It's not every day I find myself being groomed by a wild monkey in the middle of the Amazon rainforest....but if you had happened to be at the monkey rescue center just outside Puyo, Ecuador, yesterday, you would have seen me with a cappuchin monkey on my shoulder looking for nits. He didn't find any, in case you were wondering!
Monkeys have always fascinated me and it has been a life long dream to get up close and personal with those cuddly-looking fellows you see in movies as opposed to the aggressive grey ones that chase me down the road in Bali.
Here at the rescue center, they had 6 different species, all of whom had been rescued from certain death in the wild. The spider monkey was large and gangly and so affectionate... if he liked someone he would leap into their arms! The cappuchins are small and furry, like little teddy bears, and if you put your arm out and stay still, they sometimes jump up your arm and sit on your shoulder, as happened to me.
This visit was part of a "jungle tour" into the Amazon basin rainforest area. It was what I call "jungle light" as we left our cozy hotel at 9am and were back in time for a nice glass of wine and great dinner at 6.30pm. PLenty of jungle for me with my creature comforts intact! During that time, we sat in a dug out canoe for 20 minutes that rocked like crazy and was wicked uncomfortable, hiked two hours into dense forest to look at medicinal plants and swam at a waterfall.
Whilst wearing wellington boots - or do you say galoshes?
Here is why.
It is very muddy in the forest, because it's a RAIN forest, meaning it pisses with rain pretty much daily for most of the year, hence much mud underfoot.
Having said that, the hike through the trees with a native guide was wonderful. He explained about the medicinal qualities of the trees and plants, some of which were familiar, like cats claw and the ayahuasca vine, some unfamiliar, but potent according to his traditions. They have cures for cancer that no-one seems interested in, plus other medicines that they have always used in their communities.
My hope is that this gets researched while the indigenous people can remember their traditions. It's changing fast.
The traditions are interesting. When the women have babies, they squat holding a wooden bar and pop the baby out in 30 minutes - alone. The men have many wives and if they want one from another village, they start a war and steal her!
AFter our hike, we visited a village to sample chicha, the local brew. This brew is made fron chewed up yucca plant that is spat out and left to ferment. Needless to say, with my weak stomach I wasn't having any of that! But Janice was brave and tried some.
"It tastes like yoghurt," she said!
The previous day we had visited an orchid farm, planted on an arable field from scratch 30 years ago by a family passionate about native plants. Their achievement is unbelievable! It looks like natural rain forest now and has attracted back many varieties of birds and insects. The orchids were equisite...some so tiny we needed a magnifying glass to see them!
It's heart-warming to see some local Ecuadoreans caring deeply about their land. They need afew more like that. Their contryside is amazingly beautiful with deep river gorges and dense forested areas but alas, like many other areas, it's being exploited and rapidly disappearing.
I felt lucky to have seen it at all.
Janice and I have had a month here in Ecuador now and I must say, it's been a lovely experience and a delightful place. Tuesday I fly home to the USA....
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