Ecotrackers online in English

December 08, 2006

WELCOME TO MY EXPERIENCES VOLUNTEERING IN ECUADOR

WHY VOLUNTEERING?

AFTER 10 MONTHS OF TRAVEL IN LATIN AMERICA ON THE GRINGO TRAIL, I WAS CRAVING AN ALTERNATIVE EXPERIENCE TO THE RUN OF THE MILL TOURISM. WHILE IN QUITO I STUMBLED ACROSS ECOTRAKKERS AND FOUND THAT I WAS INTERESTED IN THEIR PHILOSOPHY OF DEVELOPING ECOTOURISM AND AIDING COMMUNITIES IN THE LESS VISITED AREAS. SO WHEN DIRECTOR, MAXIMILLIANO MORENO OFFERED ME THE OPPURTUNITY TO BE THE FIRST VOLUNTEER TO VISIT THE MORONA AREA FROM ECOTRACKKERS ,I JUMPED AT THE OPPURTUNITY.

THE MISSION

MY MISSION WAS TO VISIT THE COMMUNITIES OF PUERTO MORONA AND SAN JOSE DE MORONA. THE PURPOSE OF THE VISIT WAS TO GIVE ENGLISH LESSONS IN THE LOCAL SCHOOLS AND COLLEGE, EXPLORE THE AREA FOR OPPURTUNITIES IN ECOTOURISM AND TO SEEK OUT CONTACTS AND INFORMATION FOR FUTURE VOLUNTEERS TO THE RIO MORONA AREA.

A SELF REWARDING EXPERIENCE

THE MORONA RIVER IS SITUATED IN THE SOUTHERN ORIENTE AREA OF ECUADOR CLOSE TO THE BORDER WITH PERU.THE RIVER FLOWS SOUTH-WEST TO EVENTUALLY LINK UP WITH THE AMAZON RIVER. IT TOOK OVER TWO DAYS TO REACH SAN JOSE DE MORONA FROM QUITO.DUE TO DERUMBAS (LANDSLIDES IN THE ROAD)ALONG THE WAY WE WERE DELAYED FOR A SHORT TIME, WHILE THE DRIVERS WORKED OUT HOW TO GET THE BUS TO THE OTHERSIDE. UPON ARRIVAL IN SAN JOSE I WAS WELCOMED WARMLY BY THE FREINDLY LOCALS WHO WERE KEEN TO KNOW WHY THIS GRINGO HAD TURNED UP IN THEIR SMALL PUEBLO. EVERYONE I SPOKE TO SEEMED TO THINK THAT THE IDEA OF VOLUNTEERS COMING TO TEACH ENGLISH TO THE CHILDREN WAS GOOD. ALSO THEY ARE INTERESTED IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF ECO-TOURISM IN THEIR AREA, WHICH HAS A LOT TO OFFER THE ADVENTURE TRAVELLER.

ONE MORNING WHILE I STROLLED AROUND I WAS INVITED INTO THE HOME OF A FAMILY TO TASTE THE CHICHA DE CHONTA (A DELICIOUS DRINK MADE FROM THE FRUIT OF A PALM TREE) AND TO CHAT ABOUT LIFE IN SAN JOSE AND IN MY COUNTRY. THE PEOPLE HERE LIVE A HUMBLE LIFE IN SIMPLE WOODEN HOUSES, THEY DRAW THEIR DRINKING WATER FROM UNDERGROUND AND LIVE WITHOUT ELECTRICITY. THEY WORK THE LAND, MOST FAMILIES HAVE A FEW HEAD OF COWS, CHICKENS AND PIGS.DUE TO THE ISOLATION OF THE COMMUNITIES THEY DON`T RECIEVE A LOT OF FOOD FROM OUTSIDE. THEY CULTIVATE CORN, BANANAS, YUCCA, PAPAS CHINA, COCONUTS AND SOME DELICIOUS FRUITS WHICH I HAD NEVER BEFORE SEEN SUCH AS, ZAPOTE, CACAO AND GUAYABA.THE RIVER SUPPLIES A GOOD VARIETY OF FISH.

TEACHING ENGLISH IN THE SCHOOL AND COLLEGE WAS DEFINITLEY A HIGHLIGHT OF THE EXPERIENCE FOR ME. THE CHILDREN ARE CURIOUS AND KEEN TO LEARN. EACH DAY IN THE SCHOOL I WAS OFFERED FRUIT, AND AFTER THE LESSONS SAT DOWN WITH THE STUDENTS TO EAT LUNCH. IN THE COLLEGE I WAS ABLE TO HELP ONE AFTERNOON PLANTING BANANA TREES WITH THE STUDENTS IN THEIR GARDEN.

ANOTHER GREAT EXPERIENCE WAS A TRIP UP EL RIO MORONA BY CANOE TO VISIT AN NATIVE SHUAR FAMILY. I WAS SHOWN AROUND THEIR LAND WHICH INCLUDED A PADDLE AROUND A BEAUTIFUL LAGOON SURROUNDED BY THICK JUNGLE , FILLED WITH THE SOUNDS OF BIRDS. ON THE RIVER WE SAW, TURTLES, CAIMANS AND BUFEO (FRESHWATER DOLPHINS) WHICH HAVE ADAPTED TO THE FRESHWATER OVER THE YEARS AND MIGRATED UP THE AMAZON RIVER. IN THE HOUSE OF THE SHUAR I TASTED THE CHICHA DE JAMANCHI (MADE FROM MASTICATED YUCCA), A STRONG BREW WHICH LEAVES YOU WITH A BIT OF A GLOW. I ALSO TRIED MUQUINDE WHICH ARE A FAT WHITE LAVE WITH A BLACK HEAD. THEY COOK THE MUQUINDE OVER THE FIRE WRAPPED IN BANANA LEAVES AND EAT IT WITH BOILED YUCCA, AND OF COURSE WASH IT DOWN WITH A SLUG OF LA CHICHA. THE HEAD OF THE FAMILY ALSO SHOWED ME SOME MEDICINAL PLANTS. AND HOW TO USE THE BODOQUERA, A 3 METRE LONG HOLLOW TUBE WITH WHICH THEY SHOOT DARTS BY BLOWING IN ONE END.

FROM PUERTO MORONA I SPENT A DAY FISHING AND EXPLORING THE PICTURESQUE RIVER AND LAGUNAS WITH SOME OF THE LOCAL PESCADORES. IT WAS A GOOD DAY FOR FISHING AS THE BOCACHICA (SMALLMOUTH) WERE IN THE AREA MAKING THEIR ANNUAL MIGRATION UP THE RIVER TO BREED.THE LAGUNAS ARE SPECTACULAR UNTOUCHED HABITATS HARBOURING MANY SPEICIES OF BIRD AND ANIMAL LIFE.