Into the Jungle: Exploring the Ecuadorian Amazon
Watching the sun set over the Amazon Rainforest
There are few things that excite the imagination like the Amazon Jungle - it's the pinnacle of exploration, the most exotic, far-away expedition you can think of from a very young age when you learn about the ecosystems of the world.
Perhaps it's the animals, perhaps it's the scale of the area, or perhaps it's the sense of danger and mystery associated with the place - you just know you are going somewhere extraordinary.
About 10 years ago, I (kind of) had the chance. I spent a month in Brazil in 2014, but both time and budget constraints meant that a trip to the Amazon was left out of the itinerary with the hope I would one day get another chance. Almost a decade later, as we planned our journey around Latin America, I was determined to make it happen.
Baños is a hub for all kinds of outdoor activities - cycling, canyoning, volcano climbing and rafting to name a few. If we had our time again, we probably would have planned a few extra nights in the city to make the most of this, but as it was, we had travelled there with just one aim in mind: to visit the Ecuadorian Amazon.
There are very few places in the world that remain untouched by human life, and the devastating effects of our interventions in the Amazon Rainforest were on my mind as we sat on the bus to Baños. Whilst the desire to venture into nature can cause more irreversible damage, we were keen to take this journey in a sustainable way.
The Ecuadorian Amazon is an often forgotten slice of the Amazon Rainforest - most people, like myself in 2014, think Brazil is the only gateway. Visiting from Brazil more than likely requires a flight or a long river cruise, whereas accessing the Rainforest from Ecuador can be achieved overland, making it more accessible for budget conscious travellers like us.
We set off the very next morning. We started our Amazon excursion with a visit to the Hola Vida reserve - an ecological reserve that is dedicated to conservation of the natural environment. This is secondary rainforest - that is to say, it has been disturbed by human activity in the past, but is now protected and recovering.
We walked through the jungle with a guide who told us about the importance of the plants and trees surrounding us and their medicinal properties. To prove his point, he disappeared off the trail and returned with some tree bark which, when mixed with water, was a cure for blocked sinuses. Graeme was brave enough to sniff some and, spluttering in the aftermath, said it felt like snorting chili. That would clear any blockage!
At the centre of the protected area of forest is a beautiful waterfall and natural pool, where we were able to swim and cool off. We could get right round behind the water!
Walking through the rainforest to swim in a natural pool… it was definitely a pinch-me moment.
After drying off, we were taken to visit an indigenous community in the jungle. We were able to learn a bit about their way of life, including the significance of their dress and body paint, and a demonstration of how they use blow darts to hunt small animals. It was an interesting insight and education into their traditional way of life, and we were happy to be supporting local communities on our trip, but it did feel a little ‘set up’ for visitors. No shade - they need to make money and tourism is a way to do that. But it would have been better if they didn’t have animals like monkeys, parrots, and snakes that you could pay to have your picture taken with.
After a lunch stop, we boarded a wooden canoe for a trip down the Pastaza River. We were a little nervous as from minute one the captain was bailing water out of the back of the canoe! But it was a fun and bumpy ride. The current was pretty strong and we moved at pace as the river widened - our captain was an expert navigator, knowing where all the shallows and rocks were and swinging us round to avoid them. The heavens opened whilst we were in the canoe, as if to offer us the complete Rainforest experience!
Back on land, we were taken to a family farm to learn how to make organic chocolate. We started by tasting cocoa beans straight from the pod - surprising fruity! Then watched as the dried beans were roasted, the fire giving us a chance to dry off from the canoe experience. We helped with the process of peeling and grinding them into a paste, and saw those beans turn into something resembling chocolate before our very eyes. The visit was completed with a mug of hot chocolate, of course.
We ended the day by watching the sunset from hammocks at the Mirador de Indichurus. Graeme took a slightly higher octane seat in a rope swing that flung him out above the rainforest!
From here, we had a breathtaking view of the canopy spread like a green blanket before us, with low clouds hugging the treetops. The only break in the tree-line being the confluence of the Rio Puyo and the Rio Pastaza - which, far out of sight, eventually flows into the mighty Amazon.
One day, we would love to come back and spend the night in a Rainforest lodge - listening to the sounds of the jungle at night and waking up to its song. It was a little out of reach for our current daily budget… but I have learnt that patience brings opportunities back around. Perhaps in another 10 years we will have the chance. In any case, at that moment I was so content, relaxing in my hammock and reflecting on a dream-come-true kind of day.
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