Expedition to Peru

During the time of our placement in San Jose, there was an undergoing project, by the same director, which involved an expedition by canoe from Ecuador to Peru.

The main objective of the project was to promote the potential for ecotourism in the area and to promote the freedom for Ecuadorians to travel the Morona river to Peru. In the past this journey had not been possible due to the conflict between the two countries. At the end of the war between Peru and Ecuador in 1999, an agreement was made between the two countries to allow Ecuadorians the freedom to travel to Peru via the Morona river. However, to date, never had such a journey taken place. We were therefore the first ever group of people to do so.

Michael and I were fortunate to be invited to attend this unique experience. The 6 day journey from Puerto Morona (near San Jose) to San Lorenzo (Peru) commenced on the 1^st March 07. Ecotrackers volunteers, together with news paper reporters and journalists were invited on this journey which was the first of its kind in history.

28^th Feb – The final preparation of the canoe was completed, and we then travelled a short distance where we camped for the night. This was at the border, and was the meeting point for the remainder of the guests to join us for the journey.

March 1^st – We were joined by the rest of the party at 6am, and after breakfast we started the journey. The first stop was at a Peruvian Military base, where two Peruvian soldiers joined us for the journey to San Lorenzo.

We travelled each day for about 8 – 10 hours, stopping briefly for a swim, and toilet stops. Food was cooked on the canoe, with supplies brought by everyone, and fresh fish caught in the river by Louis and Michael (piranas and catfish). Drinking water was boiled from the river and also used for cooking. During the travel time, we entertained ourselves with card games, singing Ecuadorian folk songs, and guitar playing.

As volunteers, it was wonderful to share the joy and excitement the Ecuadorian people felt on this historic journey, who were undertaking for the first time the freedom to travel the Morona river and Maranion river to Peru.

Accommodation on the journey to San Lorenzo, was spent at Indian villages, where we were welcomed by the community leaders. Meals were prepared for us using traditional methods, and their schools were opened for us to sleep in. Some evenings were spent by the fire, singing songs, to entertain our Indian hosts.

We arrived in San Lorenzo a day behind schedule, due to difficult navigation in low water. San Lorenzo is a unique city as it has no road access. We all stayed in a hostel for two nights, and ate in the local restaurants. Everywhere we stopped along the way, we were received gladly by the various communities. Their hospitality was excellent, and all seemed encouraged by this trip as it is beneficial for those villages located along the route, as it will create trade and eco tourism which can only help in making the communities prosper. Also, these communities were encouraged by the prospect of having volunteers in the future, to teach English at their schools.

The return journey took three days, and we stayed overnight at the same Indian villages as we did on the way. We arrived back at Puerto Morona, feeling a great sense of achievement. We were very honoured to be part of this unforgettable experience, and hope that other volunteers and tourists take the opportunity to travel to Peru in this unique way.

Conclusion

We have had a varied experience by volunteering with Ecotrackers. Our time spent teaching English in San Jose was very satisfying and enjoyable. We would recommend this project to future volunteers as it will become more interesting as the project develops and gains more momentum.