Canelos

Where on earth is Canelos? Well, it is an indigenous Kichwa community in the southeastern Andies foothills of Ecuador. Our adventure started in the morning with a taxi ride from Banos to the Oriente bus station (near the Mercado Mariscal) in Puyo. We were a bit early for our 12:30 pm bus so we waited and watched all the action. The locals were coming and going with their bags of rice, boxes of chicks, sacks of bananas etc. We must have looked quite out of place with our bright orange and purple backpacks and our fair skin. We were excited for our adventure into the rainforest. We were headed to the Huella Verde Amazon Rainforest Lodge. Lynda had read about it on Trip Advisor, and we liked the sound of its intimate size and quiet location. Once the bus got going, it only took us 45 minutes to reach Canelos. Our host, Christof, was waiting for us at the dropoff point. We piled into his Toyota 4 wheel drive pick up truck and drove across the village to the end of the road. From there we cross a suspension bridge over the river, and walked about a km into the lodge.  Rubber boots are included in the cost of your stay at Huella Verde and you do need them. It was the end of the rainy season and the path was pretty mucky. It didn't take us long to reach to lodge where we met Dagmar and 14 month old Tiago. Dagmar gave us a cold drink, we ordered our dinner and headed up to our cabin. The first order of business was a swim in the Bobonaza river. We changed our clothes and went back to meet Christof. He took us down to the river, escorted us to a safe sandbank and left us to enjoy the sun and a swim. Ahhh relaxation...this is what holidays are all about! That night we enjoyed a traditional Amazonian meal cooked by Dagmar and Christof. We had chicken and Tilapia cooked in large palm leaves, served with yucca, patacones (green bananas) and salad. It was a huge meal, but we had not eaten since breakfast so we had no problem scarfing it down.

Day 2: We awoke in the middle of the night to rain pounding down on the metal roof of our cabin. It was still raining when we went down for breakfast in the morning. It wasn't long before the rain stopped and we headed out for a rainforest walk with Luis, a Kichwa villager, who works for Christof and Dagmar. Interestingly, Luis does not speak English and we speak minimal Spanish. Craig did an excellent job of interpreting Luis' Spanish and hand jestures, and we had some plant identification sheets Christof printed off the internet for more detailed english information. We saw some insects and birds, and many plants used for varios medicinal purposes. All in all, it was an enjoyable way to see the surrounding rainforest. There was no power for the rest of the day because a tree fell across the power lines between Puyo and Canelos. Authorities reported that it would be fixed by 3 pm the following day. Luckily for us, Christof and Dagmar had a gas stove and oven. We might not have access to the internet, but we were not going to miss a meal.

Day 3: We walked the path back to the truck with Christof for a tour of the village of Canelos. It isn't a big village, but it does have history on its side. Canelos was originally founded in 1560 with the placement of the first Ecudorian Catholic mission. The church is still there, along with a boarding school for girls and boys. We also visited a pottery maker and learned about the making of chica, a fermented alcoholic drink, brewed in large pottery urns for special occasions. On our way back to the lodge, we met a group of women who had been out foraging on their land. They had bags and bags of produce. Christof offered them a ride back to town, so he and Craig loaded the bags into the back of the pick up and we delivered the women and the goods back to their home. Later that afternoon, Christof took us down to show us their cocoa plantation. In all they have 1000 trees, but they are currently in a state of disrepair. The price of cocoa dropped so low that it was not economically feasible for them to maintain the plantation. Now that the price of cocoa has risen again, they are beginning to rejuvenate it. Unfortunately, there is a lot of work to be done to prune the trees and eradicate the fungus that has taken over. We also learned about the process of harvesting and drying the cocoa seeds. They are white in colour until they are properly dried. Once dried, they are brown and can be ground up with a mill to make powder. Later that evening, we enjoyed a rich, tasty cup of hot cocoa made from some dried beans. It was a lot different than the Nestle's Quick we are used to in Canada.

It was our last night at Huella Verde. The power was back on shortly after 3 pm. Craig ordered ceviche for dinner and had a cooking lesson in the kitchen. He also convinced Christof and Dagmar to have dinner with us in the dining area. We were swarmed by flying termites as we sat and ate. It was nothing to worry about really. Dagmar and Christof informed us that it was a sign of a storm  coming. A couple of hours later, tucked away in our cabin, the lightning and thunder and rain were upon us. By morning, it was clear again and the termites were gone.

We loved our stay at Huella Verde. We were lucky enough to be the only guests at the time we were there. Christoph and Dagmar were fabulous hosts. Their location is easy to get to and perfect for people who want to enjoy the peace and quiet of the rainforest without having to travel hours and hours into the bush.

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