The Amazon

I’m still in Ecuador and I’ve just come back from the Jungle area around the town of Tena. As with previous jungle trips, I’d like to think that I put up a good fight against the various deadly bugs – but ultimately they won again!

Anyone who saw the aftermath of the Brazil Amazon trip will have seen what a hit I was with the mosquitoes there. This time it wasn’t the mosquitoes but the tiny flies with the ‘big teeth’ that were the problem. They’ve made a right mess of my legs and every bite (plenty to choose from!) is insanely itchy.

Whilst I was in the jungle one of the local guides gave me something called ‘Sangre de Drago’ (Dragons Blood) which is the BLOOD RED sap of a particular Amazonian tree. It is pretty odd to see a tree ‘bleed’ when it’s cut. Anyway, strange as it may be, it’s something of a miracle when it comes to soothing the bite of the ‘Killer Amazonian Big Toothed Death Fly’ (don’t think that’s the official Latin classification but it works for me.)

Ailments aside, the jungle trip was great. Covered a lot of miles wandering through primary Amazonian forest, climbing through canyons and up waterfalls, swimming in Lagoons and floating down rivers in inner tubes. Learned quite a lot about medicinal plants too. Who knows when this gradual buildup of Jungle knowledge will come in handy?

So now, I’m back in Tena and getting ready to go White Water Rafting. Tena is Ecuador’s rafting capital and we’re taking on some Class IV rapids tomorrow. Should prove an exciting day. I’ll let you know.

Anyway, here are few more photos from the Ecuadorian Jungle: