Wednesday, October 29, 2003
It's A Jungle Out There
Hola,
Today I am in Otavalo, in Equador having just crossed the Equator - I have been out of touch because I have been in the Jungle, and it was hot......
damn hot, hot and wet!!!!
4 days in the Amazonian Rain Forest where I swam with pink river dolphins, phiranas, and possibly anacondas, allthough the later, thankfully kept outof sight - on the last day I fished for Phirana, from the platform I had been swimming off each day. I was somewhat perturbed to see my bait (chunksof tough raw beef) torn from the hook within a matter of seconds, and not a single fish to show for it!!!
I also saw Toucans, Parrots, Paraqueets, Macaws, Monkeys, Sloths,Tarantulas, Scorpions and any number of other difficult to spell members of the animal kingdom.
I have been bitten by more flying pests than I could ever list but all in all it was an unforgettable experience.
The sound ofthe rain forest alone, is one of the most breathtaking things I have ever experienced, there were times I could hardly even hear the sound of girls screaming at spiders and cockroaches in their sleeping bags, over the cachoponic symphony that envelops you here.
To accompany this soundtrack, sporadic and brilliant flashes of colour leap out at you from the rich greens of the jungle, and the browns of the river. Royal blue and purple butterflies almost land on your back, scarlet and golden flowers peek from the undergrowth and most magical of all, the occasional pair of macaws in red blue yellow and green will pass by squawking to anounce that camoflage is no longer the plumage of choice.
Prior to my Jungle trip, I spent a couple of days in Banos (Banos means bathroom and is named because of the hot volcanic springs surrounding the town).
Banos is a curious place, and as little as 4 yrs ago was a complete ghost town due to the activity of the nearby Cotopaxi - A huge active volcano that towers above the town threatening to petrify the inhabitants constantly.
The volcano never did more than produce a lot of ash, and eventually the people persuaded the government to let them return to their homes, where they have remained on constant watch ever since.
Banos is one of Equadors extreme sports capitals, and no trip here is complete without a good dose of adrenalin, so, in the intrest of curiosity, I signed up for grade 4 white water rafting, that proved to be an absolute hoot, and a bridge swing that prooved to be nothing of the sort. I would take too long to explain the later so as soon as i post some pictures, Iwill let them do the explaining, but think bungie jump with rope rather than elastic, and you are pretty much there.
Now I head back south to Quito, where I aim to negotiate a cheap lastminute deal to the Galapagos Islands, or maby just hang about for a while and polish my spanish...
Hope you are all having the same amount of fun as I am
xxx
e
¶ 9:14 pm
Today I am in Otavalo, in Equador having just crossed the Equator - I have been out of touch because I have been in the Jungle, and it was hot......
damn hot, hot and wet!!!!
4 days in the Amazonian Rain Forest where I swam with pink river dolphins, phiranas, and possibly anacondas, allthough the later, thankfully kept outof sight - on the last day I fished for Phirana, from the platform I had been swimming off each day. I was somewhat perturbed to see my bait (chunksof tough raw beef) torn from the hook within a matter of seconds, and not a single fish to show for it!!!
I also saw Toucans, Parrots, Paraqueets, Macaws, Monkeys, Sloths,Tarantulas, Scorpions and any number of other difficult to spell members of the animal kingdom.
I have been bitten by more flying pests than I could ever list but all in all it was an unforgettable experience.
The sound ofthe rain forest alone, is one of the most breathtaking things I have ever experienced, there were times I could hardly even hear the sound of girls screaming at spiders and cockroaches in their sleeping bags, over the cachoponic symphony that envelops you here.
To accompany this soundtrack, sporadic and brilliant flashes of colour leap out at you from the rich greens of the jungle, and the browns of the river. Royal blue and purple butterflies almost land on your back, scarlet and golden flowers peek from the undergrowth and most magical of all, the occasional pair of macaws in red blue yellow and green will pass by squawking to anounce that camoflage is no longer the plumage of choice.
Prior to my Jungle trip, I spent a couple of days in Banos (Banos means bathroom and is named because of the hot volcanic springs surrounding the town).
Banos is a curious place, and as little as 4 yrs ago was a complete ghost town due to the activity of the nearby Cotopaxi - A huge active volcano that towers above the town threatening to petrify the inhabitants constantly.
The volcano never did more than produce a lot of ash, and eventually the people persuaded the government to let them return to their homes, where they have remained on constant watch ever since.
Banos is one of Equadors extreme sports capitals, and no trip here is complete without a good dose of adrenalin, so, in the intrest of curiosity, I signed up for grade 4 white water rafting, that proved to be an absolute hoot, and a bridge swing that prooved to be nothing of the sort. I would take too long to explain the later so as soon as i post some pictures, Iwill let them do the explaining, but think bungie jump with rope rather than elastic, and you are pretty much there.
Now I head back south to Quito, where I aim to negotiate a cheap lastminute deal to the Galapagos Islands, or maby just hang about for a while and polish my spanish...
Hope you are all having the same amount of fun as I am
xxx
e
¶ 9:14 pm
