Page 44 - Explore Magazine Autumn 2018

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FLAVOURED OXYGEN,

HUMMINGBIRDS AND ZODIACS

Carolyn Hedley, Owner Manager of helloworld Hobsonville, takes in the natural wonders
of Ecuador from Quito to the Galápagos Islands.

We arrived in Quito in the evening and I was surprised I didn’t feel El Panecillo which has a 45-metre statue of the Madonna. If you are
any effect of the altitude – yet. It wasn’t a long trip into town from interested in history Quito is full of Inca culture and has one of the
the airport but a bit disorienting in the dark as I felt we were heading largest and best-preserved colonial-era centres (it’s a UNESCO World
downhill but in fact we had been climbing. Quito sits in a valley Heritage Site) in the Americas.
surrounded by mountains and ecological reserves and the next morning
we had a walking tour of the historic central city which was founded by After a couple of days we headed to Mashpi Lodge which is situated
the Spanish in 1534. I certainly noticed the altitude then – Quito is 2,580 in the Cloud Forest northwest of Quito and at a lower altitude. Mashpi
metres (9,350 feet) above sea level – and I was puffing after just walking is in a remote location and the drive takes two to three hours and the
up a few steps. last hour is over a bumpy road. It’s a fantastic place though and a
worthwhile experience if you have time and enjoy bird-watching. You
Another day we took a gondola up the side of Pichincha Volcano and also need a reasonable level of fitness once you are there as there
took in the view of the Valley of the Volcanoes: it was a great spot but is a lot of trekking, but the lodge does tailor the experience even for
you couldn’t walk far without puffing. Some members of our group wheelchair-bound clients.
got headaches at this height and there was the opportunity to take
flavoured oxygen which was a bit of fun and apparently did alleviate Quito is full of Inca culture and
the headache. There is also a great view over the city from the hill of
has one of the largest and best-
preserved colonial-era centres
(it’s a UNESCO World Heritage
Site) in the Americas.

The Mashpi area has a hummingbird sanctuary and we saw fabulous
birds and butterflies. The guides are great at helping you get great
photos and spotting the birdlife through the binoculars. We even saw a
toucan! If you do the evening walk with the guides expect to see snakes
and spiders; they are all poisonous but the guides know what they are
doing. We had three nights at Mashpi Lodge which was just enough, but
one more day would give you the opportunity to relax a bit more and
enjoy the tranquility. Being in the Cloud Forest there is a high chance
of rain, but wet-weather gear and gumboots are supplied along with
walking sticks if you want them. I also had a spa treatment at the lodge
and the massage was excellent.
We then headed to the Galápagos Islands via two flights. The
Galápagos are 1,000km offshore and I was surprised to see how
populated they were as I was expecting barren islands and nothing
else. There is a permanent population of 20,000 people, lots of
tourist operators, shops, bars, restaurants and all the infrastructure
to support the tourism.
On arrival you clear customs and it is best to have your drink bottle
and walking shoes, sunhat and sunscreen at the ready as we headed
straight to the tortoise sanctuary for a walk around and lunch. These
animals are the famous large land-based tortoises and we had plenty
of time with a guide as well as time on our own. We were anxious to get
to sea though and after a couple of hours we headed to the marina to
board our ship where a fabulous surprise awaited us: there were sea
lions everywhere, totally unfazed by humans.

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