The jungle of Napo River

Michelle
Linda, Natalie and Dawn, our traveling companions with palm crowns and Klinger
Relaxing in the hammock on our little terrace

River Napo
We learned to make palm crowns in the jungle
La Casa de Suiza...our jungle home

For wedding pictures, go to http://www.flickr.com/photos/nancykatzen/sets/72157622591553676/
Tomorrow, back to chemo, but now off to more adventures in Ecuador.

On Monday, our full day in the jungle, we set out early to visit the Animal rescue place as I mentioned before. We had planned to take a 2 hour hike, but I knew I couldn't make it. Our traveling companions, Dawn, Linda, Natalie and Michelle graciously offered to take the 1 hour hike instead, so that I could go along. It was hot and sticky, but our guide Klinger (his real name)
was very knowledgeable about the plants and made it interesting and fun. They all pushed me up and down the hills.
Hopping into our tubes and floating down the river was just perfect. Unfortunately, I don't have pictures, as tubing with a camera seemed like a bad idea. The best part of the day was watching kids play in the river and swinging out from shore on a rope swing. I was wondering why these kids weren't in school, when we floated by a gentleman who told us he was the children's teacher. It was too hot in the class room, so they went up the river for "Phys ED". He was a Swiss teacher on sabbatical for year with his wife and two kids. As we floated down the river, the kids came over and attacked Klinger, whom they knew. He gave them his tube and they played a lively game of King of the Mountain. Pretty soon they were climbing all over all our tubes. I thought "what a way to grow up!" Can you imagine a teacher, his wife and 20 kids swimming in the river in front of the school? Without life jackets and signed permission slips? The teacher told us that the kids swim like fish by the time they are five. They also pole their canoes up and down the river and walk through the trees. They soon climbed out to go back to school and we kept floating. We all agreed it was the best part of the day. Tomorrow: Visiting the indigenous home, Allie and blow gun and making ceramics.