Wednesday 17.9.14 – Quito to Coca

We tried coca tea yesterday before bed in order to assist with getting a good nights sleep, as we have not been sleeping well, insomnia is one of the many, many symptoms of altitude sickness.

Slept slightly better, but unfortunately I seem to have picked up a tummy bug - a bit of diarrhoea in the night and morning – started on the ‘gastro-stop’ which eventually pulled it up.

Bus and plane trip and lots of waiting around weren’t great.

I kept up the fluids but was unsure about eating, so travel sickness set in on the plane – yuk!

We left the hotel at 7.00, arrived at airport about 8.15ish. The Ecuadorians have built an amazing new road to the airport, we have been on it 4 times now and we are still stunned at the engineering and sheer size of what they have done. Still trying to capture some decent photos.

That new road again.

The plane to Coca was TAME airlines, due to leave at 10.00, we took off at 10.30 in temperature of approx. 13 degrees, arrived in Coca at about 11.00 to a humid 31 degrees. Sue needed to strip from T-shirt, thermal and coat to a T-shirt very quick smart.

View of Cotapaxi from airport, with plane flying 
behind it.

Cayambe we think from the plane.

and again.

Looking down onto the jungle and river.

Luggage was delivered to a stationary bench in a hot shed, with no air con and everybody trying to bustle in to find their bags. Thanks to Aunty Sue for getting mine, it was the last bag off (while I looked after her luggage).

We then squished into a school bus, with very little leg room, for a 5 minute trip to a hotel for toilet and to wait for luggage to be loaded onto a canoe to take us…

Bridge across river at Coca. This is the Napo River.

Me sitting at the Hotel we stopped at to load our gear 
and us into Canoes. Feeling very sub par here.

Here we are life jackets on ready to board our canoe.

That's the small half of the group in a canoe with the 
luggage, off down the Napo River for two hours to 
meet the ship.

Oops interrupted in writing this by the ship’s emergency drill - Life jackets on and up to the bow…

…down the river Napo to meet ‘our home’ for the next 7 days the “MV Anakonda.” We travelled on motorised canoes for about 90 minutes.

Lots of barges acting as ferries, carrying vehicles 
and goods.

Lots of oil companies exploring and drilling in the 
forest - not good. And burning off gas byproduct.

River and forest and something else.

Zooming up the river.

Still not feeling flash, having had nothing to eat all day and bringing up the water on the plane, feeling tired and hollow.

We arrived at the ship, which was not quite how I’d imagined it. We boarded and were given our room code instructions and shown to rooms, amazing very comfy with a lovely ensuite. We waited in airconditioned comfort of room for our bags to be delivered. Cool locks on door. It is a 4 digit code, but number pad is activated by holding your palm over the screen, then key in the number and open sesame, it automatically locks after about 20 seconds, or you can hold your palm over it again to lock and leave – very impressive.

Our cabin.

Looking out the window, very groovy blinds.

Bathroom selfie.

Shower.

Basin.

Sue went to lunch, I stayed in room for a snooze, then upstairs for a general briefing, then back to rooms, followed by a fire drill.

There was a birdwatching option on the sundeck, but not for me today.

We will be issued with rubber boots and waterproof poncho for trip ashore.

The ship ties up for the night, the river it too dangerous/difficult to navigate at night. All navigation is by sight as the technology is not much use here.

At 6.00 we went up to the bar area for a briefing by Renee, one of the guides, on the trip and the Amazon etc and instructions for jungle walk tonight. I have decided to err on side of caution and stay on board, I’m sure I will miss some really good stuff. Internet is available at $20 per device, so I might get some blog uploaded, it is satellite internet and only while we are stationary and only in some parts of the ship. The briefing was followed by complimentary Captains cocktail (they looked good, but I skipped it) There are 20 staff on board and 36 passengers. We have 3 guides – Renee, Javier and Freddy, the boat Manager Fausto, Mauritio – who welcomed us, not sure exactly his role. Behind the bar was Jose.

Jose, working on the welcome drinks.

The guides and Boat manager and captain/s. L-R - 
Freddy, Renee, Fausto, Javier, Jose, Mauritio and 
Avel.

Santiago, Avel, Renee, Fausto and Javier.

Managed to get upstairs for a pretty cool sunset.

Went downstairs for dinner, managed literally a few mouthfuls, it all looked and tasted wonderful, just not game to over do it, some potato soup, ham/pork steaks with rice and the best bit – plain old custard.

Off to bed and asleep for me by 8.30.

Slept solidly till about 4am, which was fantastic. Woke up feeling much better. The engines woke us at 5.45, we put the blinds up and watched the water and jungle pass by. The water is really muddy and swirly, with lots of eddies and undertow. The river Napo is wide and we snake our way along to avoid island and sandbanks and shallow areas. The river is fed by waters from the Andes and can rise up to 5 metres very quickly and drop the same way.

6.00 for birdwatchers and a late start for the rest, wake up call for rest of us was to be at 730 I think, but we were up with the birdwatchers and called to breakfast from there.

BTW- our nametags arrived when we were at the airport, which is making learning names much easier.