After a week in the mountains it was time for something completely different - the jungle. In Ecuador a trip to the jungle involves visiting the Amazon Rainforest. We left Quito on the night bus and headed for the town of Lago Agrio to meet our jungle guide. However on the way a torrential rainstorm struck and caused a landslide that blocked the road. We were worried we would miss our trip but the local people were prepared and 6 hours later we were on our way again! We finally arrived and for the first time this trip it was hot enough to put on my shorts and flip flops.
To reach our lodge deep in the rainforest, we had to take a bus to El Puente then a canoe trip down the Cuyabeno River. The journey to the river took us past oil refineries and showed how important it is to protect the rainforest from oil companies who want to cut the forest down to get to the oil in the ground. More than 25000 species of Amazonian plants contribute 20% of the oxygen in our air and 66% of all the worlds fresh water can be found here. The canoe journey down the river showed us what a special place the rainforest is - beautiful and untouched. We even saw our first dangerous animal - an anaconda. Our guide explained that it was only a baby at 1 metre long, apparently they can grow up to 9 metres in length! 
Two hours later we arrived at Samona Jungle Lodge, our home for the next few days. The lodge is made up of lots of wooden huts with thatched roofs. There is a gap between the walls and roof which bugs can get through, so you sleep under mosquito nets. Our room was visited by cockroaches and ghekos during our stay, but nothing worse (we think!). The tarantulas prefered to hang out in the dining area whilst we ate dinner. Apparently tarantulas only bite when they are threatened or they sense fear, at least that was what our guide told me when he convinced me to hold one. It felt really soft and feathery as it walked across my hands.
We spent our first evening back on the river in our canoe. We were searching for caymens (related to crocodiles and alligators) in the dark. To find them you have to look out for their eyes glowing in the dark, just above the surface of the water. Our guide had excellent eyesight and spotted them from a long way off. We got to within a metre of the caymens and got some great photos, until the the boat brushed against one and the people at the front of the canoe thought they were caymen dinner! (We were at the back).
The next day started with an early morning paddle in search of monkeys. Mr Greenhead wasn't impressed with the paddling skills of our group, but after a bit of encouragement we made our way down river. The monkeys were incredible, chasing each other and leaping huge distances from tree to tree. We also saw a large and very colourful Toucan flying in the tree tops. Next on the itinery was the hunt for anacondas. We had to go on foot for this activity, so we put on our wellies, smooothered ourselves in deet (insect repellent) and set off through the squelchy mud. Most people ended up with mud and water in their wellies, but one poor girl kept falling over and ended up covered from head to toe. Unfortunately all the anacondas were hiding but we did find an electric eel and the skin shed by an 8 metre anaconda.
On our way back for lunch we saw some more monkeys whilst we were taking a dip in the river. At this point I didn't realise piranhas lived there, though apparently you need to be bleeding alot for them to attack. The afternoon was spent relaxing on the hammocks at the lodge and finding tree frogs who seemed to like hanging round the huts. Then another evening trip down the river to watch the sunset over the laguna and spot more caymens- one of which was 6 metres long! We also saw lots of jumping fish, one of which jumped into our boat and had to be fished out admist lots of screaming.
We woke up to a torrential rain storm the next morning, which sounded amazing on the roof of our hut. You can understand how the rainforest is so green and full of life when you see the rain pour down. It carried on pouring as we headed in the canoe to a local village (Tarapuy Siona Community), but our ponchos kept us dry and finally the rain eased. We were met at the village by the pet monkey called Nacho. He was extremely cute and was very happy to pose for photos. 
We were given a tour of the village and shown how to make yam bread, which we had for lunch. We also met the villagers pet parakeet who thought Mr Greenheads fingers were rather tasty. The local shamen (witch doctor) was next on the tour. He claims to cure illnesses by chanting and waving local plants over the patient, I am not convinced it works. Then we went for a walk through thick rainforest where we saw huge conga and army ants.
Our next activity was piranha fishing. On the way to the fishing spot in the laguna, we saw lots of cute turtles diving off the logs on the banks of the river and into the water. Piranhas swim about a metre below the surface, so you have to drop the baited line into the water and wiggle it around. Mr Greenhead was the first to catch a piranha, which it turns out is the easy part. You aren't allowed to keep the fish, but getting them off the line whilst their sharp teeth are snapping at your fingers is scary. When I finally caught one I had to get Mr Greenhead to throw it back for me! Once we had run out of bait we headed back to camp for night walk in the jungle, the trees were full of huge spiders and other creepy crawlies.
Well, I like the sound of the mammals and birds but not sure about the reptile, amphibian or arachnid sections of the animal kindom!!! What an experience!
ReplyDeleteSounds like you've met pretty much every animal there!
ReplyDeleteThis is wonderful! I didn’t have this detailed record, so I can always come back here and remember what we did/ we saw in those 4 days!
ReplyDeleteWhere are you right now?
Michiyo