During our one-week orientation we had the privilege of visiting the Amazon, known in Ecuador as El Oriente. We stayed at a lodge called Suchipakari, which means gift of nature, and every day was full of adventure and learning. As we drove into the Amazon, I got the opportunity to sit and chat with our bus driver, German. I was impressed by the condition of most roads and the amount of maintenance that was being done to them. Apparently most of the roads and infrastructure were relatively new and were part of Correa’s presidency. As I mentioned in last week’s blog, most Ecuadorians are actively engaged in political conversations – as a political science major, I felt at home immediately. After about a four-hour drive, we finally make it to Tena where we pick up our tour guide, Carlos.

The first night in the jungle we were received with delicious re energizing guayusa tea that allowed us to go on a short hike around the lodge. During our hike, Carlos shared some knowledge about plants and insects that he has carried down from his grandfathers’ teachings. He showed us how they would use palm leaves to make head wear and clothing accessories. Yet what really shocked me was learning how termites can be used in the jungle. Carlos walked up to a huge termite nest and scraped some of the covering off and then placed his hand on the nest until termites were crawling on his hand. As the amazon is known for its mosquitoes and numerous bugs, a staple tool is insect repellent, and according to Carlos, if you crush the termites on yourself, the smell of them works as a natural insect repellent but without the harmful chemicals. Alyssa, one of my friends in the group, quickly jumped to the occasion and crushed termites on her arms, which helped her to avoid bug bites during the hike.

As we continued through our hike we stopped to learn about a variety of flowers and trees and how they were used in communities. Another exciting fact that Carlos shared with us were the lemon ants. These are tiny little ants that live on the leaves shown below. When Carlos offered us the ants I was hesitant at first. Eventually, I brought the leaf up to my mouth and licked one of the ants. Surprisingly enough, it tasted exactly like lemon. Everyone in the group passed around the leaf and was equally surprised.

By the end of our hike we were convinced that we could survive in the jungle, we joked about having all our basic needs met with insect repellent from the termites, clothing from the leaves, and nutrients from the ants. Clearly, we would not even make it a full night alone in the jungle, but I really appreciated Carlos sharing his knowledge with us. The next two days we continued to take hikes and visit communities including an animal rescue shelter. Although I was only in the jungle for three days I really fell in love with everything El Oriente has to offer. I hope to travel back before my semester in Ecuador ends.