With a sense of uncertainty at best, or fear at worst, we set off from Tena, Ecuador, headed deep into the Amazonian rainforest. None of us knew exactly what we were in for, but thoughts of knee-deep mud, and clouds of mosquitos dominated our minds. Tena was already extremely hot and humid, and we knew that as we went deeper into the forest it would only get worse.
When our bus finally arrived at the very end of a long gravel road, we were greated by a huge river, and a very old suspension bridge. We grabbed our daypacks and set off accross the bridge into the unknown.
What greated us on the other side was the village of Sinci Pura, and a community of incredibly welcoming people, who call the village and surrounding jungle their home. The village has made a huge investment in basic infrastructure, including bunk houses, bathroom facilities, a dining hall and kitchen, and our favorite, the hammock lounge overlooking the river. These facilities were built to house tourists looking for an experience out of the ordinary. By hosting tourists, and guiding them through the jungle, the village hopes to diversify their income and move beyond subsistance farming.
We participated in a number of activities thoughout the day including meeting the "president" of the village, hiking through the jungle, and presenting the village school with some supplies that we purchased in Tena. One of the most interesting things we saw was a local agricultural "field" which consisted of a small semi-cleared area in which the villagers had planted a variety of crops. Our local guide explained that by mixing crops, and avoiding a monoculture, their crops suffer from almost no pest or disease pressure.
After dinner, we had a Shamanistic experience. We learned about the ways of the Shaman and how it is closely tied to psychadelic trips by the use of Jimsonweed. We had two classmates that participated in a ritual cleansing. This consisted of the shaman consuming a mystery liquid and spitting it on them. Jose and Ivor left the shamanistic, dripping with liquid yet apparently cleansed. The germaphobes of the class decided to pass on the experience.
The night was capped off by a musical dance presentation by the men and women of the village. The men played instruments, and the women danced. After some interpretive traditional dances, the women selected several male members of Class 39 to dance with them. One particular fellow from Buttonwillow (Greg Wegis) was especially impressive as he wowed both Class 39, and the villagers with his incredible moves.
As the night grew older, we made our way to our rooms, and slowly drifted off into peacefull slumber, aided by the sounds of the rushing river and millions of insects. At around 4 AM, we were all awakened by one of the most impressive thunderstroms any of us had ever experienced.
Lessons learned:
1. Eco Tourism is a viable option for local Amazonian villages.
2. Eco Tourism will not replace oil revenues as the primary driver in Ecuador's economy.
3. The jungle/rainforest is an incredible place which is full of an incredible diversity of life (and not nearly as scary or aweful as some of us imagined).
Respectfully submitted by Josh, Cara, and Ivor
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