Our official school trip to Shell was this week, so of course we were excited to get to visit our home one more time before we make our move. We were in for quite a few adventures, some of which were wonderful and some of them a little questionable! Below is our list of firsts.
Jungle Hike
We set off with our guide through the rainforest to learn about the plants and animals of the Amazon Basin. Along the way we stopped in a refreshing waterfall to cool off. The sights and sounds surrounding you as you walk through the jungle are enough to keep you refreshed for days. We learned two important things about ants on the trip 1)They bite…poor Caleb was the first to discover this when one crawled up into his rubber boot (which everyone is required to wear) and bit him on the leg. 2) They don’t taste too bad. Our guide had us all grab the squirmy little things (a different type than our larger, biting enemies) and pop them in our mouths. They were a bit tart, with a hint of lemon.
Leaf Cutter Ants Carrying Their Loads Down a Tree
Chicha
After our jungle walk a lunch of freshly caught tilapia we headed to an indigenous village of Quichua Indians. There we tried our skills at hunting with the blow gun and were “welcomed” with the ‘milk of the forest’: chicha. This is a drink made by the roots of a plant that the tribes of Ecuador grow. The women then pick the roots, smash, then chew and spit back into a bowl to create the drink. It is the staple of many communities and is given to all ages and as a sign of welcome when visitors come into a village. While accepting our offering of chicha we tried to think more about the welcome we were receiving than the fact that we were drinking somebody else’s spit. Hospital Vozandes is the closest hospital for these people, so it’s possible that Dan could see some from this village as patients.
Quichua Paint
Blow Gun Practice
Canoe Ride
From the village we took off in dugout canoes down a river for a short ride. The guides assured us that it was perfectly safe, but it was a bit nerve racking when we asked our guide about anacondas and he said only little ones lived in this river. Because of the lack of rain the other canoe did have trouble and the riders ended up stranded mid-river bailing water out of the canoe with their boots. Thankfully all made it safely to shore.
Monkeys
Our professors want to be sure we get the full range of experiences in Ecuador while in school here, so we headed to a monkey sanctuary the next day. When people talk about monkey-business they’re not kidding. These guys were all over us, trying to snatch things from our pockets and swinging from our arms. One gave Dan a wet willy with his tongue and another tried to kiss me. After spending a few minutes with these guys one can see why Curious George’s character is a monkey.
A Visit to the Waorani
We had not expected to be able to make the flight into the jungle to visit a Waorani village because of cost, but since our language school currently only has two traditional students here right now, they graciously offered to let us fly in with them for free. What an experience. We took a Mission Aviation Fellowship (‘Alas de Socorro’/ Wings of Help) flight into the jungle. Several minutes out of Shell all one sees is a sea of green. While landing you feel as if you’re going to hit the treetops. The children presented a special Christmas play in Spanish and then some of the older generation demonstrated several songs in traditional dress. We felt like we were back in time, standing in a grass hut, listening to their ancient language. We brought a gift of bread to them, which is a treat only brought in from the outside world. It’s hard to imagine that the hospital we will be working in and so many missionaries have been built up from the basis of what occurred with this tribe 50 years ago.
Our Landing Strip
Our Waroani Friends
Spiders
After an exciting day of new experiences we were enjoying a cool evening on the veranda of the guest house when I looked up and told Dan, who was holding Jael, he better walk slowly away from the wall. Right over his head were two hand-sized tarantulas. We quickly notified our fellow students and guesthouse residents to come and see. I think all the commotion scared the spiders and one jumped down and landed on another student’s shoe. That was enough tarantula for us for one night and we all headed inside, worried that we would dream about our furry friends.
Mr Tarantula
Dan did rounds several mornings at the hospital and feels that his Spanish has progressed sufficiently to move there soon. We will only have two more weeks of language classes and then be on our way to Shell December 21st.
If ANYONE would like to come and visit us, we can arrange to have you experience any of the above, along with rafting and jungle fishing (well..I can’t guarantee the spiders). There are also many service opportunities to get involved in, too. I’m already signed up to volunteer at the missionary school as soon as we arrive and there is an orphanage in town. There is also work to be done at the hospital and a construction project at the local Nazarene church. We’d love to help you be able to do some short-term work in this country we’re falling in love with.
Sorry for the length of this blog, but there was so much to tell.
After celebrating with our family in the morning we headed to Steve and Diane's, our new friends, to eat Christmas dinner. With missionaries from different parts of the world we got to sample all kinds of food. Several girls from England wanted to make a traditional Christmas pudding and light it on fire but it didn't quite work out the way they intended (possibly because all of the ingredients aren't available here). We enjoyed getting to hear about their traditions and spending time with others that know the real reason for the season. 
