Have you ever had a real adventure? In the fall of 2008 I will take 9 photographers deep into the rain forests of Ecuador for the photo opportunity of their lifetime.

I've teamed up with a Peace Corps veteran of 20 years, Tom Larson. Tom has set up a lodge in the jungle on the banks of the Arajuno River, a tributary of the Amazon. This place is so remote. we have to make the last leg of our journey by dugout canoe.

We will fly to South America, into the capital city of Ecuador, Quito.

Quito is just south of the Equator, high in the Andes Mountains. The original part of the city was built by the Spaniards in the 16th century and is a UNESCO World Heritage site. Very old, very photogenic.

We'll spend a day and a night shooting the city before traveling in a private van over the Andes, across the country towards the Amazon Basin.

Along the way we will pass as close as we can realistically get to an active volcano.

This is very mountainous country, and along the way we'll shoot some of the vistas. At one stop, we'll hike about 20 minutes off the road to shoot a particular waterfall. We will eventually pass through the town of Banos and about 4 hours later reach the Arajuno river, taking a canoe upstream to the lodge.

Our lodge is remote and isolated, but not primitive. The place has it's own water filtration and solar energy systems. Which means you can take a shower and plug in the laptop and recharge your camera batteries. But there is no air conditioning and no Internet access, no masseuse, no room service, no mini bar and no all-night buffet.

Make no mistake. This is an adventure. If you want a luxury cruise, you're in the wrong place. Not dangerous, but not a cakewalk.

There are three cabins and a main lodge/dining room. We will meet each night to review what each of us has shot during the day. I'll be there to coach you and help you get the kind of photography that will do justice to what you are seeing and experiencing.

We will spend much of our time hiking and/or canoeing to other locations, for the purpose of our photography.

While it's not required, some of us will be get up pre-dawn to hike through the rain forest to shoot sunrises. We will also shoot a lot of wildlife. While Ecuador is only about the size of Nevada, it is home to more varieties of Orchids, Butterflies and several other species than the entire North American continent.

We will spend a day with a village of indigenous people, which is primitive; real primitive. If you have never experienced the third world first hand, here's your chance. It can change your life.

This is the Amazon basin, and though it extends over about half of Ecuador, it's home to only about 5 % of the population.

After 4 days at the lodge we'll travel back to Quito and fly back home.

We will have a follow up meeting after the trip to pick your best pictures. About 25 of your images will be printed as small hardback "coffee table" book for you. I will print your best image as a 20x24 print for you. The book and the prints are all part of the trip.

The group's best work will be collected and printed as hardback bound book to be sent back to the lodge and presented as a gift to the village we visited.

If you are interested, have questions or even suggestions, please don't hesitate to e-mail me doug@douglashenderson.com or give me a call: 918-688-9606.

Due to fluctuations in fuel costs, etc, I can't be exact on the cost of the trip, but it will be approximately $2,200 US for the 10 day trip. This includes airfare, ground and river transportation, hotels, the lodge and pretty much all meals. Exact dates, when money is due, etc. is still being worked out.

I am limiting the trip to no more than 10 people besides myself, first come, first reserved. As of January 2008, I have 7 people committed to the trip.

The Arajuno Jungle Lodge's web-site is: www.arajuno.com For more info on Ecuador visit the World Fact Book section of the CIA's website. www.cia.gov

For Doug's suggestions on what and how to pack for this trip, go to: www.douglashenderson.com/ ecuador3.htm

For info on recommended vaccinations and immunizations go to: www.douglashenderson.com/ecuador2.htm

More details to come. 1/15/2008