Amazon Jungle
Trip Start
Nov 15, 2008
1
9
68
Trip End
Jun 15, 2009
Tena,
Ecuador
Sunday, December 14, 2008
We had a big night out before we left Quito and went to a bar where we got a gigantic tube of beer, basically it held about 6 pints and you could pour it out at the table. We ended up in a night club dancing to South American pop music feeling rather tall compared to the other people dancing. It was quite a good night and we got to know each other a bit better.
The next day saw us on a 6 hr bus ride into Tena, where we were going to spend the next 5 days in the Amazon jungle. Now I don't know about you but I have always wanted to go here, it has always been portrayed as a really exotic and exciting place. We arrived at our lodge after being transferred in the back of a pick up truck, a bumpy but exciting enough ride. The lodge was right on the top of a cliff, looking out over the Amazon jungle and the river. For as far as you could see it was just jungle, green dense jungle with clouds rising up sporadically and a river winding its way through. Our rooms were quite basic but with the raw timber and fly screen windows it just added to the atmosphere.
We had been given the task of thinking of three statements about ourselves, two false and one real. The idea was that everyone was to say their statements and people would have to go around and decide which was the true one; the person who got the most right would get a prize. The prize hadn't been told so we were expecting a free drink or something of the sort. Everyone went around and said there bit, some being quite funny. I thought I had been guessing most right but when I was read out to be the winner I was a bit shocked, and when Belynda (our tour guide) told me the prize was free white water rafting (worth $68) I was absolutely stoked! Dave and I had thought about it but it was too expensive, so it definitely made my week.
The first full day we were there we went for a trek through the rain forest. It was muddy wet and full of mosquitoes, but with some repellent and gum boots on we were ready to go. It was really cool, and our guide Alex talked us through what the locals used different plants for e.g. stomach pain, to build houses etc. There were plenty of enormous bugs and spiders about, so I stuck right on the path and tried to touch as little as possible. At the end of the trek we had to climb up a waterfall and clamber through little caves full of bats, it was quite the mission but lots of fun.
The next day we went for another walk through the jungle this time a bit further away. It involved climbing up to a great waterfall and then trekking to a really pretty lagoon for a swim. It was great fun lying about on the rocks soaking in the atmosphere. About half way to the lagoon out of nowhere an Ecuadorian soccer team started to jog past us, it was really strange, we were in the mile of the jungle walking down a isolated dirt track when about 20 men in little soccer shorts and no shirts start to run past, muscles gleaming in the sun....... Well I wasn't complaining! Apparently there was a resident tarantula at the lodge and each night we were promised that Alex would bring it out, really something I was not looking forward too! It turns out the night I went to bed early the spider was brought out to play, can't say I was disappointed.
There ended up only being 7 of us who went white water rafting. It was a really good day, and definitely the best thing I have ever won. We had to travel for about an hr in the back of the truck and then trek down a really, really muddy path, I am talking knee deep mud, to get to the river but once we were there it was great. It really felt isolated, no one else was about and the jungle on either side of us was great. Our safety talk was done at the side of the river where you couldn't really hear what was being said over the rush of the water, and then it was into the boat and straight into the rapids! It was meant to be class 4, but nothing was particularly huge, it was just really constant, like every 100 meters there would be more rapids to go down. We stopped at a little beach for lunch which was really yummy and packed up everything just in time to get caught in the middle of a huge rain storm, it was really cool.
Half way through the storm we pulled the raft over to the edge and were asked if we wanted to jump off a bridge, it was 12 meters high and looked like an old rope bridge out of Indiana Jones! But hey when in Rome! I have never jumped off something so high, and I remember thinking about half way down that I hadn't hit the water yet, I probably shouldn't still be falling! The stupid thing I did do though was to keep my arms out, so that when I hit the water my hand slapped the surface, two days later I could still feel it!
It was a really great day and since Dave didn't come we thought we would play a bit of a practical joke on the way down. We tied my arm in a sling and walked down the stairs all looking a bit quiet and sad. Everyone else was sitting at the bar and when they saw me they all were like oh no, what has she done. It didn't take long for them to work out it was a joke, but long enough for them to all get a bit scared!
The last day we went to visit Amazoonica, an animal rescue and rehab centre. We hadn't really seen much wild life so this was the best way to see the animals that had, or did live in the wild. I had really wanted to see a Toucan and some monkeys, and low and behold they had both. A lot of the monkeys were not in cages and were climbing about everywhere. We saw some turtles some wild cats and giant guinea pigs (sorry can't remember the names). It was great but Dave and I got eaten alive but bugs, even with our 90% DEET on!
For our last night at the lodge we had a bit of a party, it was meant to be a cross dressing party, but in the end we turned it into a girls night out, hence the boys had to dress up and we didn't. Much more fun that way. They all got into the spirit and threw in a few drinking games and it turned into quite a funny night. The best comment was Jozzer complementing Dave on his banana.......... We will just leave it at that.
Today saw us travelling to Rio Verde, a small town just near Banos. Our guide had booked us seats for the bus, but when we went to get on the bus company had already given our seats away, so half of us had to stand for most of the trip. Well guess we're in South America!
