Sunday, January 15, Photo of the Day – Manta, Ecuador

Where in the world are we?

Today’s Excursion -PACOCHE HANDICRAFTS & WILDLIFE REFUGE

We hiked into a leafy coastal forest reserve frequented by howler monkeys and exotic birds.

Lush green Pacoche Forest is a precious, ecologically complex remnant of the primeval forest that once covered vast swathes of Ecuador’s coast. Today, it provides a protected home to an enormous wealth and diversity of species.

Our drive from the pier traverses unmarked but obvious habitat boundaries between the predominant dry forest and pockets of wetter forest like the one we explored at Pacoche Lodge. Our guided hike set out from a trailhead on the lodge grounds, situated just next to the Pacoche Wildlife Refuge. The lodge’s trails offered a private glimpse into this fascinating ecosystem where hundreds of birds flit among the dense canopy and howler monkeys call across distances.

Returning from the rigorous trek, we had a local lunch and enjoyed presentations of weaving techniques used to make Panama hats – which really should be called Ecuador hats – and discovered how many eco-friendly end products can be carved from the ivory-like nuts of the Tagua palm.

That evening we had a Grand Pool Deck Barbeque Under The Stars