Day two at our jungle lodge on the Rio Napo in the Ecuadorian Amazon is drawing to a close. We just returned from a scenic innertube float down the river to escape the afternoon heat. The morning featured a hike with our guides through the primary growth forest to learn about the local flora and fauna.
Last night several members of the group bravely ventured into the jungle at night with the guides in search of wild things. The highlight was finding a tailless scorpion which was quite friendly and photogenic. There are photos of people ‘wearing’ him as a facemask. Seriously. Unfortunately, I can’t get the photos off that camera for the time being.
However, I do have several other pics of our adventures since arriving in the jungle (in sequential order for the most part):
Serena, Camille, and Jane at the Hollin waterfall en route to our jungle lodgeEnrique and Kevin at the Hollin waterfallOur guide, Abelito, at the Hollin. Abelito grew up in the region and was educated at the school the Yachana Foundation started. He has an encyclopedic knowledge of the local flora and fauna and medicinal remedies. He is also a total bad @#$ when it comes to handling poisonous snakes, spiders, frogs, and all other manor of scary creatures that the Amazon has to offer.View of the Rio Napo, one of Ecuador’s major Amazon tributaries, from Yachana Jungle LodgeMaking chocolateJoe and Jamie about to sample the 100% cacao chocolate with Joe looking very serious about a gentleman’s wager that he couldn’t eat more than one spoonful (he couldn’t). The next round, cut with sugar, milk, and cocoa butter down to 60% cacao, was much more palatableMorning mist over the Amazon rainforest, looking west towards the Sumaco range of the AndesThe crew hiking in the primary growth forest. Most of the Amazon has been deforested to graze cattle, for African palm plantations, or for lumber, but the Yachana Foundation has protected a sizable tract of tropical forest that has never seen a logging crew.Enrique ducking a log blocking the trailPoison Dart Frog in Abelito’s hand, definitely not something you want to mess with unless you know what you’re doingSerena modeling a basket made out of leaves by Abelito
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