Trip to the Rainforest

Dec. 8, 2008
We left Quito and flew over the Andes mountains to Coco Town.
We had to stop and gear up for the rainforest. Are you wondering what gear we needed? We needed rubber boots for hiking in the jungle. See Kay trying on her boots?

We then motored up the Napo River which is the longest river in Ecuador. The trip was incredible. We got a river-front view of the tropical rainforest. We could see the various levels of the rainforest and all the people and activity that happens along the banks of the river. We were able to view the indigenous people washing their clothes, bathing and getting into their canoes. The dwellings were few and far between.

We turned from the Napo river up tributary into black water to the Yarina Lodge.
The lodge is absolutely beautiful. It had a wonderful common area where we dined and gathered together. It had hammocks for people to relax and hang out.
My friend Marcia and I had a thatched roof hut to ourselves. It had two double beds and a bathroom. There was no electricity except between 6-10 at night when they ran the generator. It was very comfortable though. The climate was warm but as you probably know if you have studied the rainforest, it is very shady. The sunlight does not filter through the canopy to the ground. Therefore, it was really not too warm.
There were surprisingly few mosquitoes. Eddie, our guide, explained that mosquitoes prefer fresh water and that most of the water in the rainforest is brackish or black with soil. We found most the mosquitoes up in the emergent layer around the bromiliades and the orchids where rainwater sat in the cup of the flowers.

This is Eddie, our Amazon rainforest naturlist or guide.