Board field trip to Ecuador/Peru 2007

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ahh, climbing Machu Piccu and seeing masdevallia veitchiana has always been a dream of mine, Can I meet you at the border?
:clap:
 
Lien - that sounds like a great idea - i know ill want to bring plants back with me. its pleurothallid heaven down there, so im sure it would be a wet dream for me. id like to find some sobralias as well (i got a S. decora today - only sobralia to keiki).

I think a 7 day trip sounds about right - probably help with the round trip price too, wouldnt it?
 
on a real note guys count me in! my wife has given me the ok:drool: when we figure out more definate plans let me know about a total price. i live in rochester ny so anyone close we can carpool to a closer airport!


heather will you go on a frog tour with me:D
 
3- I am going

Maybe Kyle can pipe in here and tell us what week might be good to fly down. Then we can set a date and start really confirming everything.
 
no fair! :sob:

I just checked the cost from Sydney to Guayaquil -------- $4899!!!!

looks like I'll be waving the von voyage flag!

however, the NEXT trip - destination Borneo (fingers crossed) should be easier to manage!
 
Screw it!!! For the next trip, everyone save money, and we'll do a Southeast Asian paph tour for a month or two. :evil:
 
Southeast Asia definitely sounds like fun also, Tien.

I cannot commit yet, but I'm seriously interested in going if people really get this together. I have to say though, I'd have a hard time going down there and not spending some time in Peru as well, but maybe I could go off on my own after the Ecuadoran adventure. I really want to see Macchu Picchu someday....
 
after checking cheap tickets the cheapest i found was 750$ from my local airport in rochester. that is a fair price! anyone have any other sites for cheap tickets?
 
adiaphane said:
Screw it!!! For the next trip, everyone save money, and we'll do a Southeast Asian paph tour for a month or two.:

i'm with you, but with a little alteration. i think it should be for a year or two.
i'll start playing the lottery today. i should win by wednesday, right? if so, the trip's on me...
 
PHRAG said:
3- I am going

Maybe Kyle can pipe in here and tell us what week might be good to fly down. Then we can set a date and start really confirming everything.

I'm in, unless I get a real job between then and now.

I think what needs to be done is every one needs to decide what they want from the trip (what species they want to see, tourist destinations, orchid nurseries. frogs etc.) and then we decide what course of action to take, probably most importantly, where to fly into. I always flew into Guayaquil because its closer to Ecuagenera. But Quito might be a better place to start a tour.

I recommend we use a tour guide, I have gone looking on my own and seen only a fraction of the plants that I saw when I would go on a Ecuagenera tour to the exact same place.

7 Days is good, but the longer you stay, the more you can see.

And if people want to pick out plants at Ecuagenera, that alone takes a day. Ecuagenera can then mail the plants to you from the next show they do in the US.

So what does everyone want to see?

Kyle
 
Kyle was asking what everyone wants to do. I am not into camping out, so some sort of civilization is a requirement for me. I do not really have specific species in mind that I want to see on a tour, besides maybe besseae. I have no interest in frogs or other wildlife. I think it is just going to take some planning to let everyone see what they want to do.

We don't all have to do the exact same things once we get there. Maybe we could plan an orchid tour for the group, and then we could split up and do our own thing before we meet back up and visit Ecuagenera or some other tour.
 
i am game for anything i know i will see frogs along the way on an orchid tour good enough for me!
 
You don't have to worry about camping, hotels are cheap enough that it makes camping kinda silly. However, the hotels are pretty basic, some might not have hot water, but after a day in the blazing sun, a cold shower sometimes feels jsut fine.

Besseae is easy to see, its blooms year round and is right near the road.

I saw a couple of frogs, but I have no idea where the majority hang out. None were all the colorful. If you wnat I could post a picture. I would assume the amazon, not the cold at night mountains. I saw tadpoles on the way to kovachii...

Ecuagenera has two nurserys, the big one up in the mountains near Cuenca and another one in the amazone for the really warm loving things. Besseae is on the way from one nursury to the other.

But there are quite a few interesting Orchid and tourist spots further north near Quito. There are more orchids per mile from Quito to Mindo then anywhere else in the country. Mindo is the birding capital of Ecuador. I saw a pair of toucans. There is also Otovalo, a huge market town. But that is far from Besseae.

My advice is to fly into Quito, go up to Otovalo for a day or so. There is whitewater rafting near Mindo is you like. Then go over to Otovalo. Down to Banos where you can see phrag lindinii, among other things. Theres hot springs in Banos. Drive to Ecuagenera the next day, and look around. Then to pangui, where the other nursery is. Get to see besseae, then return to ecuagnerea via a different route, see another population of besseae. Another night at Ecuagenera. Then to Cuenca, fly to Quito then fly home.

Thats just a possible route. Time wise it should take a week. The drive from Banos to the south is long and there arn't many orchids to see along the way. There is a inca ruin to stop at.

I know I said flying to Guayquil was better, but I wasn't really thinking of it from an orchid tour perspective. You could fly into guayaquil then fly to quito. Its pretty cheap.

Is there any thing people want to do or see, other then frogs or besseae?

Kyle
 
Kyle, that sounds AWESOME! I am not huge on shopping, so if we didn't hit a marketplace I wouldn't be dissapointed. I am in this thing to see some plants, and take some photos. I can do all the shopping I need to do at Ecuagenera. The ruins sound like a good opportunity as well. Other than that I am just looking for some good food and cold beer and I will be set. As for everyone else, what are you hoping for?

Kyle, did you have other plans while you were down there? We kind of just lumped ourselves in with you, and I want to make sure you don't feel like you have to play tour guide to us.

This will be my first trip down there, so I think I need someone to tell me what I want to see, and Kyle's sample itenerary sounds perfect.
 
I'm definitely interested in checking out the frogs. And, believe it or not, my main reason (orchidwise) is to see the wild pleurothallids and see if i can conjure up any new culture ideas, although i would be VERY interested to see phrag lindenii ensitu!!

I would like to get a nice feel for the wild fauna as well, birds, insects, spiders, primates (if they have any?). The ruins sound like a good itme too.

Im kind of an allround sightseer - i hope this can be coincided with others' desires - the idea of doing one big group trip then split off and meet back up sounds pretty good.
 
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