This is a really long post.
The area we were staying was half flooded because the rainy season just ended. So, it was still really muddy, and my feet got stuck in the mud as we were getting out of the canoe. It was insane how much mud there was, and I wasn't even wearing boots! The area is really cool because during the high point of the dry season, the water completely dries up and you have to walk everywhere. Even when we were in the middle of the lagoon/river, there were places where the water was just knee-high. But sometimes it got annoying because our boat kept on getting stuck! By the time we actually got to settle in, it was already dark and time for dinner. I loved all the buildings because they were all made of wood and pacha (this hay-looking plant for the roofs) and looked super Amazonian. It was so surreal being in a place like this. It was a really chill night, and most of us spent a lot of time either in the hammocks or in our bunks.
The next morning, I woke up bright and early at 6 because of the birds right outside our cabin/hut. They really were the coolest bird I had ever seen because they make this sound like a water droplet - they're called oropendula birds. Really cool, really loud haha. After breakfast, we went on a hike in the forest; there was no path or anything so the guides had to lead the way. After walking for a while, we were left alone in various spots in the forest to do our "solos" for an hour, which was just sitting in the middle of the rainforest listening, looking, and smelling. It was just personal time that the directors gave us to connect with ourselves and with nature. I really enjoyed it, even though there were SO many bugs/ants/frogs/flies/mosquitoes. I don't think I ever had this much private time in Ecuador except right before I sleep, but then I'm on my computer so it's not very personal.
When we returned, we had lunch, which was amazing. Again. :D I loved the food here. Then after lunch, we went for a short boat ride to go piranha fishing! It was awesome since I actually caught fish!! The piranhas there are vegetarian, and the method of catching them were different. With poles that had string attached, we attached a piece of raw meet. Then with the end of the stick, we shook it in the water, and then put the meet in. Immediately you can feel the piranhas feeding on the meet. When you feel like they've taken the bait, you quickly pull the pole out of the water and hope the fish is caught on the hook! I think I caught two or three in total. It was really fun!!
Then right after that, it was getting really dark, so we went caiman hunting on the river. In order to spot the caiman, you have to skim your flashlight across the surface of the river and along the trees. If you see a round, red reflection, it's their eyes. Then we would turn off the motor to try and get closer to the caiman and see it up close. We didn't have much luck, though, because we didn't get to see one super up close. We did see a baby caiman on land, though. It was really small and cute! Then we went back and had dinner and played card games the rest of the night. I learned a new game called Rummy that Lisa taught everyone, and I want to bring it back to my area and teach everyone because it's an awesome game!
The next day after breakfast, we went to visit the Siona community, a group of indigenous people that lived on the reserve before it was considered protected. So they still have the right to live on the land, but they have to obey the rules of the reserve. As soon as we got there, a monkey that the people had found last year greeted us; his name is Nacho! He was super adorable, and since he was still a baby, he was really energetic and wanted to bite everything he got his hands on. It was super cool to play with a monkey!!! He was climbing all over us and dragging us everywhere.
After a while, we got a tour of their community, and their farm area. The coolest part was tasting the fruit of a cacao plant! The seeds actually have a gooey white fruit around that is sweet but really sour. I loved it and saved the seed from the fruit that I ate. I can't turn it into chocolate, but it's still cool to have! And we got to harvest some yuca plants. Yuca is very similar to potatoes in their shape and the way they're grown underground, but they taste different. It's white and a lot smoother than potatoes, which I like since I don't like the grittiness of potatoes. After harvesting them, Marisol, one of the indigenous women, made us really delicious tortillas de yuca. It's such a long process, but she doesn't add anything, so it's really healthy for you.
After lunch, we had a charla with the local shaman. It was really interesting to see him because we had read about shamans in class, and I really wanted to see one in person. We really couldn't understand anything he said because his Spanish wasn't very good since he speaks an indigenous language, which is completely different. He had on very traditional clothes, and our directors told us that only he wears it now since he is the shaman. Everyone else can wear more modern clothes. His feet were really different because he has never worn shoes in his 90 something years of life. So his toes are really spread apart, which is useful for climbing trees, apparently.
After the talk, we played some soccer with the locals and then went swimming in the river! It was really refreshing since the day was really, really, really, extremely hot. The current made it hard to swim against it and kept taking us away from the boats haha. But it was really relaxing and fun - kind of scary since there are caimans and snakes and other animals that live in the water, but we didn't encounter any of them, so it was fine.
The rest of the afternoon/evening, we just chilled and talked. The next morning, we woke up at around 5 to go rowing in the canoe and watch birds, but it rained so we couldn't. I was really upset because I really wanted to canoe, but oh well.. After breakfast, we had time to chill until 10:30, which was when we had to leave for the airport. One canoe ride, one bus ride, one plane ride, and another bus ride later, we were back to civilization at the Alston Hotel. It was really surreal that earlier that day we were in the Amazon. It was really a life-changing experience. But I was really glad to be able to sleep without having to worry about malaria. :D
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