A Cultural Exchange: Huaorani Amazon Kayaking Expedition

(Missoula, Montana) -Adventure Life, an eco-travel company specializing in trips to Central and South America, is offering a new 6-day Amazon kayaking expedition down the Shiripuno River, home to the Huaorani, a nomadic population of hunters and gatherers who lived without contact from the outside world until the end of the 1950s. This kayaking expedition is about experiencing one of the most important and biodiverse ecosystems on earth through the eyes of the people who have lived here for thousands of years.

The 6-day adventure begins on the Shiripuno River where a Ecuadorian guide will introduce the magnificent biological world of the Amazon. The evening will be spent sharing stories with a Huaorani family. Travelers can join in traditional chants that explain the creation of the jungle and the mountains. The following morning will be spent exchanging gifts and learning how to use a blow gun and a spear. After this visit, a daylong paddle will occur with many opportunities to see wildlife, such as birds and monkeys.

The subsequent days will be spent at a Shiripuno Lodge, hiking in the rain forest with Huaorani guides, exploring old growth forests, learning about the medicinal plants of the Amazon, working with chambira, a palm tree fiber used locally for a variety of purposes, and visiting giant ant hills. Stops will be made to view red howler, spider and woolly monkeys.

Adventure Life was founded in 1999 with a commitment to providing quality small group tours that have a positive impact on the local culture and environment.  With more than 40 adventures in South and Central America, Adventure Life's trips explore local culture, ecology and life from remote villages, to bustling city markets, to the wildest jungles and mountains.  The company's grassroots approach to travel utilizes local guides, family run hotels, and the local transportation infrastructure.  Adventure Life is headquartered in Missoula, Montana, U.S.A, with partners throughout South and Central America. For more information contact Adventure Life at 800-344-6118 or visit www.adventure-life.com.

                                           # # #

[Back to Press Releases Main]