Welcome to the Jungle

The political unrest pretty settled down, borders reopened, and we were able to head to the rain forest.  It was about a 6 hour ride from Quito to Tena.  In between, we made a pit stop in Papallacta for a swim in the natural hot springs and a pb&j picnic lunch.

On the ride to Papallacta

Papallacta

Soaking in the hot springs

When we got to Tena, we ditched our bus for a motorized canoe.  We rode up the Arajuno River until we arrived at the Arajuno Jungle Lodge.  It was a surreal experience from the moment we arrived.  There were wood cabins with thatched roofs and hammocks, and a base lodge with an outdoor area for meals.

Outside of the lodge where we ate dinner

 

The "dining room"

My cabin

 We were greeted by Tom, a Nebraska native who owned and operated the lodge.  He came down to Ecuador with Peace Corp in the 80s, married an Ecuadorian, and never left.  By his side was Mona.  She's a three year monkey who lives on the property and causes mayhem, but is tolerated because she is adorable.  She hangs from trees, roof rafters, and of course, all over the visitors.  She has a tendency to steal things, so we were told to make sure we locked cabin doors and hid the keys.  One day at lunch, we were being particularly lax, and Mona took the last burrito.  I thought the guys in my group were going to kill her. 

MONA!

 One of our days was spent in an indigenous community downstream where we participated in a "minga."  A minga is a communal work group- the idea of community, participation, and solidarity is huge in indigenous communities.  People work together on this communal farm in addition to their own work.  While sifting through soil, everyone choked down some of the chicha, a traditional drink made from fermented yucca, that the women had made for us.  After a morning of manual labor, we got a small Kichwa (Kichwa is the other language of Ecuador, spoken by a lot of indigenous groups here) lesson alongside a third grade class.  Nobody could pay attention, so school turned into recess and we all went outside to play.  All little kids, regardless of where they are from or what language they speak, love to be chased around and piggy backed.  They are exhausting.

When we got back to the lodge, we went swimming in the Arajuno.  It's a tributary of the Napo River, and although there is plenty of wildlife lurking below the surface, our directors assured us it was safe since the piranas were vegetarian (unless you are bleeding perfusely) and there hasn't been an anaconda sighting in years.  It was a little less than convincing, but it was the only way to beat the heat and humidity of the tropics.


The other days were filled with jungle hikes, ecology lessons, and a trip to a wildlife rehabilitation center.  From what I heard, it was all a good time, although I don't know for sure because I was in bed. There were 5 of us that got sick, and were out of commission for a while.  I spent my sick days with Brett (another girl on the trip) on the bunk beds sipping gatorade trying not to throw up everywhere.  We were kept company by the millions of ants and handful of cockroaches that had infested our cabin only separated by a mosquito net covering the bed.

Although I did miss the hikes, I was able to see plenty of wildlife.  One night, I was about to walk into the bathroom, when someone pointed out the GIANT tarantula on the wall.  It was literally the size of my hand.  I'm pretty sure the whole Amazon Basin heard me scream.  I have a bad history with spiders, let alone giant maneaters.

My least favorite part of the jungle

Mindy being a lot braver than I will EVER be

In addition to the spiders, there were plenty of other insects.  Giant cicadas loved the candles that we used for light during dinner, so it was a constant fight to keep them out of your soup.  There were little black flies that left every one covered in bites.  I chose bug bites over heat, and opted for shorts over my long pants and knee high rubber boots.  I definitely paid the price though.  The rain forest is surprisingly hot (90s) and lacking in rain (it only rained the last morning we were there).

The Arajuno River

On the Arajuno with Jeanette

At the lodge after dinner with Taylor

Up on the observation tower with Taylor, Gabby, and Chris

View of the Arajuno Lodge complex from the observation tower

The tree in the middle of the photo has yet to be named and identified by ecologists.  It was right outside of my cabin door.

Life is definitely not easy in the rain forest, but nonetheless I am definitely glad to have gone.  I remember when I was a little kid in elementary school, there would be a jar at the end of the lunch line where you could give extra coins to save an acre of the rain forest.  The rain forest has been this place that I have always heard and read about for as long as I can remember, so to actually be here was amazing.  The forest was beautiful and filled with so much life, it's hard not to appreciate it all.  The nights in the rain forest were my favorite-on the one hand, there is so much noise from the sound of the insects and other animals.   But it is peaceful and quiet, too.  The only motor for miles is the one in the canoe.  And the stars- it was the first time I have seen stars since being in Ecuador (and although I think they are clearer up in Maine), it's pretty amazing to sit up on top of a wooden observation tower, above the canopy of the jungle, and look up at the stars.