Farewell Ecuador!!

I have left Ecuador behind, not without some serious adventure!  I left the beach and headed back to Quito, looking for some adventure after spending 10 days doing, well, nothing.  It was not hard to find someone in the same mindset, even before I left the beach.  Julia, Swedish, and I set out with her Ecuadorian friend Andres to Tena.  Tena is this cool city in the Ecuadorian Amazon, with lots to offer - rafting, jungle treks and kayaking...heaven!! 






Portage spot



Portaged rapid

The first day we went rafting, along with Ryan an Joel, two Canadians.  It was a Class IV-V river, perfect!!  The river itself is cayonized and runs through the Amazon, so the views were incredible.  The river was fast and strong, we were having a blast.  We got to a Class VI and had to portage around.  This involved the guides stringing the raft through the rapid to the other side.  Our job was to watch, I like that!  We then had to hike through the jungle, which included a rappling section, BONUS!!  Our put-in was between the Class VI rapid and a Class V rapid.  This is where it got interesting!  The guide went through the series of moves we were to make to hit the rapid just right, this included "If you fall out or we flip, swim to the right because there is a series of holes through the middle you do not want to be sucked into," easy, right?  Well, it all started out great, we hit our line and we were getting it!  Then disaster!!  It all started when Julia fell out, she was back right, this made the raft go left into a wave.  I was front left, Ryan front right.  When the boat went into the wave, my paddle hit air, turning the raft right into a wave that sent Ryan flying over my head, as I looked up, I realized I was on my way into the drink!  Remember, swim right, right?  Well, while in the middle of a Class V rapid, it is hard to swim period.  The next thing I knew is that I was in the first hole, I got spit out and remembered, swim right.  I looked around and realized I was headed straight for a huge rock, which by the way I took a video of earlier, the irony!!  I went flying over the rock and right into the hole, got spit out after being underwater way to long and caught some air in my lungs long enough to hit the third and final hole of the rapid, yeah me!!  I am finally free of this watery hell, look around and smile, I am ALIVE!!!  I swim to the raft, the guide looks at me and asks "How are you smiling?"  I respond, " That is the first time I have ever fallen out of a raft an it was incrdible!!"  (Not that I want to do that again)  The rest of the river was tamer and I managed to stay in the raft, great day 1 in Tena!

Second day began a two day trek through the jungle, once again we were five.  The plan was for a five hour trek the first day, sleep in a cave and then return to work with an indiginous family on there crafts.  It all started great, as usual.  The treking was mild at first, but the "trails" became steeper as we climbed and decended several peaks on the way to the cave. 



Joel getting some jungle treatment



Funny thing happened on the way to the cave.  Julia was behind the guide, followed by me and the boys.  She got tangled up in some vines, and shock hard to get her self free.  By doing this she alerted the wasps in the bush and trees above that we were available for a good chase.  Julia started yelling "Ouch, something is biting me"  atleast I think because it was in Swedish.  I looked at her and she was covered in wasps, I yelled run and run faster, so we did.  I do not think the boys heard my sense of urgency because all I heard from behind me was Joel yelling "Owe, Help me!!"  This was coming from a big strong Canadian so you know things were going aray quickly!  We got to a clearing and we helped eachother free ourselves of the wasps on our cloths.  I was lucky, only got stung twice, but Julia and Joel took the brunt of the attack, getting stung over ten times each, probably more like twenty times each!  As we moved on, Joel became achy and feverish, and his stings began to swell.  In steps our guide, who happens to be somewhat of an expert in jungle remedies.  He lit a smoke, and grabed some leaves of some sort.  He began by blowing smoke on Joel´s head and brushing him with the leaves, I know wierd, really wierd.  But it seemed to work, because his headache went away and he was feeling a bit better but not 100%. 



Jungle medicine

 

We finally made it to the cave, exhausted and covered in sweat.  Time to clean up, but how?  In a waterfall of course!!  Ice cold water falling from up above cools the body and soul!  It was wonderful, but all great things always come to end, like when one slips on a rock, lands on his ribs on the same rock.  Yes, that would be me, I went to grab my ribs with my right hand and they were okay, but as I looked down at my left hand, I noticed that something was definately out of place.  My pinky and index fingers where at 45 degree angles at the middle knuckle, kind of like the NFL anaylist Brian Baldinger´s finger (google Baldinger´s finger).  I quickly snapped them back into place, and they quickly snapped back out of joint.  I attempted my repair job again and it took.  I was hoping they weren´t broken, but there was no way to tell.  They were sore and moveable, so the signs were good.  After dinner the cook, who was an actual Shaman in his village, took a look at my hand.  He boiled up some Hiawaska leaves, yes the Hiawaska of legend, and used the leaves to numb my hand.  He then massaged my fingers, there was craking noises and I felt alot of pressure.  He said that in a few days the swelling should go down and I´d be fine.  I was a bit skeptic, so I went to the hospital (gotta love free health care!) and had an x-ray taken.  Turns out the Shamen was the man, and any damage done to my finger was healed jungle style!



View from my hammock in the cave



The rest of the jungle trek was uneventful, well sort of.  There was some fishing and chocolate making.  Did I mention we slept in a cave?  How cool was that?  I have never slept in a cave, let alone a cave in the Amazon, but I have to say it is a great experience that all should try!

Due to my dislocated fingers and bruised ribs, my adventure time was over and it was time to head to Peru.  This took me through Riobamba to see the volcano Chimborazo. I then went to Cuenca for a day, which is a beautiful Andean city.  From there it was an overnight bus through mountains to the border, where we slept at the bus station until the sun came up, safety first!  Which brings me here, Mancora, a beach town in Northern Peru.  Love the beach!!

Ecuador was awesome, I will miss her mystery meat soups and hell overnight bus rides.  But mostly I will miss the people, the amazing scenery and the adventure!!  I highly recommend Ecuador to anyone, it offers everything!!  I leave you with some pictures of Ecuador, be safe!!





Trekking El Volcan Cotapaxi





Chicken head soup!  BONUS!!





Vicuna at El Volcan Chimborazo





Fruit market in Cuenca




Parade in Riobamba





Ecuadorian Amazon





The bike crew, beer time!