The Jungle Trip 10.8.07-14.8.07
After our bad experience with Rainbow Expeditions we decided this time to play it safe and to go with an agency that everyone said is excellent and with whom we ourselves had a good experience. So we chose to go with http://www.rainforestur.com.ec/ for a five day trip (which is actually more like 3, because u spend one day arriving and one day leaving). We paid $200US each and we had a very good experience.
DAY ONE: Arriving
We left Quito with a flight to Lago Agria at 6.30 in the morning with what looked like a very new upper class airline company called http://www.vipec.com/(booked for us by http://www.rainforestur.com.ec/) . Before departing we were provided with a small breakfast (for the half hour flight), the terminal (located in the next to international terminal) is very new and all the staff behave very professionally. On the way from the terminal we saw this beautiful white jet waiting for us. The gap between the seats was so wide that u feel like u r in your own living room. During the first ten minutes we had amazing views of Ecuador. It was a fun experience.
We arrived at 7am. The tour was supposed to depart at 10.00 so we checked into a hotel and slept for two hours. At ten we went to the meeting point, surprise …surprise there was no one there. Apparently the next flight from Quito was delayed and the rest of the group, a local family from Quito, only landed at 12.30 pm. So that meant we would only reach our canoe ride (hopefully) by 04.00pm (we had another 3 hour ride on a minibus to get to the river). Eventually we got to the bridge (the canoe departure point) at around 3.30 pm after leaving the airport at 01.30 pm.
After we had lunch and by the time a canoe became available for us it was already 04.30 pm. I have never been in the jungle (well that wasn't a wild one, it was more a national reserve where, for now, the inhabitants were safe from the oil companies that were sucking the rest of the area dry for its oil) and not on a motorised canoe either. So the all experience was very very new for me. And what do u get when everything is new? some curiosity mixed with a lot of fear.
We got, what I thought, were the best seats (right at the front of the boat), though as the time past I understood that I was wrong. Because of the shape of the boat the part in front of us was going upwards and was blocking our front view. As we went further into the jungle, the sun came down and the density of the trees increased. The kids that were driving the boat were busy talking and often we found ourselves about to crash into the shore or into a tree. When it was fully dark what was an ¨almost crash¨ became more and more clearly mini accidents. The local guide Aurora that escorted us to her daughter´s guest house kept on shouting that the drivers are drunk and kept (luckily) directing the boat away from the shore.
I think what was most scary on this ride was the fact that the last part was in the dark. So on top of the usual stress now you can´t really see what you´re facing. Now and then we found ourselves crossing tree logs that were lying on the surface of the river. So you get this kind of surprise jump with the canoe where the canoe almost turns over and your heart falls to your undies. The ride took about four hours, instead of three, and the last hour everyone pulled their torches out trying to help the driver not to flip the canoe. Every light that we saw on the way on the shore, we hoped was our guest house. When arriving Leah and I where a bit traumatised, but we made it, we got to the jungle!
We arrived at 7am. The tour was supposed to depart at 10.00 so we checked into a hotel and slept for two hours. At ten we went to the meeting point, surprise …surprise there was no one there. Apparently the next flight from Quito was delayed and the rest of the group, a local family from Quito, only landed at 12.30 pm. So that meant we would only reach our canoe ride (hopefully) by 04.00pm (we had another 3 hour ride on a minibus to get to the river). Eventually we got to the bridge (the canoe departure point) at around 3.30 pm after leaving the airport at 01.30 pm.
After we had lunch and by the time a canoe became available for us it was already 04.30 pm. I have never been in the jungle (well that wasn't a wild one, it was more a national reserve where, for now, the inhabitants were safe from the oil companies that were sucking the rest of the area dry for its oil) and not on a motorised canoe either. So the all experience was very very new for me. And what do u get when everything is new? some curiosity mixed with a lot of fear.
We got, what I thought, were the best seats (right at the front of the boat), though as the time past I understood that I was wrong. Because of the shape of the boat the part in front of us was going upwards and was blocking our front view. As we went further into the jungle, the sun came down and the density of the trees increased. The kids that were driving the boat were busy talking and often we found ourselves about to crash into the shore or into a tree. When it was fully dark what was an ¨almost crash¨ became more and more clearly mini accidents. The local guide Aurora that escorted us to her daughter´s guest house kept on shouting that the drivers are drunk and kept (luckily) directing the boat away from the shore.
I think what was most scary on this ride was the fact that the last part was in the dark. So on top of the usual stress now you can´t really see what you´re facing. Now and then we found ourselves crossing tree logs that were lying on the surface of the river. So you get this kind of surprise jump with the canoe where the canoe almost turns over and your heart falls to your undies. The ride took about four hours, instead of three, and the last hour everyone pulled their torches out trying to help the driver not to flip the canoe. Every light that we saw on the way on the shore, we hoped was our guest house. When arriving Leah and I where a bit traumatised, but we made it, we got to the jungle!
DAY TWO: a Short walk, Fishing and a Long Canoe ride
We started our day with a short walk around our lodge. Right after we started a heavy rain escorted us all the way. Aurora (the local guide) was leading, while cutting every little leaf with her machete, and Lenin (hired by the agency) was following with us.
Most of the rest of the day we spent on the canoe waiting for things to happen, and I´m sorry to say that they didn't. The dolphins, monkeys, snakes, crocodiles and all the rest were not at home. Maybe they went on a holiday or maybe they could not be bothered waiting for us with the noise that the canoe was producing from its engine.
The highlight of the day was fishing. While on the canoe we tried our luck in catching piranhas. I held my fishing rode for two seconds and suddenly I feel this strong weight pulling me down. I pulled the stick out quickly and this relatively big fish was on it… shit (in the picture above Lenin holding my fish). That's a great success for someone who went fishing only once in his life (at the age of 12) and didn't catch anything after being cooked the whole day in the sun. So as I pulled the poor fellow into the boat, he managed to get out off the hook and to fall into the canoe, which had water in the bottom. I tried few times to catch him but unfortunately he managed to escape under the seats. At one point he was in my hands, and I was throwing him back to the water, but he was so oily that he managed to escape into the canoe again. I asked our guide, Lenin, to catch and throw him back to the river. I already started feeling bad that I pulled the fish out and I wanted to make sure that he will return home safely. At the same time Lenin was showing everyone the different piranhas that others had caught, and Aurora and her grandson were catching small fishes for the rest of the group´s bait. Because of the atmosphere in the boat around the fishing I repeated my request few times to Lenin. When he finished demonstrating the piranhas he came to our seats and with a stick narrowed my fish´s area. This eventually made him move to the open where he got caught by Lenin.
The Jungle Rules
In the jungle the rules are different. This I learned very quickly. You get only what you need not what you want. Lenin caught my fish and straight away put it … where? in the water? I wish! In Aurora´s hands to kill and make more bait. I saw this and asked him to ask Aurora to put it back to the water cause I don't want to kill any animal that I don't need to (already enough animals are being killed to provide my meals). After two or three times of Lenin asking her and she ignoring him, Aurora finally replied that this is her territory, her water and her fish. And basically because she has what we call ¨native´s rights¨ she feels she can do what ever she wants. I can totally understand this idea but I think that to some extent I have the right over that fish, because I caught it. But leaving that alone, i can´t really understand why while we were walking peacefully in the forest she had to cut every thing that grew an inch from the ground? Maybe she was just a bit bored.
With the jungle rules, during meals I found it very hard to get bread for my soup. We were served some pieces of bread at breakfast and apparently all the bread was gone by the evening although there wasn't any meal served during the day. I thought that the hosts didn't think we needed to have bread with the soup, so we didn't get any. But it could be that I am wrong.
DAY THREE: a Forest Walk, Yucan Bread and Looking for Crocodiles ('again…!' ' Who said that?' )
Most of the rest of the day we spent on the canoe waiting for things to happen, and I´m sorry to say that they didn't. The dolphins, monkeys, snakes, crocodiles and all the rest were not at home. Maybe they went on a holiday or maybe they could not be bothered waiting for us with the noise that the canoe was producing from its engine.
The highlight of the day was fishing. While on the canoe we tried our luck in catching piranhas. I held my fishing rode for two seconds and suddenly I feel this strong weight pulling me down. I pulled the stick out quickly and this relatively big fish was on it… shit (in the picture above Lenin holding my fish). That's a great success for someone who went fishing only once in his life (at the age of 12) and didn't catch anything after being cooked the whole day in the sun. So as I pulled the poor fellow into the boat, he managed to get out off the hook and to fall into the canoe, which had water in the bottom. I tried few times to catch him but unfortunately he managed to escape under the seats. At one point he was in my hands, and I was throwing him back to the water, but he was so oily that he managed to escape into the canoe again. I asked our guide, Lenin, to catch and throw him back to the river. I already started feeling bad that I pulled the fish out and I wanted to make sure that he will return home safely. At the same time Lenin was showing everyone the different piranhas that others had caught, and Aurora and her grandson were catching small fishes for the rest of the group´s bait. Because of the atmosphere in the boat around the fishing I repeated my request few times to Lenin. When he finished demonstrating the piranhas he came to our seats and with a stick narrowed my fish´s area. This eventually made him move to the open where he got caught by Lenin.
The Jungle Rules
In the jungle the rules are different. This I learned very quickly. You get only what you need not what you want. Lenin caught my fish and straight away put it … where? in the water? I wish! In Aurora´s hands to kill and make more bait. I saw this and asked him to ask Aurora to put it back to the water cause I don't want to kill any animal that I don't need to (already enough animals are being killed to provide my meals). After two or three times of Lenin asking her and she ignoring him, Aurora finally replied that this is her territory, her water and her fish. And basically because she has what we call ¨native´s rights¨ she feels she can do what ever she wants. I can totally understand this idea but I think that to some extent I have the right over that fish, because I caught it. But leaving that alone, i can´t really understand why while we were walking peacefully in the forest she had to cut every thing that grew an inch from the ground? Maybe she was just a bit bored.
With the jungle rules, during meals I found it very hard to get bread for my soup. We were served some pieces of bread at breakfast and apparently all the bread was gone by the evening although there wasn't any meal served during the day. I thought that the hosts didn't think we needed to have bread with the soup, so we didn't get any. But it could be that I am wrong.
DAY THREE: a Forest Walk, Yucan Bread and Looking for Crocodiles ('again…!' ' Who said that?' )
The first thing that I noticed when I woke up was my back. It was so painful, I have never experienced such a sharp pain. I had no idea what it was from. I haven't had back pain for ages; especially after practising Pilates, it's all gone. But now in the jungle it came back in a very painful way. So I was thinking, what did I do that might have caused this pain? And after concentrating really hard, the obvious conclusion came: THE CANOE. Sitting on a canoe for a whole day with short distance between seats, low benches and back support at a very funny angle is the right recipe for back pain. And the cure came only after I remembered what has helped me in the last few years – Pilates, yes ! how good is it when u have a physical problem and u can solve it yourself ?
Except the pain in the back on the third day, we went on a three hour walk in the forest, which was pretty nice. In the afternoon we went to Aurora's house and watched her cook a local bread called Yucan. The bread was made in a traditional fashion and we helped pulling the Yucan route from the ground. On the way back from Aurora's place we stopped for half an hour for Luis (Aurora's son in law) to make a phone call from his mobile. That was a unique experience. In the area that we were there is one specific point where locals found out that you can make phone calls. I guess while looking for reception they climbed up a few trees and found this one. But now they have upgraded to a small tower next to the tree that u can phone from. After that for some reason that I can't really understand we were again looking for crocodiles. I think Lenin has a small obsession with them. Because the day before while on the way back to the lodge we were looking for the same guys. And I mean it's not that u can really see them. You are actually looking for red eyes in the dark. If u saw that it meant that u saw a small crocodile.
Except the pain in the back on the third day, we went on a three hour walk in the forest, which was pretty nice. In the afternoon we went to Aurora's house and watched her cook a local bread called Yucan. The bread was made in a traditional fashion and we helped pulling the Yucan route from the ground. On the way back from Aurora's place we stopped for half an hour for Luis (Aurora's son in law) to make a phone call from his mobile. That was a unique experience. In the area that we were there is one specific point where locals found out that you can make phone calls. I guess while looking for reception they climbed up a few trees and found this one. But now they have upgraded to a small tower next to the tree that u can phone from. After that for some reason that I can't really understand we were again looking for crocodiles. I think Lenin has a small obsession with them. Because the day before while on the way back to the lodge we were looking for the same guys. And I mean it's not that u can really see them. You are actually looking for red eyes in the dark. If u saw that it meant that u saw a small crocodile.
DAY FOUR: Canoe Ride, Soccer with Locals and the Tarantula
The best day. Our group on this day was much smaller, because some of the members had to finish the day before. So we were only 4 instead of 9 which was a big difference. We didn't need to use the canoe with an engigne, and had a lovely sunny day and time to explore whatever we asked for. We started the day by a three hour canoe ride along the river, looking for birds, monkies and all their friends. And for some reason they all decided to expose themselves. As well as all the animals that we saw it was a great ride because we had to paddle ourselves in a small canoe where every movement counts. So we all had to be sync'ed with our movements to prevent flipping and to do some exercise at the same time. After lunch we went to visit the local school that is surrounded by local houses. Some local boys saw us and asked the guide if we want to play soccer with them, and we did. Because I was wearing rubber boots it was extremely hard, but it was a lot of fun. What was more amazing was the fact that the kids kept laughing throughout the whole game. Never mind losing or winning their were happy to make jokes about us or themselves, it was unbelievable. This phenomenon I have noticed with Aurora as well, when she was with her family most of time you would hear her laughing.
At night time we went for a walk, just Leah and I, with Lenin. The other couple was too tired. I must say doing a walk at night time in a forest full with different animals where most of them are not specially friendly is not my favourite thing but it was still very interesting. We managed to see mainly different kind of insects and one Tarantula. And when Lenin noticed that we were excited about the spider he said that he wiil show us another one when we get to our lodge. And yes he did. It was the biggest spider that I ever saw in my life. Waiting very calmly under a hole in a trunk right next to the toilet!!! I was very happy that we were leaving the next day otherwise it would have been very difficult to know that our friends are everywhere and we can't really see them unless we look very carefully.
At night time we went for a walk, just Leah and I, with Lenin. The other couple was too tired. I must say doing a walk at night time in a forest full with different animals where most of them are not specially friendly is not my favourite thing but it was still very interesting. We managed to see mainly different kind of insects and one Tarantula. And when Lenin noticed that we were excited about the spider he said that he wiil show us another one when we get to our lodge. And yes he did. It was the biggest spider that I ever saw in my life. Waiting very calmly under a hole in a trunk right next to the toilet!!! I was very happy that we were leaving the next day otherwise it would have been very difficult to know that our friends are everywhere and we can't really see them unless we look very carefully.
DAY FIVE
Going back ¨home¨ to civilisation was a great relief. Although I felt like life in the jungle is very attractive. Living with nature seems to me the best way of living. A place where u are actually part of your surroundings and the surroundings are part of u, where respecting the environment is a way a living. U don't just recycle but u are part of the soil and the trees and the water. U influence it and it0 influences u.
