Rainforest Expedition in Ecuador
By Matt Lepkowski and Mike Yaeger
Quick FactsDestination:
Coca, Ecuador |
Slivers of daylight crept over our contorted bodies as the bus rumbled ever further into the jungle. This would present the most unique experiences of our trip, if not our lives. The air was becoming thicker with moisture and both sides of the dirt road were covered with lush undergrowth, and towering trees as far as the eye could see. At times during the ten-hour bus ride from Quito to Coca, it seemed like the bus would not make it on the unpaved, and rarely traversed route. At one point during the night, we awoke to a contingent of men changing one of the bus tires that had gone flat. The bus did finally make it and we were soon standing deep in the jungle, awaiting the opportunity to go even further and deeper into the rainforests of Ecuador.
Transportation to the Rainforest from Quito, Ecuador via Bus
All buses to other cities and villages leave from the "Terminal Terrestre" (Bus Station), on the Western edge of Quito. The bus station is quite a confusing, dirty and intimidating place, with many unsavory characters calling it home, and a myriad of options for reaching any particular destination. The ticket agents are organized by destination with a number of companies offering buses to the same place.
The most important differences between them are the quality of buses they have and the cost, which are directly related. Cost differences are minimal, but quality differences are major, and I recommend paying the extra money for the best bus you can find. Another consideration is that with such a long journey, it's best to take an overnight bus, as this will save you the cost of a hotel for a night, and won't waste any daytime.
Some lines will accept reservations,
and will refuse to sell a traveler tickets without a reservation. One one occasion
we went to one of the bus offices and inquired about tickets back to Quito. We were
greeted with a response of "Se necessita hacer reservacionnes de 24 horas" (you
need reservations with 24 hours notice). I simply said, "�Hay asientos?" (are there
seats?), she smiled and said yes and sold us the tickets. Chances are there are
plenty of seats on the bus, but persistence is often required. Customer service
is not a common trait in Ecuador like in many first world countries.
We paid 7.50 USD each for the 10-hour ride to Coca on one of the nicer buses. It was a large bus that sat about 40 people, with a locked compartment for luggage underneath, and a simple bathroom. It had a television, and they played "Falling Down" in English with Spanish subtitles, as well as provided a coke and a bag of cheez-it like snacks. The rest of the trip, the driver blared Latin pop music at very high volumes, despite the fact that all of the passengers were trying to sleep as best they could.
As morning came, we were no longer surrounded by mountains, but by a lush green combination of swamp and forest. We made several river crossings, accomplished by driving onto a wooden raft and which was pulled across with ropes and pulleys. Soon, the empty jungle expanses gave way to small outcroppings of thatched huts on stilts, and eventually, ten hours after leaving, we arrived in the border jungle town of Coca. We got off the bus with some trepidation, as Coca did not appear to be much more than a few structures sitting in the middle of nowhere.
Coca, Ecuador
We arrived in Coca at 6:30 in the morning and were welcomed by the mud and filth of this one-time oil boomtown. The unpaved streets are bordered by concrete sidewalks or wooden planks, and dilapidated structures, many of which appeared to be abandoned. Raw sewage floats through the streets in many places and at some points the stench became unbearable.
The muddy streets of Coca, Ecuador
Along the streets in the interior of the city were many vendors selling cheap clothing and trinkets, while the exterior of the city was residences and a few hotels. This village had been a busy oil town filled with American and Ecuadorian oil workers until the oil companies tapped the available resources and withdrew for more oil rich areas. Unfortunately, the town's economy was based on the oil money, and now many struggle to survive based upon an emerging tourist industry.
Lodging in Coca, Ecuador
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The courtyard of the Hotel Auca |
The Hotel Auca lies on the main strip, such as it is, and appears to be in better shape than most of the other places in town. The interior lived up to the exterior, as it was quite clean and modern, with a beautiful garden courtyard complete with hammocks and colorful macaws. It was quite isolated from the grime outside. For 9 USD each, we had a room with three beds, and a private bath with semi-warm water. The floor, walls and ceiling were made of wood panels and there were fans mounted on the ceiling. The staff is very friendly, letting us store luggage, providing advice, and helping us locate our guide for the rainforest tour.
We also were referred to the Hotel Oasis, which was farther from the city center, and appeared quite nice, but they were unable to provide us a room until late in the evening, so we stuck with the Hotel Auca.
Food in Coca, Ecuador
Breakfast was at the Hotel Auca, where for about 1.50 USD, they offer coffee or tea, bread and jam and either fresh fruit or eggs. The restaurant was clean and modern and the fruit was very fresh.
Lunch could be had at any of the local "Almuerzos", which literally means "lunches", and offers a fixed menu for very little money. We tried the Residencial Lo Janita, where we had beef soup, beef steak, rice and a salad for 1.50 USD.
The birds at the Hotel Auca
Our last night in Coca, we treated our guides to a dinner at one of the most expensive restaurants in town, the Monte Carlo (it's competitor is Restaurant el Cond�r). It was quite elegant by any standard, and offered a large menu of continental fare, although the food was actually quite mediocre. Dinner for five with drinks came to about 40 USD.
Ecuador
Rainforest 
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