Yen (my former roommate) was coming to visit me in the beginning of November so I had to be in Santiago by November 2nd. For the second time of trip, I had a friend visiting, which meant I had a deadline to be somewhere. While I was excited to see Yen, I hated having to be so planned with my schedule. If I had more time/didn’t have to meet up Yen then I probably would have gone to Bolivia after Ecuador and then come into Chile in the north through the Atacama Desert. But I decided there wasn’t enough time to power through Bolivia, and I wasn’t in a rush to get to Santiago, so I slowed down my already slow Ecuadorian pace even more. It was only the 17th of October and my flight from Quito to Santiago wasn’t until the 30th. These next couple stops were completely off the beaten path both for regular travelers and backpackers. I don’t think I met anyone else that went to either of these cities.
Archidona
Getting In
I got to the bus station in Baños and had nearly 2 hours to kill before the bus left for Tena. Once again getting wrong info from the hostel; they told me the bus left at 11:30 but it actually wasn’t until 1:30, so I grabbed some lunch nearby. The bus drove super slowly and the ride took 4 hours, which is longer than I thought it would take given the short distance on the map. Then I had to hop on another bus to get to Archidona. Tena wasn’t exactly the easiest bus station to figure out (shocker) but the timing worked out nicely where I found the correct bus going in the direction of Archidona and it left just seconds after I got on. This bus also drove super slowly and it took about 30 minutes. These jungle buses don’t exactly have the highest horse power. Then I got a taxi to Pacha Ecolodge and arrived a little after 6:30. It started raining as I arrived, just in time for Santi to show me around the lodge.
The City
Archidona is a colonial town in the Napa Province of Ecuador on the west side of the Ecuadorian Amazon rainforest. It is just north of the town of Tena, which sometimes gets visited by backpackers for its cloud forest, waterfalls, and whitewater rafting. The reason that I even went to Archidona (well actually just outside town in an Ecolodge) was that my friend Erica in Denver had recommended it. A few weeks earlier, she had seen on my Instagram stories that I was in Ecuador and she said if I had time that I need to visit her friend’s lodge and go rafting. Erica and her boyfriend had stayed there a couple years before and had the best time. Her boyfriend is a whitewater rafting guide in Colorado so they are serious rafters. She told me that the owners are incredible, the property is beautiful, and the rafting top notch; turns out that she was spot on about all three of these things.
I messaged her friend Santi (the owner) upon my arrival in Baños letting him know I was Erica’s friend and that I was interested in staying at his lodge and rafting. He asked me what dates because him and his wife Dani were about to leave for a 2-week trip (which I later found out was to go to Florida and visit theme parks like Islands of Adventure). I told him I could be there by the 17th and they were nice enough to accommodate me for two nights before they left for vacation. When I arrived, I was the only one staying at the entire lodge besides Santi, Dani, and the staff. While the lodging and kayaking were very expensive by Ecuadorian standards, I basically had a private experience with the owners during my entire stay. And it was an incredible one!
After my two days at the Pacha EcoLodge, I spent one night in the actual town of Archidona just relaxing, restocking on snacks, repacking by, and regrouping on travel plans. It’s a an offthe beaten path town that was very local and authentic. I didn’t see any other tourists and I was probably the first backpacker to visit all year. The town is not very built up with lots of construction on the road. It was a much-needed chill day after an adventurous last 10 days. There was a different energy in the air spectating this small jungle town. It was really cool to watch the kids running around, people grilling out in the streets using a blower to spark the fire, stray dogs everywhere. Things that I’ve seen a lot throughout my trip but something felt more real and down to earth watching people just living their lives here in Archidona.
The Lodging
The Pacha EcoLodge only has the capacity for 25 guests and is located just outside of Archidona on a beautiful 15-acre property with private beaches on the Misahuallí River, ornamental gardens of local plants, fruit trees, and incredible vistas of the Amazon Rainforest. They’ve really created an incredible vibe and energy to the place. I easily could have spent a month hanging out here. It would be a great place to bring a big group of friends and go rafting for a few days. Or even do a family vacation when the kids are a little older and more adventurous. I stayed in a Glamping cabin, the cheapest option at around $50, which had a nice big bed and a patio with incredible views of the luscious jungle trees.
After my two nights at Pacha EcoLodge, I just got a cheap hotel in Archidona which served its purpose as a place to chill out and relax.
The People
Santiago (Santi) and Daniela (Dani) were as amazing as Erica had advertised. They were incredibly friendly and welcoming people who were living the good life running their eco lodge and river rafting business. They were originally from Quito but moved to the jungle to live more in nature and to do what Santi loves best: run the river. They had an incredible operation going here with boutique luxury style accommodations in the jungle, insanely good food (more on that shortly), and river adventure activities (kayaking, whitewater rafting, multi day trips, instruction courses). This was such a great experience to stumble upon and I am so happy that Erica steered me in this direction.
Santi spoke really good English and we had some great chats over the couple days I was there. He’s from Quito but has been a rafting guide in the US and Ecuador for a long time. He started his own place to run people down the river. He also told me about how wild Ecuadorian New Year’s Eve is (I heard this from my host family in Montanita too) and some of the wacky traditions they have. I need to come back one year. During breakfast on the day that I was running the river, Santi told me how Channing Tatum came solo without security team and went rafting on the same rapids I would be doing. Bear Grylls also came and he was fake; they had to do a bunch of takes for everything. Rafting was too dangerous for him so they didn’t even go.
Santi also told me how their lodge had become a popular destination for whitewater raft and kayaking guides in the US to come on vacation and run the river. He would take them out the first day to ensure that they had the skillset and knowledge to go down the river without his team’s assistance than he would let them rent kayaks/rafts to go themselves. If you’re ever wondering where the river guides like to go on vacation, this was the spot. I’m sure it’s perfect for Santi too since all he has to do is rent them the equipment and let them be on their merry way. And it gives him an opportunity to meet all the different river junkies from the US. He also does kayak instruction courses where he teaches students how to solo kayak down the river. So, he really does have a diversity of services that they offer from the lodge.
Dani spoke a little English, but not too much, so it was a good opportunity to practice my Spanish with her. The dinner on the day after finishing my rafting trip, I spent the whole meal and even an hour after speaking in Spanish with Dani and Santi. I hadn’t spoken much Spanish the last 10 days so it was nice to see that I still had it. We had some really good conversations and discussed some topics that I hadn’t talked about in Spanish before. My time from living with my Ecuadorian family had paid off. We talked about how our generation had such a good perspective seeing the changes in technology having lived both before and after the Internet. Even though they were about 5 years older than me, since they are from Ecuador, they grew up way behind me as far as technology is concerned. They used cassettes much longer into the 90s and even into the 2000s before CDs even became more common. Dani is a big theme park and roller coaster fan, hence why they were going to Islands of Adventure, and we started talking about the old computer game Roller Coaster Tycoon. Now there’s a conversation I never thought I would have in Spanish.
Another great person at the EcoLodge was one of their chef’s, Jordan. He was a super friendly guy who also spoke really good English. I could tell he liked to practice so we stuck to English when I talked to him and we had some really nice conversations. Although one did give me a bit of traveler’s guilt, because when I told him I had saved enough money to travel for 8 months, he talked about how hard it is for anyone to save in Ecuador. The salaries are so low, even for professions like doctors and financiers, that people only have just enough money to provide for themselves and their families. And I did notice in Ecuador, more than anywhere else in South America, that people really hadn’t traveled much; even within their own country. It’s just too expensive and is a luxury they can’t afford. Of course, it’s a known fact that Ecuador isn’t the wealthiest country, but it’s always more interesting to hear a first-hand perspective from a local talking about these types of things.
The Food
The Pacho EcoLodge provided an incredible food experience. A giant breakfast spread was included with my stay; and the dinner cost an extra fee but was worth every penny. Jordan and Carlos made fine dining style meals with a creative approach and fresh ingredients. For dinner the first night we had an incredible lasagna with guacamole, cucumber salad, and a mango pepper salsa. Then for dessert we had homemade ice cream and a brownie. Wow what a delicious start to my stay here!
The following morning before we went rafting, they loaded me up with eggs, patacones, and a massive fruit bowl. Our lunch on the river was a delicious burrito with fresh hot sauce and homemade muffins. We also drank guayusa, which is a caffeinated tea made from leaves of Amazonian holly tree. It is very popular drink in these parts that I ended up trying multiple times.
The second night we had another amazing dinner with curried chicharron, rice, guacamole, and a veggie salad; followed by homemade ice cream and blond brownie for dessert. They really know how to feed you right at the Pacho EcoLodge: before, after, and during a big day on the river.
My one day in town at Archidona I had a $1 seco de pollo lunch at a little hole in the wall. It wasn’t a huge serving, but at the price of less than a cheeseburger at McDonald’s, it sure hit the spot. Santi had told me that I had to try maita while I was in town so I was on the hunt to find it for dinner. I ended up in this “outdoor food court” area with all these different food stands selling their local catch of the day. Every one of them was yelling at me and trying to get me to come to their restaurant. It seemed like as good a place as any to try maita tilapia. This traditional Ecuadorian jungle dish is prepared cooking a river fish in a banana leaf (called bijao). The bijao gets softened on the grill then the fish gets wrapped in the leaf and cooked to soak in flavors. My plate was served with a lemon, yuca, onion and tomato salad, and a pitcher of guayusa.
It was incredibly delicious and would definitely be my go-to dish if I lived in the Amazonian rainforest. The fish was cooked perfectly inside the banana leaf and was the perfect softness and juiciness to absorb all the different spices used. Since they gave me an entire pitcher of guayusa, I just sat there after dinner drinking tea and people watching. One crazy observation that I made; was everyone was still on their cell phone when looking at the family of 6 at the table next to me. Even in this tiny jungle town in the middle of nowhere Ecuador, family dinners still mean everyone is engaged in their cell phones rather than each other.
The Experience
Kayaking Jondachi and Hollín Rivers
I had originally reached out to Santi about a whitewater rafting trip, but since I was going solo and there were no other guests at the lodge, he said that we would have to do a kayaking trip on inflatable duckies. There were two trip options: one that included class II and III rapids; or one that was a longer day on the water and included class III and IV rapids. I had never done IK (Inflatable Kayak) before so I was a little unsure. With whitewater rafting I would definitely choose the harder one. I messaged Santi and told him I had gone rafting quite a few times but never IK, and I asked which expedition would he recommend. He said if I have an adventurous spirit and was willing to spend a little more money than definitely the class III and IV day because it was more fun rapids to run and the landscape more beautiful. Sold!
I had some slight nerves and anxiety after breakfast while we loaded up the truck with the IKs. I always get a little pre-rafting anxiety since the thought of falling out in the river scares me, but usually those fears are alleviated by the adrenaline rushing reward of going through the rapids. Jordan drove us in the truck 15 minutes to where we got out and hiked down to the drop off point. On the drive over, all the locals came running out of their houses to be the first ones to show up and help hike the kayaks the 20-25 minutes down to the river and make a quick buck. I guess this is a big source of income for some of the families living this far away from everything and it’s a first come, first serve type of employment.
Without having to worry about the kayaks; me, Santi, and Pacho (the other guide) hiked down about 25 minutes on slippery, muddy rocks through the jungle. We got to the river and while Pacho blew up the kayaks, Santi and I hiked a little further to the Gran Canon which was a little swimming hole and a 25-meter cave. We had to swim across the water and climb up some slippery rocks to get up into the cave where 2 bats flew out upon our arrival. Santi told me they used to kayak down the waterfall before it caved in. Crazy rafters! The water was quite cold but felt very refreshing.
Then we hiked back and got our day started with some safety instructions and tips on how to kayak down the river. Pacho and I were together in a 2-person kayak and Santi was in a solo kayak always in front of us to take on the rapids first and to be ready for us in case of any safety needs. They even had me practice falling into the water and grabbing hold of the kayak to either float holding onto it or quickly jump back in depending on the scenario. The morning along the Jondachi River was pretty mellow and it got me used to kayaking rapids versus being in a raft. You can feel every little wave as it hits the kayak and it pushes you so much more. Body weight and how you shift your body when hitting the rapids factors in more. When whitewater rafting, you have to really rely on the whole group being in unison and sometimes you have some weak links. But since it was just two of us rowing, we could control the kayak much better. It’s also way easier to see the lines in the water that the guides are following through the rapids since we were sitting so much lower. Of course, Pacho did most of the heavy lifting throughout the morning and I only paddled when needed. He wanted me to save my arm strength for the more difficult rapids after lunch. The jungle scenery was absolutely stunning as we floated down the river surrounded by massive canyons with luscious green plants and trees and the occasional waterfall. We went through a few small rapids in the morning but nothing too crazy.
We stopped for lunch to eat our incredible burrito with fresh hot sauce, guayusa tea, and homemade muffins. Then the real adrenaline rushing adventure began. We got pummeled by the first bigger rapid in the afternoon and it knocked me out of the kayak. I was only in the water for a few seconds and it wasn’t as scary as falling out of a raft. Maybe because we were already lower to the water, or maybe because I got lucky that I fell in right next to the kayak and was easily able to get back in. Either way it was good to get that feeling of falling into the water out of the way so I would be more prepared if it happened again.
We reached a fork into the river where we got onto the Hollín river and this is when things started getting way more intense. We really had to paddle through the next few rapids shifting our body weight to keep the kayak from flipping. It provided such a thrill as our kayak thrashed through the rapids and we followed this line in the center of them. Some of the bigger rapids had us absolutely soaked as we worked our way through them. We even survived the infamous “waffle maker.” A few crashing rapids nearly had me flying out of the kayak but I properly read them and shifted my body weight appropriately so as not to fall out. Later on, Erica told me that her whole crew flipped on the waffle maker and it was one of the worst flips she’d ever had. Pacho told me it’s the hardest rapid of the day, so I was happy to have survived that one.
We had a few more medium sized rapids ahead before we took a break at a giant rock that Santi and I jumped into the river from. The day ended with some more medium rapids before seeing a giant waterfall to our left and cruising into the finish line with some baby rapids. Pacho let me get in the back of the kayak and guide through the last couple small rapids. I was able to start reading the lines and it was fun to control maneuvering the kayak between them. It also helped to follow the route Santi was making. Maybe one day I could be a river guide…although that’s probably not where my life is heading. But this trip made me want to get a little more into the idea of self-guided rides or going with experienced friends. It was a very accomplishing day running the river on the kayak and I would definitely do the inflatable kayaking again. Of course, Pacho did all the heavy lifting, but you have way more influence on the ride down the river when it’s just 2 people paddling. Dani picked us up at the end of the river and it was the first time I really got to chat with her.
Cascadas Yanayaku
I woke up the next morning after kayaking with super sore arms even though I barely did anything compared to guides. Dani and Santi had already left for the airport, but there was another huge and delicious breakfast awaiting me. Jordan and I chatted during breakfast and he ended up giving me a ride to the Cascadas Yanayaku on his way into town. This a small hike from the center of the Yanayaku community (right nearby the school and the playground) through the jungle to a waterfall. The 10-minute walk led to a beautiful waterfall where I sat in the light rain listening to the sounds of the water crashing and reflecting on my past week. It was a very powerful and meditative experience.
Papallacta
Getting In
One of the hard parts about leaving a small town in Ecuador (like Archidona) is that there is no bus terminal so you just have to stand on the corner of the street waiting for the correct bus to drive by. My hotel told me to just wait on the main street for a bus headed to Quito since Papallacta was on the way. Many buses passed by but none heading where I wanted. And there was really no way to find out besides yelling Papallacta at them as they drove by. I had no idea how long I would actually be waiting, but finally after about 25 minutes there was a bus headed to Quito that stopped and picked me up. It was a beautiful 2.5-hour bus ride through the Ecuadorian rainforest with landscape covered in bright green vegetation, rolling hills with clouds caught in them, and the occasional waterfall.
The City
Papallacta is another random small town that rarely gets visited by backpackers or other foreign tourists. It sits at an altitude of just over 10,800 feet high is located in the Cayambe-Coca National Park. The town is actually a popular day trip or one night trip for Ecuadorians from Quito because it has beautiful hot springs. I had never heard of Papallacta before, but a few days earlier I was looking on AllTrails for places to hike on my way toward Quito, and I discovered a gorgeous looking laguna hike right outside Papallacta. Upon further research, I saw that the town was famous for its hot springs so I figured why not spend a day or two here.
The Lodging
I stayed at a little hotel up the hill from Papallacta, within walking distance to the hot springs. Upon my arrival I extended my stay from 1 night to 2 nights. I still had over a week until my flight from Quito to Santiago so I was really in no rush. I figured why not just relax and enjoy myself in this small town where I could walk to the hot springs every day.
The Food
There were a couple of little restaurants between my hotel and the hot springs and while they weren’t anything too special, I actually had a really nice trout and veggies dish for my first meal. I also ate some Ecuadorian classics while I still could like chuleta (pork chop) and seco de pollo.
The Experience
Hot Springs
The hot springs had gorgeous views of the mountains and the location had a number of different pools to swim in: 2 cold pools, 2 medium size hot pools, a large hot pool, and a lot of little hot pools. It wasn’t very crowded during the day either. It was super nice to relax my sore muscles from kayaking. I hopped between the hot and cold pools repeatedly since this is supposed to be good for circulatory system and muscle soreness. I ended up spending nearly 2 hours here before doing the little hike next to the springs.
My next day in town, I went back again for a 2nd round after completing my nice, long hike earlier in the day. This time I went at night. It was much more crowded in the evening than during the daytime and understandably so; hot springs usually feel nicer at night. Although I’m glad I also went the day before when it was light out to be able to see the views. The pools felt hotter at night since the outside air is cooler. Now that I knew a good bit of Spanish, it was interesting to soak in the hot water and overhear the different conversations going on.
Termas de Papallacta Hike (1.4 miles, 315 feet elevation gain, in and out)
I was super relaxed after the hot springs on the first day, but I still wanted to hike the short trail right next to the property. The trail turned out to be the perfect mellowness for a post hot spring walk. It started in a cow pasture but quickly turned into a heavily forested narrow path along the river.
It was just me and the sound of the river. Pure tranquility and relaxation. The short and easy trail still provided great views of the trees and the river.
Laguna Paracocha (8.1 miles, 3009 feet elevation gain, 600 feet elevation loss, point to point)
This was the hike that drew me into coming to Papallacta so I was excited for the day ahead. I woke up around 8:30 and snagged a $10 taxi from the hotel to the entrance of the ecological reserve where the trailhead started. It seemed a bit pricey for a 20-minute drive but the road was rough and what other options did I have? Plus, I don’t mind paying a bit extra if I feel like it’s really going to help that person out. $10 meant a lot more to this taxi driver in Papallacta than it did to me. I told the him I would need a ride home later, around 2-2:30 and would WhatsApp him around then. Although I wasn’t sure that I would even have service in the reserve so it could make for an interesting afternoon trying to get home. It was a future me problem anyways. At least I got to the trailhead and could begin my day hiking.
The morning sky was very mysterious with one direction looking blue and beautiful and the other covered with ominous, dark clouds. The landscape reminded me a lot of the hike I did in the Cajas National Park outside of Cuenca with similar green vegetation, flora, and deep blue colored lagunas. The path was more of an ATV road width than a trail but the landscape was still absolutely beautiful. It was a gradual uphill hike with a few flat sections and a few steeper parts (but compared to hiking Mr. T this was a cakewalk).
Throughout the morning I must have passed at least 10 lagunas without seeing a single other person. It was an amazing feeling getting to be surrounded by all this beautiful nature in complete isolation and solitude from everything else. My soul was happy and my mind clear. I was either silently soaking in the views or introspectively thinking about and appreciating my amazing time in Ecuador. I had started off a little uncertain about how much I liked the country; partially because it was the first point of my trip that I was really starting to feel tired of traveling. But now that I was 6 weeks in and could reflect back upon my time in Ecuador, I loved this country and the experiences that I had equally as much as Peru and Colombia. Each country was unique and incredible in their own ways. I also learned to adapt my travel style in Ecuador to match my energy. I spent a lot more days staying solo in hotels and doing my own thing; and it was exactly what I needed to replenish my energy and explore the country at the pace that I wanted to.
Back to the hike…I was very acclimated to the elevation at this point. The lake was just over 13K feet and my breathing felt like it might as well be at sea level. Well, that might be an overstatement, but I certainly wasn’t having any struggles with the high altitude. Once I arrived at Laguna Paracocha, I sat by the lake for a while: eating snacks, meditating, relaxing, listening to the soft sound of the rippling lake water and the birds chirping, and feeling the light breeze against my face. I was in a state of total bliss. I used it as a moment to reflect on how grateful I am for this entire backpacking experience and how much it’s changed my life for the better. I started thinking about future travel and remote work I want to do and where my life might head; but I was also soaking in the here and now.
Instead of going back downhill the way that I came, the hiker’s amnesia I talked about in my last blog post kicked in. It was only 12pm so I had the whole afternoon ahead of me. I decided to take the long loop back with no knowledge of what was ahead. The only reason I even knew about the loop was that I could see the dotted lines on AllTrails.
The trail continued next to Laguna Paracocha along a narrow path with overgrown bushes and lots of mud. This was clearly a path less traveled. The terrain was very swampy and there were a few parts that I couldn’t avoid the mud. There was even once or twice when I stepped into the mud and sank deeper than expected; covering my entire boot and even some of my pants. Then began a steep climb up muddy steps as I worked my way above the lake.
The terrain changed to a more reddish-orange flora and I passed by another beautiful lagoon. The trail continued to be non-stop uphill and at some point, there wasn’t even much of a trail to follow. I just had to look for the yellow poles that were in the ground for guidance. At this point I was eating my thoughts about being well acclimated as the trail just continued to go up and my breathing got heavier. I didn’t know what to expect, but it was certainly more challenging than I anticipated. The afternoon clouds and fog were really starting to roll in and I could barely see very far in front of me. I reached about 14,330 when I finally made it to the top. Woohoo unintentionally crossed 14K again!
I heard some voice and ran into my first people of the day. It was 3 women from Quito who spoke good English and we started chatting a bit. I walked along the road with them and it was coming to the point where I would need to find the trailhead that loops back toward where I started, but it was super foggy and a light drizzle had started. The women said they could give me a ride to the highway and when I couldn’t really find the trailhead that AllTrails claimed would take me back, I took them up on the offer. I could have looked harder to find the trail and would have been fine to hike back, but at the time it just seemed easier and smarter to go with them.
They were very friendly and gave me recommendations in Quito and the surrounding area. They also showed a lot of interest in my travel experience. I was actually at a different entrance to the reserve than the one I started at the beginning of the day so my hike unintentionally ended up being a point-to-point since I didn’t finish the loop. The women drove me about 10 minutes until we hit the highway where one way went toward Quito and the other went toward Papallacta. I thanked them for the ride and they dropped me off on the side of the highway. I just had to hope I could get a taxi or bus in a reasonable amount of time. Luckily, I had been in Ecuador long enough and was used to standing on the side of the road waiting for an indefinite amount of time for a ride. It was looking bleak at first; not many cars drove by. But after waiting less than 10 minutes a bus came by and picked me up. Ahhh I love the South American way where buses just pick people up on the side of the road. No need to worry about finding a real bus stop. I felt like a true local hopping on at this random location. For just $1, I rode the bus 15-20 minutes back to the entrance of Papallacta. I grabbed a cheap menú del día lunch by the bus stop and decided against a taxi and walked the 25 minutes uphill to my hotel. The road was actually steeper at parts than the trail. Why do I do this to myself?