Y A S U N I

“Paulita, remember rule number ONE of the jungle..?”

[furrowed brow and a slight nod]

“That's right: QUIET. Today we will be visiting el saladero (an area where the mud is rich in minerals and where many animals come to feed) looking specifically for the Whangana (a species of wild boar) and the red macaw, and it is extremely important that we are as quiet as possible while following the WHananagagagaanana”

A series of grunting sounds erupted from the valley.

Like a pack of rabid dogs trudging through the mud. A rotten smell is growing stronger. We know they are getting closer – Andres instructs us to walk one by one down the trail making as little noise as possible.  We are on their trail.

Suddenly, the guides take off running, so I decide to follow. Catching a baby Wangana is part of the right of passage for a Waurani adolescent male. As they travel in packs of 30-60 animals, this can be dangerous. Running through the jungle for about 60 seconds, I manage to hear them, but don't get a glimpse. Paula and Eric saw the things, running through the jungle, and out guide, Andres, somehow captures an injured young Guangana and brings it back, cradling it in his arms to show us.

If chasing a pack of wild jungle boar through the thick rainforest got my adrenaline at its height during our 4-day stay in the Yuarani Reserve; seeing countless red and blue and yellow macaws, and toucans was the peak of beauty.

The journey to Yasuni took almost 24 hours door to door from Quito - An overnight bus to Coca, then waiting around in the morning for the rest of the group (that flew from Quito - the fortunate bastards!) then a 3 hour chiva ride on bumpy windy jungle roads, then a 4 hour Canoe ride, before finally arriving at the Shirpuno lodge- our home for the next four days.

The jungle was just almost an overwhelming – sensory defying experience. Highlights included the marsupial spotting at night and the rodent chasing during the day, and many insect and rare frog sightings.

It was nice to be unplugged for a few days in the jungle , and to feel the rhythms of the jungle and to be fed three hearty meals a day.

Like our guide Andres repeated several times, Yasuni is a unique place with an uncertain future --

For more info about Yasuni and how YOU can help, go here.

To get an idea of what the nights sounded like, I'll leave you with another T. Robbins quote:

The AMAZON night:

"The stars were as big and bright as brass doorknobs, and so numerous
they jostled one another for twinkle space. ... Visual deprivation was compensated
for by auditory glut. From the sewing machine motors of the cicadas
to the beer hall bellows of various amphibians, from the tin-toy
clicks and chirps and whirs of countless insects to the weight-room
grunt of wild pigs, from the sweet melodic outbursts of nocturnal
birds (Mozarts with short attention spans) to the honks and whoops
and howls of God knows what, a rackety tsunami of of biological
rumpus rolled out of the jungle and over the river, which stirred its
own sulky boudoirish murmur into the mix."

Fierce Invalids Home From Hot Climates
- Tom Robbins

More of my photos here.