Tubing, monkeys and whistling at hot chicks!

I think I mentioned that I would have my own private tours the whole time I was in the jungle, which was really interesting.  Herdson, my 23-year old ecuatorian guide on the first day, took me for a hike through the secondary jungle close to our hotel, and we saw lots of bugs and plants and creeks and whatever. I ate an ant that tasted like a lemon. (I told you I was getting over the bug thing for the duration of my stay there!) The whole hike only took us 1 hour, a hike that normally takes larger groups about 3 hours to do, so after hanging out on the beach of the River Misahualli that was right behind the hotel, he asked me what I wanted to do for the rest of the day.  Being new to the jungle and having no idea, I relayed this information.  He asked if maybe I wanted to go tubing down the river?  I thought that sounded like a great plan, so we got two of his friends and hiked about 2 km up the river with huge innertubes.  I wore a lifejacket but it only occurred to me later, already in the water, to ask about what dangers could be in the river... uh, sharks, piranas, anacondas that can eat you alive in one gulp... but he assured me he did it all the time and that we would be fine. 

I guess this would be the part of the trip where I would have to let go of some of my most deep seated fears (bugs, water, etc.) and so I went with it --- and it was a blast!!!  We tubed down the river for about an hour.  It was completely beautiful and when we washed up on a beach far down the river, there were kids playing in the water and a whole family of monkeys literally swinging through the trees!  No one seemed to think this was a big deal but me, but it was sooo cool.  I of course didn't have my camera, but encountered the monkeys the following day with the camera so it was all good.  More on that in a future post. 

So, we washed up on shore in a town and went to a butterfly farm to see the larva and all sorts of other butterfly stuff... only marginally interesting as I've been to the exhibit at the Natural History Museum in NY.  The guys had left me alone in there and afterwards, I found them outside across the street playing volleyball with some of their other friends and neighbors.  It was a beautiful moment in Ecuador.  5pm on a Monday afternoon and there was a crowd of young and old people cheering on the volleyball players, little kids playing down the street, the sound of roosters cuckooing and some salsa music playing in the background.  It was kind of how I might have imagined Ecuador as being and hadn't been able to see (really see) yet.  It was really nice.

Just as we were about to leave town, one of the guys I was with saw a girl down the street and whistled at her.  I'd never been so close to this end of a cat call, so I was like What are you doing?  He looked at me like I was crazy, but I proceeded to explain that it was unnecessary and that the girl probably didn't like it.  He said he thought she was cute... he liked her... and it was normal. This is the way they started a communication. I tried to explain how normal it was not, but he didn't seem to want to hear any of that.  Just a cultural difference, I guess, but at least I got to see it from a vantage point that didn't seem nearly as lecherous and awful as they feel when directed at me on the street.  So, now I know.

After the game, we all got into the back of a pick up truck and rode back to the hotel standing up.  I thought for sure if we hit one pot hole big enough, it would be my last day to live, but I had already cheated death several times so decided not to sweat it.