1. WHERE IS RIO MUCHACHO LOCATED?
The entrance to Rio Muchacho is 10 km north of Canoa on the San Vicente-Jama Road. From the entrance it is 7 km of unpaved road, most of which is passable by car all year round. The last 2 km is a dirt road and sometimes during the wet season it is necessary to walk that section.  NOTE: Rio Muchacho is the name of the river and also the community. The farm is called Rio Muchacho Finca Orgánica. According to the locals the name Rio Muchacho is because the river is very unpredictable in the rainy season, like a young boy or “muchacho“.

2. HOW DO I GET TO RIO MUCHACHO?  
The meeting place is at the office in Canoa (10 am). The office is on the second street to the left before the beach. From Canoa, you will be met by a pickup transport, which will take you directly to the farm (45 minutes approx.) Once at the office you will need to complete a registration form with contact information, and you will be given a list of tips for living at the farm to read before your departure to Rio Muchacho. Mondays are best as there is a regular transport. Registration is in the morning, but the transport is not until 3pm, so after registering you have time to use the internet, have lunch, see the beach etc.

3. HOW DO I GET TO CANOA?

From Quito:
The trip can be made during the day or night, by regular or executive service. The executive services are more comfortable and safer than the regular services, cost only $1-2 more and are well worth it. Security is very high on these buses and you will be frisked before getting on, therefore you are not usually allowed to take day packs on the bus, but can take on a small bag of essentials (which will be searched).

The journey from Quito is 7-8 hours to Bahía, and there are two bus options:

Option 1 - Take the Trans Vencedores bus directly to Canoa, from the Southern Terminal (Quitumbe), at 2:30 pm. This is a “regular” service.

Option 2 – The only company that travels Quito- Bahía is called Reina del Camino. There are two executive services per day. The executives leave Quito at 12 noon and 11.00 pm (from the #2 terminal, see below), the day service passes through Quitumbe (#1) at 1 pm, whilst the night service goes directly out of Quito. The regular services are at 10.30 am and 11.30 pm (From the #1 terminal only).

In Quito, the Reina del Camino buses leave from 2 terminals:

1. Quitumbe (the main Quito bus station in the old town)
2. 18 de Septiembre and Av.  Manuel Larrea in the new town in the Mariscal area (very close to the main junction of Av. Patria and 10 de Agosto)

The only services that leave from terminal #2 are the executives.  

Be careful with your belongings at all times at bus stations – don’t be distracted!

Remember to take a sweater with you on the bus as the air conditioning can get very cold, and try to get a seat on the right hand side if travelling from Quito by day; the view is much better.

From Guayaquil:

You will need to get the bus from the Terminal Terrestre, which takes 5-6 hours.
Timetable: ( Ex ) = executive service
3.45 am, 5.35 am,  (Ex) 8.30 am, (Ex) 11.30 am, (Ex) 2.20 pm, (Ex) 4.40 pm, (Ex) 7.00 pm, 9 pm, (Ex) 11.30 pm.
As in Quito, be careful with your belongings at all times.

Getting to Bahía by air:

Getting to Bahia by air (note these times change frequently)

There are flights to Manta and Portoviejo from Quito. If you come by air, you can either get a bus or taxi to Bahía from the airport.

From Manta: The taxi will be 11/2 hours, and costs $30. The bus takes 3-31/2 hours, $2.25 (Take a bus to Portoviejo and then change for one to Bahía).
From Portoviejo: The taxi will be 11/2 hours, and costs $30. The bus takes 2 hours, $2.00
(Though this seems odd, these times are correct!).
Note: There are no flights from Guayaquil to Manta or Portoviejo

Once in Bahía
Bahía is a small, safe town so don´t worry about arriving late at night or early in the morning. The bus station is about 800m from the office, to the west one block and south on the main "Circunvalación" which runs along the seafront.
Once in town come to the office of Guacamayo Tours on Av. Bolivar y Arenas, tel. (05) 269 1412 or (05) 269 1107. Av. Bolivar is the main street which runs north-south through the city, and is easy to identify by the banks Pichincha and Guayaquil, which are one block south of the Guacamayo office. If you have a lot of luggage, it may be a good idea to take a “triciclero” (No more than $2) to the address, which is an easy and enjoyable way to see some of the city – tricicleros also know the addresses of all the best hostels, and can take you there safely at night.

Office hours
7.30am - 6.00pm Monday to Friday
9am - 4pm Saturday
10am - 2pm Sunday
If you do travel on the day executive from Quito, you will arrive late and the office will be closed. If you arrive out of office hours, some recommendable hostels are Hostal el Viajero - right next door to the Guacamayo Tours office, which is $10 a night; and Hotel Su Descanso en Bahia, near to Banco de Pichincha on Av Bolivar y Ascazubi, also for $10 a night. Tell them you are recommended by us. You will probably need a restaurant – we recommend Restaurante Colombius which is also on the main street (Av. Bolivar), a few blocks to the South.
Colombius serves cheap set breakfasts, lunches and dinners, as well as a menu of alternatives. In the evenings, you may like to try Arena Bar pizzeria, which is a short way down Bolívar and 20m to the right on Calle Rio Frio.
If you need to contact us urgently once in Bahía, most hotels have our after-hours number.

To get to Canoa from Bahía, you will need to get the passenger boat (Muelle) to San Vicente for $0.30 and then you can get a $5 taxi or a local or provincial bus. The taxi stands are opposite the opening to the Muelle, whilst the local Canoa – San Vicente shuttle bus comes every half hour to a stop on the beach-facing side of the road a short way down from the Muelle (left as you exit). It will wait at this stop for 20 minutes, before going around the loop of the taxi area and heading back down the street towards San Vicente. The other bus, an hourly Coactur service between Portoviejo and Pedernales, only stops on the other side of the road, and further down on a main street corner is the best place to catch it. Both buses cost $0.50 to Canoa, and will let you off at the corner by the panadería/cyber “Canoa Surf Rider”, from where it is a short walk towards the beach to our office. If you are coming from the north, get off the Coactur bus at the same corner in Canoa (2 hours south of Pedernales).

4. WHAT WILL I LEARN AS A VOLUNTEER IN RIO MUCHACHO?
The activities are varied so that over a month period you will have seen many aspects of agriculture and rural life.  The learning is mainly hands on with explanations from Dario, Nicola or the workers on the farm. You will learn about all or most of the following:
The principles of organic farming, planting, transplanting, weeding and organic weed control, harvesting, pest control, compost making, fertilizers, permaculture, recycling organic waste, composting toilets, animal care and feeding etc.
Don´t expect to learn all this in the first week – it is a process, which is why we recommend a longer stay for those who really want to learn about organic agriculture.

learning about tropical crops

5. CAN I STUDY SPANISH WHILE AT THE FARM?
Yes! If we are given enough notice, it can be organized that teachers come from Manta or Quito and work with you in Rio Muchacho. There are also programs available that include tourism, volunteering and Spanish classes (see the programs section of the web page).
If you want to have Spanish classes while volunteering, a teacher will come for a minimum of 8 hours a day for 5 days a week.  You can have the eight hours yourself or they can be shared by a number of volunteers. The cost is $7 / hour – please let us know in advance if you would like to have classes.

6. HOW FAR IS THE FARM FROM A TOWN, TELEPHONE & INTERNET?
Canoa is the closest town; it is a small beach town with hotels, restaurants, telephones and internet access.  From the entrance it is 10 km. The buses to Canoa pass every half hour, and run until 6:30 pm. There are also several internet providers in Bahía. International calls can be made from Canoa but it is much cheaper to use Skype – which is available on the computers in our Canoa office.

7. WHAT COMMUNICATION IS THERE BETWEEN THE FARM AND BAHIA, ETC.? 
We have a short wave radio at the farm that connects us with the office; this is connected to a solar panel and so we always have communication. There is also a cell phone base at the farm, but it is sensitive to climatic conditions and does not always work. Messages can be communicated to the Canoa/Bahía offices (by telephone or email) and radioed through in case of emergency while you are at the farm.

8. HOW SAFE IS THE FARM, AREA AND WORK?
The area is safe and you don´t need to be concerned about walking alone. The people of Rio Muchacho are very friendly and helpful, however it is not well looked upon that you walk alone at night – try to return to the farm during daylight hours. There are lockers in Rio Muchacho, and a safe box in the office in Bahía. As a precaution, avoid leaving cash or other valuables in the cabins. Work in the farm often involves the use of tools such as machetes, but this will always be under the instruction of an experienced farm worker, and you may always do a different job if you don’t feel entirely confident with what you've been given.

9. DO I NEED TO TAKE WATER PURIFYING TABLETS?
In Rio Muchacho the water is boiled and all vegetables are disinfected with a very good product made with grapefruit seed extract. Bottled water is readily available in Ecuador (although sadly the bottles aren’t recycled – see the “environmental tips for travellers” page of this web site), though we encourage the re-use of containers and reduction of waste by having our own constantly available supply of filtered drinking water at the farm. Note that you should never drink the tap water, and should avoid using it to brush your teeth – this also applies to hostels in Canoa and Bahía.

10. IS THERE A POSSIBILTY OF GETTING MALARIA OR ANOTHER TROPICAL DISEASE?
There is no risk of malaria at the farm but there are malaria cases on the coast in general. Many people come to the farm and do not take precautions, but if you want to be completely safe it might be best to take the pills. As you will be on a farm where there is manure, you should have a tetanus shot/booster before coming. Your local doctor/travel clinic will be able to provide recommendations about any vaccines or medications you may need – note that whilst the yellow fever vaccine is no longer a requirement to enter the country, it is a good idea if you want to do any travelling, as much of Ecuador (to the east of our location) is a risk area.

11. WHAT HEALTH SERVICES ARE AVAILABLE?
In Canoa there is a medical centre for minor issues, whilst in Bahía there are doctors and clinics (a one and a half hour trip). Always ask at the farm or office for help with doctors or emergency assistance. In the case of a serious injury e.g. a back injury, there is a helicopter service and air ambulance service to Quito to the hospital Metropolitano (an excellent hospital).

local herbal cleansing technique

12. WHAT KINDS OF BITING INSECTS ARE THERE?
There are hardly any mosquitoes at the farm but can be more at the entrance (on the main road).  There are small sand flies in the morning and evening and at certain times of the year there are a lot of ticks. The ticks don’t carry disease, they are just annoying. Some measures you may take to avoid tick problems are to wear long trousers and rubber boots when working in long grass areas, and check yourself regularly (especially your legs). In general there are a lot less biting insects here than in the cloud forest or in the jungle.

13. IS THERE A QUIET SPOT FOR MEDITATION OR YOGA?
 Yes! There is a meditation garden with a large variety of plants and trees. It has a covered meditation/yoga platform which overlooks the river.

14. HOW SHOULD I ACT WHEN IN THE COMMUNITY?
Women shouldn’t wear bikini tops while in the community, especially not to walk to and from the road. Be sensitive to the local economic situation and avoid creating speculation that foreigners are very wealthy by paying inappropriate amounts of money etc. or pulling out a $50 note to pay for a soda. You will find that money is a common topic of conversation, which is best avoided if possible.
*Please avoid romantic involvement of any kind with family or community members.

15. HOW SHOULD I ACT ON THE FARM?  
PLEASE be culturally sensitive – a good guide is if the family don’t do it then don’t do it either. Avoid excluding them by having long conversations in other languages when working together and especially at the meal table, and when amongst other volunteers try to use the most common language (usually English) so that nobody feels excluded.
For the comfort of the family and other volunteers, don’t smoke inside the house.
If you are a couple please be discrete about showing affection, especially around the children.
ROMANTIC INVOLVEMENT WITH THE LOCALS, DRUGS AND ALCOHOL CONSUMPTION ARE NOT PERMITTED AT THE FARM – IF YOU CANNOT LIVE WITHOUT THESE, THIS IS NOT THE PLACE FOR YOU!
PLEASE don’t offer to keep in contact with any members of the family/community by email, this is culturally inappropriate and would cause them expense. Snail mail can be sent to our address and we will forward it.
Often we expect things to happen at the pace we are accustomed to. You will need to be flexible and accept that things often don’t happen very fast in Ecuador.

16. WHAT SHOULD I WEAR WHEN ON THE FARM?
You will need light, loose-fitting cotton clothes, and women should not work in a bikini top even though it is hot! Strong shoes or boots are often necessary. Take precautions with the sun, even when it is cloudy it is easy to get burnt – use sun block and a wide brimmed hat. A long sleeved shirt is good to protect your arms from grass cuts, especially during certain activities such as cutting pasture for the horses. As for local fiestas which you may attend, the standard of dress is usually higher than you may expect, and it is best to wear something suited to more than just farm work.

17. WHAT IS THE POSTAL ADDRESS?  
Casilla 13.02.70, Bahía de Caráquez, Ecuador. All post will be received at the Bahía office and sent on to the farm via the office employees. NOTE if you plan to stay for a month, snail mail can take 4 weeks to get to you – the postal system is very slow, and therefore it is often not a realistic option for people staying for this period or shorter. If it is urgent ask for it to be sent by FEDEX (our office is the local agent).

18. WHY DOES THE FARM ACCEPT VOLUNTEERS?
The farm began accepting volunteers as there were many people who wanted to come and help, whilst learning in return. There were also tourists who wanted to stay on a volunteer basis to learn about organic farming and as a break from travelling. Volunteers can bring skills that don’t exist in the community, and these can be shared through the school and projects.

19. WHY DO VOLUNTEERS PAY?
Initially volunteers didn’t pay, but we found that many people had no skills or background on the land and they came because they wanted to learn. We appreciate the enthusiasm of the volunteers and the energy that they put into the farm and school but the lack of experience sometimes limits the tasks that can be done. Some people would come to rest after being sick or just to spend some time in one place for a while. This became unsustainable for the farm and we prefer not to have volunteers on this basis.

20. WHAT IS THE VOLUNTEER FEE USED FOR?
 Most of the fee is used to cover food and board. The food is good quality; efforts are made to get organic grains and whatever else we can’t produce ourselves, such as good quality cooking oil, biodegradable detergents, soaps etc. In addition, there are transport and logistical expenses behind the scenes involving staff in Bahía. The rest goes into a fund for school or community work, and in this way every volunteer makes an immediate contribution to further improvement of conditions for the community.

building the biogas plant

21. WHEN DO I NEED TO PAY?
You need to pay the total amount in cash when you register in Canoa or Bahía. There are no banks in Canoa but there are several in Bahia, and there is an ATM in San Vicente.

22. WHAT KIND OF FOOD IS SERVED?
The food is mostly from the farm and therefore organic, though some things don’t grow on the coast so we have to buy them. Breakfast consists of a colorful fruit salad and a typical dish often made with plantain or yucca and baked in a wood oven, as well as herbal tea or coffee. Lunch in Ecuador always consists of soup and a main course, usually of rice, which at the farm will come with vegetable salad and lentils or another sauce-type vegetable dish (usually pulses), and fresh fruit juice. Dinner is a different main course, as described, and herbal tea/coffee.
The food is mainly vegetarian, sometimes with some fish or white meats – there is no rule but generally no red meat is served. It is a very creative combination of local food and vegetable dishes. If you are a vegetarian travelling in Ecuador, see the short guide for vegetarians on our website.

23. WHAT SHOULD I BRING?

• A flashlight
• A towel
• A water bottle (metal ones are tougher and have a long life for re-use)
• Work clothes, which you don´t mind getting very dirty – light cotton clothes are best
• Light long sleeved shirt
• A small padlock
• Tough boots, waterproof is better!
• Clothes washing detergent (biodegradable)
• Body soap – glycerin soaps are biodegradable.
• Some nicer clothes for fiestas
• Good books, sun hat, sunscreen and any medical supplies you might need. 
• A cream for soothing itchy bites is a good idea, not just for Rio Muchacho but for travelling in general.  (In a tropical climate a simple bite can turn nasty if it is scratched, the cream prevents temptation!)
• Mosquito net if you want to use one.
• Some people like to take packet drinks to mix and make juice in their water bottle
• If you would like to bring something for the school, at the moment we are trying to create a library. Please ask around your friends if they want to donate a book (in Spanish) – we need beginners reading books and thin big print paper backs. Donations for the school are also welcome, some people do fund raising before coming.

NOTE:  if you are concerned about what to do with things that you might bring for the school until you come to the farm, we suggest that you send them on to Bahía when you arrive in Quito or Guayaquil.  Reina del Camino has an excellent transport service which will cost $3-4
(see address of Reina del Camino in point 3.)

24. WHAT IS A TYPICAL DAY ON THE FARM?
A typical day begins before breakfast (7:30) with routines at 6 a.m., which could be harvesting, irrigation, helping prepare breakfast, or animal feeding and cleaning out (either horses & cows, pigs, guinea pigs or chickens).This changes each week so that you get experience in each area.
In the mornings everyone works in agriculture in the garden (unless you are helping at the school), from 8:30 until 12:00. In the afternoons from 1:30 until 4:00, you will work on individual projects depending on your skills and the necessities of the farm, such as translation, sign making, construction, painting, preparation of info for the school, adopting a garden, food processing etc. 4:00 onwards is free time, and we eat dinner at 6:00 – note that volunteers will be on a rota for washing dishes after each meal time.

25. WHAT KIND OF WORK IS DONE WITH THE COMMUNITY?
Work began with the community when Dario bought the farm (in 1987). He has been very involved in community interests and has coordinated many activities to the benefit of the area.
The Environmental School (coordinated by Dario and Nicola), built in 1993, has united the community and provided a meeting place for workshops, courses, fund raising activities etc.
The school is a wonderful opportunity for the children of the area. Here they have a more creative, practical education with more art, English, sport and environmental studies, with an emphasis upon ecology and permaculture. The children from the school come to the farm to learn about preparation of fertilizers, different crops etc. They also come for eco camps where they watch educational videos and do environmental art.
Workshops have been organized on agriculture and other subjects e.g. alternative forms of income from working with ageing wood techniques, weaving banana fiber to make sun hats etc.
Health days have been held at the school where the local people have had access to dentists, doctors and the mobile cancer clinic.
Volunteer groups coordinated by the farm have helped a lot in the community; they have worked in the school, on renovating the church, and creating a water system (which has recently been incorporated into a larger project to build bathroom units for the families in the valley).
The farm has a fair trade store, for the farm products and for non-perishable produce from the community, which are sold at no profit to the farm. We are working with members of the community to create new products for sale so that this can compliment their income.
Garden competitions have been held as an incentive to grow more food and make houses more attractive.
We created a bamboo reforestation project for the area after the Niño and earthquake (when there was very high demand for bamboo and the supplies grew very low). The nursery was at the farm.

26. CAN I USE A CELLULAR PHONE WHILE AT THE FARM?
Yes and no. There is cellular phone reception on the top of the hill – a 15 min walk – so you can call out, but it is often variable and down at the farm there is no signal.

27. WHAT CAN I DO IN THE WEEKENDS?
Some volunteers spend their time at the farm during the weekend, and there is often a football game in the community. Others spend the weekend in Canoa or Bahía at the beach, but there are a lot of other things to do:
There are a number of walks that you can do from the farm (to Canoa and other areas) – this information is in a folder at the farm.
 Isla Corazón is a great visit to do on a weekend. It is a community ecotourism project involving a canoe ride into the mangroves and to see a colony of frigate birds, and is a really good trip which you can do on your own or as a tour through the office. Ask in the office for tide times as you have to do it at high tide.
Punta Prieta is a Guest House about 1 hour further north. The beach is very clean and private – a real treat if you’re feeling luxurious!
There are some nice walks from Bahía including along the beach between Bahía and Canoa – though these are best done in groups, and only in daylight.

28. CAN GUACAMAYO TOURS HELP ME WITH INTERNATIONAL FLIGHTS AND TO FIND GOOD TOURS TO THE JUNGLE, GALÁPAGOS AND ANDES?
Yes, the Guacamayo office has very good contacts for:
Andes - village tours and mountain climbing with the experts
Jungle - tours to the Cuyabeno reserve (highly recommended)
Galápagos – economic and first class boats and last minute reservations.
Community Tourism projects around Ecuador.
Let us know if you want help with this, especially if for the Galápagos as it is important to book ahead.

29. WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN VOLUNTEERING, THE VOLUNTEER TRAINING COURSE AND THE APPRENTICESHIP COURSE? WHICH SHOULD YOU DO?
Apprenticeship Course:
If you really want to learn all you can about organic farming do the apprenticeship course, it is a packed month of learning. The course consists of theory classes and guided hands-on activities, videos and visits. It is a valuable and unique experience for those who are new to organic agriculture and permaculture, and who want to acquire a lot of knowledge and experience. There are both full-time and part-time options for this course, to suit varying resources and learning objectives..
Volunteer Training Course:
This is an option for those who want to gain good practical experience and learn more at the same time. Ten hours a week are dedicated to theory and practical related to the theory.
This is a very good summary of organic methods, but less intensive than the full apprenticeship course.
Volunteering:
Volunteering is a hands-on learning experience without the formal teaching of the courses.

30. HOW CAN I BE AN ECO-FRIENDLY VISITOR?
Please bring a water bottle that you can use during your stay. You can avoid creating more garbage by refilling it from the water dispensers.
Please bring rechargeable batteries NOT DISPOSABLE ONES!
Please look for biodegradable soap, shampoo and detergent before you leave home. It is very difficult to find here.
For many more suggestions please see the web site for environmental tips for travelers.

31. CAN YOU RECOMMEND A PLACE TO STAY IN QUITO?
There are many good accommodation options in Quito. We recommend:
Traveller's Inn Hostal. At $12 for a single room with shared bathroom and $25 for one with private bathroom, this is a really good deal because it includes breakfast, your airport pick up (conditions apply), AND free internet access including a wireless network.
The rooms are nice and the staff is very friendly, and they have a travel agency at the hostel too – it is called Palma Roja Tours, and this sign might be more obvious than the sign for the hostel itself.
Address: La Pinta E 4-55 y Av. Amazonas (opposite the Embajada de España), Quito.
Owners – Carlos and Pilar
(593)(02) 2556-985 / (593)(02) 2546-455 / cell. (593)(09) 4304-822
Hostal Loro Verde. This hostel has rooms for $15 per person with private bathroom, broadband internet and cable TV included, but breakfast is extra.
Address: Juan Rodríguez E7-74 y Diego de Almagro, Quito.
(593) (02) 2226-173
Casa Vida Verde. Owned and run by the same family as the language school in Quito which we recommend, this is a very welcoming and secure hostel. Towards the North end of Quito, it is a short taxi ride from the airport, and well connected to the Mariscal area and other places of interest by the Ecovía line which runs up 16 de Diciembre. There are a wide variety of rooms, the cheapest of which is a $7/night rooftop dormitory with shared bathroom, whilst the highest priced is a private-bathroomed suite for $17. All rooms are available at discounted one-month prices, with students in mind.
Address: Gonzalo Noriega N39-221 y Gaspar de Villaroel (Just off 16 de Diciembre), Quito.
Tell them you are recommended by us.

32. CAN YOU RECOMMEND A PLACE TO STAY IN GUAYAQUIL?
Yes, we recommend:
Dreamkapture Travel S.A: $16.80 a night for a shared bathroom, or $18 with private bathroom. This includes breakfast and internet usage, and they have a small swimming pool and a travel agency.
Alborada Doceava Etapa
Mz 02, Villa 21
Guayaquil
(593) (04) 2242-909
FAX (593) (04) 2242-926
Tell them you are recommended by us.

Enjoy your stay!