The Amazon and Arajuno Jungle Lodge

The first week we spent in a tiny village called Campo Cocha, which is a Kitchwa Indian town right on a river about an hour outside a small city called Tena.  I stayed with a really lovely family all by myself.  I was really rather nervous at first, but my hosts were just so accomodating that within a few hours I felt right at home with thier three kids.  During the mornings, I'd get up for tea at 5am and then have breakfast with everyone at about 6:30 before heading out to work.  The work varied a little, but except for one day where me and 2 other girls Renee and Tina were hauling fresh cut beams out of the rainforest, I was working on their farm.  Mostly, this was machete work to clear the coaco and yucca feilds of weeds and small trees.  I was really slow compared to my host parents Alex and Rosa, but I got better as the week went on.  Then it was back to the house for a bath in the river and a long lazy lunch before going to the kids camp we ran for the students of the village.  It was really sad to watch them try to hoard the art supplies the last day.  It was so clear that they had never seen paints, glitter and paper like the ones we brought and it made me sad to think that things I took for granted as a kid were such treats for them. 

The next week, we spent in an unbelievable lodge right in the rainforest.  5 of us bunked together in a cabin with bunk beds and it was just like camp.  We had a few bugs, but there were bug nets supplied and screaning whereever possible.  The food was absolutly amazing!  His wife and her staff were just amazing cooks and even baked a irthday cake to celebrate the birthday of one of the crew. 

But what was really important to me was the fact that this is an eco lodge in the true sense of the word.The whole lodge is run on solar power and the water comes from a collection pool above the lodge that collects rainwater.  The lodge is also located on many many hectares of rainforest that Tom owns and protects, making for a true rainforest experience.  Right on the premises is a conservation project to save the yellow spotted turtle, an endangered animal to the local river, started by Tom himself, which we came to work for.  We planted bamboo for better bank habitat and hauled sand to help build a nesting beach for the turtles in Tom's enclosures.  We even got to see some turtles on the river that Tom had introduced.  

Tom himself has been a conservationist his whole life and is a great resource for those interested in learning more about his work and conservation of the Amazon in general.  I have never met a man more willing to share a story or his point of view on an issue. He has worked in the Galapagos for three years (lucky duck!) and   He worked right beside us cutting bamboo and hauling sand, and knew all of the 11 people in our group by name at the end of the week.  I was very sad to leave and hope to come back in the future. 

If you want to learn more, here's his site!

Now we're in Otavalo, the famous market town for some retail therapy before heading off to the Galapagos, which I still can't believe!

And the ten day countdown has begun!  I'm back MAY 4TH!!!!!

See you soon!