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We returned to Quito today after spending the past week in the rainforest. Overall the trip was very educational and enjoyable. The facilities at Yachana Lodge were much more modern than I had anticipated.

Wildlife- The spiders, birds and bugs really stand out more than anything else. We saw a number of tranatulas and other very large spiders. One member of the group forgot to shake her boot one morning, and found a huge poisonous spider in it when she put it on. Luckily for her, she didn´t get bit! We didn´t see a jaguar, but we did see fresh tracks one morning. The weather was hot and humid, and it rained at least a little each day. We did see three snakes. The frogs were really fascinating as well, and mostly came out at night.

The Lodge- The lodge is about three hours up the Napo River from Coca, in the Napo province. The province ranks last in Ecuador for almost all health statistics and poverty. If you are looking at a map, Mondana is the closest community to the Yachana Lodge. The lodge overlooks the river and we saw many amazing sunsets over the mountains. Another interesting part of the trip was watching the river rise and fall drastically each day. Our group estimated that the river was up at least 30 feet today because it rained most of the day on Saturday. As a result, we watched 40 foot trees literally crumble into the river as it eroded the shoreline. The Napo River feeds into the Amazon, and is comparable to the Colombia River for all of you Oregonians out there! We did visit the local clinic, and discussed the difficulties of working in rural medicine…

The jungle- Each day, we had breakfast at 7 and went into the jungle around 830. Jungle gear consisted of knee high rubber boots, pants, long sleeves, and plenty of bug spray. The sounds of the forest are very distinct, and our guide seemed to know every bird call. We would walk until Juan found something of interest, and then he would proceed to tell us everything one could possibily know about that plant or animal. I was particularly interested in the various medicinal plants. One tree was called the bleeding tree because of it´s red sap, and is used for cuts or snake bites. Four members of our group got lost in the jungle one morning, but luckily were found about two hours later.

Culture- The culture in the Amazon (or Oriente) is in constant flux between the indigenous cultures and the more modern Spanish influence. We heard about the oil companies coming in and taking over much of the rainforest, and timber companies doing similiar things, and eco-tourism as the new alternative. Juan discussed his own journey through this difficult process, and his parents hesitation to support his decision to further his education.

One week left in this adventure. We leave early Tuesday morning for Cuenca, which is a city in southern Ecuador that has many colonial roots. We return to Quito on Friday night and then are back to the states on Sunday the 3rd. I have added a link to ecuadortravels.wordpress.com which is another blog about the trip. Katie teaches elementary music and has taken the time to upload a lot of her pictures. I encourage you to visit it if you get the chance.

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