Just back from another astounding adventure into one of the most dense, alive places on earth. Paul, one of our intrepid and knowledgeable La Selva Eco Lodge guides, pointed out at one point that the common notion of a forest is often understood to be a large gathering of, say, pine trees, or aspens. In other words, lots and lots of the same kind of tree. But, standing in the verdant jungle, teeming with life, he pointed out seventeen different species of trees, just within a quick head turn.
Thank you to our wonderful crew of staff, and workshop participants, hardy travelers all, who placed faith in us to create this wonderful adventure. It has made us all want to return.
We were staying at La Selva Eco-Lodge & Retreat, nestled by a lagoon off the Napo River, deep in the rainforest. The jungle, the birds, the wildlife-it’s all on your doorstep at this remarkable lodge. The lagoon is home to an amazing array of birds, darting about in the dense vegetation fringing the lagoon, which in and of itself is home to many wild things, most notably caimans.
Among the many beauties of the lodge (great bar, friendly staff, guides who know the enviroment like the back of their hand) is that it’s just been renovated, and you can spend hours trekking through the humid jungle, making photos of everything from magnificent birds to the tiniest of macro subjects, and return to a safe, secure, and comfortable night’s meal and night’s rest. (The food is great, I mean, you can’t go wrong with a chef named Elvis.) No air conditioning, no phones in the rooms. What accompanies you to sleep is the chorus of the jungle just outside your screened windows. Stay for a few days, and the surrounding forest becomes a wild and magnificent lullaby.
We were also located in same jungle neighborhood as the indigenous Kichwa people, who partner the lodge and offer teaching and acquaintance with their culture. We had Ari Espay with us, who is originally from Chile, and he was amazing at making beautiful bridges with the Kichwa. A prodigious photographer and open-hearted human, he was definitely in his element during this whole trip. He and his partner, Liza Politi, run Fancy Girl Street Boy Productions and have staged photo excursions and workshops all over the world. I taught alongside Ari and the wonderful Tamara Lackey, a fellow Nikon Ambassador. The three of us kept the critiques lively with our comments and the occasional, uh, how would you describe it? Well, okay, call it a difference of pictorial opinion, which the class generally embraced:)
And Ecuador itself is lovely. Warm hearted, wonderful people.
Nature at its most diverse and beautiful, and people to guide you through it.
And endless, serene beauty.
Ecuador is a dream, and La Selva is the doorway to that dream.
More tk….
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