Spending a few days in the Ecuadorian Amazon is a great chance to see wildlife – such as this tarantula (pic) – without having to even leave your room. Actually, these tarantulas are welcome: they're harmless to humans, gobble up cockroaches and other pests, and quite readily vacate the bed when you ask them.
This morning we had a guided jungle walk learning about the chemist's shop that is the rainforest: plants cure all ills, perfume your hut, provide all-purpose superglue, and clean your teeth. There were also curios such as a 'jungle phone' (a hollow resonant tree that you bash to send a distress signal far and wide when you're lost) and this 'walking tree' (pic: it creeps a few metres a year by dropping down new roots).
This is a 'boiler ant'. If it bites you, you get a free helicopter ride. That's because the nearest hospital is four hours away by boat and bus. You'll understand why I didn't get much closer to photograph it.
In the evening, we went on a nice boat trip to the lake to see the interesting creatures feeding – specifically, travellers from the lodges necking sunset beers (pic). Hello Doreen and Simon (front) and Rick and Ning (behind them) – great to have your company over the last few days. I'm at the back of course. It was only the humdrum local stuff, Pilsener, but seeing as the nearest real ale was in Quito, twelve hours away by boat and bus, I wasn't complaining.
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