Topic: Chile, Costa Rica, or Equador Posted: 13 Mar 2008 at 11:20pm
If you had to pick one which would it be and why?
What runs would you make sure and do?
I want to plan a winter escape next year and although I don't have months to burn like some of you junkies... I would like to pack alot in for two weeks.
James, having been to Ecuador and Chile, I'd pick Ecuador if you want to pack in the runs and better yet, do it in warm water, especially given your time constraint. Chile is really nice, but pretty expensive by South American standards. The Ecuadorian government has done a nice job of identifying and promoting put-ins/takeouts,especially in the Quijos valley. That and the locals are really used to and like kayakers and getting around is way easy and cheap.
To get the most rivers I'd work your plan this way. Spend the first week with Small World Adventures, (yep it's a plug but they are good and deserve it) paddling everyday, this will get you exposed to more water than you would on your own, because you're not dealing with the logistics. Plus they are more than willing to give you directions/ideas for the second week when on your own. Then the next week, go on your own and head over to Tena. You can rent a boat over there. Cheaper than hauling one down, although you can do that, just not over the Christmas/New Years time frame. In Tena, hit the Piatua, Mishualli, Jondachi (upper for challenging creeking, lower for play and good times), and the list goes on. You'll get around by bus or truck cab--you don't want to drive in Ecuador, they are crazy. Start up some spanish lessons now so you're better than this guy. It just helps out, especially in the jungle. And take lots of small bills.
If you have any other questions shoot me a PM and I'll fill you in. Actually that goes for anyone interested in heading south. -Nick
James, You know what kind of boaters we are (and aren't) so take this advice in that context. But, having paddled now in both Costa Rica and Ecuador, Ecuador wins hands down. fIn fact, we can't wait to go back! Costa Rica is nice but Ecuador is fantastic. I think cronar's advice of going with an organized group the first week is good advice and will really help you efficiently and quickly get a lay of the land both in the Quijos area and in Tena. There are a few different companies down there all doing roughly similar trips at various ability levels (we were with DeReimer Adventure Kayaking and were a day off the Small World trip while we were there).
Watch out for the ankle biting insects and don't drink the water! arn
arn9schaeffer@gmail.com (remove 9 for my real email address)
J-
I would argue that your choice here has a lot to do with what you want. CR, Ecuador
and Chile offer different things. My 2cents having lived in CR for 7 months and Chile for 3 months...
1) Costa Rica: Well developed, almost 1st world country with great
rivers. Because it is well developed, most people do this on their own
which, IMO, lessens their experience. It is easier to do on your own
than in Ecuador because the roads are good, car rental is easy, ect...
but going with an outfitter to any country (unless you have many
months) is going to be better than on your own. Costa Rica has a few
distinct regions for paddling, most people only go to Turrialba,
missing out on some of the best stuff CR has to offer. Costa has steep
creeking, big water, river running, play boating, and surfing, all
within a stone's throw to an easy (and cheap(er)) international
airport. Costa Rica is also an ideal place to travel with your wife;
Ecuador and Chile are not.
2) Chile is awesome and very similar to the great Pacific Northwest.
This makes it a great place for classic boating, but not such a great
place for an interesting cultural experience. Imagine rolling into
Hood River in the summer, just everyone speaks Spanish, and thats about
what you would find in Pucon, Chile. Chile is about the same price as
the US (Car rental $50-70/day, Hostel $10 and up, Hotel $50 and up).
The runs in Chile are very spread out. You have to travel 1000km from
Santiago to Pucon, and close to another 500km plus a 10 hour ferry to
get to the Futa. From there its another 1000km to the Baker. There
are a bunch of other runs in there, but Chile has a lot of driving to
get all the goods. With gas close to $5US a gallon, road tripping in
Chile is not for people on a tight budget. Although Chile would be a
nice place to visit for a couple, its not a tropical paradise, and
culturally it isn't very interesting.
3) Ecuador sounds like a great place to boat. Apart for my affliction
to jungle, humid weather, biting ants, polluted water, war or impending
threat of war (http://www.washingtontimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080303/FOREIGN/933500764/1001),
food parasites, ect... I think I may visit one of these days...
Everyone who has gone down with small world says they're great, and I'm
sure that is true. Ecuador has many classic jungle runs with warm
water and balmy tropical climate. As far as I know, most of the runs
in Ecuador are day trips. The Gallapagos Islands are a good place for
couples, but I don't know if the same is true about inland Equador...
My good friend who came on this latest mission to Peru SWEARS it was the best paddling ever, and he lived in Ecuador for a year and has boated all over the world. I also LOVED Peru and am jonsin' to get back, hopefully in Sept or Oct. Its a longer explanation than that, but for a guy like you, I think that Peru might be your cup of tea. Check out my blogspot or Kurt Casey's (http://www.peruwhitewater.com/riverindex.htm). Chat soon bro.
Of course this is a biased opinion, but Ecuador rocks! There is a huge variety in a very small area. Within 100 kilometers there are more rivers than one could hope to do in 2 weeks.
And, yes, this is biased too, but Small World's private riverside lodge, our kayak fleet (over 60 kayaks for you to choose from) and the fact that the guides spend 4-5 months each year in Ecuador, love to kayak and explore on their weeks off, and know the country and the rivers amazingly well make SWA a great choice for an outfitter if you decide to go that route.
If you decide to do it on your own, be sure to check out our guidebook, and feel free to contact me with any questions you might have.
Not to start a p*ssing contest - just as another data point.
Having traveled to Ecuador, Costa Rica and Chile *WITH* my wife , I can say that Chile is definitely a place to travel with your wife. It is our favorite country in Latin America and we've spent 2 months there and traveled from the top to the bottom (though never paddled). Deborah would say that she felt safest in Chile - both from a food/water/disease safety as well as personal safety. She felt somewhat safer there than Costa Rica - *MUCH* safer in Chile than Ecuador. Sadly, Ecuador is a very poor country and there is certainly plenty of petty crime in the big cities (two people staying in our hotel got mugged just a few doors away).
That said, she loved the paddling in Ecuador and can't wait to go back.
Just my two cents...
Edited by arnobarno - 14 Mar 2008 at 8:12pm
arn9schaeffer@gmail.com (remove 9 for my real email address)
Ok, Now I need to defend Ecuador just a little bit
I often hear people voicing concern about Ecuador being safe or not, and the country sometimes gets an UNDESERVED reputation for being dangerous. I'll give you Quito, there is some petty crime there, but what big city in the US does NOT have petty crime (and worse)?
In the main boating areas, Tena, Baeza, Borja things are incredibly safe! As a woman, I'm often extra cautious while traveling alone, but I feel completly safe (day or night) in the parts of Ecuador we are kayaking in. In fact, I'd say that is true for most of Ecuador. Like you said, the big cities are a different story, but that is true just about everywhere in the world.
I've worked in Ecuador for 6 years now, and wouldn't do it if I felt it were unsafe. The people there are incredibly friendly and I've never felt like I had a better community of people than I do when I'm hanging out in Borja.
I get to post a second time since Arno and Darcy posted twice.
I'll echo the Chile comments. Safe, spread out boating, much like the Northwest (uncannily), and you really need more than 2 weeks to have a meaningful trip to this part of the world.
However, Ecuador is safe too. Granted they are having some issues with the neighbors right now, but they are a stable government. The people are genuinely friendly to outsiders and proud of their country. Quito does have some petty crime, and a lot of it is documented in guide books. With that said, I felt safer wandering around Quito, than I did wandering around Philidelphia where I speak the native tongue. My spanish is not good. Yes the country has poverty. We Northwesterners, I find, tend to be uncomfortable around poverty than other folks in the country for some reason. Maybe it's because of the relative affluence we have in the region and our isolation. But I did not find any issues with people trying to take things from me when in Ecuador, and I didn't go out of my way to take a lot of extra precautions.
I will say that I saw more women traveling on their own/without male companions than I have anywhere else in Latin America. I think that speaks volumes about the safety of the country.
Traveling with a spouse can offer all sorts of good experiences. My wife went with me this last time down. She boated other rivers than I did, and toured around some of the towns more than I had a chance. I'm not sure if your wife would be into rafting, but that is an option. Also there are jungle treks/tours heading out of Tena every day. So there are some really good options. Plus you have the Galapagos as a really great option. Check out Otovalo if you want to take her on a cheap shopping trip for some great products.
I think you're doing the right thing here asking for opinions. You're definitely getting them. Traveling to a foreign country can be scary, but once you do it, you realize these places really aren't so different and what is different, just enlightens you a little more.
Tobin, as for paddling in warm water. It goes something like this, no ice cream headaches, getting worked in a hole isn't as scary, you've got a bit more energy for which to paddle (not shivering all the time) and those lines you'd normally not run up here all of a sudden seem a lot easier when it's warm.
Finally, if you want to check out some pics from the trip this year, follow the url, I can't get it to link.
I just want to make sure I don't leave the wrong impression here. We LOVED Ecuador and thought it was an incredibly beautiful country with incredibly gracious people. Like I said, we both can't wait to go back. And, Deborah certainly felt safe (enough) in Tena and in the Quijos region.
And, also realize that my statement wasn't just about personal safety - rather including things like food and water safety. In Chile and CR, we could safely drink the tap water virtually everywhere. And, in Chile, you aren't dealing with tropical diseases that you need vaccines for.
But on personal safety, Quito and the tourist towns have a DESERVED reputation (in my opinion) for petty crime. It wouldn't stop us from going but in our one week of traveling
(outside of the paddling areas), in addition to two people being mugged
just outside our hotel in Quito (in a nice part of town), we twice
caught people scoping us to steal a small backpack (once in Otovalo, once in Quito). And, just to be clear here - we saw people exchanging signals and our actions caused them to alter their plan and choose different prey. Also, realize, that when I say this, it isn't because I am unfamiliar with poverty - I live in Belltown and I sadly see homeless people and poor people all the time. I wish there wasn't poverty and that these people weren't living on the street - but my reaction to these other countries isn't based on a Northwest starry eyed view of the world. And, after all, I grew up in Philly, and yes, parts of Philly are more dangerous than Quito. My impression also isn't based on going down as a member of the landed gentry and wearing flashy clothes or jewelry. At best we looked like northwest outdoorsy types (without logo wear) and I speak reasonable Spanish.
So, I don't think this is in conflict with what Darcy is saying. Keep your wits about you in the big cities in Ecuador. But, you'll feel safe in the countryside.
Again, it is an incredibly beautiful country, one we can't wait to go visit again (and hope to be paddling there in 2009).
Edited by arnobarno - 15 Mar 2008 at 11:24am
arn9schaeffer@gmail.com (remove 9 for my real email address)
You cannot post new topics in this forum You cannot reply to topics in this forum You cannot delete your posts in this forum You cannot edit your posts in this forum You cannot create polls in this forum You cannot vote in polls in this forum
Register
Login
Active Topics
Memberlist
Search
IP Logged
![]("http://www.professorpaddle.com/forum/smileys/smiley33.gif")
![]("smileys/smiley1.gif")
, I can say that Chile is definitely a place to travel with your wife. It is our favorite country in Latin America and we've spent 2 months there and traveled from the top to the bottom (though never paddled). Deborah would say that she felt safest in Chile - both from a food/water/disease safety as well as personal safety. She felt somewhat safer there than Costa Rica - *MUCH* safer in Chile than Ecuador. Sadly, Ecuador is a very poor country and there is certainly plenty of petty crime in the big cities (two people staying in our hotel got mugged just a few doors away).![]("http://www.professorpaddle.com/forum/smileys/smiley1.gif")
