The Amazon!

Our first BIG adventure. The Amazon rain forest. We set off from Quito on a night bus. It's supposed to take 8 hours to get to Lago Agrio. Instead, we get there 2 hours early thanks to some reckless (bordering suicidal) driving. We meet Siggi, Susan and Devon in the hotel's restaurant with whom we will spend a very cosy 4 days in the forest.

José-Luis our guide on the first day

Another hour in a bus and we get to the Cuyabeno National Reserve ($2 entry fee) where we are welcomed by José-Luis. We take a 2 hour boat trip to our lodge (yes one has to earn the Amazon experience) and at last we are in the thick of it. In the meantime our Catalan friends Jordi and Anabel join the group. 

Ferns and orchids growing on branches of big trees

We check into our lodges: summary but comfortable and we immediately head out to explore the surroundings. First impression : AMAZING ! We're actually there ! José-Luis explains the ins and outs of the flora and fauna before our bewildered eyes. 

A day walk - 100% humidity and 36°C

A river swim

We have our first swim. The water in the "laguna" is warm, yet refreshing. There is a slight current but I'm more worried about the electric stinging fish. If you step on one that's pretty much it. 

Trees fall across the river after heavy rainfall

Then the sunset, one of the most beautiful and peaceful I've seen in my life. Simply magic.

A cayman's head sticks out 

We climb back into the boat and go looking for caymans in the dark. There are white and black caymans. The latter can reach a length of 4m and are definitely the most aggressive. So in case you are wondering, to spot a crocodilian in complete darkness you must flash your lights until you see a pair of glowing red eyes staring back at you. We spot a few and José-Luis tries to grab one by the tail but it swims away... it wasn't to be.

We head back to the lodge, all lights out, and no-one says a word. We are surrounded by hundreds of kilometres of dark forests, and there is no light pollution here, so the sky is stunning. Rarely one can see the stars so bright and so many of them. And because we are so close to the equator we can actually see the constellations of both hemispheres ! 

A ritual painting in a Quechua village

Night fauna is difficult to spot - here a nocturnal locust

A "red belly" piranha - the most aggressive of the 3 species

The rest of the 4 days are simply going to be fantastic ... long jungle walks, night explorations, sweating, visiting an authentic Quechua village, swimming in the river, more sweating, smoking hallucinogenic sticks, fishing piranhas, more sunsets ...

To see all pictures follow this link : The Amazon!

Shamans smoke this stick to "see beyond" 

Big birds flying to their nests

 More Sunset pictures