The Jungle

Last night I returned from a fantastic 3 days in the jungle. We first drove a couple of hours in a van from Baños to Puyo which is a small town on the edge of the jungle. From there we travelled another hour or so in a pick-up to the Hola Vida reserve. There was only myself & another young kiwi couple on the trip, along with Juan, our guide. Juan was an absolute legend! He was a fantastic guide & knew vast amounts about the local flora & fauna. He was also an excellent cook, & we were constantly amazed by the meals he managed to produce for us. Below you can see him in all his glory!

In Puyo Juan had stopped at a house to purchase some 'firewater' which is basically a local spirit made from sugar cane. A 500ml bottle of 80% proof (in a reused water bottle!) cost 1USD. The first night he made Cubre Libres for us, then the second night he boiled up a syrup of water, sugar & cinnamin sticks, & we drank it warm with the firewater. It was really really good!

We were staying at a private camp owned by Rainforestur, the company we were doing the trip with. It was very luxerious having the whole place to ourselves. The camp consisted of basic sleeping quarters, a kitchen & dining area, a firepit with hammocks around it, & a toilet & cold-water shower. We were up quite high & had amazing views out over the jungle. The first night it was clear enough to see the volcano Tungurahua smoking away.

We spent the days trekking through the jungle, & learning about lots of the local plants & their traditional medicinal uses. We would hike to waterfalls & swim in the pools below them. We also visited a couple of caves which were full of bats. We visited a local Quichuas indian community & admired their handicrafts & had a go on a blowpipe. On the last day we had a trip down the river on a dug-out canoe, then hiked up to a really nice viewpoint.

We were only in secondary jungle on the fringe of the Amazon basin, so we didn't see a huge amount of wildlife. For that you need to travel much deeper into the primary jungle, which we didn't have time for. We still saw lots of huge spiders, loads of giant brightly coloured butterflies, frogs, & even a big snake on our last day. One night we were chilling by the fire & heard a loud rustling noise. We shone the torch & there was a huge flying cockroach about the size of a small hand! We got good at shaking all clothing & double-checking our gumboots before putting them on. I wasn't happy at night until I'd triple-checked my bed, & then tucked the mosquito net tightly all around so nothing could get in.

All in all it was an amazing, if tiring 3 days. This morning, back in the comfort of my hostel in Baños I enjoyed a well-earned sleep-in, before a huge brunch of pancakes, sugar-cane syrup & fresh fruit. The weather isn't too flash today, but if it clears up this afternoon I might go for a walk. When it is clear you can get some amazing views by hiking up some of the steep hills that surround Baños. This evening I think a soak in the hot pools is in order.