Budget conscious, we settled on a three-day excursion into the jungle not too far from Baños. To go deeper in would have required us to stay for more days at a more expensive per-person rate.
En route to the lodge we made an incredible stop at a monkey reserve- not included in the tour but the $1.50 admission wasn’t too big a deterrent (we’re not that cheap!). The reserve functioned as a rescue center for monkeys that had been in captivity. The Frenchman who oversaw our visit gave us our introduction to the monkeys. He walked over with a couple of Woolly Monkeys on his shoulder- they turned out to be our favorites, very friendly. Anytime we would extend a hand, one would grab onto our fingers and hop onto the proffered arm. Curious White Capuchin monkeys were quick to show up as well, described by our guide as “sons of the devil.” We didn’t find them so bad, although it was a good thing we had emptied our pockets ahead of time. They would hang around our necks by their tails as they used their hands to unbutton pockets and search for anything inside. One stood guard against Martina, the Black Capuchin Monkey who was jealous of our guide’s attention and kept trying to force her way into the group to scold or attack us. Our guide also pointed out Spider Monkeys, Clown Monkeys, and more aggressive Coatis nearby.
We soon arrived at our home for the first night. We were camped in the secondary forest, rainforest that has re-grown after being harvested for timber. According to our guide Leo, this area in Ecuador occurs between elevations of 800 m to 250 m. A longer trip would have taken us to untouched primary rainforest, but we were still in a place brimming with life.
Walking in the forest we saw plants such as the “Sangre de Cristo,” used by indigenous people to treat menstrual cramps. We saw a tree with thorny roots, used to grate various fruits and vegetables. Each plant we passed could serve a different function. The “Achiote” pods we opened served as face paint. The “Sangre de Drago” plant helps with diarrhea and insect bites- definite jungle scourges! We snacked on sugary lemon ants, found inside the stems of certain plants. Leo also showed us some thorny leaves that increase blood flow, helping anyone with sore muscles or arthritis. We were pricked lightly in a demonstration. Along with increased blood flow, the plant left behind some ugly red raised bumps. According to Leo these would fade in an hour or two. That sounded fine, but Leo, it’s been 5 days now…
We eventually arrived at a small pool filled by a towering waterfall. A perfect end to our first day… we swam about for a bit and headed home (luckily on a quicker path), exhausted and ready to fall asleep to the noises of the jungle.
We set out early the next morning on another waterfall trek. We learned about similar medicinal plants that served functions from mosquito repellent to soap to a torch. We saw trees that hadn’t been cut down- huge monsters that were still young at 300 years old. To reach the “cascada escondida” we had to swim through a channel of deep water. There was a beautiful pool with a tree perfectly positioned for jumping into the falls… an excellent first half of the day.
On our return to camp we skipped lunch and packed for the next lodge. The hike had made us hungry, but we had other plans in mind. If we refrained from food for the afternoon we would have the opportunity to participate in an indigenous shamanic ritual. We would be able to drink a concoction called “ayahuasca,” Quechua for “vine of the soul.” Whoever partook was supposed to vomit, purging out impure substances, and then spend the next 4-5 hours seeing incredible visions and spirits of the jungle. It sounded fascinating enough to forgo eating…
We canoed to the next camp. It was an interesting trip through some whitewater, only slightly diminished by the fact that it was completely unnecessary- our guide hopped in a pickup truck and was at the next site waiting for us. We unpacked and went off with the local shaman to be bathed under a waterfall (yet again). He slashed a path through the forest using his machete until we reached the trickling water. After a quick rinse with water and jungle leaves, we headed back to camp… on a perfectly nice, already trimmed path. I enjoy hiking through the forest, but after a point the unnecessary trips begin to make things feel contrived…
Sometime after sunset we made our way to the shaman’s hut. On the door hung some sort of skull, adorned with large horns. A small fire burned in the center with a few benches around it. Rocks, bottles, and small figurines were arrayed along the walls. The shaman began the ritual, explaining his role in the community as a traditional healer. He sprayed some sort of herbal and alcohol-smelling substance over us and rubbed stones on our heads and arms, breathing deeply and using jungle leaves to wave away evil spirits. We were handed cups of the ayahuasca, a foul smelling beverage that tasted like campfire with ashy particles in it. After we were done the shaman told us that we should all go relax and wait for the visions to begin…
And that was it, done and done. We all vomited out whatever we consumed, but definitely weren’t visited by any sort of vision or jungle spirit. Our minds seemed a bit stirred up, following trains of thought wherever they might lead, but that was the most interesting aspect of our experience. It seemed we had paid to be sick… The next morning we told our guide that we should have just spent the money on beers- we might have even been able to vomit as well, but could have at least had a good time on the way! The (sham?) shaman was nowhere to be found.
After a brief hike up to a viewpoint we decided to pack it in and head back to Baños. Megan and our friend David weren’t feeling well; they seemed to have picked up some nasty jungle souvenir. We got back to town and went straight to the office of our tour group to leave some feedback on our jungle expedition. Knowing that we had some negative comments about the “jungle” and “shaman” experience we were directed to an empty page in the middle of the comment book- nowhere near the excellent comments about the trip located at the beginning of the book. So that’s where the bad ones go?
It turned out that both Megan and David had picked up an awful stomach bug. Luckily, they seem on the mend, and we are all finished with Baños for now. I’d still love to do a real Amazon tour, to the primary jungle. This trip at least whetted our appetites for that. As for the “ayahuasca,” we are still very curious, but wary.
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