Journey into the Amazon!

On Saturday March 5th, we arrived in Cuyabeno National Park for four days in the Amazon Rain Forest, and what would come to be a highlight of the trip! We travelled by boat to Nicky Lodge, a secluded group of cabins in a small clearing in the jungle, stopping along the way to admire birds, monkeys, insects and even an anaconda.

Upon settling into the lodge, to the initial alarm of many, we met the large population of insects and spiders with whom we would be sharing our humble abode. After dinner came the first testing moment - a night walk through the forest. Armed only with headlamps, we made our way into the deep, dark jungle. Dodging huge spider webs, and admiring some of the largest bugs we had ever seen, made for a truly memorable experience. At one point we turned off our headlamps and were plunged into complete darkness, described by one group member as the scariest moment of her life (the same group member who had her sweaty hand held for the whole walk — shout out to Ellen, you're a trooper). It was amazing to experience the sounds of the jungle without the ability to see - it makes one realize how small we are in the world. The walk reached a climax when we heard a blood curdling scream from the other group that echoed through the jungle. We later learning that Diego, our guide, had planted a large millipede on Addie’s neck, telling her it was only a leaf (jungle banter). We arrived unscathed back to the safety of our cabins… or so we thought.

Nothing quite parallels the shock of having a tree frog launch itself from the ceiling of your cabin - narrowly missing Claire and Lexie's heads. This marked the beginning of many requests for the guides to come and remove various jungle friends who had made their way inside (ranging from tarantulas to giant moths). The next morning we woke up early to go bird spotting in the canoes. The early morning mist over the water was a sight to behold, and we were constantly astonished by the ability of the guides to spot small animals from the moving canoes which we struggled to find, even with binoculars.

That afternoon we began what we thought to be a gentle stroll through the rainforest, stopping to look at plants and bugs, with the guides explaining the many different medicinal and practical uses of the jungle. At one point we were able to eat some ants off a tree that tasted like lemon (it's true!), and some worms out of a nut that were meant to taste like coconut (less true). The three hour walk taught us the true reality of the jungle, and became one of the most testing parts of the entire trip. No longer just a little moist, everyone felt like they were drowning in their own sweat, and as the jungle floor became increasingly swampy, the first cases of jungle hysteria set in (something that never quite left us). Boots began disappearing into the mud, and it was a genuine struggle back to the lodge. However, once showered and a little cooler, we appreciated once again how awe-inspiring the jungle is and the diversity of everything in it.

That afternoon we set out to Laguna Grande, a large warm lagoon where we could swim and watch the sun go down. A rainstorm set in as we were boating there, and we felt very lucky to be able to sit in the calm lake watching the impressive displays of lightening from the across the water. When it grew darker we set off in search of caimans, which can be seen lying on the river banks. Traveling by boat in the dark was an especially exciting experience, and we were once again astonished at the expertise of the drivers, who were able to navigate the narrow river in almost pitch black darkness.

The next morning we travelled to a local community to learn how to make yucca bread. We helped harvest the yucca, and then grated and dried it before cooking it over the fire. It was consumed with chocolate for pudding after our lunch burritos. In the afternoon we once again boarded the canoes to go pink river dolphin spotting. We stopped the boat in a deeper part of the river and soon enough the dolphins appeared above the surface of the water around us.

We returned for an evening of traditional tattoo art made from a fruit we picked in the mangroves. Extensive games of high stakes Rock Paper Scissors left several members of the group with tattoos they would regret for the next week (dirty Claire lives on). As the generators turned off and the candles were lit we suddenly found huge cicadas bombing onto the table around us. An unfortunate series of events led to one cicada being batted up Claire's nose where it panicked and tried to burrow further in, a fitting end to a hilarious evening.

The next morning we packed up and said our goodbyes to Nicky lodge, with our final boat journey out of the jungle including a sloth sighting! Somehow the extreme climate and crazy wildlife made the four days by far the most entertaining in the trip so far, and the shared general hysteria brought the group to a whole new level of closeness. The jungle will always be remembered with great fondness.

- Lexie Israel and Matilda Granger