Ecuador
Ecuador lies in South-America and is a beautiful vacationcountry by its enormous variety of climate zones, nature landscapes, population and traditions. This wealth of nature and climate is found in strident contrast with the poverty of economics, education, feeding and health care.

Ecassef
Jean Stragier and Ria Delaere live since 1998 in Ecuador.
They founded Ecassef to offer an answer to the questions and problems of the local population.
More information about Ecassef.

What is a familiarisation trip ?
Under the expierenced guidance of Jean and/or Ria, you visit the beautiful areas of the country:
The coastal area, the deep-green jungle and the high Andes.
At the same time, it is a meeting with the different population in the country:
the Indians or Indígenas as they prefer to be called, the mestizos, and the negro population.

A ‘familiarisation trip’ with Ecassef offers additional aspects that are not found in a classical trip.
You visit different projects of Ecassef.
You learn more about the needs of the country and you will see with your own eyes
how Ecassef is co-operating with the local population.
At the same time the local partner realizes that he is not alone,
which is motivating him in turn.
From the price you pay for the trip, each day and from each participant, we spend USD 5 on the projects.

The guidance takes place by somebody of Ecassef living in Ecuador and who well knows the Ecuadorians and their habits.
The focus is at the real Ecuador.
From the first hand you receive information about the reality and the life itself.
Things, you normally don't find in a regular travel guide.
You will also leave the regular touristical paths.

Also the traveller who is up to bargains gets attention.
Ecuador offers a variety of beautiful artesania: from juwels, to handbags and planthangers to beautiful ceramics and poncho’s.
The focus lies on ‘fair trade’, where we eliminate the middlemen as much as possible and take care that the producer receives a fair price.

Photos of the familiarisation trip in january 2008 can be found here.

Practical information and subscriptions
The amount of places is limited to a maximum of 15 persons.
Anyone with a good health can participate.
During the walking trips, 2 guides are available.
In this way, we make it possible to split up the group in a more sportive and a quieter part.
We spend the nights in middle class hotels or in pile dwellings in the jungle.
The transport is done by local transport, and sometimes with private buses.

Price per july 2008: 2660€.
Included: Flight with Iberia (tickets are arranged by Joker),
all overnight stays and meals, all transport costs and admission charges.
Not included: Airport tax in Quito (USD 40) at your return flight, possible extra fuelcharges, drinks during the meals, personal expenses, a travel- and cancellation insurance.

Familiarisation trip from july 2 2008 - july 23 2008 : 3 weeks
For all questions or subscriptions, contact Gino (0032)(0)56.51.94.82  gino.vanneste@belgacom.net
 

If you want to organize your own group trip with at least 9 persons, you can always organize it via Ecassef.
The right moment to go is advised to be discussed.
More information is available from Gino Vanneste: gino.vanneste@belgacom.net or at phone number: (0032)(0)56.51.94.82

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Route

We give you an idea of the route to travel.
The order is not 100% fixed as we want to adapt to the weather and eventual celebrations as much as we can,
so we can show you the places at the best possible moments.

With the Iberia flight, we arrive in the capital of Quito lying at a height of 2850m.

A spectacular drive alongside a deeply-cut river with waterfalls, brings us to Puyo, at the edge of the Amazone forest.
Here we make a three days jungle trip with highly experienced local guides.
The luggage will be transported for you.
We will walk through the rich vegetation to the waterfalls and will observe the impressive animals and plants.
At the same time we will learn more about the culture of the Indígenas from the jungle.
We will float the river with canoes, to the next camp place at a sjamaan"s, where you learn more about the tradidional medicines.
For the people with guts, there is a nightly trip to search for alligators.

Baños is a sociable touristical village at the foot of the Tungurahua vulcano
and here you have the choice between a mountainbike tour
or a visit to the thermal bathings.

From Baños we travel to Riobamba, from where we can see the sunset at the slope of the Chimborazo (6312m.),
the highest vulcano of Ecuador.

Otavalo will become our base for a few days.
It is a quiet village mainly inhabited by Indígena’s.
Gualsaqui, where Jean and Ria live, lies close to Otavalo.
It is also possible to visit them and from their Rancho El Lobo you can make beautiful walks and horse rides (optional).
Here you meet the animals and the plants of the quebrada’s.

The Saturday market in Otavalo starts very early and has a vast animal market.
The owners scream their best to receive the best prices for their animals.
On and around the Plaza de Poncho it swarms from market booths with artisanal products from Otavalo and its environment.

In the surroundings of Otavalo we will visit some projects supported by Ecassef.

From Otavalo we travel further to Puerto López,
an authentic coastal village with a fishermen's harbour.
From here, we make a day's trip to Isla de la Plata, also called small Galápagos.
During the crossing with the motor yaught,
in this period of the year there is a chance to see whales that come each year to this place to give birth to their offspring.
There is a possibility to Snorkel alongside the coral reef.

We visit the national parc of Machalilla where you find Agua Blanca, an important archeological site of the pre-columbian culture. We will have a guided tour in the local museum.
The nature around Agua Blanca forms an extraordinary savanne-biotope.

From Puerto López we drive back to Quito where we will have some time for a city tour just before we fly back to Belgium.

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