Amazon & Baños

Hi Team,

We´re out of the jungle and back to civilization with power and internet access.
Our jungle experience was totally amazing. Our trip is about eco tourism and getting an understanding of the local community. We had two outings to local families, one which makes there own pottery - we got a demo. We were also shown traditional cooking methods and hunting using blow darts - then we got to try for ourselves. Lots of fun.
The other family/community we visited ran a wild life shelter. They had lots of animals and we got to interact with them. A blue tucan followed us around the shelter as did various other animals. The highlight for me was playing with Lucas - a monkey (not sure what breed, he was little tho). anyway he was thrying to grab my camera and play with it. When he realised i was stronger he bit me, more like a nibble/pinch - several times. Then he tried to get in my top and kept pulling it down, very embarassing but very funny. He also pissed on me to mark his teritory. The tour leader had to help get him off me. Also at the shelter I held a boa constrictor!!!!! yuck. i was too scared to hold it by myself because it was so big so the tour leader held its head and i ad the rest of him. dont think im into doing that again.

We have arrived in Baños today. A lot more touristy than other places we have been so far. I think this place is NZs equivalent of queenstown. It is nestled in between mts and an active volcanoe. We have 2 full days here. Tomorrow we are going to go mt biking down the valley which takes us to the place where we will go rafting in the afternoon. On thursday we are going for a horse trek in the morning then I would like to wander around town and look in the shops.
Tonight we are going out for dinner then taking a taxi ride to the volcanoe because you can see lava at night!!
Finding things to be ridiculously cheap. Internet cafe for 1hr = $1. At lunch times if you order the lunch special you get 2 courses a soup, a main consisting of rice, meat, and salad, and a juice for $2!! Today we paid a little more ($3) and got a dessert. Amazing. We are told by Joanna (tour leader) that food is cheaper in Peru. Crazy.

Hope i havent bored you with all the writing, i would upload some photos but nathan is out exploring a volcanoe with Paul (the only other guy in our group). I am sick, better now, but pretty dreadful yesterday with a dodgy stomach, lots of trips to the bathroom. At one stage I didnt make it back to my room in time and spewed in the tropical garden - im worried i may kill off some preciuos plants. Feeling heaps better today although still not on solids. Dont have much energy, hence not exploring volcanoes and sitting in internet cafe updating all you people.

Here´s hoping I find my way back to the hostel ok.

until next time,

adios

will try to upload some photos in the next day or two.