2018 TRAVEL and ACADEMIC INFORMATION The Politics of Land Use in Ecuador GEOG 195 / ENVS 196 Pucará, Imbabura, Ecuador Dear Students, Friends, and Parents, Hi. My name is Peter Shear, instructor for The Politics of Land Use in Ecuador (Geography 195/Environmental Studies 196), which will run between December 28th , 2017 and January 14th , 2018. The course promises to be adventurous, fun, and educationally rewarding. I’d like to take this opportunity to introduce myself, and then address some frequently asked questions and concerns regarding travel in Ecuador. Born in Royalton, Vermont, I now live in Pucará, Ecuador and am the father of two daughters (21 and 12). I have been organizing student trips and rural development projects in Guatemala, Puerto Rico and Ecuador since 1998. I have a Master’s degree in Political Geography from the University of Vermont and also direct the Inter-American Center for the Arts, Sustainability, and Action, a 501(c)3 entity that organizes educational exchanges, workshops, and volunteer work brigades in Guatemala, Puerto Rico, and Ecuador www.casainteram.org. I have been teaching Latin American Studies and Political Geography at the university level since 1997 and at UVM since 2002. I am also the Executive Director of Chasqui Treks, a community tourism project, CanopyCo, a reforestation and carbon offsetting program, and owner of Finca La Fé, all here in Ecuador: www.chasquitreks.net www.canopyco.org fincalafe.wordpress.com Now that you know a little about me, I will address some concerns often associated with travel in Ecuador: Travel Documents Students must have a passport that is valid for AT LEAST 6 months at the start of the trip. If your passport is valid for 5 months and 30 days you will NOT be allowed into Ecuador! Double check ASAP. Health One can travel in good health in Ecuador by taking some preventative measures and being well informed about local health issues. • Students need vaccinations against Tetanus, Typhoid, and Hepatitis A, Yellow Fever and Malaria. If you have questions or want more detailed information, the Center for Disease Control (800- 526-6367) is a good source of information. • To get the most out of the trip, students should do their best to embark in good physical and mental health. Arriving at almost 9000 feet above sea level can cause headaches, nausea, and general discomfort. To reduce the risk of temporary altitude sickness, students should avoid alcohol and smoking and stay well hydrated before and during the trip. The educational hikes we do on the trip are not designed to be physically “hardcore.” All hikes are optional. If you can climb Mt. Mansfield or Camel’s Hump, you should be fine. • If you have dental issues, deal with them before you arrive in Quito. • Bring all prescribed medication with you. Safety In light of the current world geo-political climate, and as several random robberies of tourists in Quito in the last few years have shown, travel always holds inherent risks. The itinerary for our trip has been carefully chosen to provide the safest experience possible and avoid areas of known danger and political instability. Ecuador is generally a safe country. Crime against tourists is rare outside of Quito and, even then, is usually limited to pick-pocketing and petty theft. I consider the political situation in Ecuador to be stable, as does the U.S. State Department. There are currently no State Department travel warnings for Ecuador, although travelers are advised to stay away from the Colombian border in the northeast part of the country. We will not be in this region. Up to date travel advisories are available from the U.S. State Department Emergency Center (202-647-5225) or on the web at: www.state.gov/www/services.html Insurance All students are required by UVM’s International Studies Office to register with International SOS Global Traveler www.internationalsos.com and have a valid health insurance policy. Travel We will travel in a fully-insured, contracted “Greyhound” type bus. Weather Quito is located at about 2800 meters or almost 9300 feet. In January, throughout the highlands, we will typically see clear days reaching 80F and nights dropping to 50F. The Intag region is warmer, with a typical 24-hour period ranging between about 80 and 60F. The coastal region is hot and humid with temperatures up to 100F. January is generally dry but torrential rains can hit at any time. Communications • Posted mail takes 2-3 weeks to arrive in the U.S. from Ecuador. • E-mail will be available at the beginning and end of the trip. Students should not count on having email access for the rest of the trip. • Conventional phones are available throughout the trip and students can buy phone cards in Quito to make international calls. • Phones with U.S. service providers do not always work in Ecuador. Money Ecuador dollarized its economy in 2000, the first country in the world to do so. As a result, there is no need to exchange U.S. dollars for another currency. Money • The course fee paid by participating students is all-inclusive once they arrive in Quito: it covers all in-country transport, lodging, food, park fees, volunteer project materials, airport exit fee and planned activities. The course fee does not include international airfare and tuition. If students want to purchase anything beyond this (souvenirs, cigarettes, camera film, etc), they should bring their own money. Most industrial commercial items (cameras, running shoes, appliances) cost about twice as much as in the U.S., while staple items (food, transport) cost about 25-30% of what you would pay in the U.S. • Traveler’s checks cannot be used on this trip. Below, I have included an itinerary complete with emergency contact numbers, a “what to bring” checklist, a Medical Information form that must be filled out and brought to Ecuador, and the Academic Requirements of the course. Please feel free to contact me by phone (+593-98-684-9950), or e-mail [email protected] with any questions or concerns you may have prior to the trip. Sincerely, Peter Shear 2018 Itinerary December 28- Arrive in Quito late; travel to hotel near new airport; rest-up. 29- Today we travel to La Luna lodge outside of Otavaloenjoy a day of acclimatization and a Seminar and Orientation meeting preparing us for the rest of our trip: we will learn from guest speakers and documentaries. Am: LECTURE: A Human Ecology History of Ecuador, Pm: LECTURE: Ecuador, Natural Resources and the Extractivist economic plan. 30- Enjoy the world famous market town of Otavalo. LECTURE: Bananas, Oil, and Labor- Ecuador’s Export Economy in the Age of Globalization 31- Travel to the Cayambe-Coca Ecological Reerve and hike up to the mountain refuge at 4600 meters, The Cayambe Volcano is the only place on the equator in the entire world where one can find snow. We will use the excursion as a segway to understand the hydrological cycle. LECTURE: Glaciers and water security January 1- We travel to the indigenous town of Morochos, stopping to stand on the equator line. Settle in with homestay families, tour of community. 2- Reforestation Minga, or community work day, with community members planting native trees to offset the carbon footprint of our course 3- Hike around Lago Cuicocha, a beautiful volcanic crater lake, high in the Andes, LECTURE: Volcanic geology of the Andes, spend the night at our hostal overlooking the lake. 4- Travel to The Intag Region and Pucará, our home for the next few days. Meet home stay families and tour the Eco-Pueblo Project: www.casainteram.org/pucara 5- a.m.-Agroecological workshop and tour of Finca La Fé, p.m.- LECTURE: The conflict of copper mining concessions in the cloud forests of Intag 6- All day cloud forest walk, LECTURE: The conflict of copper mining concessions in the cloud forests of Intag, Despedida, or going away ceremony with community. 7- Am: visit AACRI coffee processing plant; Am- travel to the Nangulví volcanic hot springs and Cabañas Rio Grande; soak; LECTURE: Energy sustainability and the development of community managed micro-hydro projects in Intag. dinner; live bomba music. 8- a.m.- travel to Junín stopping to see AACRI´s coffee nursery; lunch; tour of town, 9- All day walk in pristine cloud forest, Talk with community members regarding the mining struggle. 10- Travel day to Playa Escondida on the Pacific Ocean 11- Reading and relaxation day, LECTURE: the Shrimp Industry and the importance of the Mangrove Ecosystem 1 12-R and R day: Reading and Reflection 13- Travel back to Quito, going away ceremony 14- Fly Home Emergency Contacts Please call only in the case of a real emergency. I will have my cell phone with me at all times but there is no signal in the Intag region (January 4-10). To call from the U.S., dial 011 then the country code 593, and then the number. Peter Shear [email protected] 593-98-684-9950 Peter Shear (Pucará) 593 6 301 5638 Cabañas Rio Grande (Nangulví) 593-6-301-5710 Fausto Betancourt (Pucará) 593-6-264-8510 Dioselina Flores (Pucará) 593-6-264-8512 La Luna Hostel 593- 99 315 6082 Mirador del Lago Cuicocha 593- 6 301 7221 R Rancho San Carlos (airport hotel) 593 9 9425 8261 Junín Ecotourism (Charo) 593 9 8887 1860 Playa Escondida Eco-Refuge 593 6 302 7496 ECUADOR TRIP CHECKLIST Bureaucracy/preparation passport air tickets/photocopy of e-ticket info immunizations travel insurance policy immunization record 2 color photocopies of passport and driver’s license 2 copies of your travel insurance policy Equipment backpack (>4500 cubic inches in volume) daypack (small backpack big enough to carry water, food, and raingear) flashlight/headlamp w/ extra batteries money belt (this is a special pouch to keep valuables that fits under your clothes) waterproof sunscreen (>asp 60) insect repellent towel toothbrush/toothpaste 1 roll toilet paper toiletries* sunglasses hat with visor or wide brim 2 quart-sized water bottles journal/sketchbook *toiletries should be kept to a minimum.