AMAZON!

Last weekend we ventured into the tropical Amazon rainforest.

After a 25 minutes plane ride, a 30 minute bus ride, a 1.5 hour oversized-canoe ride, a 1 hour "chiva" ride, and another 2 hour canoe ride, we arrived at the Tiputini Biodiversity Station of the University of San Francisco (in Quito) . The research station is in a secluded part of the Ecuadorian Amazon rainforest right on the edge of Yasuni national park. The Station is dedicated to researching and educating others on the amazing biodiversity of the area.

Here is the Station´s website for more information:
http://192.188.53.69/tiputini/

We stayed in small cabins that only had electricity for a couple hours a day. All of the water we used was filtered from the Tiputini River and eventually returned to the River. We were only allowed to use one kind of biodegradble soap so as not to pollute the River. Most of the food we ate we brought with us on the canoe and took the garbage back on our return trip.

On Saturday we started off the day with a walk through the rainforest with our guide. He pointed out and told stories about many different species of flora and fauna we passed. I kept a list of species we saw if anyone is interested. I didnt post it cuz its really long. We trekked through muddy trails to a lagoon where we saw caimans (rainforest small-alligator-type things)!! We bailed a lot of rainwater out of a very sketchy looking, tiny, unstable, canoe. Then we hopped in to get a closer look at the wildlife of the lagoon. Our guide paddled us around the lake and we got as close as 6 feet from the Caiman.

Would you get into this canoe?

Caiman!

After we safely made it back to land, we hiked a little further to a tower. We climbed approximately a million stairs to reach the top of the rainforest and witness incredible views of the tree tops. Here our guide gave us this fruit to press against our hands for ten minutes. It was one of the fruits indigenous tribes use to dye designs onto their skin and after about twenty mintues we all had a blueish black spot on our hands. (We called our group the "Manos Pintadas") We walked through and learned more about the rainforest for two hours or so more to make it back to the Station for lunch.

We ate ants. They were lemoned flavored and delicous.

After lunch some (we had real food too) friends and I jumped into the Tiputini River to swim with the Pirhanas, Anacondas, and assortment of parasites. The guides told us it was safe and we trusted them. The only thing we were worried about was this parasite that can detect pee, climb up your urethra, live there, and grow spikes. Apparently its incredibly painful and requires surgery to remove. Supposedly its pretty rare, but we were all careful not to pee in the River.

In the afternoon we took to the trees again, this time donning harnesses with caribeaners and crossing reaallllyyy high, sketchy looking bridges. The safety regulations were not rigorous. When one girl realized she was missing her second safetly carribeaner, the guide told her she could go ahead, just be careful when she wasn´t attached to anything. We were there just before sunset and the views were unbelievable.

That night we watched a presentation of the Station´s Photo Project that is sponsered by National Geographic. They have various cameras set up in the rainforest with motion/heat detectors to take pictures of animals that humans rarely get to see. We saw incredible pictures of jaguars, tapiers, monkeys, and animals I have never heard of. National Geographic chose to sponser this Research Station out of nine locations they visited world-wide because it has such incredible biodiversity.

That night we fell asleep to the beautiful sounds of the rainforest. I cant describe it in words nor post the sounds in pictures, but the nights there sound like they should be a "sleep" option on an alarm clock.

The next day we ventured up a different tower and leanred more about the rainforest. After lunch we napped in the library, the one air conditioned building there with controled humidity. In the afternoon we went for a "flotada," where we put on life jackets and float down the river. Again careful not to pee, we relaxed and let the current push us along for about 1 or 2 hours. The Tiputini drains into the Napo River which drains into the Amazon River. Apparently it would have taken 3 to 4 days for us to float to the Amazon.

Unfortunately we didnt see any snakes hanging down from the vines we were passing :( But we saw plenty of beautiful birds and had plenty of terrified moments when a branch or leaf brushed up on our leg underwater.

The sun was setting as we headed back to the Station on our canoe. Standing on the front of the boat, with the wind against my body, only water below me, and rainforest and a sunset in front of me was one of the most beautiful things Ive experienced.

That night we ventured back into the rainforest with flashlights for a nighthike! We saw the biggest spiders I´ve seen in my life (I´ve seen some big spiders) and cute, tiny, poisionous frogs.

The next day we did the whole journey to the Station backwards. During our Chiva ride we were stopped by an angry indigenous man from a local tribe. We were passing through his land and he demanded that we pay a toll to be able to pass through his land. We were held up for like 35 minutes before our main guide finally drove up and settled things. I don´t know exactly how the politics or land-use rights of the issue works, but I heard that someone was threatened with a machete. That could have just been a rumor though.

We made it home safely. I didn´t get too many bug bites and I didnt get sick this time. One dude was covered in what we think were ant bites. We counted 56 on one of his arms and didnt bother with the rest of his limbs.

All in all it was an incredible trip. People keep asking if I liked the Galapagos or the Amazon better, but you cant really compare them. The Galapagos have such an open, clear, in-your-face beauty. The rainforest is a lot more mysterious, secretive, and hides a lot of its most amazing features. I loved them both.