Travel: We will travel in 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.
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.
Airline Tickets:
Participants are responsible to arranging their own transportation to
Quito, Ecuador.
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.
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