Siekoya Remolino

E-mail: wilpiaguaje@yahoo.es or cesarpiaguaje@gmail.com
Phone: +593 (0)97427005
+593 (0)93519297
+593 (0)97224533

Who they are

Come visit the world of the Siekopai (the multi-coloured people) of the Amazonian province of the Sucumbíos. There are 520 Siekopai people living in the three communities of San Pablo de Katëtsiaya, Siekoya Remolino, and el Eno. Siekoya Remolino has launched a community tourism initiative to revitalise their cultural identity and way of life, while caring for their fragile environment in the face of what are often destructive outside forces.

They are taking special care to maintain their traditional dress, art, music, and to document their oral history and knowledge in their own langauge Pai Koka. They have also taken great care to safeguard the ancient shamanic ritual of taking yaje (a natural hallucinogenic), which is an important medium in which one can develop and learn the ancestral knowledge of their ancient cosmological worldview.

What they offer

5 day / 4 night Itinerary
Day 1
11:30am pick up in Lago Agrio, travel to Tierras Orientales, and then travel by river to the centro Turístico Siekopai (YAJE LODGE). Here there will be an official welcoming of visitors and a general information session followed by dinner and rest.
Day 2
After breakfast you will be taken on a walk with environmental interpretation on the Aikuti ma’a path for approximately 3 hours. This walk includes explanations of medicinal plants, trees used for the construction of traditional houses, and popular timber. This is followed by a visit to the cultural interpretation centre, and then lunch. In the afternoon, you will travel by canoe down the river Aguarico, where you can see many different types of birds, and if you are lucky the colourful toucan. When you arrive at the cabins, you can fish for piranhas. After bathing in the river, dinner is served.
Day 3
In the morning you will have the opportunity to try a medicinal plant called Yoko and learn to make artisan products using the fibers of the chambira, which is used to make bags and hammocks.
Once you have worked up a bit of an appetite there will be a traditional breakfast with local products, including a dish made with fish native to the Aguarico.
After breakfast there will be a chance to enjoy a music and dance performance, the production of artisan products such as traditional baskets, face painting using achiote, and the preparation of casabe, a type of tortilla made from yuca.
After a delicious lunch, you can enjoy activities such as spear throwing, shooting arrows with blow guns, and observing oil painting by the paintor Cesar Piaguaje.
In the early evening, you can enjoy some spectacular bird watching, and then dinner. At 7pm there will be a night walk along the Sewayeja trail to look for moths, guanta, night monkeys, frogs and other nocturnal creatures.
Day 4
This is a special day for the visitors that would like to try yaje, or better known by the Kichwa name, ayahuasca (a vine with hallucinogenic effects). Those who wish to participate in this activity must fast during the day, and can only drink a little water. Specific instructions will be given on the day for those who are interested in this sacred experience.
Those who do not wish to take yaje can participate in activities such as agriculture and working in the chakra (traditional gardens).
In the evening there will be a show of traditional dancing.
Day 5
Breakfast at 8am, followed by a walk and demonstration of traditional medicine.
Leave the centre at 12:00 by canoe to Tierras Orientales, and then ground transport to Lago Agrio.

Location

The meeting spot Lago Agrio (officially Nueva Loja) is the provincial capital of Sucumbíos province in the Northern Amazon region. There is the option of either flying or taking a bus from Quito. By air it takes about 30 minutes and by bus expect a trip of around 8 hours. There are a few bus companies that travel regularly from Terminal Terrestre in Quito to Lago Agrio (Cooperativo Loja, Trans Esmeraldas, Baños, and Putumayo).

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What you need

- Hat
- Swimwear & Shorts
- Long breathable trousers for walking in the jungle
- Long sleeved top
- Insect repellent
- Sun cream
- Rubber boots or trekking boots
- A small bottle for carrying water
- Torch
- Binoculars may be handy when birdwatching