Last paddle up the creek
Pato in the canoe after we disembarked at Guest Center
My new friend in Coca
That monkey wanted my passion fruit
Toucan in Coca
Llama at The Center of the World outside Quito
Harvey and Luis and El Che
Up into the Andes - Bus trip to Hacienda Zuleta
The bags have arrived at Hacienda Zuleta
Balcony area upon arrival
Main entrance to Hacienda Zuleta 
Main courtyard at Hacienda ZuletaAfter the 5:00 wake up knock and our final breakfast it was back in the canoes one more time for the trip back to the information Center. We had a 10 minute restroom stop and then back in the motorized canoe for our trip back up the Napo to Coca. The trip back was done in about 3 hours once again with machine like efficiency. We had a few minutes on the dock area in Coca and we walked around and saw 4 parrots sitting on a perch. Luis walked up to one and put out his finger and he hopped right on. Later I put one on my arm and was walking around with a parrot when a monkey jumped on my back pack to try and get a Passion Fruit out of the side webbing. The parrot was squawking and eventually someone gave the monkey the fruit and calm prevailed. It’s pretty funny that we went all that way into the Amazon and got the closest to animals right there on the dock. We got the yell to get on the bus back to the airport when a pair of Toucans hopped out and were right there in front of us. They had blue feet – not what I expected. A few quick shots with the camera and it was off to the airport. After boarding the 30 minute flight back to Quito was calmly routine. When we deplained and collected our luggage (by hand from a cart) Jose was waiting for us out front with the bus. We had left our “extra” luggage at the Hilton when we left for the Amazon. Jose had some money to tip the staff there for keeping the luggage for us and it was all loaded on the bis. It was time to say goodbye to Paul and Lorraine who unfortunately had to head back to the world.
Now it was time to stop at La Mitad del Mundio (The Center of the World). This is about a half hour north of the airport. Way back when the French determined what they thought was the exact location of the Equator. It turns out that when GPS technology was used the place they chose was slightly off. Well, the monument had ben built so the original wrong spot remains the place to go. There is a red line painted in the ground and you can take a goofy picture with one foot in the Northern Hemisphere and one foot in the Southern Hemisphere. Who could pass up this opportunity? After the photo op and some light lunch we piled back into the bus to head upwards into the high Andes. Weaving upwards with many switchbacks we eventually found or stop for the next three nights. The final 2 miles or so are down some pretty bumpy rocky roads but boy was it worth the effort! Hacienda Zuleta is a working farm described as “An intimate encounter with the Ecuadorian Andes”. The hacienda has 15 beautifully decorated bedrooms, all with their own fireplace. Guests have access to cozy reading and living rooms inn a peaceful atmosphere. Wonderful cooking and regional cuisine is offered daily with fresh organic vegetables, trout and dairy produced on the farm.
We were greeted upon arrival by Fernando the son and grandson of two previous presidents of Ecuador. Later that evening he gave us some of the history of the hacienda. Dating from the late 16th century,, Hacienda Zuleta lies in the spectacular Andean Mountain range in Ecuador on a 4.000 acre (2,000 hectare) working farm. One of the world’s “Top Ten Finds” according to Outside Magazine, this estate has been in the family of former Ecuadorian president Galo Plaza Lasso for over 100 years. Hacienda Zuleta is located at 9,600 feet (2,800 meters) above sea level and only two hours north of the capital city of Quito. The previous was taken directly from the brochure for the hacienda. It’s pretty obvious that this family is super rich! Fernando told us that his relatives were among the first Europeans to arrive in Ecuador and were granted large (hugh) amounts of land by the Spanish governors. The hacienda is a home with tons of spectacular silver and antique wooden furniture peaces not to mention priceless religious artwork and statues. There are family picture in every room and you really feel you are in a home (although not one we are used to being in). It’s more like an Ecuadorian version of a castle in Europe. After a fantastic meal we retired to our rooms which had a fire going in the fireplace. After a day started in the jungle and ending high in the Andes we were ready for some sleep and ready to go for it in the morning.
Now it was time to stop at La Mitad del Mundio (The Center of the World). This is about a half hour north of the airport. Way back when the French determined what they thought was the exact location of the Equator. It turns out that when GPS technology was used the place they chose was slightly off. Well, the monument had ben built so the original wrong spot remains the place to go. There is a red line painted in the ground and you can take a goofy picture with one foot in the Northern Hemisphere and one foot in the Southern Hemisphere. Who could pass up this opportunity? After the photo op and some light lunch we piled back into the bus to head upwards into the high Andes. Weaving upwards with many switchbacks we eventually found or stop for the next three nights. The final 2 miles or so are down some pretty bumpy rocky roads but boy was it worth the effort! Hacienda Zuleta is a working farm described as “An intimate encounter with the Ecuadorian Andes”. The hacienda has 15 beautifully decorated bedrooms, all with their own fireplace. Guests have access to cozy reading and living rooms inn a peaceful atmosphere. Wonderful cooking and regional cuisine is offered daily with fresh organic vegetables, trout and dairy produced on the farm.
We were greeted upon arrival by Fernando the son and grandson of two previous presidents of Ecuador. Later that evening he gave us some of the history of the hacienda. Dating from the late 16th century,, Hacienda Zuleta lies in the spectacular Andean Mountain range in Ecuador on a 4.000 acre (2,000 hectare) working farm. One of the world’s “Top Ten Finds” according to Outside Magazine, this estate has been in the family of former Ecuadorian president Galo Plaza Lasso for over 100 years. Hacienda Zuleta is located at 9,600 feet (2,800 meters) above sea level and only two hours north of the capital city of Quito. The previous was taken directly from the brochure for the hacienda. It’s pretty obvious that this family is super rich! Fernando told us that his relatives were among the first Europeans to arrive in Ecuador and were granted large (hugh) amounts of land by the Spanish governors. The hacienda is a home with tons of spectacular silver and antique wooden furniture peaces not to mention priceless religious artwork and statues. There are family picture in every room and you really feel you are in a home (although not one we are used to being in). It’s more like an Ecuadorian version of a castle in Europe. After a fantastic meal we retired to our rooms which had a fire going in the fireplace. After a day started in the jungle and ending high in the Andes we were ready for some sleep and ready to go for it in the morning.
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