I am sitting on my private little porch in shorts and t-shirt, feet
propped up on the hammock, watching the Napo River waft on by and
listening to the toucans and other birds chirp and screech in the trees
right above me. Its glorious. The hardest thing to do here is to try
to remember all the things I have seen and done! So much happens in one
day, even when sitting quietly right here.
I did not sleep well for some reason on Tuesday night so I asked to be
moved to a different room - one much closer to the main center.. I felt
quite out on a limb in the other room and was obviously not comfortable
even in my sleep. So, here I am in this lovely room - much happier and
slept like a log last night:)
Yesterday when we were walking through the forest we found a termite
nest withing reach of the ground. Abel pushed in a couple of places
making a happy face while the termites came screaming out of there to
see what was happening. Apparently, squished termites are an insect
repellant. So, yes, I just had to try it and put my hand up on the nest
sort of cringing at the site of what felt like millions of those little
insects swarming onto my hand and arm. When my hand was almost black
with termites, I shook it quickly and squished the rest onto my arms. I
cant really say if it worked because I was not getting insect bitten in
the first place - thanks Karen and Cathy for the oils!
A termites nest is a big oval/round shaped structure formed on the side
of a tree. The nest is entirely made of termite poop, which I was only
told after I stuck my hand on it! They also make little covered tunnels
from the ground to the nest all the way up the tree, to protect
themselves from the sun and other predators. Makes one look at things
slightly differently.
Everywhere you look here are beautiful flowers, the houses are so basic
and very few have paint but they always have a beautiful array of
flowers around and of course, in every flower is at least one insect.
The grasshoppers that I see in some of the flowers have the most
incredible irridiscent green coloring with black markings and yellow
dots on the end of their feelers. Weird but beautiful.
Yesterday, Wednesday, we started off the day with a visit across the
river to the Yachana Reserve. There they had waiting a ..........it was
not a truck nor a pickup nor a bus really - bus something of a mixture
of them all. A high flatbed truck with chairs on the top for a better
view. So in we piled and drove through a couple of small communities -
as in one or two houses worth, and then deeper into the forest. This
was on a very narrow one-vehicle dirt road. But yes, there were some big
trucks coming the other way and somehow they made it work. Yachana
Lodge is building another lodge across the river from this one so there
is much construction going on. They do not build in the Primary Forest
(old original forest), but only in the Secondary areas and because they
want to keep the 'footprint' down, they keep the roads narrow, dirt and
almost not taken care of. Trucks going up and down the road kept the
trees and shrubs cut back well.
Anyway - after a little while and stopping to see some monkeys and
toucans and other birds, we hopped off and started a 2 hour walk through
the jungle. Wow, I just know I left about 5 pounds of fat spread on the
jungle floor! Talk about hot and humid and slick and slippery and
beautiful, rich green, dripping with a gentle earthy smell wafting
everywhere. We seemed to go up more hills than down and either way made
for very difficult walking because of the layers and layers of wet
rotting leaves and the very slick tree roots buried just below them. It
really was a lovely walk though - along the way we saw a 'herd' of
peccary, but they stayed well hidden so that my camera could not get
them, toucan screeched overhead and there were many other birds that I
really dont remember their names. One bird here makes a sound like a
drop of water.... I dont know how else to describe it... We saw little
frogs and I have discovered that apparently I have an interest in fungi
- I find myself stopping, stooping and clicking away at the endless
designs and colors of them. Some are huge and others just pinpricks of
dotted over an area.
Just when I thought that it was now enough and I would be happy to just
go and sit in the little stream we sploshed through what felt like miles
back, we heard human voices again - and we got spat out of the jungle
onto a very long straight dirt road - and there was one of the most
beautiful things I had seen in almost two hours - that truck with
seats!! It was glorious to sit and have the wind dry the sweat
from.............. well everywhere while we headed back to the river.
I wanted to swim across - its not that wide here - about 100 feet, but
Abel said no and definitely not without a life jacket. And the canoe
did not have one in it this time........ the lodge was literally
directly across from where we were. I was a little disappointed, but I
know that there was a good reason. And there was. When we got to the
other side, I was literally covered in mud from the jungle walk, hot and
sweaty and needed to cool off. So off came my boots and socks, watch
and camera and, with Abel's permission - I swam right next to the river
bank. I was surprised at just how strong the current was and at one
point was swimming as hard as I could, getting absolutely nowhere.
Fortunately I was right next to the canoe and grabbed on, pulling myself
back to the steps up to the lodge, where Abel was sitting with a big
smile on his face and said "I was right, no?" Yeah, yeah, he was
right. It was a lovely cool off, but would definitely not try to swim
here on my own. That 'gentle' water is very deceptive.
And then off to cooking class! I was not excited about this at
all............ I was met at the cooking hut by a very big walking
stick insect that I got to hold for a few minutes. He reached from my
wrist to my elbow. And then we wrapped fish in jungle leaves, added
some spices with names I will never remember, tied them up with jungle
fiber and put it on the fire. And then there was a little package -
something wrapped in leaves and tied off............but I could here
that there was movement. Abel opened it up and there were three of the
biggest, most disgusting, squirming grubs I have ever seen. They had
black (yeah, take not of "had") snouts and moved as only grubs can move
- they were about as long as my index finger and about as fat as two of
my fingers put together. The question was asked of me: "Do you want
one?" "No", was not my answer............. "hell no!" was!!!
And so Abel ate one. Alive! It crunched and scrunched while the cook
looked very amused at Lucia and my expressions. I thought I would throw
up right there and then! I have never wished that someone stop chewing
as quickly as I did then. Apparently this is normal, acceptable food,
raw and all. Shudder. When finally managed to pull myself away from
watching the destruction of that horrible grub, I saw that the cook was
pushing a stick through the other two grubs. Uh oh. He skewered them
neatly, broke their skin or whatever grubs have, and onto the fire they
went. This was not looking good to me at all! After way too short a
time, the grubs were declared cooked and yup, we were offered them
again. Lucia said he had had them before so would leave them for
me...... I found out afterwards that she did not like them, or the idea,
at all.
And so there I stood with four people looking expectantly at me with
laughter and daring in their eyes. So I did the only thing possible - I
ran like hell! NO no no..... I reached out and took one well cooked,
still disgusting grub and ate the flippen thing - black snout and all!
The taste was not bad, it was just what was going on in my mind seemed
to communicate with my stomach and push the bile almost over the top. I
made my mind a total blank and chewed, crunched and seriously struggled
to swallow - but I would be darned if I was going to throw up! And I
ate the second one too. Of course I was nowhere near a toothbrush or
acid to clean it all off, but a good few glasses of water, along with
many shudders seemed to do the trick. I am glad I ate them, now I never
ever have to wonder about it or do it again! I swear I was still
picking grub from my teeth hours later! yuck.
Soon after that we were served lunch with the fish we had wrapped -
thankfully no sign of any more grubs.
Spanish lessons followed. I find them very frustrating because I forget
many words, but as of the end of today, I can actually understand what
most people are saying around here - just am not yet able to speak it
properly. Writing Spanish is also no problem most of the time.
Today....... well, today was another full day. Breakfast was a bit
later than normal and our visit to one of the local homes was also a bit
delayed. Not long though. We canoe'd across the river and then walked
along this narrow dirt road for about an hour and a half. Abel had
picked us oranges and the three of us threw them at each other, did
tricks with them and generally had fun while walking. It was not too
hot at all and also interesting to see all the bird life around.
The house we went to was that of the local Shaman. The garden was full
of interesting and colorful plants and flowers, just not like a garden
in the US or anywhere. Here, they are all grown up, no lawns or
anything - just a self made pathway where one needs to walk. The house
was terribly basic, nothing wasted on the looks of the place at all.
There are no windows or doors and on the one room that the Shaman used,
the 'door' was a small bench that he moved when he went in and moved
again to 'close the door' when he came back out.
He was a very very interesting looking character of about 72 years old.
He had beads and threaded hair and a face that I would have loved to
take photos of all day long. His wife and child sat quietly to one side
while our guide, Abel, told us about his work and the area. Abel
chatted quietly to the Shaman and then I was asked to take off my
............ no no! My camera and my glasses and go and sit on a
different bench with my hands face upwards. The little benches are
simply a plank of wood on two very short stumps, so when we sat on them
our knees were higher than our hips. Anyway - so there I sat, hands and
knees up, butt down with my eyes closed, just waiting. Yes, I did peek...
The Shaman came over with some leaves tied at the one end and started
'washing me' with them while emitting a low almost growl and blowing
smoke all over me. It did not smell like smoke at all and the way he
was brushing me with those leaves was as if he was trying to get rid of
the bad stuff from inside me. It was not rough of invasive at all -
just interesting. I calmed myself all the way down, relaxed totally and
enjoyed. Then he took the leaves and sort of shook them over the
railing of the building - yes I peeked again. He shook those leaves
like there really was stuff collected in them and then came back and
literally changed his tune to a high pitched, yet gentle whining sound -
like keening almost. He wafted those leaves all over me for a while
again, and the smoke and then deemed me cleansed. It was a very
interesting process but I still feel sticky and sweaty and am hoping
that the inner cleansing will show in ways still to come.
Then it was on to shooting those tiny arrows out of a blowgun thing.....
a very very long pipe made from a hardwood tree in the forest. Abel
went first and of course hit the pawpaw on a stick he was aiming at.
Then it was my turn and bingo! I hit it too! WOw. But on second and
third try - nothing. Ah well - at least I got one :)
TIme to head out again and the long walk to the river again, this time
with no oranges - we had eaten them on the porch of the shaman. We were
not far down the road when a huge big yellow construction truck came
barrelling around the corner right at us. We quickly stepped back into
the brush and Abel stuck out his hand. They stopped, so in we climbed -
all 16 foot up, just kidding, but it felt like it, and off we went. The
front window of the truck had multiple cracks in it - all over the
place. There are no dashboard.... well anything - just a tangle of
wires and more wires, but boy did that thing move! The side windows
were also long gone and it did not matter that our boots were totally
covered in fresh mud - the truck was already full of it!. Apparently
that truck is one of them that is considered in good condition still.
It was a disturbingly quick trip back to the river by truck!
And across the river we went again. I went to clean up in my new room
and catch up on some Spanish learning - lessons were on for most of the
afternoon. Supper is waiting for me on this last night here in
Yachana. I am SO not ready to leave here and was extremely fortunate to
be handed the most glorious sunset of the week. I could hear my camera
singing.
Tomorrow morning we head back to Tena for the weekend. I am not sure
whether I will be alone there or not. Lucia probably has to go back to
Quito at least for one day - but might be back on Friday night or
Saturday morning. Not sure yet. I am hoping to go on a couple of tours
while there. Monday next week we get back on the bus and head to Sinchi
Warmi.
Its been a fantastic week here - ending way too soon, just when I am
getting comfortable around here. Ah well.
Till the next chapter
Love and light
Annie
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www.amazontravels.blogspot.com
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