Ten Days in Ecuador: Days 3 & 4

So I've decided to condense days 3 & 4 together. Why? Because they felt like one really long day. Where do I begin?

First off, the Amazon jungle is kinda like Disney's Animal Kingdom. But like, the real thing. I've seen everything from 50 year old tortoises to giant river otters and squirrel monkeys. It's kinda like that first trip to the zoo you took when your were 5 years old. But this time the animals weren't in cages. Or tranquilized. I even saw a 400 year old tree that looked like the Tree of Life. It was great!

Our tour guide Linea was super excited about everything involving nature. "Hay Dios Mio, squirrel monkeys!" She reminded me of a 25 year old Dora the Explorer. Complete with a sidekick named Boots. Ok maybe without the monkey sidekick, but you get it. It was great having an excited tour guide with lots of energy. Especially considering most of our days started at 5AM.

Aside from the jungle, our huts at the NAPO Wildlife Center were interesting. They were very spacious! And the turn down service was amazing. Every night after dinner, I had a fresh set of towels and my mosquito net pulled down for me.

But, the bugs? Not so much. So, the huts have thatched roofs made of palms and bamboo. Yeah, not much protection from the elements. On top of that, there are hidden holes so no matter how much you try to control bugs from getting inside, they always find a way in.

I'll put it like this, my bestie and I almost got eaten by a tarantula! (Yeah I know it's not big enough to eat both of us, but still...it's got hairy legs! And I'm not talking bout your old aunt Myrtle's hairy legs. These legs are poisonous.)

Overall, I'm glad I went. I can now say I've been to the Amazon jungle and I've gotten out alive. Next stop: back to Quito to explore the old city!

Ten Days in Ecuador sponsored by Latitude International & LAN Airlines