus fro Quito through the valley of the volcanoes to Shell, flight in small plane from Shell to the Huaorani Ecolodge; bus from the Shiripuno River Bridge to Coca and commercial flight from Coca to Quito. The option to return by the same inbound route will still be available, and is recommended only for the operations are scheduled for departures on Mondays and Thursdays. Any departure from the Lodge other than on scheduled days is subject to a supplement. There are no available departures on Sundays due to flights availability. Transportation charges are net and subject to change without prior notice.

◊ PRICE INCLUDES

•    Accommodations at the Lodge
•    All meals & drinks (except soft drinks and alcoholic beverages)
•    All activities
•    Local Huaorani guide
•    Bilingual naturalist guide
•    Use of camping gear
•    Use of rain poncho (from Quito on)
•    Use of rubber/Wellington boots up to sizes: European 44;
•    American M 10.5 / F 12; British M 10 / F 9.5
•    Use of umbrella (in cabin at Lodge)
•    Biodegradable soap & shampoo

◊ PRICE DOES NOT INCLUDE

•    Transportation outside of the vicinity of the Lodge area
•    Entrance fee to Huaorani Territory (US$10 per person)
•    Soft drinks and alcoholic beverages
•    Accommodations in Quito or Coca
•    Transfers from and to airport in Quito
•    Rubber/Wellington boots greater than sizes: European 44; American M 10.5 / F 12; British M 10 / F 9.5

Itinerary

Detailed Itinerary

• Day 1:

After being picked up early at your hotel, you leave the bustling city of Quito on the first leg of your adventure heading south to the frontier between the Andes proper and the Ecuadorian Amazon. Following a stretch of the Pan American Highway dubbed the Avenue of Volcanoes, an acknowledgement of Ecuador's membership in the Pacific rim Ring of Fire, you pass through haciendas, towns and protected areas before turning east through a mountain gap to begin the descent toward the rainforest. Many of the haciendas are huge, mostly for raising dairy cows and bullfighting bulls, and invite neighboring indigenous cowboys, chagras, to carry out an annual roundup of scattered cattle known as a rodeo. You arrive after this 4-5 hour drive at the third busiest airport in Ecuador in the town of Shell (yes, after the oil company), where constant flights in and out ofthe Amazon rainforest by the military, missionaries, various aid groups and charter companies facilitate timely transportation in this vast region that still has few overland routes. If the weather is on your side, you take off around noon in a light aircraft heading northeast, gawking at the green vastness below punctuated by rivers and settlements, and land in the Huaorani community of Quehueri'ono (keh-weri-oh-noh) 45 minutes later to be greeted by your hosts. Your luggage is taken ahead of you, so you may want to keep your camera, binoculars, sunscreen and hat with you (and something dry to keep them in); at this point, we distribute the rain poncho and rubber boots that you use daily for the rest of your visit.
You are then poled downstream in a shallow dugout canoe known as a quilla (kee-yah), enjoying the thick vegetation growing along the Shiripuno River (shiree-puno) and catching glimpses of riverside birds such as the Yellow-rumped Cacique, the Greater and Lesser Kiskadees, and any of the four Amazonian kingfishers. You arrive at the intimate setting of Huaorani Ecolodge to settle in, listen to an introductory briefing about the Huaorani and their relationship with the rainforest, and have dinner.

• Day 2:

After breakfast, an introductory 2-hour hike along a series of ridges takes you to a picturesque waterfall through terra firme forest (one that is never flooded whose composition is predominantly tall trees with little understory vegetation), during which you learn more about the ecology of the rainforest and the theories that explain its amazing diversity.
A scenic overlook, or mirador, provides the potential for an exceptional view across miles of lush rainforest to the volcanic peaks of snow-capped Altar and green, multi-peaked Sangay, potential because since these volcanoes are at the edge of a tropical rainforest, they are often obscured by clouds as the rising, warm air condenses on the slopes. To improve your chances, you spend some time at the mirador while the Huaorani guide helps you learn how to weave, make a blowgun, hollow out a canoe and carve a spear. You can experience firsthand how challenging it is to work without tools such as sandpaper, saws, hammers, or nails. After lunch at the lodge, you go back downstream to an oxbow lake formed by the Shiripuno River (Cocha Pequeña) and walk inland a few minutes. If lucky, and quiet, you may catch a glimpse of the extraordinary Hoatzin as well as Anacondas, Capybaras and Caimans. You return to the lodge and some members of Quehueri'ono visit to talk about all sorts of things such as the ecotourism project, the Huaorani struggle against oil companies, or perhaps about their day in the forest or that a new baby was born. Extroverted and cheerful, the Huaorani may end up asking you more about your culture than you about theirs.

• Day 3:

Hunting day! And you thought this was an environmentally-friendly project? But the Huaorani are hunters and gatherers, and their main sources of protein are mammals (yes, including monkeys), fish and birds. The goals of this project are to protect the tropical rainforest and provide an opportunity for the Huaorani culture to continue flourishing, not to stop their traditional practices.
After breakfast, you go for a long hike with the Huaorani guide, also an experienced hunter. You learn firsthand about the secrets of survival in the rainforest without killing any of the creatures that live there. You learn how to set traps, make fire without matches, build a shelter in minutes, use a blowgun, practice the perfect swing of the machete, and catch fish in small creeks. Your guide may also show you edible insects, medicinal plants, the right clay to make pottery, and honey produced by stingless bees. The trail has two overlooks as it winds toward the community. Now down to the river, where you have time to plunge into the water; the canoe will have brought up your swimsuit and sandals and there are plenty of places to change if you use your imagination. The Huaorani love swimming and playing in the water and you may join it as well. Lunch is served on the beach. This is your afternoon with the community. Your visit is not intended to be a pre-planned activity as such, but rather a relaxing, informal social visit. You may see several houses, talk to family members while sharing a bowl of chucula (a sweet drink made of ripe bananas) under the filtered light of the thatched houses, and admire their beautiful handmade artifacts, including woven hammocks and bags, blowguns, traps and necklaces. Later on, you visit families' gardens and learn how to grow edible plants and try to harvest manioc, also known as yucca or cassava. Perhaps you will be invited to join in a game of soccer! You return to the Lodge by canoe at the end of the afternoon to relax and have dinner, after which your naturalist guide offers a half hour talk, or charla, on a subject of interest.

• Day 4:

After breakfast, you take a hike of about 3 hours that traverses both terra firme and varzea (occasionally-flooded) forest, winding through majestic trees and across quiet streams (10 of them!), often following a Heliconia swamp, to the summit of a small hill on which grows a giant ceibo tree approximately 40 m/131 ft high, with an equally impressive girth, after which this trail is named.
Branching off the Ceibo Trail, you follow a path that parallels the Shiripuno River for some way, crossing several small tributaries including one that some White-collared peccaries have expanded to make a wallow - expect to see tracks and tusk marks and maybe even catch a whiff of their distinctive musk. Up and down several hillocks through some lovely open forest and you reach a leaf-cutter ant metropolis on the edge of a small oxbow lake. A mirador allows you to observe the ants at work as well as catch a glimpse of any aquatic birds (or reptiles!) that may be out that day. You follow the curve of the lake back to the river where the canoe picks you up. After lunch at the lodge, the next few hours are all yours! You may want to visit the Discovery Trail, try some fishing, or just relax in a hammock reading a book. The Discovery Trail is a self-guided return trail that allows you to experience the rainforest on your own. Following numbered points, the Discovery Trail Guide reiterates some of the information that your real-life guides may have covered, and encourages you to engage all of your senses in order to get a more complete "picture" of your surroundings. Later on, you are dropped off across from the Lodge to walk along the Community Trail briefly before turning off to climb a series of slopes to the peak of a hill and a heavily-used salt-clay lick. Before you start uphill, you come across an Huao Pioneer Journeys

infamous "lemon-ant" tree, and further on a good example of an incipient strangler fig. If the lick is inactive (or they've been scared off), you still have the opportunity to see where a variety of animals have trudged uphill to gauge out the mineral-rich soil. The return trip is a brief night walk. Since most rainforest animals are nocturnal - especially mammals and amphibians - this is your best opportunity to see some of these elusive creatures, or at least hear them climbing through the trees or digging for food. The stars of the night are the insects and the bats, both attracted by your lights, and other animals reveal their presence by the reflection of their eyes.

• Day 5:

After breakfast, you set off poling down the Shiripuno River in traditional Huaorani style in order to appreciate the sounds and sights of the rainforest. Leaving early, you´re sure to catch many birds unawares, and the tranquility allows you to appreciate what life must have been like before the advent of motorized canoes. You can use this time to have intimate conversations with your spouse, to review the past few days with the guide, to learn some Huaorani and/or Spanish vocabulary, or just nap. A short stop for lunch and a swim recharge you for the rest of the trip.
This 6-7 hour journey takes you near the Huaorani village of Nenkepare where you have the opportunity to visit an impressive waterfall. After a 3-hour roundtrip hike, you return to the campsite, dinner and perhaps a bonfire.

• Day 6:

After breakfast, you continue downstream towards the border between traditional Huaorani territory and that of the petroleum companies (although it all used to be Huaorani territory). At the point where a road built by oil companies in the early 1990s crosses the river, you leave the forest and head to "civilization".
The symbols of modern deforestation are the roads. They provide access and means for human populations to grow at a rapid rate, which affects indigenous peoples by displacing them from the best and most accessible agricultural soils (which aren't particularly well-suited to begin with); reducing territory available for hunting and gathering; and encouraging them via settler example and government policy to increase their reliance on agriculture and timber extraction and to convert their land from communal resource. Here, you witness the crude reality of our collective thirst for oil as you ride alongside the miles of pipelines, which go from the Huaorani community of Tihuino to Lago Agrio, the oil hub of el Oriente, to be pumped across the Andes to the port of Esmeraldas. This brief journey through oil territory illustrates the reality of the threat facing the rainforest and the Huaorani people.
After a 2.5 hour ride, you reach the banks of the Rio Napo and the town of Coca, where you catch your flight to Quito.

Photo Gallery
Huao Lodge