The Amazon Rainforest: A Visit to Cuyabeno

This past weekend began the four to five day holiday of “Carnival.”  For this special vacation, the other student-teachers, a few full-time teachers from Colegio Menor, and I went deep into the Amazon Rainforest.  Ecuador is truly an amazing place—and “El Oriente,” or the eastern part of Ecuador—covered by jungle, is clear proof of that fact.  We stayed at “The Samona Lodge,” along the Cuyabeno River, in the Cuyabeno National Reserve.  This reserve covers a huge span of rainforest, and thousands of different species of plants, animals, and insects—many of which I saw and experienced during this past four days and three nights.  This rustic lodge, nestled deep in the jungle, was alive with tarantulas on our roof, roaches under our beds and on the walls, a large tree frog in the shower, and nocturnal monkeys sleeping in a tree behind one of the cabins.  Needless to say, this lodge and its surroundings provided a constant adventure. 

Over the course of four days, I hiked through the Amazon Rainforest during the day and at night; I canoed through its rivers; I swam in its waters; I met and ate with its indigenous peoples.  Also, I spotted wildlife all over, such as: an eighteen-foot female anaconda; two species of tarantula—both the pink-footed tarantula the size of my hand, and a baby black-footed tarantula; many fishing spiders; the wolf spider; the tail-whip scorpion; multiple types of frogs; a baby snake; multiple caiman crocodiles—which we uncovered by the reflection of our flashlights in their beady eyes, at night; hundreds of birds—diverse in species; a pink river dolphin; butterflies of brilliant colors; a poisonous caterpillar and centipedes; four species of monkeys; a three-toed sloth; piranhas—one of which I caught while fishing with meat; and much more.  I felt more in touch with nature, with life, and with myself the more time I spent in the heart of the wild.  The food was excellent and so was the staff.  I learned about the jungle, and about Ecuador.  This was indeed one of the best trips I have ever taken; a trip simply made for me.