The Jungle

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Again apologies for the lack of photo´s - I will add them I promise.

Well we are back from the jungle and it was fantastic, much better than I expected.

It started off with an overnight bus from Quito to Lago Agrio. It was OK but a little cramped. We got to Lago Agrio about 6am and then trasferred to a van with the other people on our trip. Several hot and bumpy hours later we arrived at the Cuyabeno Reserve where we transferred to boats for the trip to the lodge.

During dinner our guide, Naiser, spotted a tarantula on a wooden post in the dining area - great! After dinner we went on a night walk for about an hour. It was fantastic turning off our torches just listening to the sounds of the jungle.

Over the next few days we went on several walks seeing monkeys, frogs, macaws, parrots, woodpeckers, turtles, pink river dolphin, a river snake and the snout of a manatee. We also went fishing for piranha. Miles and Chris caught some but I didn´t and Mandy chose not to fish and then swam in the lake (where the piranha, river snake and manatee were) and watched the sunset. After the swim we looked for caiman and found a baby one and some snakes. Chris had his GPS with us so on one walk we went to the equator point and took photos when the reading showed 0.

We visited an indiginous village and had bread made from the yuca plant and had bananas straight from the tree. It was amazing seeing how these people can live off the land. We all bought craft bracelets at the village. On the way back to the lodge it started raining and didn´t let up (we found out why it is called the rainforest), so we spent that afternoon dozing in the hammocks.

Some of the group (Kieran, Fiona and Mex) left a day before us. (If you are reading this it was great meeting you all - safe travels). The four of us plus an American guy, Bob, were the only ones left at the lodge so one afternoon we went out on paddle canoes. We paddled for about a mile and we were knackered. Miles and Chris were on a boat on their own and eventually got the hang of it. Luckily Mandy, me and Bob were with the guide who knew what he was doing.

We travelled back to Quito where we are now. We are now knackered but all smiling from having gone on such a great trip. It really was a highlight of the trip so far (even with a few mosquito bites).

We are staying in the Hotel Sebastian. It is Mandy´s birthday tomorrow so she has treated us to 2 nights of luxury. We have cable TV, constant hot water and a hairdryer. Bliss!!!!

Tomorrow we are going on the cycle trip down Cotapaxi, then onto a town called Banos, and down to Guyaquil for the Galapagos trip on the 17th, so I will post before Galapagos if I can.

Hope everybody is OK back at home,

Love to you all

Tina

p.s. Congratulations to Sarah and Anwar who get married on Saturday. Hope you have a great day.

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Photos

At the equator
Chris with the GPS showing 0.0