Galapagos and Chocolate: Ecuador's Islands and Amazon Robin Melavalin / Back-up leader: Pam Wilmot
Title of trip
Leadership
Location(s)
Dates
Type of trip check all that apply
Galapagos and Chocolate: Ecuador's Islands and Amazon
Leader Robin Melavalin Co-leader Back-up leader: Pam Wilmot
Quito, Galapagos, and Napo Province in the Ecuadorian Amazon
July 4-15, 2017
Backpacking
Total # of days
Bicycling-Mountain
12
Bicycling-Road
Camping
Hiking
Cultural
Paddling-Canoeing
Family
Paddling-Sea-Kayaking
Primary type of trip
Number of participants
(excluding leaders)
Advertised cost
Airfare range if not included
When should the trip notice be published in AMC Outdoors?
Do you wish to have your trip listed online before it is published in AMC Outdoors?
Smaller trips and leader subsidization
Skiing-Cross-
Country (Nordic)
Trekking (e.g., hutto-hut)
Other
Minimum 11
Skiing-Downhill
(Alpine)
Walking
Snorkeling
Other – please describe
Yacht transportation in Galapagos
Select one of those checked above.
Maximum 13
$ 6276
$ 600-900 approx. international, plus $600 internal
Does it include airfare? Yes No
Will leaders assist participants with flights? Yes No
First Appearance: Month May Year 2016
Last Appearance: Month May Year 2017
Note: AMC Outdoors is only published in Jan., March, May, July, Sept., Nov.
Yes No If yes, please list the approximate month and year when it should be posted on line. April 2016
Is this proposal for a small group trip – i.e., less than 14 participants and 2 leaders or 7 participants and 1 leader?
Yes
If yes, why is a small group proposed?
No
If a participant fee increase of more than 15% is proposed, please explain why?
Leader name
Leader address
Leader email
Leader phone
Wilderness first aid training
CPR training

Prior leading experience
Trip one
Robin Melavalin
11 Cuthbert Road, West Roxbury, MA 02132
Rmelavalin@rcn.com
Home 617-780-5362 Work 617-928-4624
WFA AWFA WFR Expiration: March 2019
Cell 617-780-5362
CPR BLS Expiration: March 2018
If this is your first Adventure Travel trip as a Leader you must be present at the AMC-
ATC meeting at which the trip proposal is considered.
Please list the last three longer (5+ day) trips you have led for the AMC including destination, type of trip, dates and number of participants. Feel free to list additional trips you have led, particularly if they demonstrate experience related to the trip you are
proposing.
Trekking Peru: Inca Trail, Machu Picchu and Lake Titicaca, May-June 2014,
Form Revised September 2015 Adventure Travel Trip Proposal Form, page 1 of 7

Galapagos and Chocolate: Ecuador's Islands and Amazon Robin Melavalin / Back-up leader: Pam Wilmot
Trip two
Trip three
Other related trip experience
12 participants
Kilimanjaro: Crown of Africa (single leader), 2013, 9 participants
Kayaking and Whale Watching in Baja, Mexico, 2012, 10 participants
Morocco Trek and Sights, 2009 and 2010
Co-leader name
Co-leader address
Co-leader email
Co-leader phone
Back-up Leader: Pam Wilmot
32 Goodrich Road Jamaica Plain MA 02130 phwilmot@gmail.com
Home 617-522-6167 Work 617-426-9600 Cell 617-962-0034
(preferred)
Wilderness first aid training WFA AWFA WFR Expiration: 3/2019
CPR training* CPR BLS Expiration: 3/2018
Prior leading experience If you are a new co-leader you must submit an application to be an Adventure Travel leader or co-leader prior to submitting this application. Also, it is strongly recommended that you be present at the AMC-ATC meeting at which the trip proposal is considered.
Please list the last three longer (5+ day) trips you have led for the AMC including
Trip one
Trip two destination, type of trip, dates and number of participants. Please indicate if you were the leader or co-leader.
High Road in Paradise: Hut to Hut in the Italian Alps, AT Trip #1539 August 15-29,
2015 10 participants
Under the Alpine Giants: Hut to Hut in the Italian Alps, AT Trip #1325 August 2-17,
2013, 9 participants
Trip three
Other related trip experience
Scouting
Have either of you led this trip
before or traveled to this area?
Languages
Does either the co-leader or
leader speak the local language?
Couples
Do the leader and co-leader have a significant personal
relationship?
Private trips Do either of you lead trips that are private - not
sponsored by the AMC?
Yes No If yes, please describe below:
Robin was in Ecuador in 2008 and has basic Spanish language ability.
Co-leader: Yes
Leader: Yes
Not applicable:
No
No
Yes No If yes, please list who has agreed to be your back-up in case one or both of you need to drop out. This is required for approval!
Yes No If yes, please note that you cannot advertise AMC and private trips together unless there is a clear distinction between the two in any materials you send out.
Summary
Please provide a description of the trip and the activities planned. If available, please include or attach an itinerary.
This trip brings participants to Ecuador to experience the Galapagos Islands and the
Amazon to learn about sustainable, fair trade chocolate production from seeds/soil to taste buds. It includes 2 nights in Quito with a day trip to the equator, visit to an artisan chocolatier, and introduction to the cultures of Ecuador. Then we visit the Ecuadorian
Amazon for 3 days/2 nights: drive from Quito through spectacular Andean mountain pass to Santa Rita and Tena area in Napo Province where we will learn from locals, including indigenous Kichwa farmers, about the cultivation, harvest, roasting, grinding, preparation and export of cacao, as well as sustainable farming practices, workers rights and fair trade cooperatives. Visit the Garden of Cocoa. Taste chocolate beverages and eat foods with chocolate, and do a hands-on activity preparing artisan chocolate. Optional chocolate face massage from local indigenous women. Return to Quito for 1 night.
Depart from Quito by air (2.5 hour flight) for 6 day/5 night yacht tour of the Galapagos
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Galapagos and Chocolate: Ecuador's Islands and Amazon Robin Melavalin / Back-up leader: Pam Wilmot
Accommodations
Please describe your plans for accommodation(s)
Meals: Please describe your plans for providing meals. If the budget includes any funds for leader meals not shared with the group please justify.
Local Transportation
Please describe your plans for local transportation islands, arrive at Baltra Airport and transfer to boat. Bilingual guides and naturalist will guide us as we explore these unique islands by boat, foot and snorkle to see tortoises,
Darwin's finches, blue-footed boobies, iguanas and other iconic flora and fauna. Depart
Galapagos and return to Quito for 1 night, then return to USA. Before the trip we will gather in the Boston area for a tour of the Taza chocolate factory. In addition, readings and films will be recommended to those who express interest in applying for the trip.
Quito: 4 nights (2 upon arrival, 1 between Amazon/Galapagos, 1 between Galapagos and return to USA) in Hotel Fuente de Piedra or similar.
Amazon: 2 nights in Ecuadorian Amazon east of Tena at Shandia Lodge.
All rooms are double occupancy. Single supplement $146.
Galapagos: 5 nights on a yacht, double occupancy. Single rooms not available.
Quito: Breakfasts provided in hotel. We will have 4 lunches and 4 dinners with group, paid onsite by participants.
Amazon: Breakfasts, lunches and dinners included. Beverages and tips not included.
Galapagos: All meals, coffee, tea, snacks and filtered drinking water are provided while on the boat. Alcoholic beverages and soft drinks not included.
Quito and Amazon: Private van will be used for all of our group's transportation needs, including airport transfers and the drive between Quito and the Amazon area.
Galapagos: Flights from Quito to Baltra to Quito are provided by the yacht company and included in the price. We will be picked up at the Baltra airport in a van for airport transfers to/from the yacht.
Will leaders be drivers? Will volunteer participants be drivers?
If so, MVR checks will be needed. See Appendix S1.
Yes No
Will leaders or participants be drivers of motor vehicles?
Permits or permissions
Does the trip require special permits or permissions?
(required on many U.S. federal lands and national parks)
Special equipment
Does the trip require special equipment?
If yes, please describe below what you will need to do to obtain them:
Galapagos Park Fee $104 and INGALA Tourist Migration Card $20 are both included in the cost and are purchased by the outfitter.
If no, please describe the process you went through to find out that they were not required:
Yes No If yes, please describe below what type of equipment and how you will ensure that people know how to use it:
Snorkeling gear is available for rent on the yacht. Participants will be asked on the application whether they have snorkeling experience.
Yes No If yes, please describe below what type of experience? Also describe how you will ensure that the participant has this experience?
Participants will be asked on the application whether they know how to swim and are comfortable swimming in the ocean with easy access to reboard our boat.
Special experience
Does the trip require special skills on the part of the participant?
Pre-trip activities
Do you plan to get your group together before the trip for an activity or social event?
Conservation, education and recreation
Yes No If yes, please describe below what you will do:
Those who can come to the Boston area will participate in a group meal and tour of the
Taza Chocolate Factory in Sommerville, MA to learn about chocolate marketing and fair trade practices from the perspective of the end producer.
The Galapagos, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, offers an unparalleled opportunity to learn about evolution and engage with the unique flora and fauna
How will this AMC-AT trip meet the mission of the AMC?
www.outdoors.org/about/mission.cfm of these famous islands. Environmental characteristics include isolation, volcanoes, the confluence of 3 ocean currents, and both land and underwaterprotected areas. This trip will increase awareness of the environmental consequences of eco-tourism and the Ecuadorian government’s strategies for balancing visitor impact and conservation. There are advisories that in the coming years the Ecuadorian government will reduce tourism to protect the environment, which will limit access and increase the price significantly. In addition, we will study of the production of cocoa, sustainable agricultural practices, and the nuances of “fair trade” which in some cases protects workers as well as environmental interests. Learning about chocolate will be a whole
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Galapagos and Chocolate: Ecuador's Islands and Amazon Robin Melavalin / Back-up leader: Pam Wilmot
body experience by interacting with cocoa with all of the senses, and will give participants a greater appreciation for the importance of their role as consumers.
This section should be completed if the trip will be using a tour operator, outfitter, guide service, travel agency or other such company or person(s) for a significant part of the trip or for the entire trip. Any person(s) or companies that are handling a significant portion of trip funds or arrangements need to be vetted. If there is more than one tour operator please provide this information about each such entity.
Will this trip require a tour operator or guide service during part of or for the entire trip?
Yes No
Please describe their services. If you are using a tour operator for the entire trip, please describe why you will be using them rather than doing this trip on your own:
This is a one-leader trip to save costs for participants, so a bilingual guide will be with our group at all times while on land except during the evenings in Quito. Our guide will meet the group in Quito and accompany us during the Quito and Amazon components of the trip. We will travel from Quito airport to the Galapagos without a guide. Once we arrive in the Galapagos we will be met at the airport and have bilingual guides from the yacht, which include on-island naturalists.
Andean Treks, Watertown, MA Name of tour operator/guide service
Tour operator website
Safety record
Please provide information about their safety record. www.andeantreks.com
Andean Treks has been organizing tours in Ecuador and the Galapagos since 1980. Their guides are all trained in wilderness first aid. The guides are familiar with handling issues common to North Americans such as gastro-intestinal problems, insect bites and
Insurance
Do they have liability insurance?
Emergency response
Please describe the outfitters’ response plan in the case of an emergency.
acclimatization.
Liability? Yes No
Are they willing to list AMC as an
Maximum amt: $ $2 million
Yes No additional insured?
While in Quito and the Amazonian areas of Tena and Santa Rita we will use regional clinics and hospitals for minor health and safety problems. The guides carry a comprehensive medical kit and a cell phone. After stabilizing the situation, the guide makes an incident report to the 24-hour operations team. Evacuation to Quito will be provided if needed. Evacuation utilizes the network of boats or via air transport if needed, but air is very expensive so the purchase of additional air evacuation insurance is encouraged.
Please assess the risks and hazards of your trip. Carefully consider each area of risk and how it may affect your trip.
Devise a plan to prevent each hazard and to respond to it if it becomes necessary. Please be very specific for each section if applicable.
Climate/terrain
Potential hazards
Trail conditions, river crossings, weather, wildlife (bears, snakes, etc.)
The elevation in Quito is 9,400 feet which may cause some altitude discomfort such as headaches and digestive issues. The Galapagos islands are volcanic rock with abundant
Response wild animals that are not afraid of humans. While in the Ecuadorian Amazon, there will be insects including spiders and mosquitoes that carry the Zika virus, malaria, dengue, chikungunya and yellow fever. Volcanic activity is not uncommon but is unlikely to be a problem for us.
Participants will be encouraged to have a thorough doctor exam and do medical and health preparation for travel to a developing country and preparation for exposure to yellow fever as well as travel to a high altitude environment. While in the Galapagos, our participants will be required, according to Ecuadorian federal law, to stay on the marked trails and well-traveled walking areas and to keep a safe distance from animals. It is well known that the animals in the Galapagos, though wild, are not aggressive to humans; however, appropriate distance and cautions will be advised. Quito's altitude is higher than mosquitoes fly. Before the trip, participants will be encouraged to bring insect
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Galapagos and Chocolate: Ecuador's Islands and Amazon Robin Melavalin / Back-up leader: Pam Wilmot
Foreign Country
Potential hazards
Response
Transportation
Potential hazards
Response
Participants
Potential hazards
Response repellant with deet and clothing treated with permethrin. While in the Amazon participants will be reminded to prevent mosquito bites by wearing hats, long sleeves and pants, socks, and closed-toe shoes, as well as to use insect repellant on all exposed skin.
The hotels in the Amazon provide a full mosquito net for each bed.
Political concerns, crime, language translation, terrorism
The local language is Spanish. The Department of State warns about pickpockets and petty crime and the US Embassy in Quito issued this security message in March 2016:
"In light of recent media reports regarding the robbery and murder of two foreign tourists in Montañita, a beach popular with tourists, the U.S. Embassy in Quito and U.S.
Consulate General in Guayaquil would like to remind U.S. citizens of the critical crime threat present in Ecuador. The threat of street crime is higher in tourist areas, and U.S. citizens are strongly encouraged to maintain a high level of vigilance, be aware of your surroundings at all times, and take appropriate steps to bolster their personal security."
Participants will be encouraged to become familiar with basic Spanish before the trip, travel in groups, and to be vigilant at all times. They will be advised not to bring valuables, to store their passport and any valuables in the hotel room safe, to carry only the amount of money they need for the day, and to use a concealed waist belt. We will have a safety orientation by our guide upon arrival in Quito and will contact the U.S.
Embassy in Quito if needed.
Road conditions, drivers, insurance
Roads in Ecuador are narrow, mountainous, and have significant traffic.
We will not be driving at night. Vehicles are chartered. We use transport subcontractors who are in full compliance with all statutory safety and insurance regulations. These include carrying liability insurance for every passenger, seat belts for every seat, and drivers with all current licensing and documentation.
Level of fitness, screening concerns, experience with equipment or activity
Accidents while swimming or snorkeling.
Participants will be asked about their abilities and comfort with swimming in the ocean with our boat close by for safe return, as well as their snorkeling experience.
Conditions unique to this type of trip
Isolation of islands and approximately 600 miles distance from land while in Galapagos.
Network of boats is readily accessible and air evacuation is available if required.
Other
Potential hazards
Response
Please describe your plans for dealing with emergencies. Give as much detail as possible and list any special communications equipment you may need to ensure the safety of your participants. DO NOT LEAVE THIS BLANK
Emergency communication
Phone contacts, language, documentation, distance from emergency services
Guides carry cell phones and the accommodations have land lines. The Galapagos yacht has an on-board doctor for 24/7 medical care. Quito and the Galapagos have hospitals.
The US Embassy in Quito is at Avigiras E12-170 y Eloy Alfaro, Phone (593-2) 398-
5000, email ACSQuito@state.gov, website http://ecuador.usembassy.gov/
Emergency equipment
What sort of emergency first aid or communication equipment (satellite phone, two-way radios) do you plan to use, if any?
Leader will carry a first aid kit and has Wilderness First Responder certification as of
March 2016. Will carry the AMC satellite phone if it is available and advised. Guides carry first aid kits and the yacht has basic medical provisions.
Evacuation
Please describe your plan for evacuation from the backcountry location if applicable?
While in the Amazon, evacuation is by automobile to Quito. In the Galapagos, evacuation will be provided by network of boats and, in extreme situations, could be provided via air to Guayaquil or to the USA. Participants will be encouraged to purchase travel insurance that includes air evacuation.
Medical care
Please describe the medical
According to the US Embassy in Ecuador info at travel.state.gov:
"In the Galapagos Islands, medical resources are severely limited. Acute surgical,
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Galapagos and Chocolate: Ecuador's Islands and Amazon Robin Melavalin / Back-up leader: Pam Wilmot
care available in the area(s) where you will be traveling and list names and telephone numbers for these facilities. cardiac, and specialty medicines are not available. The only hospitals are located on
Santa Cruz and San Cristobal Islands. These facilities have limited resources, and often do not have the basic medical supplies required to treat serious injuries. Some cruise vessels have on-board physicians available for fee-based services. Serious injury or illness in the Galápagos typically requires costly medical evacuation to the Ecuadorian mainland or the United States for treatment. Medical evacuations by air ambulance take at least 48 hours to arrange. For that reason, the purchase of traveler’s health insurance that includes air evacuation is strongly recommended."
In Quito for a medical emergency American citizens can reach an ambulance by 911 or
102 (Quito Fire Department), dialing 131 (Red Cross) or 101 (Police).
Medical care is available in Quito and Guayaquil (from the Galapagos) at local hospitals, though medical supplies are limited and may need to be purchased by the patient.
Private and public hospitals are available.
Quito: Private Hospitals
Metropolitano Av. Mariana de Jesús y Occidental 431520
Militar Queseras del Medio y Av. Occidental 568152
Voz Andes Villalengua 267 y 10 de Agosto 241540
While in Napo Province (Amazon region), the medical facility listed on the US Embassy website is Cli ́nica Amazonas, Socopron Gil Ramirez Davalos s/n y Tena, 062-922-480.
Foreign currencies
For int’l trips list each foreign currency, the current $US dollar exchange rate and what contingencies you have if that rate changes. If a tour operator or agent is being used, what
Ecuador uses the US dollar currency. There is no need to exhange any money. ATMs are readily available. Payments to tour operators are in
US dollars. currency is the agent to be paid in?
Group Trip Deposits
What deposits will be required from you by airlines, hotels, tour operators, etc., and when?
For the yacht, $700 per person deposit will be paid at the time of reservation to hold a minimum of 12 spaces as a block. $437 of this is non-refundable. The remaining $263 is refundable up to 6 months prior to departure. At 6 months prior to departure, full payment for the yacht is due and will be non-refundable. The outfitter deposit is an additional $200 per person so they can purchase permits and make deposits, which becomes non-refundable after October 1, 2016. International and domestic flights will be purchased once we have the minimum number of participants (11) confirmed.
As soon as the reservation deposit is paid for the yacht, $437 per person is nonrefundable. There does not seem to be a way to have a 100% refundable trip to the
Galapagos.
Group Trip Refunds
What is the latest date you can cancel and still receive a full refund of any deposits?
Participant deposits
What are the initial deposit and your schedule of payments by participants to you?
Cancellation policy
What will be your cancellation policy for the participants?
Minimum numbers
Will you still run the trip if you
$1000 due with application. Balance is due in 2 equal payments on October 1, 2016 and January 1, 2017.
Cancellation after deposit will lose $437 of the $700 deposit for the yacht.
Cancellation after October 1, 2016 will result in loss of $900 (including $200 to outfitter). Any additional refunds will only be made if it does not raise the cost of the trip to other participants or leaders. There is a possibility that participants may not receive any refund, so it is strongly recommended that they purchase trip cancellation insurance.
Yes No If yes, please describe conditions:
Will consider running it with fewer than 11 if it is still possible as determined by the
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Galapagos and Chocolate: Ecuador's Islands and Amazon Robin Melavalin / Back-up leader: Pam Wilmot
do not get the minimum number? date this becomes a question and based on space availability on the yacht. The leader will consider paying for a portion of the cost if necessary.
Reference web links:
AMC-ATC Home Page: http://snebulos.mit.edu/orgs/amc/
Forms: http://snebulos.mit.edu/orgs/amc/application/
Deadlines:
E-Mail Addresses: http://snebulos.mit.edu/orgs/amc/committee/proposals/
Club House:
AMC-ATC Chair: nholland@outdoors.org
scohen1234@gmail.com
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