Today was another day of adventure in Ecuador and man does it make me feel alive. After running along the only big road through Yantzaza with the mountains, fields, families, and wildlife all around me I showered and ate breakfast. Daniel, Matt, Margaret, SJ, and I all caught a taxi to the terminal where we were embarking on a journey to Podecarpus National Park. First, we had to catch a bus to Zamora. We were quickly ushered onto a large bus of which we were the only passengers. The bus attendants then began closing the curtains and asked us to go to the seats in the back. While we thought this was a little odd we were not too terribly concerned, especially with 6’5’’ 200 pound Matt with us. The bus made no stops on the way to Zamora and did not even take us all the way to the terminal. We found out later that we were likely illegally riding and these men were trying to make money off of us on their drive to another location. Oops. However, it worked out for both of us because they made money and we got there in half the time it usually takes.
Once in Zamora we caught a truck to the park and proceeded to hike the remaining 20 minutes to the administrative offices. At this point it is pouring outside and none of us decided to bring our raincoats. I cannot imagine a better group for these conditions. No one even thought about complaining about the conditions, instead we saw it as merely adding to the experience. We put our electronics in plastic bags and began our hikes after looking at the trail maps. Our first hike was about 20 minutes that led us to an unbelievable waterfall. By this time we are all SOAKED from head to two. It was as if I had just jumped into a pool and re-emerged to trek through the jungle without ringing my clothes. We found refuge under a rock at the waterfall, from which we were able to take a few pictures. Standing in the pouring rain, wet from head to two, in the jungle, surrounded by mountains and wildlife, underneath an enormous waterfall with five new friends in the middle of Ecuador was one of the most invigorating feelings I have had in a long while. We were rendered speechless and giddy with disbelief at our current predicament.
Eventually we decided to keep hiking to warm ourselves up and we decided to try another trial that said 25 minutes to a view. This proved to be a very interesting decision and led us to a hike that ended up being over an hour of straight uphill climbing. Thankfully the rain had slowed to a drizzle which decreased our slipping but did nothing to helping our burning quads. We were grabbing hold of roots and vines as we ventured up the mountain to an unknown destination. While we were concerned and confused about how long this was taking us we were happily distracted by the diverse and gorgeous vegetation all around us. Plants, trees, flower, and vines were rich in color and things we had never before seen. One particularly pesky fern had prickly thorns on the bottom of it that we did our best to avoid after they attacked us a few times. Every time there was a clearing in the trees we had an amazing view of the mountains and clouds all around us. After over an hour of ascension we were muddy, exhausted, and the path was continually getting narrower and more treacherous. We decided to turn around and attempt to make our way down the incline we had just come up. While we had many muddy falls and clung to multiple branches, we finally made it back to the bottom, exhausted, humored, dirty, and thoroughly satisfied with our hiking adventure. We found the guide at the park and asked him where we had gone. He told us it was a hard hike and you should not go too far up because it gets dangerous. This news was no surprise to us. What a day we had. Tired and hungry we left the park and returned to be picked up by a truck and dropped off at the terminal in Zamora. We boarded the bus COVERED in mud, scratches and still soaked from head to toe. We have grown accustomed to being stated at wherever we go because we are gringos. However, today it reached a whole new level as literally every single person in Zamora would lock their eyes on us for an extended period of time trying to figure out why the heck these white skinned, blue eyed, blonde haired people were walking around wet and muddy. All we could do was laugh. After hours and hours spent on public transportation we have seen many ridiculous things. People boarding the bus with chickens, cats, produce, candy, food, children etc. Many people have a stench we like to call the “campo funk” (farm funk) and there is no such thing as personal space. Those who are standing will lean on your seat and it gets crowded and smelly fast. Today was a total reversal of roles. We were the sticky, weird, people standing in the bus, some enjoying street food and definitely slightly on top of the people around us. What an amusing and unforgettable day.
After a freezing cold shower we all were clean and dry for the first time in six hours. We ventured to our favorite restaurant in Yantzaza where they serve delicious chicken, rice, plantains, and soap with popcorn. After hiking all day with very little food, this meal tasted delightful. Joined by the rest of our group had done a campaign that day, we all explored a local discoteca which we were the only patrons of that night. We had our own dance party and then retired to our rooms. What a completely exhilarating and liberating day.
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