Into the Jungle

For the past few days I’ve been traveling through the jungle of Ecuador and exploring a culturally rich world of shaman’s, mosquitos and mud.

A 200 year old tree and gum boots.

I’m on a Tucan Travels tour at the moment taking public transport between all of our destinations. So to reach the jungle we traveled from Quito into the town of Tena on a long (8 hour) bus ride that was additionally delayed by a mudslide. Once in Tena we were met by 4WD taxis and driven to a beautiful resort in the middle of the jungle.

The jungle huts were basic but beautiful with no wifi or hot water, but self-contained bathrooms and comfortable beds.

Beautiful jungle huts

The next morning we woke up fresh and ready for a jungle trek. Thankfully the hotel provided knee-high gum boots for the trek, as my thongs and less than substantial sneakers were not at all adequate for the level of mud we encountered.

Walking with a local guide who explained to us all of the local flora and wildlife was excellent. He was enthusiastic and funny, and enjoyed showing yet another group of unprepared gringo tourists through the local jungle area he calls home.

The Ecuadorian jungle is lush and humid. Swimming in the river was a refreshing break from the humidity, especially after trekking through the wilderness for hours in heavy gum boots caked with mud. We were treated to warm, sunny mornings and rainstorms in the afternoons. And by rainstorms I mean torrential downpours.

Relaxing in hammocks during torrential rain watching the path turn into a river.

The local people in and around the area of Tena are lovely. We visited a school in the small local village and spoke with cheeky students who were thrilled some gringos could sneakily help them with their English language worksheets.

We trekked to a local woman who made pottery from her home and we practiced blow dart shooting into a target, which was more difficult than I expected.

Blow dart gun being cleaned preparing for firing.

The insects are relentless. Stepping out of our hut after showering I forgot to put insect repellent onto my legs and within two minutes I was being eaten alive, and not just by mosquitos. There are some insects here that remind me of midgies in Australia that somehow make you bleed within thirty seconds. My lower legs are covered in red bites and I am now pouring insect repellent onto myself, making me smell very unappealing to everyone, including mosquitos and killer bugs.

Coming into the jungle was a great experience. I’ve only been staying on the very edge, but coming through was a great experience for me and my appreciation for those who make their lives in the jungle has grown significantly.