Days 5 to 10

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Well, we survived the rainforest but we´re not sure the rainforest survived Beverlee! We stayed in a Jungle lodge ( see www.eljardinaleman.com ) where we were joined for breakfast by a family of Monkeys and a Parrot. We went on a Dugout canoe ride for 20 kilometres followed by a 3 hour trek through some primary rainforest. Some of us came back wetter than others, guess who fell in a stream and couldn´t get up for laughing? We swung through the trees Tarzan style on a creeper. We saw lots of different birds and butterflies, all sizes and colours. In the lodge where we were staying they had some animals which they had rescued, including a 10 foot long Boa Constrictor. On the way to the lodge we stopped for lunch in another lodge where we saw some monkeys and a Toucan. They had a baby Ocelot there which we held.

We went up Cotopaxi volcano last Wednesday where we saw an Andean Condor, which was one of only 200 left in the country. We then went to a 300 year old hacienda for lunch. On the way to the rainforest we crossed a gorge on a cablecar ( more of a basket on a wire ) which was fun.

We stayed just outside the town of Banos Thursday night where the volcano, Tungurahua, is ready to erupt at any moment. We are staying there again tonight, so watch this space!

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