The Jungle

This past weekend our neighbors, Judd & Peggy, invited us to join them on a trip to the jungle. They had a team of guys visiting from Minnesota, who were here on a mission trip, and they planned to take the team for a weekend away. So we were very grateful for the invitation to join them, and we happily accepted.





The jungle is in the east of Ecuador, and we went to an area called Misahualli -- about a four hour drive through the mountains. It was a harrowing drive -- hairpin turns the entire way -- but Judd has been driving those roads for 15 years, so we felt safe in his hands. It's amazing that in just a few hours the climate can change so dramatically -- the jungle is significantly more hot and humid (go figure).

The place we stayed was rustic, natural and beautiful -- it reminded us of a jungle version of Kailuum, the beach resort where we were married. It was deep in the jungle, and right next to the Rio Napo. As we were falling asleep the first night, with our open windows, we felt like we were listening to a symphony -- frogs, birds, monkeys, insects and the other nocturnal animals all in harmony, with the sound of the river rushing in the background. It was amazing.




We woke up early on Saturday, had a great breakfast served by the local Quechua folks who live and work there, and then set out on a jungle hike. Samuel, one of the locals, was our guide, and he did a great job of teaching us about the indigenous flora and fauna of the Amazon. We hiked for about three hours, and it rained -- hard -- for the last two hours. But the rain actually made the experience even better -- we were wet and muddy, just as you would expect to be in the Amazonian jungle. Needless to say, Jairo had a fantastic time (as did the rest of us)!




We were all pretty wiped out after the hike, so after a great shower and a huge lunch back at the lodge, we all settled in for a very long afternoon nap. It was wonderful falling asleep to the sound of the hard rain and the rushing river.

The lodge is very remote, and we had it all to ourselves for the weekend, which was really nice. It was also probably a good thing, since after dinner things got a little crazy with a serious game of "spoons." This is a great game the guys taught us, which basically involves cards, spoons, speed and an occasional injury. I imagine it could be a tame game, but not with six large, competitive guys playing. Apparently the guys play this a lot, and they knew what to expect, because Mike set up his videocamera to capture the action. And he just happened to capture a particularly physical round that ended with both Eric and Jairo on the floor, with at least one of them crying. The video was later referred to as the infamous blackmail tape, as in "if the judge gets a copy of this, they'll never let these crazy people adopt Jairo!"

Sunday was a quiet day, as we all needed to return to Quito, so we had a good breakfast, then one of the guys -- Michael, the pastor -- gave a nice talk. It was a lovely ending to the weekend, and we were very thankful to have met and spent time with such nice folks in such a beautiful setting.