CarpeDM Adventures

Website: www.carpedm.ca
E-mail: info@carpedm.ca
Phone: CarpeDM Adventures: +593 (0) 8534 1575
Cell: Paul Parreno: +593 (0) 2 295 4713

Who they are

CarpeDM Adventures, located in the Secret Garden Hostel in the historic centre of Quito, was founded in 2007. Since the first day, CarpeDM has been driven by the expertise of its national and international staff in realizing its vision of providing responsible tourism and positively impact the local community that it serves.

Paul Parreno, founder of Carpedm Adventures, is a proud Canadian, born and raised in Toronto, Ontario. He has come back to his ancestral roots to re-discover the essence of this wonderful country. Having the privilege of being both Canadian & Ecuadorian heritage allows him to take the best of two worlds and create new travel experiences like no other.

Seize the Day: Carpe diem is a phrase from a Latin poem by Horace (Odes 1.11). It is popularly translated as “seize the day.” An interpretation of the phrase might be as an existential cautionary term, much like “eat, drink, travel, and be merry, for tomorrow we die” with emphasis on making the most of current opportunities because life is short and time is fleeting.

Carpe diem has been modified to CarpeDM to reflect an evolution in meaning that not only encompasses the idea of “seizing the day” but of also adding the element of “doing more” (hence DM) in terms of giving back to the local community.

What they do

CarpeDM Adventures, is an adventure company committed to meeting the needs of the community, clients and business partners through innovative programs that enhance the delivery of quality adventure travel. Building the social consciousness of the world one tour at a time.

CarpeDM Adventures helps tourists live the essence of Ecuador by providing unique cultural experiences and connect them with local communities. They aim to create opportunities for cultural exchange between members of different countries for mutual learning by offering tours and volunteer programs.These programs are guaranteed to educate and deliver an unforgettable experience, benefiting both the tourists as the local communities.

CarpeDM Adventures locates designs and assists communities with constructing tourist infrastructure. This is complemented with training to help the communities run and manage the initiative as a business, and provide the necessary services for travelers. They also assist them with identifying useful and productive ways to use the shared income, and can help them to carry this out.

CarpeDM Adventures works in 6 main areas:

- Providing information to tourists about Ecuador

- Offering tours to the Amazon jungle and the Galapagos, as well as trips to Quilotoa, Otavalo, Mindo and various climbing, rafting and mountain biking trips.

- Promoting and sponsoring responsible volunteering

- Helping to increase responsible tourism, by participating in a Carbon Offset program and supporting various foundations that help street kids in Quito.

- Functioning as a liaison between local communities and tourists, thereby facilitating intercultural interaction.

- Helping to establish long-term sustainability of cultural and ecological heritage.

To come towards tourism for a better planet all projects are executed with a long term view of creating sustainable opportunities for cultural interaction and exchange of knowledge and know-how. The community driven approach of sustainable tourism is based on 4 pillars:

1. Maximizing tourisms’ social and economic benefits to local communities
2. Reducing the negative impacts on cultural heritage
3. Reducing the harm to local environments, and maximizing the benefits both for cultural and environment.
4. Planning for long-term sustainability.

What they offer

CarpeDM Adventures provides different kinds of ecotourism activities in cooperation with local communities. These cover a wide range, such as visits to wildlife sanctuaries, home stays, village tours, trekking, adventure tours that include community support programs, agricultural diversification schemes and volunteer programs. All these activities focus on cultural exchange and providing in-depth experience of the people, culture and ecology of Ecuador.

In short, CarpeDM Adventures offers participants the opportunity to become a member of a local community; to take part in their day-to-day life, learn about their culture, their history, their rituals, and the Ecuadorian nature and ecology; while at the same time contributing to the sustainable development of the community.

The following is a sample list of daily activities:

- Helping out in agricultural diversification schemes by planting trees and harvesting crops.

- Assisting in the building of new cabañas for the local family.

- Teaching the children in the local communities English or any other subjects.

- Assisting in the making of diverse types of handicrafts like bracelets, baskets, clothes.

- Intercultural exchange by playing music and dancing traditional dances, telling stories and performing rituals such as shamanism.

- Helping in the breeding and nestling process of turtles in the Amazon jungle.

- Exploring the nature and ecology by performing several hikes

- Foresting and reforestation

- Act as implementing partners in the works to be done and adapt the community to improve community tourism, while in the same time helping the community members with translating when foreigners come to visit the community.

Community projects:

Shuar cultural family experience, Puyo
Experience the Shuar culture in its traditional context – an individual family living independently and sustainably from what they reap from the land.

In order to send their children to school, they had to look for economic opportunities within their jungle environment. Previously they sold wood in order to meet this necessity. However, over time they realized that their forest represents their cultural heritage. Thus, they stopped deforesting and now dedicate themselves to preservation by means of ecotourism.

Their trips are both educational and fun, providing visitors with the chance to both learn about the Shuar culture and enjoy the wonders of their old-growth forests. The visits start in the communities of Tsurakú or Arutam, located approximately and an hour and a half to the south of Puyo and two hours north of Macas. From there it is a four hour walk to the cabins, which are built entirely from plant material from the nearby jungle.

Visitors will have the rare chance to experience traditional Shuar culture first-hand in a very intimate family setting. Among the many activities that can be done while staying with the community will be discussion and exploration of medicinal plants, presentation of Shuar people, traditional games, exploration of waterfall and surrounding forest, creation of traditional artisan products (jewelry, spears, etc.), music and dance. In addition visitors are invited to get involved with typical household chores including the cultivation of crops and cooking. The majority of the food served is made from local produce, including plantains, manioc, and taro root. They supplement their diet with products such as rice and tuna in order to prevent overharvesting of both local plants and animals.

Visitors are welcome to visit the community for a typical three-day trip, but there are also volunteer opportunities of two weeks up to one month. A fair price is asked to participate in the programs in order to maintain economic viability and avoid the exploitation of wood.

Tsáchilas community experience, Santo Domingo de los Colorados
The Tsáchilas are an ethnic group divided into communities located around Santo Domingo de los Colorados, three hours west of Quito. They live in eight different communities and their population consists of approximately 2.550 inhabitants. They are one of the few pre-Inca communities that have minimal Western influence.

The Tsáchilas are renowned throughout Ecuador as shamans and healers, with a rich tradition of medicinal plant use. They are widely known as “Colorados” with a reference to the red ¨Achiote¨ paste that they use to paint their hair and the lines they paint on their bodies. However they prefer their true name: Tsáchilas. This name means ´true people´. The language of the Tsáchilas is ´Tsa-fiki´, which signifies ¨word of truth¨.

Los Naranjos´ is one of the communities that is working hard to preserve their rich culture in the face of the encroachments of modern life, most notably the rapidly expanding town of Santo Domingo which lies within an hour distance.

Get to know the community of Los Naranjos and become part of the Tsáchila culture! Vvisitors are welcome to spend a day or a week or more with the community, learning about their culture, history, agriculture, and shamanic and healing practices. No matter how long you stay this will be a unique experience, not only for you but also for the Tsáchilas who are eager to discover different cultures.

Examples of activities that you can do while staying for a longer time with the Tsáchilas are:

- Working on the farm, planting and harvesting cacao, bananas, and all kinds of other crops, gathering fire wood

- Help preparing traditional dishes

- Hunting and fishing

- Build a cabin or make walking trails

- Make handicrafts

- Help the kids with homework and teach the family members English.

To visit this unique community we ask for a small contribution which will go directly back into the tourism project and will help maintain the culture of the Tsáchilas. In addition every time the Tsáchilas receive a visitor they will plant at least one tree to preserve the forest for future generations. If you like you can even help them to plant more trees…

So why wait, become a Tsáchila yourself right now!

Sacha Ursay Kichwa Family Experience, Tena
The Amazon is known for the cultural diversity of its indigenous inhabitants and for its unique biodiversity that includes thousands of animals and species of birds, and an uncountable number of insects, plants and other life forms. Its beauty and resources are a living testament to the natural health of the jungle, but also to its fragility, where each specie is an essential part of an enormous, interdependent complex, where the loss of one or another life form causes irreversible changes in the entire ecosystem.

With the objective of preserving the forest and generating an alternative source of income and employment in the community of Sacha Ursay the community members offer a new and exciting adventure that you are invited to share with us!

The community of Sacha Ursay has established a unique ecotourism program based in traditional respect for their cultural and ecological inheritance.

The accommodation in Cabañas Sacha Ursay is comfortable, but very basic. The wooden beds are covered with a foam mattress, blankets and a woollen cover, and have a mosquito net. There is no shower, running water or electricity in the cabañas. Also, on this trip you will camp in caves and sleep there in hammocks for one night – definitely for those adventurous at heart! One of a kind cultural experience as you spend your days immersed in the Kichwa cultural and leave Tena with lifelong friends and memories.

Besides short-term 3-4 day trips, there is also the possibility to participate in a volunteer program of one to several weeks. Among others you could participate in the following activities:

- Help in the daily activities of a family (for example, help plant or harvest yuca, learn about traditional agricultural methods, cooking and handicrafts).

- You can participate in communal work sessions, called mingas

- Help the kids with homework and teach the family members English.

- Assist in the reconstruction of the cabins

Money from the tourism program improves the lives of families, offers youth a future within their own community, and reduces immigration to the large cities and abroad.

Important to note is that the income generated from the tours to the local communities directly supports the projects of the host community. In addition keep in mind that the pace of traditional life in the different communities is slow. There will be plenty of time to reflect upon your experience and the surroundings, so be prepared to leave the rat race behind.

Volunteer opportunities:
Whether your specialties are in a certain area or you just want to provide a helping hand CarpeDM Adventures facilitates several 1-4 weeks volunteer placements with local communities for. They offer:
- Genuine direct & ethical contact with local communities
- The ability to match your skills to a local initiative which is seeking similar skills
- Setting up the placement, accommodation, facilitate communications & initial introductions
- Provide ongoing advice, local information, support and orientation

Please note: You will need to have a working knowledge of Spanish.

Location

CarpeDM Adventures
Antepara E 4-70 y Los Rios (sector San Blas),
Quito – Ecuador
(it is next to The Secret Garden Hostal)

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What to bring

- Sleeping bag
- Rain poncho
- Rubber boots
- Mosquito repellent
- Torch
These are all useful items, but they are not essential for your stay.

Accommodation & Amenities

• Traditional (simple) cabañas. Sleeping is in a bed. Mosquito nets are provided.
• Outdoor shower (a large bucket with water that is warmed on a wood fire). There are ecological toilets.
• There is electricity in most projects.
• Freshly prepared local food. They offer breakfast, lunch and dinner. It’s no problem catering for vegetarians or vegans, as long as it is mentioned in advance.
• The cost will depend on the type of project undertaken.

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