Here are some things you should know about me. I hate snakes; they are one of my biggest fears in life. Also, insects are not my favorite, especially spiders. Now that you know this, I can tell you that I had pretty low expectations regarding my enjoyment of the Amazon Rainforest. I mustered the courage to go, knowing that this was an experience I would forever regret missing. And as a biologist and environmental scientist, it was something I needed to see, especially as this forest is quickly disappearing. Thankfully, I ended up enjoying the entire experience (with the exception of one wild bus ride) and it will forever go down as one of my favorite memories.
Before setting out, we did our homework to make sure we were going on a tour that offered both a good value and was respectful of the environment. After all was said and done we settled on Cuyabeno Lodge which is run by NeoTropic Tours. They work hard to minimize their impact on the land and have been one of the longest running operations in this protected area. I very much appreciated that once we arrived, our guide said, “Remember, if you find any insects or animals in your cabin, it is ok. We are guests in their home and should treat it as such.” To get to the Amazon we first had to take a 7 hour bus trip from Quito to the town of Lago Agrio in eastern Ecuador. The ride was mostly uneventful with the exception of me thinking my bag was getting stolen (apparently we were just switching buses), the bus dropping me off and leaving with Eric still on it, and our taxi driver driving around aimlessly for 20 minutes because he couldn’t find our hotel. In the end, it all worked out and we had a peaceful night sleep before heading off on our tour. Fun fact! Lago Agrio (meaning 'bitter lake' in Spanish) is named after a town in Texas that has been so polluted from oil contamination that the lake has become dead, or bitter. The same is taking place in this area due to the massive oil production taking place here. Instead of boring you with the blow by blow and all the minute details, I’ll provide an overview of the highlights.
Overall our trip was phenomenal. I got the best nights sleep I have had so far (even though I was scared a snake would get into my bed), we ate delicious meals, and saw extraordinary wildlife. I am so happy we had this experience. Our guide, Gilver, was one of the best parts of the trip. He was so knowledgeable and worked hard to minimize our impact and understand the ecology of the area we were exploring. It became a running joke that he was magical as he could spot a frog that was smaller than my pinky nail from a distance of 50 meters (maybe not quite but extremely impressive), and he found an owl using camouflage like a tree stump. The only drawback of the entire trip was the ride home. As my family knows, I get car sick very easily and struggle with windy roads. This particular ride to Quito back from Lago Agrio would best be described as a roller coaster. The bus driver was fearless, taking hairpin turns at 80 kph. The road was nothing but turns and changes in elevation, unrelentingly so for hours on end. Needless to say, after two hours with no reprieve, I lost my lunch – several times. Everyday I am thankful for Eric, and this was no exception. He is a pretty great guy. As for the blog title – our clothes never dried and our shoes are still wet four days later. We spent several days wearing damp clothes, smelling musty and sweaty the entire time. Oh well. I guess that’s why they call it the rain forest. Here are a few photos. Check Facebook for the full album!
2 Comments
Peter Willcox
7/22/2017 11:30:18 pm
Great stuff. I look forward to reading more.
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Momma Bear
7/23/2017 01:12:24 pm
Amazing 😍
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AuthorJust two kids out exploring this big world of ours. Archives
September 2017
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