Peru & Ecuador - Part 6

When we first planned this trip to Peru and Ecuador, my husband expressed an interest in going to the Amazon as well. We wanted to find something that would be reasonably accessible considering the fact that we would be coming back to Quito from the Galapagos. HX Expeditions offered an add-on trip, but it consisted of a small plane ride followed by a hike and then a canoe ride to the eco-resort. That sounded like too much effort at the end of an extensive, intensive adventure.

We settled on the Kuyana Lodge, a small family-owned eco-resort located three and a half hours by car from Quito. The lodge has incredibly positive reviews online, includes excursions with your stay, and has an option for an English-speaking guide, which we needed. 

Because we would not be given our flight arrangements until the last day on our ship so would not know our arrival time into Quito, we booked a hotel in the historic district and arranged for a driver to take us to the Kuyana Lodge the next morning. I didn't realize the accommodations we selected would put us in the square where we had visited the Presidential Palace previously. It was fun to view the area again at night, and the hotel was a lovely choice.

Quito at night

What we hadn't anticipated was the fact that Quito Days (a week-long celebration) began the next morning bright and early. We had arranged for our Kuyana driver to pick us up at 10:00 AM. The celebration, with the parade passing right by our hotel, meant that the driver could get nowhere near us. Fortunately the desk clerk called our driver and explained the situation. The bellhop helped us navigate the streets and hills with our luggage until we could find a place for the driver to meet us. As the traffic was so snarled, that ended up being in the middle of the street several blocks away from the hotel. Wow!

Quito in the morning

The drive to the lodge was long, but mostly smooth until the last 45 minutes or so, where we traveled over rocks. The scenery was nice along the way, and gave us an opportunity to see a different part of Ecuador. Upon arrival at Kuyana, we were offered a welcome glass of tea and shown to our cabin. We had opted for the Anaconda Family Cabin, which consisted of two bedrooms and two bathrooms. That is literally all that was inside the cabin. The only area the three of us could gather in was the front porch. 

Kuyana Lodge

After we put the luggage in the cabin it was time for our first activity - a dusk hike in the jungle. We put on knee-high rubber boots, and to say this was a vigorous hike is an understatement. It had rained earlier in the day, so the trail (and I use the word loosely as our guide kept a machete handy to clear areas) was wet, slippery and steep. I think he used this hike as a litmus test to see how we would handle subsequent excursions. 

When we got back it was time for dinner. We were the only guests there, which seemed a little odd. As it ended up, we were the only guests for three of the four nights we stayed there. After a long day of travel and the hike, we were ready for a nice shower to clean up and cool off before going to sleep in the non-air conditioned cabin. Unfortunately there was no hot water, so we made due with a cold shower.

first hike and dinner