FDN: The last flight, Gualaquiza-Quito

I'm finally back in Lima, after 2 full days in Quito (spent in the luxurious Marriott hahaha) and 20 days spent in the jungle on the Fruta Del Norte project.

As you know, the mining industry in Ecuador has come to a halt and there were a few articles in the national newspapers (see below) about the company -Aurelian- that managed the Fruta del Norte deposit, the "Condor Project" as it came to be known. Aurelian had to fire most of its employees, and the campy was nearly completely deserted on the 29th of April (day I and most of the technical staff left on a charter plane from the tiny rural Gualaquiza airport).

Gualaquiza airport is so rudimentary that we actually waiting on the runway for the plane to land and when the aircraft is approaching, a siren is sounded to alert people to get the hell off the runway! The flight was an enjoyable one though, with lots of views of snowcapped volcanoes (including one making fumeroles!) and not as bumpy as the ride over the Nazca lines. Did you know that there were 42 volcanoes in Ecuador? Forty-two!

We had to put our suitcases in the aircraft's boot ourselves and then we had to add up all our weights to make sure we were below the aircraft's weight limit. During the flight, as everyone was pressing up against the windows to get a good view of the volcanoes, there were even two guys leaning over the pilots in the cockpit to get a good view!! Amazing :-)

For more photos, see flickr

- We are looking for the Mining Law

- And we are looking for the government

He reported from the darkness...