1st May 2022

I did not have high hopes for this day. In fact, going to the Amazon Jungle hadn’t been on my radar at all. I’d asked for recommendations for things to do in Ecuador, on my Inca Trail whatsapp group chat and Silja, a lovely Dutch girl, had suggested this. She and her boyfriend, as well as AJ, Meg and Franzi had all gone on to do a 2 or 3 -day Jungle tours (in Peru) after the trek, which they’d enjoyed.

I knew I wouldn’t be going on a trip to the jungle in Colombia, as it was in the opposite direction from my proposed itinerary. I was already in Baños and Puyo, considered to be a gateway to the Ecuadorian Amazon, was only 90 minutes away. It felt serendipitous. Due to my limited number of days in Ecuador, I could only fit in a 1- day tour. 

The tour cost $30. When I booked, the tour guide Sixto had said there’d be between 10-12 other people. I was the first pick up, just before 9am, and we spent the next 45 or so minutes driving around Baños, and picking up more, and even more, people.  In fact, I ended up with 24 other people  – so it was a large group – and that never really bodes well for a tour. 

Then the tour guide gets on the bus, and bursts into a 15-minute spiel, in rapid Spanish! Although I got the gist of what he was saying, I was also thinking, ‘Am I going to be the sole English speaker, on a Spanish tour, with 24 hispanohablantes (Spanish speakers)?’ On the one hand, that would be really good Spanish practice for me…on the other, it could make for a very long day.  Thankfully, he did then translate into English. 

We set off just after 10. The skies were overcast, and I wondered if I was in for yet another rainy day in Baños. By this point, I had stopped checking weather forecasts and had decided to just accept whatever the mercurial Ecuadorian weather threw at me. I was in for a surprise. 10minutes into the journey, the sun began poking its head out, testing the waters. 20 minutes in, it seemed to have decided it wanted a day out. By the 30th minute it had chased away all the dark clouds and we had brilliant bright blue skies and white clouds. 

You could have tracked my mood with the sun’s progress…it was getting increasingly lighter and happier as the minutes ticked by, and I began to enjoy the lovely views on the drive and the heat of sun’s rays on my face. By our first stop, when it was clear the sun was there to stay, I was ecstatic. 

First stop was the Mirador Miramera, with stunning views over Rio Pastaza. It’s clearly set up to be an instagrammable spot, with lots of props for picture taking – swings, giant hot air balloon, steps, giant wine glasses etc, some of which were free to use and others you had to pay for. The views were somewhat interrupted by cables from the power lines, (a fairly typical occurrence) but I tried not to begrudge the community their need for electricity. 

Miramera is the first stop for many, on the same itinerary, so it was teeming with tourists and there were queues to the best sites/props. As you can probably tell, if you have read a few entries on my blog, I am a sucker for sunshine, blue skies and magnificent views so I didn’t mind too much. I opted to enjoy the views rather than queue to use the props, particularly as it was a brief 20-minute stop. 

It felt like we got into the jungle proper, about an hour or so later. You could tell by the change in the topography – the increased density and height of the canopy, the vibrant colours of the vegetation (pale green, moss green, forest green, deep verdant green and every green in between), and the cacophony of sounds, humming, thrumming, chirping etc.  

We stopped at Reserva Hola Vida, for a short hike to the cascada (waterfall). At this point I was boiling hot, so I changed out of my leggings into my swimsuit, and shorts. We were offered wellies for the hike and I opted to use this, instead of my hiking boots. The hike was about an hour long, and our guide talked us through some of the flora and fauna we saw on the way, including plants that were used for medicinal purposes (and covid!) and cosmetic treatments. Some of the group had a mud facial, I opted not to. I enjoyed the hike, particularly because it was the first hike of the trip where there was no threat of altitude sickness!  It also reminded me of the jungle hike I’d done on Koh Chang Island, Thailand. This hike had a more defined path whereas on Koh Chang, at points, we were literally scrambling through dense forest. 

We arrived at the waterfall an hour or so later. For some reason, I didn’t really feel like getting into the water, so I waded round it, basking in the sunshine. It was a brief half hour respite and then a hike back to the van, as at this point, we were all starving.

Lunch came shortly after, but I won’t say any more about it, as I have expressed my views about Ecuadorian food in another blog post. It came with an opportunity to have proper chats with the group – most of whom were Ecuadorians. The foreigners were 3 Dutch (2 guys and a girl), 1 French guy, Genesis and me. Most of the Ecuadorians were on weekend trips, while the rest of us were travelling longer. Everyone was really nice and after the convivial lunch, it felt like we were one big family in the van.

A visit to the Wayuri Indigenous tribe was next on our itinerary. We were welcomed with a sip of chicha de jora (corn beer), as some of the young girls came round and offered to paint our faces with achiote (a red pigmented paste from the achiote fruit, used as paint or dye, since ancient times). We were offered the opportunity to try our hand at hunting, by shooting a blowgun at a stationary wooden parrot. I jumped at this of course, trying not to think too much about germs, covid, and the fact that I would be blowing into something that thousands of others had done. I shot the arrow into the red heart shape drawn on the parrot. I was well impressed by my accuracy, although it was most likely beginner’s luck. I said no to the offer to try roast worms, but yes to joining a traditional dance. Off we went to get dressed in grass skirts and then returned to the hall, to the beat of drums.The steps were uncomplicated and the rhythm simple, but it was lots of fun. 

Afterwards we strolled around the village. It was scenic and felt so far removed from ‘civilisation’, although how much of it was authentic, and how much was put on for tourists is difficult to say. The huts looked like story book houses, the gardens were lush and the village was situated on the banks of the river. I am grateful that such communities are so willing to allow us tourists to get a snapshot of their way of life. I do wish I had learnt more about their day to day existence. 

A canoe ride on Rio Pastaza came next. I had spent too long exploring the village, and almost didn’t make it on time to the river bank. In my rush, I forgot to take my (anti) motion sickness tablets or put on my wristbands before I got into the canoe. I thought the experience would be similar to being in a kayak, and was concerned I would feel violently ill. However, it was a surprisingly calm ride. The canoe glided through the water, as the steerman expertly navigated the river. There were one or two moments when we went past bends in the river, the water rushed into the canoe and for a minute I was scared we would capsize but he quickly stabilised the canoe (a steerman on one of the other canoes was much more playful, taking the more turbulent sections of the river, and intentionally rocking the canoe. I expected his group to get thrown into the river, but they were fine ). In our canoe, it helped that Johann (one of the Dutch guys) had kindly given himself the job of scooping out the water from the canoe. The ride felt much too short, and I would have happily sat in the canoe all day, enjoying the serenity of the river and the expanse of forest and skies. 

Our last stop was my absolute favourite of the day, Mirador Indichuris…and I almost didn’t go! It had been a long day, I was tired, and we were told there was going to be a hike to the top. I thought it had been a pretty awesome day and didn’t think this stop was going to add much more to the experience. Boy, was I wrong.. and am I glad I did it. There was a $2 entry fee, and then a 10 minute walk to the top (I wouldn’t call it a hike). You are first met by a platform halfway up, which gives you a tantalising sneak preview. At the top, there’s a building housing a cafe/bar, with a large balcony with hammocks to lay in and enjoy the view. There is also a platform/plank that looks like it’s hanging in the void, unsupported. 

And then, all you can see are views that stretch across the horizon. Magnificent, absolutely breathtaking, postcard perfect views of the Amazon forest spread out in front of you, and the convergence of Rios Puyo and Pastaza as they snake through it. We arrived just as the sun was setting, so it looked even more spectacular (my pictures fail to do it justice). 

There was a queue (of course) to take pictures at the platform. I probably waited in line for 15 -20minutes and in hindsight, I wish I’d gone to the swing during that time. However I loved just standing and gazing appreciatively at the views. After taking pictures, I joined the much smaller queue to go on the tarzan swing. The swing is attached to a sturdy tree trunk. You clamber onto the seat, the safety rope is wrapped around your waist twice and then attached to the swing. That’s it. They say jump off when you’re ready. Johann took a video of me and as I’m being strapped in, I shake my head in disbelief, clearly wondering what I’m doing. I also articulate that I’m scared, and he gives me a bit of a pep talk, which was nice but I knew I was going to do it. I just had to. 

I jumped off. 

The rush of adrenaline was instantaneous, and thrilling.  It’s an out of this world experience, swinging over 1000 metres above the forest, the wind in your hair, arms outstretched as you reflect with gratitude, on the beauty of the life that has brought you to this place, and this experience. 

I absolutely loved it.

…so much so that I went on a second time, and probably would have gone a third, if our guide hadn’t asked us to start heading back to the van. 

It was a perfect end to the most unexpectedly wondrous day in the Amazon. 

Interesting fact about the Amazon Rainforest…Did you know?

The Amazon spans eight countries – Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, Peru, Suriname, Venezuela and one territory, French Guiana. The majority of the forest (60%) is in Brazil and Ecuador holds only 2% of the Amazon basin. However it is the largest region in Ecuador, and covers the Eastern part ‘the Oreinte’ of the country.