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Trip Planning
Please have each team member fill out the Information Form here and email it or mail it to us with a photo. We require the completed forms be received within 30 days of your teams arrival. Print a Packing List and Printable Planning Check List Groups need to be 12 or fewer people. Click below to see dates available for groups to come The total cost of the trip with vary depending on how many people are in your group and which flight you take. The items in red are required items that the team will need to bring cash for while in Ecuador. Remember that there are fees associated with obtaining a passport if you do not have one, immunizations, and transportation to and from Shell Ecuador. Your in country costs for food, housing, transportation between Shell and Puyo, and materials is $600 a person for a trip of up to 10 days. We request that this money is brought down in cash and given to us upon arrival. We will then take care of paying for all meals, housing, construction materials, and transportation within the province. This does not cover the per group Van/Bus from Quito and back (plan on $600 per team) or your exit fee ($40.80 per person). Laundry is $2 a load (bills are fine, no quarters needed).
Air transportation - For Group rates try: Exito Travel When looking for tickets, the airport code you will be landing in is UIO (Quito) Good sites to check on are: Van/Bus travel from Quito to the rainforest
Lodging- If your flight arrives after 2pm in Quito, you will need to stay overnight in Quito before travelling to Shell. In addition, if your flight leaves Quito before 4pm, you will need to stay in Quito overnight before returning home. There are three different guesthouses in Quito. Below are visuals of the two housing options in Shell
Food - We will accompany you to all meals and will only take you to places where it is safe to eat and drink. Other things to spend money on- Puyo has a balsa wood factory with many souvenir items (very reasonably priced), they also have some blow guns, mounted butterflies, bats, and other unusual items. The Mission hospital has a gift shop with items that tribes have traded for medical care. There are also some neat places along the drive from Quito to Shell to find woven items. MAF offers flights into the rainforest if they have planes available, the cost is about $80 per person when a group is going. You will need to let us know a few weeks before you come if you would like to fly into the jungle. This is a tourist thing to do, not a ministry opportunity. Flights also depend on fuel availablility. Sacha Runa has some local crafters. Pottery, jewelry, and hammocks are sold here (all made by hand right there in the community using natural items). The tour is free, but we would appreciate if you would consider buying an item or two (pottery is as low as $1 per piece - hammocks are $40-50 and are made by hand out of dried palm fiber and natural dies). You may want to buy snacks and other misc. items while in Shell. Passport and Vaccines - costs will vary. It is suggested that you go to a foreign travel nurse at your local health dept. The suggested vaccines for Shell are Hep. A and B, tetanus, typhoid, and the typical childhood vaccines (polio, mmr). Malaria mosquitoes are NOT present in Shell. You will not need Malaria medication. If you plan on taking a plane ride into the deep jungle, you will need to discuss malaria medication and yellow fever vaccine with your travel nurse. If you do not yet have your passport or vaccinations - you will want to do this in the early stages of your trip planning as the Hepatitis series takes 6 months to complete. Yellow fever is also not a problem in Shell. Construction Money - in addition to covering your food and housing expenses, the per person charge covers materials used for construction while you are here. Travel Insurance - We strongly advise each visitor to purchase travel insurance with emergency evacuation available. www.aig.com is just one of many sites that offer short term trip travel insurance. Exit Fee - There is a mandatory exit tax when you leave the Quito Airport. This must be in cash. It is currently (as of January 2008) around $41 for each person. Laundry - The HCJB guesthouse has laundry facilities - you wash your own and it is around $2 per load - there are a few "lavadorias" (laundry mats) around Shell that will take your clothes and wash them. It is around $2 for a load the size of a kitchen trash bag. Telephone - There are "cabinas" in Shell where you can call the US for around 50cents a minute. There are also internet cafes that are very reasonable. You will need small bills to pay as they do not always have change.
Clothing There are laundry facilities available if needed. The weather in Shell is in the 70s-80s during the day and mid to upper 50s at night. It can get quite hot under the intense sun during the day and it rains often. Be sure to bring a hat, small umbrella, sun glasses, comfortable shoes, and sunscreen. Please, if you have body piercing other than earrings if you are a woman, we ask that you remove them for the trip. Please leave black leather and studded clothing at home. We do not see these things as bad in of themselves, but the culture views some of these items as not what a Christian would wear. For the trip, we ask for your cooperation with this. Just as one should be flexible with the foods they eat while on the trip, one should be willing to be flexible with their appearance. Be all things to all people.... Please be sure to read the Release of Rights on our information form and think about it thoroughly before signing. Woman can wear pants or capris in Shell. It is not necessary to wear a skirt - but you can if you like. To print out a packing list click here. Due to the limited availability of items in Ecuador, many visiting missionaries choose to pack their items in one suitcase or a carry on and use their other allotment for items that the missionaries or locals could use. We will email you a list of needs. Please plan on bringing the maximum luggage allotment allowed by your airline. Any items you want to leave (clothes, shoes, shampoos, extra suitcases, umbrellas, Spanish dictionaries, etc) would be appreciated by the missionary and jungle communities. Medication/Vaccines Please plan to bring Imodium and any medications you normally take. As you will be doing a lot of walking, some people bring down moleskin in case of foot blisters (remember comfortable shoes!). Purell wipes are suggested and can be purchased in bulk at Sams Club and brought down. Sams Club also sells a large bottle of liquid hand sanitizer. Anything you don't use can be left down and will be put to good use. Please plan on bringing sunscreen and chapstick with UV protectant- the sun is much more intense here because we are so close to the equator. Benedryl spray works well for bug bites (no-see-ums are what you might encounter), Shave kit and personal gear. Women need to bring feminine hygiene products if needed. Altitude: Be aware that Quito is 9,200 feet (2,800 m) above sea level which can present problems for patients with heart conditions and/or chronic lung disease, especially those who require home oxygen. It is recommended that patients with a history of asthma or lung disease check with their physician before coming to Quito. If you fly on the LAN early flight, you will only be in Quito for a short time and will make your way over the Andes down towards the jungle the same day. You do not need to bring food for your visit unless you want a particular kind of snack, a couple of granola bars isn't a bad idea though (again, uneaten food can be left here when you leave). Shell has a small grocery store that caters to gringos. Karen's has some common snacks and convenience foods that you will recognize from home (they are more expensive than in the states though). Karen's also carries shampoo, laundry soap, Styrofoam plates, soap, trash bags, deodorant, etc. There is also a military grocery store that is open to the public. If you are staying at the Germany Hostel or HCJB guesthouse, they provide a wonderful breakfast. They also have coffee, etc. The mayonnaise served with pinchos and other meals is often made with raw egg. While it is very delicious, we advise that groups not eat it as your stomach might not be accustomed to it. Do not drink the water from the tap. The HCJB guesthouse does have a clean water tap. Map of Shell - we suggest printing this and bringing it with you Documentation, Money, and other items To start, be sure to make two copies of your passport. Leave one with a friend back home and the other in your carry on. Do not put your passport in your carry on, carry it on your person preferable in a pouch under your clothes, with your money and airline ticket. Speaking of money we use the dollar here in Ecuador so you will not need to change your money. However, change can be a problem so I would recommend that you bring small bills not larger than a $20. Fives and tens are best. Do not bring travelers checks. Visa or MC are accepted in Quito but not much down here in Shell. The hospital will cash a personal check for you, but they will charge a 1% fee. The hours vary and they do not have enough cash on hand to cash larger checks. Ecuador is in the same time zone as Florida, but they do not have daylight savings time. In Shell, daylight is from about 6am to 6pm. Please bring a Bible, journal, and pen. Ecuador is a beautiful place, so you most likely will want to bring a camera. Computers, etc There is no need to bring a laptop or cell phone. It will just be more for you to keep up with. Please do not expect to use the internet. If you would like to give us everyone's email addresses, we can email the group and let family know that you arrived safely. There is an internet cafe in Shell. It will be up to your group leader as to if/when you go there. There are Cabinas and internet cafes that you can use to call home or email. Digital cameras are fine to bring, just be sure to keep it with you (most everyone brings cameras). You can leave your passports with us when you arrive and we can keep them in a small lock box until departure. This is up to you. Please do not leave valuables in the hostel.
What to wear on the plane T-shirt with pants and a jacket (it will be cool when you land in Quito). If you are flying LAN, you will land and drive down to Shell the same day (most likely). The weather in Shell is spring all year round, so you can take off your jacket and still feel comfortable once you arrive. The drive to Shell is a long one, approximately 5 hours. We haven't had any problems with crime, but have been warned of it in Quito. It's best not to look to too wealthy. Don't wear flashy watches or jewelry when coming through Quito just to avoid tempting any problems. We will not be spending a lot of time in Quito though, and don't expect problems. On the flight When you are getting close to Quito the airlines will pass out TWO papers that need to be filled out - one for immigration and one for customs, if you need help just ask one of the attendants. The papers are in Spanish and English so it should be easy. The address for the form and for your luggage is below. NONE OF THE STUFF YOU ARE BRINGING IS FOR COMMERCIAL USE SO YOU DON'T NEED TO CLAIM A VALUE ON YOUR FORM. YOU ARE ALLOWED $1250 FOR PERSONAL SO THAT SHOULD NOT BE A PROBLEM. You are also allowed up to $10,000 in cash. IF CUSTOMS WANTS TO TAX YOUR STUFF (which has not yet happened to us) YOU CAN TRY TO EXPLAIN THAT THE ITEMS ARE NOT FOR RESALE AND THAT YOU ARE GOING TO SHELL TO DO MISSIONS WORK, BUT IT IS USUALLY EASIER TO PAY IT AND GET REIMBURSED BY WHOEVER YOU ARE BRINGING IT TO THAN TO MAKE A BIG FUSS OVER IT (Why not rather be wronged....). THE CUSTOMS AGENTS ARE SUPPOSED TO SPEAK ENGLISH. DO NOT TRY TO USE YOUR SPANISH AS MISUNDERSTANDINGS CAN HAPPEN. We put pictures of our filled out forms below (You will get one customs form PER FAMILY and one immigration form PER PERSON). Have a pen, your passport, and our address here handy. You need to take these two filled out forms with you when you exit the plane. You will give the immigration form to a person at the first counters you come to (remember the restrooms are to the right of these - if you need to go, go after going through immigration). The customs form will be given to a person after getting your checked luggage (remember your pick up tags, which are most likely on your ticket envelope).
use the above address to put on your immigration form. (keep this somewhere convenient with you on the plane as you will need this).
Upon arrival When you exit the plane, you might feel slightly out of breath - remember, you are at an elevation of about 11,000 ft above sea level. You will exit the plane into a glass hallway, follow the crowd or the signs to the immigration booths. You will wait in line to go through immigration. There is a good chance the attendant will not speak English. Do your best or let her know you don't understand. If they keep asking you a question, it's probably, "How long are you staying in Ecuador?" You can answer anything less than 90 days and be alright. (Two weeks "dos semanas" is easy to say) She/he will stamp your passport. THEY WILL TAKE ONE OF THE PAPERS YOU FILLED OUT, KEEP THE CARBON OF THE PAPER YOU GIVE THE IMMIGRATION MAN YOU WILL NEED IT WHEN YOU LEAVE QUITO FOR THE STATES. THE OTHER PAPER WILL BE GIVEN TO THE CUSTOMS PEOPLE. (The restrooms are to the right of the immigration stands - be aware that it is customary that male maintenance workers are allowed in the women's bathrooms and vice versa - just pay attention to the signs on the doors - and welcome to Ecuador). After you get through immigration you will go to the baggage claim. Sometimes 3 or 4 planes all come in at the same time so there are lots of people and luggage. The handlers will take the luggage off the conveyer belts after they have gone around 1 or 2 times, so you may need to look around for your bags. Sometimes they are over by the luggage claims people on the far side of the room, sometimes on the floor by the conveyer belts.. You can get carts in the luggage area for $1. You will wheel these through customs. Unless you speak good Spanish don't use any Spanish. The custom guys are suppose to speak English. It often goes faster and you have less misunderstandings if you only use English. There will be guys wanting to help you with your cart, use them if you want, they get $1 or $2 but be sure you only use one and only pay one. After customs there will be guys wanting your BAGGAGE CLAIM TICKETS and they will remove your baggage tickets from your luggage at that time. BE SURE to have these handy as they will not let you outside without them (they are usually attached to the little envelope that your boarding passes came in). When you leave there, you will be in a room with the general public. You should see one of us waiting for you, leave the room but keep track of your luggage and handler. Leaving the airport you will be approached by people asking if you want a cab, just say no and smile. This is a good time to get all your luggage in a pile and have several people watching it, again, we've not had problems with pickpockets or thieves, but if you do, this is likely the place. For you return flight you will be required to pay an exit tax for each member of your group. This fee is not added into your ticket price, so you have to pay it in cash after checking your luggage when leaving Quito. This tax is just over $40. Be sure to have this amount in cash when you leave! Men and women can occasionally be seen urinating on the streets - remember, this is the culture and they are not doing anything out of the ordinary in Ecuador. The sewer systems in most Latin American countries is set up differently than in the US. If you see a trash can beside a toilet, it is customary to put your toilet paper in there rather than the toilet to prevent backups. You might want to consider brining a small pack of tissues as well, as toilet paper is usually, but not always available in restrooms. Please do not flush toilet paper, tampons or anything else in the toilets in Shell unless you see specific instructions that you can do otherwise. Please remember that if you ask people here a yes or no question they will most likely say yes. Children at the orphanage may not feel comfortable saying no to food if offered and may over eat. As a guest, it is best to wait until you are offered something rather than asking as it is okay. Come with out expectations of having coffee, internet, or favorite foods available. Ecuadorians are in general very tranquil. It is best not to call a lot of attention to yourself while you are in Ecuador. Also, not eating the food offered can be offensive here. Please be prepared to eat what is served to you. There will not be menus to order off of. Generally, the same thing will be eaten by everyone in the group when we eat out. Do not ask for extra juice, ketchup or other items at a meal. Remember not to put the locals in a position of feeling obligated to go along with something you want them to do (because they will if you ask!) If someone asks you to come over, or if you would like to do something with them and you say yes, you need to make sure to show up or do what you agreed to do. It can ruin your Christian witness to commit to an activity, etc with a non-believer in the community and then not show up. Everything will need to be run by your group leader first - as a group leader, we ask that you run all things by us before committing. Shell has LOTS of dogs. You most likely won't fully grasp this until you come visit. It is best to ignore the dogs and most likely they will ignore you. (Craig's commentary - Two parallel dimensions exist in Shell, the People Zone and the Dog Zone. These dimensions remain tenuously balanced. The dogs in the Dog Zone have families, go to work, pay their bills, and strive to make better lives for themselves just as the people do in the People Zone. The strange anomaly that exists here and nowhere else is that we can see into the other dimension, and they can see us. If we or they, however, concentrate on this anomaly too strongly by, say, making eye contact or (perish the thought) make physical contact, these dimensions could collide and the world as we know it come to an end. So it's better just to play along with the dogs and pretend we don't see each other, there's too much at stake to do otherwise.) If a dog seem aggressive, simply acting like you are picking up a rock to throw at it, is normally enough to scare it away. There are no laws about vaccinating dogs against rabies, so if you happen to get bit (which would be rare), be sure to tell someone. As far as eating out, it is best to eat cooked, hot foods only and to order water in a bottle with no straw, or if you get juice request no straw. Some places wash and reuse their straws and there has been a case or two of illness after drinking out of straws at restaurants. The water which comes out of the tap is non-potable and should not be used for cooking, drinking, or brushing teeth. It is safe to shower and bathe in, however. If you are eating at a missionary families home, be assured that the salad and other non-cooked produce has been washed appropriately to be safe to eat. There is a little shop on almost every street that will sell bottled water. It is inexpensive and safe to drink. Please do not ask for special cuts of meat at a meal or special items - be willing to eat what is served without making a face or a fuss....be sure to read and sign the Release of Rights on our information form. As far as piercing and tattoos, some of the indigenous do not get piercing or tattoos once they become saved. It can be confusing for some to see such things. Having piercing or tattoos does not prevent you from coming to serve with us, we just ask that you be sensitive to the culture. Smoking and drinking are seen as things that Christians would not do. Please don't ruin your Christian witness by smoking or drinking while in Ecuador. Shell is surprisingly prompt for a Latin American country. We ask that you show up promptly for things with a specific meeting time and that you shower and clean up quickly to be ready for meals. We ask that you do not put make-up on the girls at Casa de Fe or prepare them food or take them out to eat without asking Patti Sue first. As far as make-up, we want the girls to know they are beautiful just the way the Lord made them (and they are!). In Shell, it is rare to come across anyone (other than the missionaries) who speaks English. However, do not presume that people will not understand YOU when you speak English. Therefore, do not say anything you do not mind everyone around you hearing. The town is about 50% Ecuadorian military as they have a training base and airstrip in Shell. If you see children or women walking around with knives of machetes - know that they are going to cut some plants or fish near the river. As a pedestrian, never assume that you have the right of way! The Ecuadorians are friendly people and it is a good idea to learn some basic Spanish greetings if you do not already. It is rare to pass someone who will not great you with a "buenos dias" "buenas tardes" or "como esta". Enjoy the culture and the beautiful, friendly people! While entering the orphanage it is polite to greet the "tias" (workers) and to say "gracias" and good bye when leaving. Ecuadorians do not often hug. Please keep this in mind (as hard as it may be to not hug the cute people of Ecuador). Hugging the children at the orphanage is perfectly fine. Women typically do a fake kiss on the cheek and men shake hands (women offer a hand but do not hold it - sort of a really weak handshake). Men shake hands often as a greeting and upon leaving. As another missionary here tells his groups - Ecuadorians have two views of Americans - they are fat and loud. We can't change our weight in a week, but we can speak quietly. Please know that many here understand English - so do not say anything unless it is appropriate for all to hear. Remember that the water and electricity is not a guarantee. No water = no showers, no washing laundry, dishes, etc. The water normally is not off more than 24 hours at a time and only goes out occasionally. Be flexible! The teams that really have the best experience and effectiveness are those who come without an agenda. Are you willing to serve somewhere you didn't expect if the need comes up - are you willing to hold and love a child all week when your skills are in construction? Are you willing to leave no physical reminder that you were here, but rather the love of Christ? It can be difficult for some people to come and not be a "santa clause" of sorts. Early on, we thought this was okay, but after hearing how this has effected people in the community, we ask that you leave items with us if they are meant for the community and let us give them to the leader of the community to give out. Remember, as Christians, our reward comes from the Lord, not from men. We pray that your time in Ecuador is life changing and that lives are changed through your team coming. The best preparation you can do, is to pray. |
