Your journey starts in the village of La Y ("La Yay") de la Laguna. From there, you can choose your options.

There is an ecotourism lodge near La Laguna, a lush lake nestled among the hills. The lodge is run by Fundación el Kaimán. You can swim, hike, or canoe in/near the Lagoon, a short walk from La Y.

There is also a lodge/farmstay much farther into the reserve called Bilsa, in the community of Dógola. Travel is by foot or by mule, and Bilsa will arrange for a local guide (he's great!) to meet you in La Y. There are some gorgeous hikes through the forest, as well as other activities. There is a website -- dogola.net -- with more info.

My favorite day there, however, was the visit to don Bolívar's "farm". Don Bolo will gladly walk you through his "finca", where you will eat your way through tropical fruit after tropical fruit -- cacao, coconut, jackfruit, and wonderful things I'd never heard of. He's a great guide -- even let us climb his walnut tree and caught us fresh tilapia fish for our dinner. The tour ended with us working the man-powered sugarcane press and sampling the wares afterward. El Kaiman or anyone in La Y could tell you how to get in touch with Don Bolívar.

The weather is warm but not steamy, as the elevation is a little high. In the rainy season, the dirt roads become pure mud. Bring mosquito repellant, though there aren't many, and you will need to buy rubber boots in Quininde.

This is a lifestyle completely apart from my suburban existence, and worth experiencing!

Arrival is a bit tricky. Quinindé is a 5-hour bus ride from Quito. From there, at the Cinco Esquinas intersection, you can find a camioneta (large pickup truck) that will take you to La Y for $2-3. You may have to stand during the ride, which can take from 1.5 to 3 hours depending on the road conditions - the rainy season (Jan-May) leaves the road quite muddy and difficult. To arrive at the communities farther afield from La Y, the only transportation during most of the year is on foot, mule, or horse.