So we set off on time from Quito and headed to the jungle town of Misahualli. Was about a 6hr drive and we stopped on route to make our first road side lunch. Tables come out, and salad stuff is cut up for sandwiches. We have been put in different groups and we have different duties each day, whether it be cooking, washing up or truck cleaning duty. We also had our first roadside toilet stop where the girls all go hunting for somewhere private....

Misahualli is a quiet little town with basically nothing to do. We checked into our hotel and then went to check out the sights. The highlight was the monkeys running amok in the town square and over the buildings. After dinner we had a briefing about the next two days.

Basically we had the option of paying $85 to go into the Amazon jungle for 2 days, one night or stay in town. Majority of us went. So after breakfast on Monday, we got to find mud boots that sort of fit and these were our shoes for walking. We went upriver in a boat for about 10 mins and then there was a 7km hike thru the jungle, up and down, up and down in mud boots while the humidity was about 80%. What fun, can't wait to do it again....not.

We reached our 'jungle lodge' and told to go and find a hut that was free. As Nikki stayed back in town I had one to myself. Well, it definitely wasn't a 5 star resort which didn't bother me, the problem was there was no protection on the roof from the thousands of mosquitos out to get us, and boy did they get some of us.

We had a swim in the river to cool down, lunch and a siesta before being taken upriver to visit a local traditional Quichua family. They had 12 children. The father showed us how he made baskets and fish trap and the mother made a traditional drink from Yuca. I won't be buying it anytime soon. We also got to try the blowpipe with the darts again. We drifted back to the lodge for dinner. A couple of the kids adopted me and Jodie, another girl and once they were picked up, they didn't want to let go. After dinner got to try some sugarcane alcohol, boy is that stuff potent before hitting bed.

Tuesday morning I went to the bathroom, picked up the toilet roll and a few seconds later it went flying across the room. There was a huge grasshopper insect or something on it. Once I realised what it was I picked it up and flicked it off. Got my heart going though. After breakfast we walked to the local school, again in our lovely mud boots. Went into the kindergarten class where they sang some songs for us and then afterwards we played a soccer match against a group of school kids. It's hard enough to walk in mud boots, much less run in them. They were good. I stepped out of the game to take some video footage and then one of the teachers got some of the younger kids to dance for me. Haven't been able to put up any photos (apart from the monkey) or videos yet. Hopefully in next day or so.

We then had the option of going on another 2 hr walk but I was coming down with a cold and my feet couldn't handle those boots any longer so a group us of went back to relax in hammocks. After lunch, we jumped in the boats and headed back to town, about a 2hr trip. If I knew before what I knew now, I wouldn't have paid the $85. To really experience the jungle you need to go in deep and the fact the local family we visited had a TV, says it all really..

Anyway, back to have a shower, jumped in quick so I could get water as it tends to run out. Afterwards, Nikki counted 52 bites on my back and back of my arms. That doesn't include those on my legs, etc. Some of the other guys backs were really bad and ankles were also popular. I walked into town to buy a drink and I watched this monkey keep a lookout in front of the shop and when no one was watching, run in, grabbed this container, run back out and sit on the other side of the street to eat what he could. Hilarious. Went back for dinner and then sat in the 'disco' up the top of the hotel. Did some dancing and then we headed to the local bar in town.

I had a nice chat with Martha, the lady from Colombia. She doesn't speak English so it is good for her to be able to chat to someone and good for me to practice my spanish. While we were there, this huge tarantula climbed up one of the light posts. We didn't even see that in the jungle.

So this morning, we were back in the truck and we have driven to Banos. We are here for 4 nights. Just outside of town, we stopped at a bridge where people had the chance to do a bridge swing. About 25m high. About 5 of them did it. Not for me though. I can't wait to visit some hot springs and relax and hopefully get over this cold. I have just bought antihistamines to help with the itching from the bites and the sneezing from the cold.