00:00I spent four days in the Ecuadorian Amazon, and as a seasoned adventure traveler, this is what
00:04shocked me the most. First surprise was how hard it was to actually get there. Our trip started
00:07with a 10-hour overnight bus from Quito, then another bus, and then finally a three-hour canoe
00:11ride down the Amazon River to reach our lodge. By the time we got there, we were exhausted,
00:15very sweaty, and very aware that there was no quick way back out. Next was the fact that the
00:19experience was a lot about what we heard. The rainforest is loud with birds calling from every
00:23direction all day long with songs that I had never heard before. Yes, we saw a lot of animals,
00:28but they blend in really well, and you have to slow way down and retrain your eyes if you want
00:31to spot them. Also, did you know that you can swim in the Amazon River? I didn't, but I also
00:36wasn't
00:36brave enough to, because yes, there are piranhas in there, but almost every night ended on the water,
00:40drifting through a lagoon at sunset, and taking an evening swim. Finally, there were the mosquitoes.
00:44Maybe it was just a season, but they ended up being way less of an issue than I had made
00:47up in my head.
00:48Despite all of this, there definitely were things that we did expect, like these giant spiders,
00:52huge cockroaches, and ants that could really ruin your day, which weren't unbearable, especially if
00:55you're not really scared of bugs. They're just a reminder that you're deep in the Amazon rainforest.
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