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This is the story of a Wildlife Adventure in Ecuador, experienced by two brothers who are both keen amateur photographers.

The tour was booked through Intrepid Travel and provided by G.A.P. (the Great Adventure People) in Ecuador.

Starting and finishing in Quito, this 16 day trip combined a visit to the heart of the Ecuadorian Amazon and the evolutionary wonders of the Galapagos Islands. It was a wonderful insight into Ecuador's flora and fauna in two very different wildlife environments.

La Selva Jungle Lodge provided the setting for a fascinating, but all-too-brief, rainforest experience. The Galapagos Islands were explored on board the 8-cabin GAP Adventurer I - Pelikan.

To see a more detailed map of Ecudaor, click on the image at left.

The lush rainforest, with its enormous diversity of flora and fauna, the indigenous people whose families were only discovered a generation or two ago, the vastness of the river network snaking through the enormous Amazonian jungle, provided one unique experience.

In contrast, the barrenness, aridity and general sparseness of vegetation on the geologically young Galapagos Islands, with their almost bizarrely exotic wildlife, provided a fantastic contrast.

The sixteen days, filled with a kaleidoscopic flow of experiences and memories, seemed to expand into at least a month, yet were also frustratingly brief compared with the opportunities clearly still available. Another, more focused trip, would be most welcome, though sadly the pressures of modern life and demands of tourism give me the feeling that time is pressing and a "pure" experience will become increasingly difficult to find.