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Amazon Adventure - 8 Day Ecuador

By : Marti de Metropolis
Trip Begins September 14, 2008
Trip Ends September 21, 2008

I had an adventure of a lifttime and would not have missed it for the world even if I had known I would be caught in quicksand and stranded in the rainforest. I'll hold dear to my heart the camaraderie, and will always remember our splendid teamwork
See my photos : Ecuador Amazon 2008

Want to go? Amazon Adventure

I went to: Ecuador, Amazon
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September 14, 2008
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Adventure if a lifetime!

Quito, Ecuador

We kayaked down the Shiripuna River, camped in the rainforest under a full moon and trekked the Amazonian basin blanketed by a forty-foot high jungle canopy. Magnificent bromelaids grew on braids of vines. Zillions of creatures hid in the lush trees and damp earth, and predators prowled mostly unseen. The forest is vast and the animals are shy.
When Mother Nature and the unpredictable happened that's when our adventure really kicked into gear. Due to the unique fluctuation of water level, the canoe from where we fished for piranha just minutes ago got stuck.
To lighten the load, we had to jump out. I went first. And, folks, it wasn't into the water or friendly mud. Sinking-mud is a different ball-of-wax, so to speak. Not having the grace or the strength of the Huaorani who step, hop, step through the muck, I continued to slowly sink. My rubber boots filled up and soon I was belly-button deep. The image of Bear Gryllis on Man vs Wild on TV flashed through my mind. He had demonstrated how to survive the man-sucking mud and I'm still here to prove that it works. The secret is to get horizontal on your stomach then get your legs up to the surface and boogie like a caiman to solid soil. I've gotten a lot of mileage out of that story.

September 15, 2008
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Who would have guessed it?

Amazon Adventure - Campsite Day 2, Ecuador

That's right, the very next day the prop on the outboard motor on the same canoe which was taking us up river to Coca, and closer to home, hit something beneath the water and we were stranded. I have to tell you that I happen to be a gal to whom odd things happen, but things always work out and end up being the highlight of any event.
Our guide, Fabricio and porters, Arturo & Name were awesome. They used every bit of skill they had, but a new motor was needed. While two brave local young men hacked their way through the rainforest to find help, the rest of us waited about twelve hours in a clearing hacked out by machete to be rescued. The moon hid behind clouds as we sat in near total darkness, but the camaraderie of the group never faltered.

September 16, 2008
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Rescue came

Amazon Adventure - Campsite Day 3, Ecuador

Another boat came sometime after midnight, but the nighttime river journey, beaconed by a small spotlight at the bow of the boat about 45 feet away from the driver in the stern, and a three hour drive to Coca got us back about four the next morning. Tired? Yes, but wow! We saw animals that even our guide had never seen in the wild. A tapir crawled up from the river right by our quasi camp. It was probably more surprised to find us sitting in the darkness than we were to see it. Also, from the canoe, in plain sight we spotted a very large, hairy capybera loping along the riverbank. To say it was thrilling would be to down-play the excitement. As seen in the night, that creature looked like something created by Spielberg.

September 17, 2008
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Not exactly our planned itinerary

Shiripuno Lodge, Ecuador

The above adventure was not exactly the planned itinerary, but I believe we topped it ~ as adventure goes. I might add that this journal is only a quick peek at our trip.
Unlike the adventurers who discovered the new world, my best friend and I departed from Los Angeles to Ecuador on a journey to see the Amazonian Rainforest before its total devastation. In Peru and Brazil, logging, oil drilling, uncontrolled tourism and pollution has placed this vital ecological area in jeopardy. Adventure Life's environmental awareness has carefully bridged tourism and sensitive areas so that all of us are able to experience many places in the world divergent from where and how we live.

September 18, 2008
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Kayaking

Shiripuno Lodge, Ecuador

We kayaked for about four hours, mostly in the rain. The river snaked through the vast forest offering glimpses of monkeys high in the canopy. We learned to watch for them where tall trees grew close together.
We arrived at the Huaorani community well after dark. This was the home of one of our porters, so it felt very special. I loved meeting the indigenous people. I spoke a few words in their native language of Wao. Their smiles and clapping hands let me know that they appreciated my efforts. For me, a marked experience happened when we visited a school where our guide distributed the gifts we brought for the children.
Once settled in our camp site, we could see the brightness of the moon through the nylon tent; comforting as a bedside light. The patter of rain, the monotonous chirps, clicks, and croaks sang our nighttime lullaby.

September 19, 2008
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The river rose six feet

Coca, Ecuador

The rain continued throughout the day of expedition kayaking. We paddled down the river, the color of creamed coffee. We didn't mind because we were wet anyway. The plan to sleep along the riverbank changed in case the river would continue to rise. The guides hacked out a clearing for a safer campsite on higher ground within the dense rainforest. The tiny little permanent residents didn't mind our intrusion; they just moved right in with us...or was it, us with them?
After a delicious, hearty dinner, we; 4 travelers, our guide and 2 porters, talked and laughed so much we forgot the little annoyances like ankle-deep mud, skin covered with deet and worse-for-wear appearance. We bonded as a team which made us beautiful.

September 20, 2008
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Sunshine & Butterflies

Quito, Ecuador

Another day of kayaking, but on a sun-filled day decorated with butterflies. Avoiding the logs and overhanging tree branches was still a challenge as our attention drew to the multitude of bird life, and the squawking of parrots in flight overhead. Three days on the river and still no other tourists just scarlet macaws, a lone blue morph here and there,an abundance of oropendolas and their interesting hanging basket-type nests. We fished for piranha and caught some, tracked leaf-cutter ants, and spotted caiman at night by the red glow of their eyes.
The environmental Shiripuno Lodge made of local material that grows in the rainforest was the place where we really got to know each other. Each spoken word traveled from room to room. We quickly learned that if it was private, don't say it.
During the rainforest hike, I was amazed how helpful everyone was as we trekked over the roller-coaster terrain and crossed rivers on fallen narrow, moss damp tree trunks. The forest is filled with poisonous plants and creatures, but it also abounds with nature's cures. The guide sprinkled lemon ants on my tongue to feel a tiny burst of citrus.

September 21, 2008
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I really wasn't ready to leave

Quito, Ecuador

Even waiting to be rescued from the unrelenting insects, the night spent under the stars in the rainforest proved to be a great adventure; the reason I signed on. The experience of being sucked into quicksand and keeping my cool taught me something about myself...I'll have a great story to tell!
I wanted to experience a pristine Amazonian rainforest before it falls to ruin; before the trees and animals are gone, and yes, before the mosquitoes are sprayed to extinction. Adventure Life Journeys provided it in Ecuador and I really wasn't ready to leave. I admit that I have a passion to see the world and I believe that a dollar spent on travel is never wasted.

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