Indillana

Today we went on an epic adventure to the Ecuadorian Amazon. The day started off with a long and winding bus ride to Puyo. Once we got off the bus we began a hike through the rainforest towards a waterfall. This hike was very beautiful and it was so cool to be in the rainforest. We saw some spider monkeys jumping from tree to tree and some other birds and insects. Our guide also got some clay from the river and used it to give me a facial (Angus opted not to participate lol). Eventually we reached the waterfall which was stunning. We had the opportunity to swim in the pool of water and Angus and I both did! We were able to go right under the falls and have a shower in the waterfall which was so fun. We then walked back and continued on our journey.

The next stop on the trip was a traditional local canoe ride. During this time we realized why it was called the RAINforest because we were in the canoe during a down pour. That being said, it wasn't too bad and actually kinda cooled us off from the intense heat. The canoe ride was very peaceful and beautiful but the canoe itself was quite wobbly. I had to tense all my muscles and sway side to side to help prevent us from tipping. After the canoe ride we went for lunch.

The next stop on the trip was to a local Indigenous village. Here we were treated to a very unique cultural experience. First they offered us some of their traditional drink, which Angus hated because it was basically fermented potato water (definitely not the tastiest)! They then painted our faces with the juice from a local fruit (this was very cool but a nightmare to wash off at night... we looked like we had a very bad orange spray tan for a while 😂)! We tried one of their local hunting weapons and then participated in a local dance where the men drummed and the girls twirled. Finally they brought out some birds and a snake 💀. We had the option to hold the snake or bird and I opted for the bird... no surprise there. We then looked at their handmade crafts and invested in a lovely beaded necklace.

Next was this look out in Puyo. This was an epic stop that allowed us to hike to a view point where they had lovely hammocks to relax in as we enjoyed the view. We then got to try their rope swing which was super epic and fun (Angus found it the scariest swing so far)! We then hiked back down to find carvings of faces built into the mountain connected by tunnels. We explored this before heading to our last stop.

Finally, we went to a farm that grows cocoa fruit and harvests the beans. We got to see how they made the cocoa and then got to try their hot chocolate and cocoa tea (both were delicious). We then traveled back home after a long but fun day. As I am writing this, we are on our first long bus ride (7.5 hours) to Cuenca, which is our final city in Ecuador!Read more