Jungle-Monday and Tuesday

Monday-I knew I shouldn’t have waited to write…now I’m forgetting all the rich details, but I’ll attempt to remember…

Early morning again, 6AM breakfast of granola, yogurt, homemade bread, mermelada and eggs. Lots of fuel for an 8km hike. I’m actually glad we got an early start, because it was oppressively hot and humid. The air felt so thick, even at that early morning hour. Our guide assured us that it would rain later that day (and it did!) On our hike we saw lots more wildlife and interesting plants. They say there’s a medicine for any ailment that can be found in the jungle and I believe it. Javier (guide) explained many many plants that his people have been using for thousands of years for illnesses. Also the leaf cutter ants were amazing, carrying their leaves on their backs many miles, some of the smaller ones get a ride on the backs of the bigger ones.  After the hike, we headed back to the lodge for a delicious lunch of shrimp, rice and tomato salad. Then it was resting up in the hammock and swimming in the lagoon. We did another 8KM hike later in the day and got caught in a huge rainstorm. But the amazing thing was that…we hardly felt a drop as the rainforest canopy was so thick. But even though it was just 4:30 pm, it got so dark I could barely see. We waited for the rain to subside and hiked out back to the lodge just before the real darkness set in at 6:30pm. One thing I really noticed on my Amazon trip was how the noises change according to the time of day. SO noisy! I’m realizing that Quito is kind of absent of noise. But in the jungle, the birds are up so early, then in the afternoon it’s the cicadas and the evening is the toads and frogs and bugs. Amazing.

Tuesday-Time to go! We departed in the rain in our huge motorized canoe. It actually got a little chilly because the rain was beating us from the sides as we zipped down the Napo River to Coca to catch the flight back to Quito. All in all, it was a trip of a lifetime. So much nature, so close. At times I felt as if I were inside a National Geographic Magazine on the Wonders of the Amazon. The lodge was so comfortable too. Great meals and accommodations. Check them out at Sanilodge.com