SUMMARY

Day 1: afternoon arrival; hike on the interpretive trail; dinner; night walk to look for frogs

Day 2: breakfast; hike to picturesque Cosanga River, river swim; lunch; blowgun or bow-and-arrow, or fishing; dinner; night walk to look for insects.

Day 3: optional: birding; breakfast; paddle through a cloud forest stream, visit to a waterfall to find archaeological artifacts; lunch and departure

DAY 1: We will arrive at the beautiful San Isidro Cloud Forest Lodge in the afternoon to get settled into our comfortable accommodations, surrounded by hummingbirds and other colorful birds. After a short rest, we will embark on a hike in the afternoon along San Isidro’s interpretive trail for a guided walk along a trail that will give us our first taste of the diverse cloud forests that surround us. Keep your eyes peeled, because visitors have been seeing Mountain Tapirs recently along this foray, as well as at the salt feeder next to the dining room; it takes some luck and stealth, but this would be a grand find indeed. We will get back in time for some relaxation and to shower up before dinner.

At dinner (tasting menu recommended) we will be officially welcomed and have our first taste of Ecuador’s best-known hot toddy; this is a delicious drink made from native Guayusa leaves and a dash of cane alcohol, that is sure to help warm us up. After a magnificent dinner – San Isidro’s food is widely recognized for its originality and exquisite quality - a night hike awaits us, where we will search owls, frogs, strange insects, nocturnal mammals – such as night monkeys - or any other critters that might grace our presence. Night at San Isidro.

DAY 2: After an 8:00 breakfast, we will immerse ourselves in San Isidro’s large cloud forest reserve, and hike down to the picturesque Cosanga River along a trail that leaves civilization behind. We will make it back to the lodge in time to clean up for lunch, and enjoy another spectacular meal in the dining room that overlooks the reserve.

After a midday break, optional afternoon activities include the following: cooking class, handicraft class, bow-and- arrow, trout fishing, heated pool. Just let your guide know your preferences and have a great time! After dinner, we’ll take another stroll around the lodge to check the lights, where we will surely encounter a myriad of beetle and colorful moth species that have descended, their designs and patterns seemingly limitless! Night at San Isidro.

DAY 3: For those up for an earlier wake-up, birding around the lodge gardens is an option where there is much activity. After an 8:00 buffet breakfast we can have a look at the Black Agoutis – native and large forest rodents – that come to feed on corn right around the cabins. Afterwards we will paddle through a beautiful forest stream that leads to a forest trail that will take us to a shallow, natural pool fed by a small waterfall where we will find pottery shards that have washed in – sometimes quite decorative - left behind from a group - the “Curisetas” (translated as the “Goldsmiths”) - that inhabited the region pre-colonially. For anybody wanting to stay back at the lodge, optional afternoon activities include the following: cooking class, handicraft class, bow-and- arrow, fishing, or a swim in the heated pool. Just let your guide know your preferences and have a great time!

Thanks for your visit, and have a great trip!