COMMUNICATIONS
Please have patience!
Francisco lives in Juyuintza, a remote indigenous community in the Ecuadorian Amazon, with his family and children. He has access to telephone and internet only when he travels to Puyo or Santa Rosa. For this reason, it takes a bit of extra time and patience to organise a trip with Francisco. But you can be sure that it will be worth the wait.
Please note that Francisco understands Spanish - please write all emails and messages in Spanish only.
TRANSPORT
The trip of a lifetime
Juyuintza is a remote community on the Conambo river and is only accessible by bushplane. The plane travels from Puyo to Juyuintza and back on Mondays. Tickets are available on Fridays at the TAME office in Shell at the Aeropuerto Río Amazonas.
It is important to buy the ticket on Friday, because the plane may be cancelled if insufficient tickets have been sold. Between Friday and Monday you can explore Puyo - there are many hotels and hostels in Puyo, and regular bus service and taxis between Puyo and Shell.
Francisco or one of his agents will meet you in Shell to help purchase the plane ticket and make sure that you are ready for your trip to Juyuintza. Your weekend in Puyo is an ideal time to purchase anything that you might need before travelling to Juyuintza (for example, rubber boots!).
GENERAL LOGISTICS
Living a traditional lifestyle
The community members in Juyuintza live a traditional lifestyle. Showers, refrigerators, and electricity are not available because they are not necessary.
There is, however, a shared generator which is occasionally used at night. When the generator is in use, you can use this opportunity to recharge your phone and camera batteries if needed.
You may also decide to bring malaria tablets, basic first aid supplies, and a water filter.
WHAT SHOULD I BRING?
Life in the jungle
Life in the rainforest is basic and traditional - you will find that very few possessions are necessary as you will be living as part of the community and the forest provides everything needed for daily life.
However, when you are not used to living here it is nice to bring some things with you.
For example, you might want to bring:
- personal medical supplies (first aid and malaria tablets)
- sunblock/sunscreen
- insect repellent (DEET recommended)
- anti-itch cream for insect bites
- bandaids, disinfectant, painkillers
- toilet paper
- water bottle and filter
- a hat to protect you from the sun
- rain jacket or poncho
- a flashlight with batteries
- camera with batteries or charger
- ziploc bags for protecting your electronic devices
- a small daypack for carrying water and camera
- music and reading material
- some snacks for the first days
- a small amount of cash (USD)
- swimsuit
- comfortable clothing:
underwear, socks,
long sleeved shirt and long pants for walking in the jungle,
shorts, t-shirts,
rainboots, sandals or light shoes
If you wish to bring some small items to give as gifts, some things that
may be appreciated include:
batteries (AA), painkiller/asparin, sweets or snacks, baseball caps
