Las Amazones

Hola a todos! So my time in the Amazon (or La Selva ¨jungle¨) was sort but VERY sweet. We had our first 5 hour bus ride. Really not that bad. I mean the ride is really really bumpy and the roads suck, but just looking out the window is an amazing sight. All the houses and people and beautiful landscape. It´s awesome!

So we arrived and checked into our jungle lodge. I wasn´t quite sure what to expect but they were little screened-in cabanas lit only by lamps at night. That made seeing the bugs hard, but luckily the only one we saw was a GIANT and I mean friggn´giant spider this morning. Ugh, I´m getting the willies just thinking about it! So yea, it was so peaceful and you could hear all the insects and frogs singing away as we slept. And last night it rained all night, so that was pretty cool. But we were hardly in the cabanas because there was so much to do!

The first day we arrived and went on a walk to visit some of the Quechua people of the area. You won´t believe it until you see the pictures, but a lot of these people are still living soley off the land. They make their homes and roofs from the trees and leaves, they hunt, they make clay pots, they pan for gold (I saw a women do it and actually come out with flakes!). Of course the area that were visiting was somewhat commercialized compared to others, but their culture is very strong and as you get deeper into the jungle you get further and further from the civilization we know...

So the first day we just saw where they lived. I gave a blow gun a try. They make wooden darts and poison them with dart frog or poisonous vine sap and then shoot animals with them. It´s a science, as if they use too much poison on the wrong size animal they can die from eating the meat. I also tried this alcholic drink they make from yuca called ¨chicha¨ - everyone drinks it, including the ninos.

The second day we motor-canoed to a spot where we took a hour and a half hike through the junlge (learning about all the cool plants and animals along the way!) to a really cool waterfall. It was pretty hot from the longish walk in our muck boots, so we stripped down to our bathing suits (¨togs¨ in New Zealand) and jumped in. I think that was my first time standing in a waterfall and then I obviously had to try to hang with the boys by climbing the wall and jumping into a deep spot. As some of you may know, I´m afraid of heights. I was shaking on the climb up (half because I´m just weak and the other half because of anticipation), and I didn´t think of this until after, but there really wasn´t any other way down once I got up there, but to jump :) So I jumped and screamed like a little girl on the way down. Hey, at least I did it! I figure I didn´t come all this way to have regrets. Oh, and mom, I also got a huge tribal tattoo on my forehead...sorry, I was on this whole ¨seize the moment¨ kick. :P

So then we tubed back to the cabanas, and had a quick bit and rest before our second trek. We learned so much about the trees and all their uses. It´s crazy how they eat them, use them for glue, for building, weaving, drugs, etc. There was a vine that our guide, Alfredo, showed us that Shamans use to hallucinate (and cure people and see the future...I mean, there´s obviously a lot more to it...and I´m bringing some back. Just kidding Big Brother).

Bueno, Me tengo ir! The next two days are filled with white-water rafting and horseback riding around the Volcano. Oh, and I just went in the thermal baths tonight. Hot Hot Hot!