Postcards form a Backpacker

The Amazon

Posted in South America, Ecuador, Quito

Having arrived in South America I joined the final tour of my trip in Equador with Budget Expeditions. The group which started in Quito is made up of twenty four people mostly Australians, English and two Dutch girls. The first main attraction of the 10 week tour was our visit to the Amazon Rain Forest. We were to spend two nights in the jungle. The way in was a 30 minute boat ride down river then a walk into camp. The Rain Forest lived up to its name and it poured down on us most of the way until we arrived at the camp site. This worked out well with the rain cooling us down in the humid conditions. That afternoon we took another walk and by this time things had dried out a little so we were able to take another walk clad in shorts, t-shirt and wellington boots (gum boots for all the Auzzies).

Our guides took us through what is known as the ‘secondary jungle’ where we were shown the plants that were used by the local tribes for all kinds of purposes. The highlight was the vines where we were all able to have a go at swinging like Tarzan. That evening we visited a local family who showed us how to make baskets out of the local forna and also had a go at dart blowing. Later that evening the local Shaman, (witch doctor), visited our camp and allowed us to try some of the local brew.

The following morning with a few people feeling a little rough from the night before, we took another walk through the ‘primary jungle’ and then ‘tubed’ back down the river to camp. Tubing is running the small rapids on a large rubber tyre down the river. That evening was far more subdued and the next morning we took the motor boats back up the river for about two hours and back to the truck.

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