The duet-singing wren (photo by Eric Fortune and Melissa Coleman)

In our many visits to Ecuador we’ve often thought how stunning and unusual the Andes is, and how it could be the perfect place for a romantic tryst or honeymoon. The fact that we spent almost a year based in Quito immediately after getting married could show a bias. But no, during that time we really travelled around as much as we could and learnt to love the relative uniqueness of the country. In effect, we had a year-long honeymoon in Ecuador.

So how wonderful to learn – apparently – that we are not alone, our feelings are shared. And by nothing less than a plain wren! Yes, Science Magazine has just published a study suggesting that wren couples in the Andes engage in duet-singing of the highest form, where each wren apparently learns the melody of the other. Pure romance – on the wing!

The fascinating study, on “Neural Mechanisms for the Coordination of Duet Singing in Wrens” by Eric Fortune, Carlos Rodríguez, David Li, Gregory Ball, Melissa Coleman (see abstract in Science), suggests that, rather like top ballroom dancing couples or ice-skating duos, both the male and female wren learnt the whole duet, not just their own part. Incredibly, the team used brain scans to prove this (does it put an end to the myth of the ‘bird brain’ we wonder??).  The wrens alternate in singing, up to 6 notes per second, and each adjusts and reacts to the other’s pitch and timing.

Pure love, in a perfect world? Sadly Darwin must have his say, it appears this is not yet a sign of mutual love, Romeo and Juliet-style. The team believe the female, who does the leading, is using this as a courtship test to try out potential Carusos. Separately they practice their parts, the female loudly and with  gusto, the male  apparently more prone to mistakes and so cheeping away quietly with reduced self-confidence.

This is indeed a sad reflection on the power of the sexes, and not after all exactly the kind of relationship we would think appropriate for a honeymoon or romantic tryst. So on further reflection I am relieved we don’t share our special memories and feelings with a bunch of  (aptly named I am now convinced) plain-tailed wrens.  But then, perhaps I forget all that singing and dancing we did before the wedding was actually an extended test!

We can arrange and tailor honeymoons and tours of Ecuador and the Galapagos, with or without the presence of wrens, so please contact us if you’ve passed the competitive duet trials and need to rest over-strained larynges. But remember, if we arrange for you a trip to the Galapagos, we can’t be responsible for any adverse influence that the boobies, infamous for the curious waving of their webbed feet during courtship, may have on your new-found sentiments……

From the sea breezes of Galapagos to snow-capped volcanos to deep jungle in the Amazon, Ecuador is full of diversity. Though small, there is a lot to see and the choices can seem overwhelming. Below is a list of five wonderful destinations that will allow any visitor to enjoy (almost) all of what Ecuador has to offer.

Otavalo

Otavalo market: Colourful textiles

Just two hours north of the capital of Quito, Otavalo is home to South America’s largest open air market. Famous for its textiles, here you’ll find merchants offering everything from guinea pigs to alpaca sweaters and woven hammocks. This is the place for souvenirs and gifts for the unfortunate friends and family left at home. Otavalos is a primarily indigenous town with excellent views of the Cotacachi, Imbabura and Mojanda volcanos.

Mindo

Mindo: Butterfly

Somewhere between the scrubby highlands and the lush rainforest lie the famous cloud forests of Ecuador. Essentially tropical rainforests at elevation, cloud forests host unique species and ecosystems and Mindo is one of the best examples in Ecuador. A sleepy village acts as your portal to natural exploration, with nearby waterfalls and rivers serving as main attractions. Here you’re likely to see many species of butterflies, frogs and birds and this town should not be missed by the nature lover. Elevation here ranges from 1200 to 4780 meters above sea level and has been made popular for the Mindo-Nambillo Protected Forest.

Baños

Baños: Canyoning

Baños could easily be described as the adventure capital of Ecuador. In this small town in the shadow of the Tungurahua volcano, options abound for mountain bike tours, rafting trips, volcano hikes, waterfall rappelling and more. You’ll even find discount bungee jumping – not for the faint of heart – at a nearby bridge, though this is certainly not licensed or recommended. After a long day of biking and rappelling, the hot mineral springs that give the town its name are a welcome treat and can be found in several places in and around the city. Known as the “Gateway to the Amazon,” Baños is a great jumping off point for a jungle expedition.

Cuenca

Cuenca: Catedral Nueva

No visit to Ecuador would be complete without a trip to Cuenca, now listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Trust site due to its rich history. In fact, according to archaeological studies the first people settled in the area around Cuenca in 8060 BC in the Cave of Chopsi. Cuenca remained an inhabited area throughout the years and was finally founded as a settlement by the Cañari people in 500AD before being conquered by the Incas prior to European settlement in 1557. During the reign of the Incas, the city was known as Tomebamba – one of the candidates for the lost city of gold, El Dorado. As you wander the ancient boulevards, keep an eye out for the sparkle of gold.

Tena

Tena: Canoe to jungle lodge

Tena is the capital of the Napo province near the Napo River, a tributary of the Amazon. A small, quiet city, Tena is a great jumping off point for jungle tours, as well as rafting and kayaking trips. This town sports a backpacker crowd and has lots of places that cater to tourists and, surprisingly, a lively nightlife in the middle of the rainforest. Don’t expect impressive jungle experiences in town, but 15-20 kilometers away you’ll find in tact forest full of wildlife and towering tropical trees. The nearby Jatun Sacha Biological Station is a great place to learn more about the flora and fauna of the region, and support an organization working to preserving this fragil ecosystem.

Ecuador cuy or guinea pig

Food is absolutely one of the most important and telling aspects of any culture. A unique part of travel is getting to immerse yourself in a new culture and trying the unique and traditional dishes served every day in a different country. In Andean areas with Quechua influence such as Ecuador, one of these unique, interesting and (to some) tasty treats is the cuy, or guinea pig.  Known to most Westerners as the cute, cuddly rodent many keep as pets, to the inhabitants of Ecuador it is no different than chicken or beef.

The cuy was historically a delicacy eaten in the Andean highlands during ceremonial meals, but today it can be founds in small restaurants and markets throughout Ecuador.  It is often roasted, fried or broiled, and is high in protein while low in fat and cholesterol.  The taste and texture is similar to that of dark meat chicken.  While slightly unsettling for some, this tasty dish is widely popular and has distinct benefits over other protein sources.

Guinea pigs can be raised quickly and with much lower impact than pigs or cows.  They reproduce quickly, take up less space than other livestock, and use less resources to produce.  Millions are consumed each year in Ecuador and Peru, with special importance placed on community meals and special events.  They have even made their way to the markets in New York City where they are served as a delicacy in some ethnic restaurants.

While their consumption may seem taboo to many Westerners, it is an important part of the culture in the Andes and has been for many hundreds of years.  If you’re intent on immersing yourself in Ecuadorian culture, a trip to the food stands in Otavalo would not be complete without an almuerzo of cuy and potatoes.  So dig in and don’t be afraid:  it tastes just like chicken or even better!

Huaorani scanning the jungle

The rainforest is loud. Here, car horns and lumbering trucks are replaced by insects and treefrogs. The result is a symphony of nature that can either be extremly soothing or rather unsettling, depending on your personality. Our camp is settled in a small clearing surrounded by primary jungle and here it is obvious that we are the ones who are out of place. As day breaks, the Huaorani are already tending a small fire to cook breakfast and breaking camp to prepare for the long day’s journey ahead. Last night over the campfire, I was able to gather that the trip in canoe is approximately 16 hours total and will take the majority of this second day. So off we go, back on the river and headed for Bameno.

Huaorani women

We play games during the ride to pass the time. On several occasions, Penti’s sons Ohue and Gohue stripped down and jumped into the river with a splash to clear flotsam blocking our passage through the narrow tributary. Finally after hours under the harsh sun, Penti signals something to the driver and points to the riverbank ahead. As we come around a bend, I first see one, then five, then what seems like a hundred small children jumping up and down and calling to some unseen person. They are scarcely clothed, wearing only shorts or, more frequently, underpants and seem absolutely ecstatic at our arrival.

As we pull up and begin unloading the boat, the kids have been joined by what can only be the entire population of Bameno. As we disembark, I can feel hands grabbing my clothing and reaching to touch my blond hair (an obvious rarity here), but all around are broad smiles and welcoming faces. Surely these can’t be the savages that are so talked about by other Ecuadorians; never in my life have I felt so welcom in a place so foreign. It was obvious that the Huaorani were excited to have us in their village and to share with us their way of life.

Drawings by Huaorani children on side of school

Over the coming weeks, we were brought in as a part of the family. Penti introduced us to his other children and extended family and we were treated to presentations of traditional dances and rituals, as well as the typical drink for celebrations: chicha. For the squeamish, you’d best skip down a few lines as this is rather unappetizing. Chicha is a fermented drink made from corn, yucca or other starchy vegetables. The base, in this case yucca, is then ritualistically masticated, or chewed, by the women of the village and then spit into buckets before being buried in the ground for several days to ferment. The result is a rather slimy, chunky, slightly alcoholic brew that would leave most Westerners running for the hills. Both curious and not wanting to offend our hosts, we graciously accepted our (thankfully small) cups and did our best to smile and pretend to enjoy the unique concoction.

Most days were spent playing futbol with the children of the village or taking hikes through the jungle. We were pleased to have plenty of practice with the traditional blowgun used for hunting, and I can safely say that oranges and apples in Bameno should watch out for me (though monkeys and forest animals are likely very safe)! When it came time for us to leave, the children hung from our legs trying to keep us, we were saddened to depart from our new friends and the people who, despite a violent and savage reputation, proved to be nothing but warm, welcoming and interested in sharing their culture and learning from ours. Not a day goes by that I don’t think happily about my time living with savages.

(Galapagos Discover can arrange trips to the Ecuadorian Amazon as extensions to Galapagos cruises)

The old pickup bounces over the muddy road as we set off along the Via Auca, or Savage Road, from the oil town of Coca through secondary forest along an ancient oil pipeline. Our Huaorani guides look out of place sitting in the bed dressed in tattered shorts and beer T-shirts. The truck moves along at a staggering pace as the jungle grows thicker with each mile.  After several hours, the truck slows near the banks of the Rio Tiguino where a motorized canoe is waiting for us to continue our journey to the small village of Bameno deep in the Ecuadorian Amazon and home to the Huaorani, a tribe of indigenous people first contacted by the outside world in the late 1950s.

Huaorani paddling a canoe, Ecuador Amazon

The Huaorani have lived deep in the jungles of Ecuador for thousands of years and all settlements combined number only around 2,500 inhabitants.  Known historically by their Quichua neighbors as the auca, or savages, their demeanor expresses anything but savagery (despite a violent history). Their language, Huao, is unrelated to any other language in the world.  To this day, there are groups of Huaorani, like the Tagaeri, that live isolated from the outside world and shun contact with anyone not from their communities.  Their culture and way of life have been threatened by missionary contact and oil exploration, and today they are one of the few indigenous groups left still clinging to their ancient traditions.

Huaorani girls

We unload our luggage and provisions from the rickety old truck and shuttle them carefully down the muddy bank to the canoe.  The boat is bigger than you’d expect, but still nimble enough to navigate the curving river towards Bameno.  As we set off, I ask our guide Penti how long it will take to reach the village to which he replies matter of factly, “tres horas”, or three hours.As we coast through the murky waters of the Rio Tiguino, we spot increasing amounts of wildlife such as scarlet macaws, wooly monkeys, pink river dolphins and even an amazing Harpy Eagle, the largest bird of prey in the world.  Having settled nicely into the canoe somewhere around hour four, a giant black mohawked head bursts from the water less than a meter from the canoe as a lowland tapir frantically heads ashore.

As the sun begins to settle over the rainforest canopy, Penti motions for the captain to slow down and pull up to shore.  We’re all relieved to stretch and escape the hard wooden seats of the boat, but are surprised to see Penti and the other Huaorani beginning to set up tents in the small clearing.  Not wanting to be rude, we pitch in and help break camp for the night and get settled in amongst the frogs and insects that call the forest home.

Swimming while Huaorani guide watches, Ecuador

Shortly after everything is situated in our camp for the night, I approach Penti and ask what happened to his initial three hour assessment of our journey.  His reply, “yeah, I think I should’ve said around 2 hours,” proves that we’re headed into a world free from time and the trappings of modern society.

Tune in next week for Part 2 to read more about the village of Bameno and the incredible culture of the Huaorani people here at www.galapagosdiscover.com/blog!

(Combine a trip here with the Galapagos – click Galapagos cruises  for more information).

Cloud forest of frailejones, by Jorge Anhalzer

How about it? Your much-anticipated Galapagos cruise is all arranged, along with a couple of days before or afterwards in the Andes. So why not make it the trip of a lifetime by adding on a quick weekend to hunt for Atahualpa’s treasure? Could this be the perfect vacation? The envy of your friends? With a couple of priceless Inca nose pendants and masks now gracing your mantelpiece, wouldn’t this be sure to stay engraved in your memory for much longer than any normal trip?

We unequivocally say yes – to the last question. No need to tie a knot in your elephant’s trunk to remember this trip. Your memories could be very, very dark, nightmarish even! For the Llanganati, where Atahualpa’s treasure is reputed to be hidden, has seen many search expeditions over the centuries and almost as many deaths due to the infernal conditions encountered there.

Llanganati is a wild and thoroughly inhospitable chain of mountains and stunted vegetation enshrouded frequently in mist and freezing rain, high in the Andean páramo 80 miles south east of Quito. According to the official Spanish chronicle of Fernández de Oviedo y Valdés written shortly after the conquest, Rumiñahui, a tough Inca general in Atahualpa’s army, hid a considerable quantity of treasure there. He was marching towards Cajamarca where Atahualpa was being held to ransom by the Spaniards, when he learnt that Atahualpa had been put to death.  Rather than hand the treasure over to the Spaniards, Rumiñahui, born in Píllaro, gateway to the Llanganati, decided to hide it there.

Luis Andrade wearing insect protection, Llanganati

This short summary masks high drama. In fact the Spaniards, under one of the most ruthless conquistadores Sebastian de Benalcázar, were searching desperately for this treasure in and around Quito. Inca chiefs were tortured and burnt alive to reveal its location. Rumiñahui, chased with his army of 50,000 men by the Spaniards and defeated at Píllaro, escaped but finally was caught and executed in the main square of Quito. But not after he had hidden the treasure first. According to the chronicles of Oviedo and Pedro Pizarro, 12,000 armed guards and 60,000 porters carrying loads of gold and silver (value: $10-20bn at current prices!) left Quito for Llanganati, where 50-100 were selected to take it to its final burial place whilst the rest were sent back. A small group of Inca nobles supervised the process, and once finished those unlucky last porters were hanged; finally the nobles themselves committed suicide. So the Inca had the final laugh from the grave at the Spaniards.

Unknown route in Llanganati, by Jorge Anhalzer

Several books have been written about the treasure and expeditions it has attracted. I’ve just finished ‘Sweat of the Sun, Tears of the Moon’ by Peter Lourie. Much of the book is about characters he meets along the way whilst trying unsuccessfully to get to the Llanganati, only achieving this several years later, as described at the end of the book. But it succeeds well in portraying both Llanganati’s history and the fanaticism that affects many of the treasure hunters.

Another excellent book, ‘Llanganati’, written by the Ecuadorian Jorge Anhalzer and apparently only available in Spanish, also records the history of searches alongside black and white photos that capture the wild and inhospitable nature of the place. Jorge Anhalzer is best known for the beautiful aerial photographs of Ecuador taken from his ultralight.

I’ve just ordered and received another book about the search for Llanganati treasure via Amazon’s excellent network of book shops. ‘Fever, Famine & Gold’ by Captain Erskine Loch, published in 1938, promises to be fascinating read despite the fact that the author apparently shot himself shortly after the end of the expedition.

Richard Spruce, the Victorian botanist famous for his Amazon studies, included a chapter on the Llanganati and the treasure. One of the treasure hunters was George Dyott, early aviator who is best known for his search for the remains of Percy Fawcett’s expedition.  The treasure hoard is still believed to be hidden. Two British naval officers, Chapman and Blake,  searched  at the turn of the century and claimed to find it; Chapman died during the trip, and Blake carried off a handful with plans to head back. He never did, disappearing overboard in mysterious circumstances later. In fact so many expeditions have run into problems that a special permit from the Ecuadorian government is now required for this national park.

The páramo is another world, but can be exhilarating, as anybody who has explored the area around Cotopaxi, and particularly the marvellous and rustic páramo ranch of Yanahurco, can attest. I would love to visit the Llanganati to see it for myself. A short visit – until the batteries of the metal detector run out. How about joining us? Or perhaps we can add this as an extension of a lifetime to your Galapagos cruise?

Captain de Beauchesne's Galapagos log, 1698-1701

Anybody hastily reading Herman Melville’s essay “The Encantadas” would be convinced he disliked the islands intensely. The language is beautiful, graphic and caustic, the message apparently clear: this was not Melville’s idea of paradise. Should we think twice about going there?

I think not. But before explaining, let’s first see a few samples from the essay, published in 1854 by Putnam’s Magazine. It is a work of the mature Melville, written after the popular failure of Moby Dick. Although critically acclaimed,  it did not help his financial difficulties in any way.

The opening paragraphs set the tone:-

“Take five-and-twenty heaps of cinders dumped here and there in an outside city lot, imagine some of them magnified into mountains, and the vacant lot the sea, and you will have a fit idea of the general aspect of the Encantadas, or Enchanted Isles. A group rather of extinct volcanoes than of isles, looking much as the world at large might after a penal conflagration.

It is to be doubted whether any spot on earth can, in desolateness, furnish a parallel to this group. Abandoned cemeteries of long ago, old cities by piecemeal tumbling to their ruin, these are melancholy enough; but, like all else which has but once been associated with humanity, they still awaken in us some thoughts of sympathy, however sad. Hence, even the Dead Sea, along with whatever other emotions it may at times inspire, does not fail to touch in the pilgrim some of his less unpleasurable feelings.”

His description of Albemarle (Spanish name Isabela) is also unremitting:-

“Cut a channel at the above letter joint, and the middie transverse limb is Narborough, and all the rest is Albemarle. Volcanic Narborough lies in the black jaws of Albemarle like a wolf’s red tongue in his open mouth.”

Melville's description of Albemarle, Galapagos

As a last sample, Melville describes the giant tortoise as a kind of reptilian version of the classic Sisyphus, condemned to a hellish existence. He visited the islands in a sailing boat at a time when these animals were still taken and stored on board as food – here 3 had just been hauled on board by sailors:-

“As I lay in my hammock that night, overhead I heard the slow weary draggings of the three ponderous strangers along the encumbered deck. Their stupidity or their resolution was so great that they never went aside for any impediment. One ceased his movements altogether just before the mid-watch. At sunrise I found him butted like a battering ram against the immovable foot of the foremast, and still striving, tooth and nail, to force the impossible passage. That these tortoises are the victims of a penal, or malignant, or perhaps a downright diabolical, enchanter, seems in nothing more likely than in that strange infatuation of hopeless toil which so often possesses them. I have known them in their journeyings ram themselves heroically against rocks, and long abide there, nudging, wriggling, wedging, in order to displace them, and so hold on their inflexible path. Their crowning curse is their drudging impulse to straightforwardness in a belittered world.

Meeting with no such hindrance as their companion did, the other tortoises merely fell foul of small stumbling blocks — buckets, blocks, and coils of rigging — and at times in the act of crawling over them would slip with an astounding rattle to the deck. Listening to these draggings and concussions, I thought me of the haunt from which they came: an isle full of metallic ravines and gulches, sunk bottomlessly into the hearts of splintered mountains, and covered for many miles with inextricable thickets. I then pictured these three straightforward monsters, century after century, writhing through the shades, grim as blacksmiths; crawling so slowly and ponderously that not only did toadstools and all fungus things grow beneath their feet, but a sooty moss sprouted upon their backs. With them I lost myself in volcanic mazes, brushed away endless boughs of rotting thickets, till finally in a dream I found myself sitting cross-legged upon the foremost, a Brahmin similarly mounted upon either side, forming a tripod of foreheads which upheld the universal cope.

Such was the wild nightmare begot by my first impression of the Encantadas tortoise.”

Should these put us off visiting Galapagos? Apart from the fact that these extracts are probably the most negative in the essay, what they definitively emphasise is that the islands are totally unlike anywhere else in the world - and so are its inhabitants. That’s both their curse – at least for early sailors – but also their blessing, since the islands, through their apparent unattractiveness, have survived as unique and relatively unspoilt places until now.  The Galapagos islands are utterly unlike anywhere else, both in geological and wildlife terms, and this remains the eternal magnet drawing us to see something totally different. In fact, “different” understates the case, the islands are quite alien to our everyday experience.

Another factor is that, until the late 20th century, nature was to be feared and avoided. The rain forest, nowadays a matter of fascination, was previously considered a green hell. Similarly for the Galapagos. Civilization was admired, nature abhorred. Now values have inverted as we perceive nature disappearing inexorably before our eyes. Now that nature has rarity, we value it.

Did Melville? Well, actually he did. To quote:-

“Nor even at the risk of meriting the charge of absurdly believing in enchantments can I restrain the admission that sometimes, even now, when leaving the crowded city to wander out July and August among the Adirondack Mountains, far from the influences of towns and proportionally nigh to the mysterious ones of nature; when at such times I sit me down in the mossy head of some deep-wooded gorge, surrounded by prostrate trunks of blasted pines, and recall, as in a dream, my other and far-distant rovings in the baked heart of the charmed isles, and remember the sudden glimpses of dusky shells, and long languid necks protruded from the leafless thickets; and again have beheld the vitreous inland rocks worn down and grooved into deep ruts by ages and ages of the slow draggings of tortoises in quest of pools of scanty water; I can hardly resist the feeling that in my time I have indeed slept upon evilly enchanted ground.”

Yes, Melville confirms that the Encantadas (=the enchanted) do enchant for long afterwards. Really, a place quite unlike anywhere else.

The Galapagos Islands are often metaphorically thought of as Darwin’s laboratory of life, where, thanks particularly to the variation in finch species he noted, the spark behind his theory of evolution first took shape.

But an irreverent reading of the Voyage of the Beagle suggests it was perhaps more of a playground, the possible genesis of a new type of zoological garden where humans (and particularly children) could interact to their heart’s content with the animal kingdom. Just 2 extracts are needed as proof:-

On tortoises (literally)
The inhabitants believe that these animals are absolutely deaf; certainly they do not overhear a person walking close behind them. I was always amused when overtaking one of these great monsters, as it was quietly pacing along, to see how suddenly, the instant I passed, it would draw in its head and legs, and uttering a deep hiss fall to the ground with a heavy sound, as if struck dead. I frequently got on their backs, and then giving a few raps on the hinder part of their shells, they would rise up and walk away; — but I found it very difficult to keep my balance.

A lizard tail (literally)
This animal, when making its burrow, works alternately the opposite sides of its body. One front leg for a short time scratches up the soil, and throws it towards the hind foot, which is well placed so as to heave it beyond the mouth of the hole. That side of the body being tired, the other takes up the task, and so on alternately. I watched one for a long time, till half its body was buried; I then walked up and pulled it by the tail, at this it was greatly astonished, and soon shuffled up to see what was the matter; and then stared me in the face, as much as to say, “What made you pull my tail?”

Darwin must have hesitated before deciding there was more potential in publishing a theory rather than exploiting a budding market for new petting zoos. (We are sure that’s the real reason why publication of the Origin of the Species took another 28 years.) Nowadays a visitor to the islands can expect the guide to grab his tail – or apply a boot – well before he gets closer to the animal in question. And who wants to change the name of Lonesome George, obviously needed if we follow in Darwin’s footsteps? But thanks to Darwin, the temptation is there to sit or pull or both. Luckily Oscar Wilde didn’t visit the islands, or the poor animals would have really been lost….