It all started when we, the group of 11 of us, arrived at Musap: kilometer 54 along the bumpy, dirty, quasi-road on the way from Puyo to Macas. These are two small warm and rainy jungle cities. Puyo comes from the quichua word ‘puya’ or rain. We went on a little trek to find the bathroom: two holes in the ground, surrounded by a shelter. Don’t miss when you squat. Don’t breathe too deeply. Do watch out for snakes. Do not fall backward.

Good idea: Bringing baby wipes along because there is no toilet paper.

Bad idea: Wiping yourself with a baby because there is no toilet paper.

And where did my particular baby wipes come from? Indeed, my mama!

Musap, the “observation station” that the Berkeley team I am with has its home base is just a house on a farm.. it is not so much a scientific station as it is a family’s attempt to create extra space and rent it out. The kids are pretty cute, and the bugs don’t bite too hard.

We went on a 5 hour hike through the bush… through a path down to a river basin that is a good 5kms down through red clay deep skin purifying mud and constant greenery, insects, humidity and of course giant spiders and their immaculate webs. As I have little time and the readers really have little interest in reading about my experiences climbing through the forrest, the highlights include: watching people fall their asses down in thick mud and waterfalls, scaring the shit out of the newbs with threats of piranhas and making a spear with my walking stick, which kept me from being one of the peeps falling down. And damn it feels to be so completely covered with dirt and water and not be able to take a warm hot shower and drink a nice cool beer, right? Heellll no.

So, since I need to come to Tena, another jungle city 50 kms away that took me 5 hours to get to and let me get in my “pushing truck stuck in the middle of the road rubble mud” skills to work. The added benefit: the family here is great and takes care of me. I had some catching up to do with them and we did so over a midnight dinner and some cerveza pilsners.

More beer notes: when Ecuadorians drink beer, they always order the big ass bottles and pour into small glasses. Its really deceptive how much you can drink in one setting. Luckily my companero, the son of the family, Maximito, who reminds me of dominic and my cousin Danny gave me some awesome news: hes getting married and has a baby on the way. And he has a sony Erickson EXACTLY like Emy and Cody’s. holly shit it is just providence that I must get this fone and change to Cingular.

Any how, went mountain biking and dove head first into a creek/pond because I lost my balance in carrying my bike across a beam that was about 4 inches long with the current pushing at my feet. but you all know you’d wanna mountain bike along jungle river paths, so its worth the scratches, bruises and painstaking time drying my passport, international medical card and money and other stuff I knew I shouldn’t have had with me (Dad, buy my travel insurance eh?). Don’t worry for interested parties: Mr. Bear and his headdress was not wetted at all.

I so miss bubble tea, a proper gym (theres here in Tena, Maximito and I went but it f*****up my gloves with all the rust)…. and um… my mom’s chit chatty voice.. and what else… looking for a job. Im so going to be broke when I come back.

Off to Quito at 6:30 in the morning to do some documentary planning and pick up some crew members from the aeropuerto.