Ecuador- Amazon- Day 3

8-08-2011

As I get older I sometimes think that I haven't really changed over the years but here I realised I have. I would never have done the things I have in the past few days when I was growing up because I was never the adventurous type. I have had so much fun that I am glad I am older and more willing to try new things.

Went for a long hike in the Amazon basin. Before we started we were shown a fruit that is used for painting faces. All of us had reddish/orange artwork on our faces before the hike. Again the wellingtons came in use. We walked through streams, stood under gushing waterfalls ( the force of the water actually hurt my head sometimes) and climbed through them (the guides tied ropes at places to help us).

Then through the forest itself, the uphill involved the use of all four limbs at times but was better than the downhill which was steep and quite slippery. I fell once and screamed louder than it actually hurt but Jeevan fell hard onto a log ( I was the only witness while mine was for all to see), no scream but lots of pain ( maybe it's better to scream). Jeevan hobbled holding his back for the rest of the way, for once I didn't laugh.

After the hike, sweaty and dirty we got to swim in a pool at the bottom of a waterfall as it made it's way to the river. There was a ledge from which a lot of people jumped into the water. That is when the wimp in me resurfaced, I wanted to jump but as the ledge was not really jutting, rather sloping down I was worried I would hit the rocks. I sat and worried about it, a guy offered to hold my hand and jump (Jeevan's back wasn't ready for such activity) but I still was not ready . When it was nearly time to go I finally gathered the courage and did the jump, everybody cheered and clapped but the person happiest was me. I would have been so disappointed in myself had I left without doing it. Yay for me.

We actually returned two hours before dinner so had time to lie in the hammock, enjoy the view and read a book. Lovely way to spend an evening.



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