Day 9 (1/9/20):
A majority of our day today was spent traveling from Cuenca to Zamora by bus. Of course during the long ride we still learned about the area through Diego. Some facts about Ecuador that stood out to me during the ride were:
After a few hours of driving we arrived at the Copalinga lodge just outside of Zamora. The lodge is located in the Amazon which is a big contrast compared to Cuenca. To get to my cabin I had to walk up a small hill and be careful to not disturb a long line of busy fire ants! After settling in we got to explore some of the areas around the lodge and go on a short hike. We stopped at a platform to bird watch. Later as we sat down on the outdoor patio before dinner we got to watch hummingbirds as the sun set. The lodge has multiple hummingbird feeders surrounding the patio to attract the birds. I have only seen a hummingbird up close about twice so it was amazing to see about ten all at once!
We were supposed to have an evening presentation about tourism on the local economy but our presenter cancelled. Most of our day was spent traveling from Cuenca to Zamora so I am glad that we will also be able to explore the lodge some more tomorrow!
- When cows were introduced to the country a type of grass was introduced to the region as well. So the grass present in most of Ecuador, except for protected areas, is not native to the region.
- Propane gas is subsidized by the government so it is very popular for cooking in the cities, people in the countryside use wood.
- Loja was one of the first cities in Ecuador to establish a recycling program. They currently use hydroelectric power, there is a river running through the city. Loja also plans to establish more wind farms in the region (google to check)
- The properties of the Cinchona tree help cure malaria. This effect of the tree was discovered by travelers coming to the area who drank from a river near the plant and were then relieved of malaria symptoms.
- The Crested Oropendola birds which are black and yellow in color, weave hanging nests unlike most birds.
After a few hours of driving we arrived at the Copalinga lodge just outside of Zamora. The lodge is located in the Amazon which is a big contrast compared to Cuenca. To get to my cabin I had to walk up a small hill and be careful to not disturb a long line of busy fire ants! After settling in we got to explore some of the areas around the lodge and go on a short hike. We stopped at a platform to bird watch. Later as we sat down on the outdoor patio before dinner we got to watch hummingbirds as the sun set. The lodge has multiple hummingbird feeders surrounding the patio to attract the birds. I have only seen a hummingbird up close about twice so it was amazing to see about ten all at once!
We were supposed to have an evening presentation about tourism on the local economy but our presenter cancelled. Most of our day was spent traveling from Cuenca to Zamora so I am glad that we will also be able to explore the lodge some more tomorrow!