Back from the Amazon

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For the past month I have been in the Amazon jungle and out of range of the internet, for any of you who have been wondering about my long absense.

I actually arrived back in Quito more than a week ago, but for the past six days I have been bed ridden in the State hospital of Quito. It seems that during my time in the jungle I contacted a fairly serious infection in the heel of my right foot, complements to a small insect that found my flesh to be a very satisfactory place to live. My entire foot was swollen up like a balloon, and my heel constantly oozzeeeed pus from what the doctors explained to me was the insect coming to the surface of my foot to breath. Pretty nasty stuff, but with the right antibiotics not in the least bit dangerous.
While in the hospital I was lucky enough to become good friends with an english-studying girl of roughly my age, who actualy proved to be my saving grace for the week. Because the hospital I was in was a state run hospital and not a private hospital it did not have any of my needed antibiotics within its walls. Instead the doctors would write me a list of medicines I needed and it was my responsibility to somehow get these prescriptions from pharmacies several blocks away. I tried several times to explain to them that I did not have any family or friends in Quito who could get these meds for me, that I was alone. Not sure I was fully understood. To my great relief Irina heard several nurses talking about me, and how I had no one to buy the meds I needed and offered to look after me for the week.
Well, it all turned out great. I made a good friend and my foot is quickly on the mend.

On a different note, for the month prior to my hospital visit I was knee deep in the Ecuadorian Amazon, known here as the Oriente. This area of land has for years been the target of big oil companies and illegal logging operations because of its vast oil reserves and abundants of hard woods. I along with several Huaorani spent nearly two weeks trekking through the jungle surrounding the local village (Quehueire Ono) and the Tropic Lodge, beginning the process of setting up an area of land for conservation. I have never done anything quite so physically demanding and interesting. Although the distances we were covering were not all that great, no more than ten miles in one direction, the terrain we crossed seemed to go up and down more often than side to side. For the most part, my guide Eweme led our party, hacking a path through the dense foliage with a razor sharp machete, stopping every so often to point out an animal track or to whistle to a passing bird. Behind Eweme would be me. Desperately struggling to keep up with Eweme´s quick pace and constantly cursing as I tripped and stumbled my way through the jungle. Finally, we were followed by two young guys, about my age named Marko and Dabo. As far as I can fathom they came along with us for the simple adventure of the journey. On more than one occasion Marko could stop me from behind and point out a snake that I had just stepped over, or an ants nest I had narrowly missed putting my hand into.
There was one of these occasions when he stopped me and pointed out a jet-black, 3 foot long snake that I had just stepped over. In his limited spanish he said ¨Negro boa, muy muy mal.¨ The meaning was quite clear. I began paying much more attention to where I put my feet.

All told we managed to to map out the entire area of land south of the lodge that was to be set aside for complete conservation. The Huaorani will not hunt in this area, and every few months several members will go around the boarders of the area to ensure there is not logging going on. In time this area of land will help to regenerate animal species in the area and will provide a place for visitors of the lodge to hike and animal watch.
The other two weeks I was in the Amazon I was put to work helping to install solar panals that will provided electricity for all the guest cabins and the restaurant/kitchen.
Now back in Quito it seems like an entirely different world that I left behind. I am sure that I will never forget the friends I made in the Oriente, nor the things I saw while there. I have twelve more hours in Quito before I catch a 10PM bus to the coast. I was originally planning on heading north to Mompichi, which Pato told me was the most beautiful stretch of coast line in Ecuador. However, I am now catching the bus to a town on the coast called Manta, much farther south and closer to my finaly destination in Ecuador of Loja.

Im sorry, but I have not been able to upload any pictures as of yet. However you can look at some of my pictures in my gallary.

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