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For many years, I have had this urge
to do something good for the nature.
In
general, the human kind are spoiling our fragile Mother Earth faster
and faster, and I want to reverse this. At first, I was
overwhelmed by the amount of projects that
BEAR FACTS. (Jump to the diary)
It is a rather small bear, the male measuring 150-180 centimetres from snout to tail, and weighting 100-200 kilos while the significantly smaller female only measures 110-150 centimetres , weighing 35-82 kilos. They have only thirteen sets of ribs, while other bear species have fourteen pairs. Their Latin genus name; Tremarctos is a reference to an unusual hole on the animal's humerus; the "funny bone": Trem = Greek: "hole" and -arctos = Greek; "bear." The species name; ornatus = Latin: "decorated", is are ference to the spectacularted-markings which also give the bear its common English name. The vary a lot from bear to bear, and are a way to tell the apart.
Their diet consist mainly of fruits and
up to 80% bromeliads, but the bears in Ecuador eat less bromeliads
but instead up to 80% bamboo, some grasses, bulbs,
cactus flowers, insects, and small animals (4%) such as rodents,
rabbits, and birds. Squeezed by human settlements, they sometimes
raid corn fields. Although the bears are are non-territorial, they tend to isolate themselves from one another to avoid competition. The mating take place in May to July. The two (one to four) cubs are born after 180-266 days gestation in November to February, weighting 280-350 grams. After six to eight month, they are ready to stand on their own paws. They mature after four to seven years, and can expect a lifespan of 20 to 25 years. The bears do not hibernate, probably because their food supply is available year round. Some places, like Peru, they may have o relay on bark in the end of the dry season.
They are primarily nocturnal and
crepuscular. During the day, they sleep between or under large tree
roots, on a tree trunk, or in a cave. While in a
tree, they sometimes make large platforms out of broken branches,
and they will spend days in trees. Their claws are specialized for
climbing, and they move round in even higher trees with large
confidence, roaming for fruits and bromeliads.
THE DIARY The city is the second highest capital of the world, 2,850 metres above sea level. With its more that 1.500.000 citizens, it is a real pulsating town, full of markets, old colonial houses and colours! I have been here before (1997), and only sat two full days off to exploration on my way out. A short taxi drive to the pre-booked Secret Garden Hostel. Took one hour from touch-down to I put my bag on my bed; efficient! Straight to bed at eleven, but find it a bit hard to sleep during the night; my internal watch say six in the morning.
19. I got a plan: Up with the sun at six. Truly amassing view from
the roof of the hostel: Mountain peeks, old city, huge cathedral, Walks north to the newer part of town, where the Out-Door shops are found. There are no classic shopping centre, but a huge area packed with all kind of buildings and a few more shops than general. The air pollution are overwhelming! After an hour, my nostrils and through are hurting, and it seems to continue. Besides from smog, the streets and roads are clean, and I almost only meet smiling faces.
I
And it is! Not huge, but very well laid out. Areas with
tree ferns and bromeliads, orchids, agriculture plants, a small arboretum,
"pampas" plants, a large rose bed, two houses with orchids, one with
carnivorous plants, one huge with
general rainforest, one with
I spent a little more than an hour, and continues to the Vivarium in the other
end of this huge public- and well visit park. Mainly Ecuadorian snakes and some
frogs in
Back through the shopping area to find a small pocket knife, that will be legal in Denmark as well: No luck;it requires two hands to open and a blade that does not extinct 70 millimetres. No way, they have such a toy! But a nice machete?
Finds the large indoor marked in the northern part of the
city. Both huge piles of fruits and vegetables, colourful cloth, shoos, hardware
and over stuffed shops with - stuff. A quarter of the marked is a food court.
Fries pig skin - from half a pig, and all kind of dishes you can imagine.
Outside the marked, I find five large floweriest. The most
Dark clouds are coming in over the mountain peaks, and
I head home. On my way back, I passes another little market with enormous
amounts of colourful cloths and - stuff. I reaches the hostel after five hours
of walking - slightly used! Two mucks of great coffee, and I start to feel human again. Get a single room - the dormant was not really me - and I'm going to live in one for the next six weeks. Try to sort-out my luggage, but on the other hand: It have to be packed for transport the day after tomorrow. At four, I start writing my diary and loading photos. I have only taken 80, and quite a few was for experimenting with the light. Sort them into groups: For the diary, the botanical garden and for the general Quito slideshow. Nice to have an excuse to sit down. Just have to be finish to the BBQ at half past six. Recon I won't be in the mood later... Cosy dinner with most of the other inhabitants, but at ten, I'm ready to head for the bed. Short break to upload the day's diary, but no energy for mails. Too little sleep, too much sun and walking.
20. Woke up after, what I thought was a good night's
sleep, but to my surprise; it was only five minutes pass midnight! Another night
with
numerous interruptions, but I guess I better get used to it.
Another cold, but nice
Hits south-west for the old city with its markets, colonial houses and the monastery; San Francisco. I've been considering to go out to Mida Del Mondo: Middle of the world, where equator was found for the first time, but I have more days on my way home.
Crosses though the old centre, and up the hills behind.
To my big surprise, more than a third of the shops are open, even though this is
Sunday in a catholic country. Plenty of locals in
their Sunday dress strolls along on the narrow sidewalks in Like in the newer part of town, it is a mix of business and residential houses, but here, I find a few pedestrian streets. There are a few indoor markets, one is really huge, three stores high and quite new. I find some real cheep underwear and a small pocket knife.
Out again, I walks through the ancient houses. On every square and trolley stop, musicians are playing for an audience. There are a lot of policemen, but all smiling and helpful. I find the oldest road; Morales, but it looks like so many other cobblestone roads I've seen here. After four hours, I decide I got smog and sun enough, and heads back to the hostel. Spent the rest of the day sorting photos, getting packed for travelling again and chatting with other backpackers in the hostel's restaurant. I feel I ought to do something, see something, but why not relax?
Cosy dinner with sushi, chopped up chicken in a vegi-mix
and vanilla-coconut pudding. At eleven, I'm cold enough, and head for bed. I
have never had any problems before, but this time, I suffer from jet-lag.
Jump to second stay in Quito
21. September. Joining the project.
Get waken up by a persistence taxi driver, who apparently have made a six
o'clock pick-up appointment with someone, sleeping way
better than I. Spend the early morning on the internet, which I now
have to leave for maybe six weeks in a row. Talk about a "cold
Turk"!
Breakfast from 7.30, chatting with some of the other
residents. Amassing from how many countries we originates. Guess that I
can find twelve nationalities between twenty people. To get a cap
for the meeting point, I've been told just to stand on the sidewalk
in front of the hostel, and there be plenty to chose from. It is
around five kilometres from the hostel, and I'm supposed to be there;
not before 9.15, and not after 9.30. I am looking forward for some
fresh air!
Reaches the meeting point 9.21, and meet Sara. We fill out
some documents and heads for the bus station. Short ride to the
terminal, and then two hours ride to Otavalo. We drive through rich
farmland, but the fields are tiny, steep and surrounded by Agava
americana's or Sesals. There are many nurseries, growing cut-flowers for
export.
We keep climbing, and the hills keep getting rougher.
Although is is only gravel from ancient volcanoes, it form vertical
walls. We are in the end of the dry season, and some areas are
dominated with bare soil, Agavas,
After a couple of hours - or the exact length of "Cliff-hanger" -
in Spanish, we reach the rather large Otavalo. I store my large bag
in the tiny ticket office where Sara buys a Pucará ticket for me,
and then we find a local lunch place.
Sara shows me around the town, and I end up with a new pair of
Wellingtons. We passes the central square with large stands of
extreme colourful weavings, a little woodcuttings, paintings and
hats. Through the local trading area and out where the small farms
starts.
After three hours, we say goodbye, and jump on the Pucará
bus. Through more and more green areas, although it also get more
and more rough. The paved road ends after fifteen minutes, and are
taken over by a real rough and bumpy cobblestone road. Many large flowers
on bushes and vines, Bromeliads, huge leaved Ficus and a lot
of plants I need to have a closer look at.
We head over the top at some point, but all are covered in
thick fog. Suddenly, half an hour early, we are at Pucará and then
the Casa del Oso. I'm received
Time for dinner, and then it is dark. Three more people are
camping out in the wild, monitoring a bear trap. It is going to be
exiting to see, what I have gotten my selves into this time!
22.
We wait for the nine-o'clock-bus, but a local tells us; it
won't be coming. Get a ride with a small lorry, and jumps off at small road. This is the first reading, and I get instructed how to
assemble the radio, which bands to search and how to operate it in
general.
There are six trails
in the area with GPS measured listening stations. They may not seem to be
long, but this is steep mountains, and the road serpentines a lot!
No bears, and we hike further up the Cazarpamba road. It is a
real rough gravel
There are small farms in some areas. Their steep patches are
scattered around, and in some, I see maize, papaya, beans, bananas,
peanuts, cesal and black and white cows. Most of the poles bearing the
barbwire are growing Plumerias.
We
make several scannings from the pre-GPS'ed locations, but not a single
beep. We reaches the little settlement; Cazarpamba after three hours walking. Before we get
to sit down, a 4x4 stops - the second car we have seen in three
hours, and we catch a ride all the way back to the bear hut. A thing
that normally only happens in movies!
A tea break, and I follows Anna to the "big town"
around here; Apuela,
45 minutes walking down hill. Tiny, but a few shops and even the
world's slowest internet at one dollar an hour. I walk the streets of
the town - all of them, and find a pencil and a notebook: I see more
than I can remember during the days.
I take notes sitting in the shadow - I got sun enough on my
arms for one day - on the square, in front of the small church. This
is a catholic country, but not that fanatic at all!
Home to chat and work with photos and diary. As usual, I
forget to take the shower while it is recently warm. As the
"Nanny" makes our dinner before she leaves, today it is fried
rice and leftovers from yesterday. Real tasteful. I hope the hiking
makes up for the diet. Get caught by a hammock on the porch. Nasty
thing; you survives for a few minutes, and you are in deep sleep.
23. The three girls leave early to take the dogs for a
hike, and get the bus back. I sit in the sun to heat up, but get
interrupted by different hummingbirds in the garden's flowers.
The
air is teaming with the sound of small birds and insects. There are
many, but real tine cicadas, and they are not annoying as they tent
to be so many other places.
We drive to the Siempre Verde trail, and start scanning for
bears. It is a rather steep walk, leading through some amassing
views. As the name implies, it is truly
At first, we hear no bears, but them Alberto figures the cable
for the antenna is broken. Temporally fixed, we find Frida, a female
bear which usually is found in this beautiful area. A lunch at the
end of the trail, and we starts the decent. While the others keep a
steady pace, I run like a small dog in a long leach. While I photo a
flower or an insect, I get 2-300 meters behind. Once, I turn over an
old stem, and discovers some huge beetles.
We are back at the road at two, say goodbye to Alberto, and
stops the bus for the girls
Some of the views takes ten photos attached, and end out being
too detailed anyway. This is truly a waste landscape! Sometimes, it
is 380 degree panorama, and still three or four frames high too.
Even though it seems very unspoiled, there
While we eat, clouds roles in and covers the garden.
Temperature drops, and I find a corner in the office with power, and
start sorting the photos. First a rough sort. Then reframing those
who needs. Resizing the rest, then sorting after content. Writing
the
On the way, we passes a field with lamas. Am told they are more numerous higher up in the mountains. We jump off in the middle of nowhere, but in some absolutely awesome nature. Enormous green mountains, deep gorges formed by very steep slopes. We get off, and start to climb the 45-80 degree Tablachupa trail, which leads through some really dense forest..
We don't see many animals. I spot a single little rather
colourful Rana-like frog, several butterflies and a few
colourful beetles. Each time I stop to photo, I get 50 to 200 metres
behind, and it is hard to catch up. Not only do I have to be
very careful about where I place my feats and put my hands, I also
like to find more interesting plants, animals and views in general.
We are quite successful finding bears. All three that works
are triangulated, and after three hours, we are back at the main
gravel road. Unfortunately, there are no bus for an hour, and not a
single car passes us, while we walk home. Finally the bus passes,
and we are home at quarter pass two - slightly used.
Somehow, I have managed to shot 257 photos, and that makes my
afternoon busy. The manager of the project;
25. Eventless morning, except from
one of the dogs have been poisoned, and lie dead in front of our
house. Get a sallow grave in the back. While most of the rest heads
for a weekend in Quito, Armando and I head up a new trail called
Talacos, heading south.
After four hours, we reach a local farm house where the campers have lived for some days, monitoring a bear-trap. One have left early, while British Sara stayed. This is where the farmer is paid to grow maize to attract bears to be trapped and radio collared. There are actually a non collared bear up in the field. It is 4-500 meters away, but we get some great views of it searching around in the newly harvest field.
A cold shower, although the water is warm - unless you open more than a tiny bit. Each evening, the temperature drops to 18C, and a slight wind raises. Dinner is fried bananas, scones and potato-noodle soup. Then photos and diary.
I hope Sara will join this expedition - she speaks both English and some Spanish, and besides from the pleasant company, it would be useful while having an only Spanish talking guide. Sounds like I'm in for some real hard days! Five days in the humid and warm rain forest, tent, Wellingtons and no shower, crawling on all four with a huge backpack with cooking gear and everything else. Have to remember plenty of charged batteries, SD-memory cards and humour. Feel a bit embarrassed, as it turn up many others have wanted this tour for some time. The bear hut quiets down at ten, and I feel quiet used after seven and a half hour tracking in rough terrain.
26.
The Australian Richard are back from
camping, and the bunk under me get occupied. Each time one of us
moves, the whole construction moves around due to a weak
construction and a soft floor. I tie two corners to the building,
which helps a lot. Then I do a little but needed maintenance on
the
At eleven Anna and I wait for the bus to go on
a bear expedition to Vueltal del Osa. It is 40 minutes late, and we jump
off half way to Otavalo. The track is straight back the way we came,
on the road. We are rather high, and shortly, the clouds come in.
Unfortunately, the shop is closed, and I have to settle for some washing powder and some instance coffee. Have to walk quite a long way home before I get a ride. Chilly shower, collecting my almost dried cloth, and in for the photos and diary.
26. Due to the Tapir-tour, I am more
or less grounded. Have to do some packing, but find it hard. First
night will apparently be spent in 3300 metes height, which is very
cold. After that, it might be humid, raining and warm. I will
have to carry all on my back in real challenging terrain. No chance
to get what I don't bring, no reason to brig what I don't need. At ten, I start walking towards Apuela, and get the last bit of the tour by bus. The internet/bibliteka is open, and I get my diary and diary photos uploaded. Few mails, including one from my travel agent, telling me I am going to get additionally ten hours in Atlanta. Not really something I needed! An hour walk back to the bear hut, do the final packing and head for the final shower this week. Apparently, the water have been cut, and now we only get thick, brown mud. I start updating my diary instead. The mouse at the office are getting more and more frisky, even in the middle of the day.
Tapir Project. As a spear-head expedition,
we are heading for a coastal national reserve called Reserva
Ecológica Cotacachi - Cayapas in the huge Toisán area, northern Ecuador. We are looking for tracks of the
mountain tapir; Tapirus pinchaque, and I'm asked to make photo-documentation
of
the plants in the area. There are no records of the nature, nor any
tracks. We get the15-bus to Cuellaje, which is
further out in the wild [Map],
away from Quito.
The bus is, not surprisingly, half an hour late, and we reach Cuellaje just a little before dark. Samuel's son picks us up at the central square, and leads us to the house, which has the local milk collecting centre, a motorbike repair shop and Samuel's three room home. We get the guest room, and head for the river, while we wait for dinner. After dinner at Samuel's, we head for the general store to shop for the expedition. I think we buy a lot, but I had no idea we would be bringing it all! The first night is spent at our guide; Samuel's house in Cuellaje, and it turns out to be a rather cold night, even though we are only in 1863 metres height. Due to the size of the pages caused by the pictures, it continues in Part 2. |
few new
skyscrapers and an almost blue sky. It is not chilly; it is cold! Not more than
12C and windy, but slowly, it builds up to the normal 25C during the day. Nice breakfast at the roof, and then I better get
my local shopping done before the sightseeing: It is Saturday.
find the area with the shops, and succeed to find
some of the items I wanted. A few kilometres further north, the botanical garden
should be found. I thought I saw it last time I was here, but apparently, it
should be much nicer than the park we found.
bromeliads, several small lakes, a cacti- and succulent area and a little shop.
Unfortunately, all the signs are only in Spanish, and there are fare from names
on all plants. On the other hand is the garden and the houses perfectly kept and
maintained.
well maintained terrariums. It is not large, but easily worth the three
dollars in entrance.
beautiful and
interesting collection of flowering and non flowering plants I ever have seen in
a shop!
breakfast on the roof, and then it is just to wait until
nine, when the streets are heated enough for my comfort.
front of the colonial houses. Quite a few are in traditional Indian colourful
dresses while others are more western, and I guess I see less than ten tourists.
Bit
back, and I'm in the square in front of the huge San Francisco monastery. Two
dollars, and I have access to about a third of the huge complex. Numerous
catholic statues and paintings. Most originates back to sixteen hundred and
something. In the courtyards, small gardens with huge palms calm the mind.
Opuntia and
Cleistocactis - cactus. Strangely enough, it seems like the most
common tree is the Australian Eucalyptus.
Soup followed by roasted
chicken. 
More than half the people in some areas are dressed in
traditional dresses. The women with black hats, ponchos and white
shirts with colourful broderies and extreme coloured weaved
blankets. The men have straw hats and
white shirts and trousers.
Unlike so many tribes, the people living here have come out well
with the meeting of western culture, and it is one of the most rich
regions of Ecuador.
by five enthusiastic young people,
and I get the great tour
around the hut. Cosy but primitive. The
water tap is behind the hut - don't drink it. Two dorm rooms, a kitchen/dine room and a small office.
We are at 17N0778847/UHT0040320, at 2007 metres height.
Real quiet people I'm sleeping with - but the dogs,
roosters, trucks and insects! Wake up to an only slight chilly
morning with sun. Our local "nanny" Cecilia have made empanadas; scones just
my granddad made them, but with stuffing of some real tasty. Some
scrambled eggs with extra ingredients, and I'm ready to go with the
volunteer coordinator; Anna.
road, 
not like the fine copestone road we live on.
But the nature is truly awesome! We walk in huge and green gorges
and on narrow ridges, getting higher and higher.
Along the road, I see numerous plants which families I can
recognise. Here are at
least twenty different
orchids, of which I
find flowers on ten. Few but colourful insects like grasshoppers,
dragonflies and green beetles. A few hummingbirds are seen in the
large flowers of the bushes.
sun
descents behind the mountains, the temperature drops below 20C and
even down to 12C. Slightly windy, and the little plastic sheet and
it's minute water heater makes it yet another cold experience.
At eight, there are quite quiet in the house. All this hiking
takes it toe. We work on different plans to get rite of the dogs,
which barks and hauls during the night.
Toss them on a parsing truck, put leftovers on the middle of the
road, pay for a bus ticket to Quito for them. Keep them awake
during the day...
Andrew and I catch the nine
o'clock bus, where we meet up
Alberto, a guide which have worked with this project for five orten years.
On the bus, we also meet two German girls who are volunteers at a
local newspaper. The are working on an article about the bear project,
and are joining us for the walk.
green. I recognizes lots of
plants, at least their families. There are several flowering
orchids, some with truly large flowers, reaching five centimetres on
two meter inflorescent with up to hundred flowers. 
We passes through areas dominated by ferns, even fern trees,
bamboo or large leaved jungle plants. In the more open areas,
bromeliads covers the stems. Most fence poles are Plumerias, and
they
must look beautiful, when they flowerers. Many of the orchids have
ripen seeds. I find some real familiar plants; Sinningia
cardinalis and some heather family members with huge flowers.
while Andrew and I catch a ride with a
truck full of rocks. In contrast to the bus, we have some awesome
views. Beside from the massive dust, I get some great shoots of the
waste mountain range. I end up with 221 photos, and know what the
rest of the day will be spent with. 
are fields everywhere,
and I recognizes several African or domesticated plants.
tags - if I know what it is, and then find a few for the diary.
Write the diary and finally making a back-up. It is rather quiet,
except from the cicadas.
less, I feel fresh around seven. Grab some breakfast and do my
lizard imitation on the porch. Jamie, Andrew and I catch the nine
bus, and a new guide; Armando joins us. We are heading a little hour towards
Otavalo.
In long stretches, the main vegetation is bamboo, in witch we
walk in tunnels. Other times, it opens up to awesome views. Several
times the grass covered volcano Cotopaxi is visible. With its 4939 metres,
it have snow on the peak. Here are many
Bromeliads, flowering orchids and other real interesting plants
underneath the quite dense low trees, fern trees and bamboo.
Armando arrivals
from Quito with supplies, but have a lot of catching up to do in his
office. The rest of us plays cards: A meaningless and very amusing
game called "Shit-head"
The
bus arrivals twenty minutes early, and that causes some panic. I do
get the radio-gear, but forget the compass and my hat. We jump off
the bus at nine, and head through a huge valley. Steep climbs and
descents in awesome nature.
After
an hours lunch, Sara and I lead each other back through the valley
by another path.
Kind of the blind leading the blind, but we succeed to find Apuela
at 17.30 - which is after the last bus have left. Start the hour
real steep hike towards the bear hut. Get a lift with a open lorry,
and at six, we are home. Seven and a half hour of hiking in truly
rough and demanding environment - and it have been great! 
Armando
likes my plant photos, and somehow, he lours me into a five day
camping tour into
the rainforest, looking for forest tapir tracks and documenting the
flora. It is pristine rainforest, and the tapirs are not recognised
there, but that will be his next project. 
While the rest goes into Pucará
to attend some "Kiss the flag"-thing and "Water figure" festivities,
I get organised to the five day jungle tour - well; sort of. That includes some
serious cloth washing and battery charging.
radio-gear, but cut my selves on a hammer! The only tool I can
find is a bend screwdriver and a hammer with a broken head. 
The temperature drops to 17C, and the grand view disappears. 
Never the less, I find a few new plants and
insects and even a little snake. After three and a half hour
walking, we have passed the last station, and catch a ride with a
funeral party at Santa Rosa. Anna jumps off at the bear house, while
I continues to Apuela to upload my diary.
