June 2020 Itinerary (tentative)

 

Saturday   May 2

11:30 PM  Arrive in Guayaquil.  Group is shuttle to the Grand Hotel Guayaquil.

 

Sunday, May 3

8:00 AM Breakfast

9:00 AM Tour of Hacienda La Victoria one of Ecuador's primer cacao agribusiness plantations.

12:00 Lunch at La Victoria

1:PM  Make chocolate with an experienced chocolatier at La Victoria.

 

7:00 PM Dinner

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Monday, May 4   

8:00 Breakfast  

9:AM Visit to the industrial factory of CAFIESA Cacao Fino de Ecuador to study the business of cocoa and cocoa butter production.

 

1:00 Lunch

 

Afternoon:  Tour bus up the coast to Puerto Lopez.  Lodging at La Barquita Sea Side Resort.

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7 PM Dinner

 

Tuesday,  May 5   Puerto Lopez.  T

Morning: Trip to pristine white sands beach at Los Frailes National Park.
12;00 Lunch

Afternoon:

Lecture in resort by the beach

Introduction to Ecuador focussing on how Cacao shaped the economy and history of the Ecuadorian coast.

7 PM Dinner

 

Wednesday May 6

8:00 Breakfast
9:00 All day trip to Isla De La Plata (Poor Man's Galapagos) in Machalilla National Park with the Whale Watching Foundation.

Students travel in a boat to see whales observe birds typical of the Galapagos Island.  Lunch is provided on the Island.

7PM dinner

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Thursday, May 7  Travel to Hacienda Picalqui where students will be housed in the Andean Rose growing district.  Pitt in Ecuador students have stayed at this location in previous years).

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Friday May 8.  

8:00 Breakfast
9:00   Morning: Visit Hacienda Bella Rosa a highly mechanized agribusiness  that exports millions of roses around the world. 

1 PM Lunch

Afternoon: Lecture and discussion of the rose business.

7PM  Supper

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Saturday May 9  Travel by tour bus to the Iyarina (Home of the Pitt in Ecuador Summer program in the Amazonian part of the country.

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Sunday  May 10 

8 AM Breakfast

Morning:   Prof. George Glenn  Lecture on the world chocolate market.

1 PM Lunch

Afternoon:  Students Harvest Cacao and Make chocolate

 7 PM Dinner

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Monday May 11

8 AM Breakfast

Morning:  Presentation by Kallari  (fair trade boutique chocolate company).  Kallari has a first rate presentation with taste testing.  Here students will examine the business advantages and disadvantages of fair trade and rainforest safe certifications in the attempt to compete in the chocolate market.

1 PM  Lunch

Afternoon: Hike in the rainforest 

7 PM Dinner

 

Tuesday May 12

8:00 Breakfast

9:00  Students travel to a Waorani  Indian community that was the winner of the 2018 United Nations Equator prize for their development of the Wao chocolate company as a way of preserving culture and environment.   To get there students travel 2 hours by bus and 3 hours by motor canoe.  In the community they are housed in a facility run by the Andes and amazon Field School where Pitt in Ecuador Students have been housed.  

1 PM box lunch in the canoes

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7 PM  Dinner

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Wednesday May 13

 

8 AM Breakfast

9 AM Hike to waterfall and archaeological site where students will observe 3 species of wild cacao growing in a cultural forest planted by precontact native people.

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1 PM Lunch

Lecture and presentation of Wao culture

 

May 14

7AM  River trip in the Waorani reservation to observe birds and monkeys.

12 Noon  Lunch

Afternoon:  Presentation on the Waorani chocolate company as a way of preserving culture and environment.

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May 15 Travel back to Iyarina by canoe

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May 16  Wind up and travel to the airport.

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