I love waking up in the morning to the sound of the rain outside. By the time we went down for breakfast it stopped and we met Juan again for a visit to Anaconda Island where a tribe of Quechua Indians live. We explored the whole island, learning about their agriculture and other cultural traditions. We found plantain, papaya and cacao orchards and ate from all the fruits. The cacao fruit was really refreshing. The cacao seeds inside the fruit are covered in a whitish pulp like lichees that is really good. After this we went to their hut and watched how she made their chicha drink from boiled yucca and some kind of sweet potato that she grated with the bark of a special tree that has sharp prickles on it. Looked just like a grater we use at home and worked really well too.

After, we were given a demonstration of how to use a blowgun which is made from a long hollow pole and uses darts about 40 cm long that are very pointy! We all tried and all of us managed to hit the target (a wooden owl about 10 meters away). I am confident that after learning all the ways of jungle life we are ready to fully succeed on Survivor!

After an amazing lunch at the lodge we took a boat ride over to Amazoonico and were given a tour of the animal refuge by a German volunteer. We saw many beautiful birds, monkeys, snakes, cats and other things that I had no idea what they were.

Our last dinner at the lodge was made exciting by the appearance of a giant tarantula coming out of the kitchen. The staff were trying to catch him but all the guests were more interested in taking a picture of it. They claimed it wasn't dangerous but I suppose it is all relative.

Tomorrow we leave this amazing place for a long bus ride back to Quito and a flight to Peru. I will definitely miss it but will be glad to feel dry again. I think I have started to mold here from the dampness and humidity.

I will also miss Ecuador a lot. It has been so much more than I expected (and my expectations were high!)