Travel: We will travel in commercial airplanes, rented 4X4 vehicles
(Budget Rental Car), minibuses and outboard motor canoes. Each vehicle will be equipped with
two-way radios and cellular telephones. Bilingual Ecuadorians
will assist us in everything from translation and driving to
recommending what to eat. We will stay in a variety of
different accommodations, including hotels and hostels which
will be chosen in regard to both safety and cost. During our
rain forest stay we will use Catholic University Facilities
at the
Yasuní Research Station.
Safety
& Security: A large portion of the financial resources
and the efforts by the Ecuadorian staff and faculty are
focused on ensuring the safety of the participants. Workshop
destinations and logistics are carefully planned to maximize
the safety of the group. Although previous workshops have
not experienced any major problems, participants are
encouraged to be mindful of the following recommendations
(just common sense travel tips): (1) luggage should be
locked at all times in airplanes, hotels and vehicles; (2)
carry only small amounts of currency in your pockets for
occasional personal expenditures; (3) conceal the location
of passport and other important documents; (4) do not put
cameras or expensive equipment in your luggage for
international or local flights; (5) observe new travel regulations
(they are changing all of the time) regarding items not
allowed in carry-on luggage; (6) do not accept to carry
packages from strangers ; (7) do not leave your personal
effects/luggage unattended; (8) do not disclose details on
lodging or route plans to strangers (even other
international travelers); (9) avoid crowds and very crowded
places; (10) do not get separated from the group; always
remain close to an Ecuadorian staff member carrying
communication equipment; (11) never buy food from street
vendors. Additional recommendations will be made during the
workshop orientation in Quito.
Web Journal and e-mail access: A series of Web
pages containing pictures and description of activities will
be published upon return to the USA. These pages will serve
to inform friends and family about the group's experiences.
These pages will remain online documenting the workshop.
Students will have access to e-mail from our facilities in
Quito located at Catholic University
in Quito. Many of the larger towns and cities have internet
cafe services available at reasonable prices ($1/hour). An
effort will be made to provide opportunities to check email.
However, connection speeds are sometimes extremely slow or
service is down altogether. Therefore, time available for
email checking will be limited. There will be no internet
access while in Yasuní.
Airline Tickets:
Participants are responsible to arranging their own
transportation to Quito, Ecuador. Price quotes will be
obtained from a consolidator. If participants choose to
purchase the tickets from the consolidator, they would have
to pay for them directly.
Arrival in Quito: Since participants may arrive
from different destinations in the USA and other countries
using different airlines, arrangements will made for pickup
at the airport in Quito by the Ecuadorian staff. Similarly,
arrangements will be made for transport to the airport at
time of departure.
