Wet, Wild and Wooly

Well, not wooly, so much. But definitely wild and wet.

We hit the road at 8:15 in the vans we´d arranged to have come pick us up at the hotel, which took us the whooooole length of Quito to the north and deposited us where the buses to Mindo pass by. We waited for ten minutes or so, and then one came up. I asked if they had room, since there were 14 of us. He seemed to do math in his head, and then said, quite certain, ¨´Yes, there´s room.¨ I felt confident he was fibbing. But when we all clambered aboard, it was true - there were exactly 14 seats.

Two dollars per person was the fare. The ride was spectacular as far as scenery, and extremely educational in terms of what the average Ecuadorian does when he or she travels. It sounds like a stereotpye, but we actually had a man holding a chicken on our bus for the entire ride to Mindo. At one point the bus was absolutely jammed with people, but we always had our seats - and then it was over, and we were in Mindo.

Near Mindo, I should say. We had to pay 50 cents each for a couple of trucks and a car to take us the 7 kilometers into town. Checked in at the hotel, turned the students loose for lunch in the town )400 yards long, restaurants lining each side of the street), and then they convened by the pool while I figured out the options for the day.

We hooked up with Luis, a guide recommended by the hotel, who took us on a hike to a waterfall. It was a heck of a hike, too - at the crest of the mountain (steep, well-worn paths through majestic forests), Ms Gernat decided to head back in a truck offered by Luis. It was driven by a friend of his, whose engine he´d heard in the distance and whom he´d called on his cell phone to ask him if he could take her back to town. Which he did, in the oldest pickup truck imaginable. But he delivered her safe and sound to the town, and we found her reading on the deck with her feet up on the rail when we got back. So she was fine.

The rest of us hiked the rest of the way to the waterfall, and the studetnts swam in the water and took in the sights. They love love LOVED the hike, and Luis, who was kind, informative, insightful, and funny. And who doesn´t speak English, which is a plus in my book. Before we even got through with the hike they were asking if we could have Luis lead us again tomorrow. I agreed whole-heartedly.

Then he took us tubing. It was different from tubing I had done in the US. Tubing there is floating down the river and splashing in the water with your lazy hand. This was white water rafting in a huge snowflake of inner tubes. And it was raining by then, so we were a bit cold, but everyone was game for it, so off we went.

Life jackets and helmets for all, two guides for each raft, water no more than 4 feet deep. But lots and lots of crests and waves. Everyone who went had a great time, and also realized that that probably wouldn´t have been allowed in the US. I felt safe the whole time, but I wouldn´t repeat it. That was the consensus among the students, too - they´re ever so glad they did it, but dont see a need to repeat it.

Safe and sound and tired at the hotel by 6:00, and we split up for supper. (As we had at lunch - the town is so small that as long as no one was alone, I told them they could eat wherever they liked.) And now we´re settling our sore and tired bodies in for a long sleep in the rain.

The rain held off all day, until 5:00 or so, when we were about to start tubing. It is raining gently now, in this jungle town thats filled with mud streets, ATVs, and tour guides looking for work. Luis is taking us out again tomorrow, but not bird watching, since that he recommended starting at 6:30. I didnt need to consult the students on that one - I knew instinctively that that would have bene a very unpopular announcement. I have a feel for these things - it´s all those years in the classroom. They give you a feel.

I have steered clear of many, many details the students will want to tell you on their own - it´s a tough balance to find, between letting you knnow how it went but not giving away all the good parts. Ill keep looking for that magic balance.

There are phones in town. If the students don´t call you, it isn´t because they can´t.

Hasta manana!