Eric Ault’s Galapagos Report (Cont.)

Finally, we reached the town of Tena on the Napo River only 28 kilometers from our jungle resort, Casa del Suizo (house of the guy from Switzerland) located further down the river. After another agonizing hour, the road suddenly stopped at the banks of the Napo. In the gathering darkness we and our luggage were loaded into a couple of long, outboard motor-driven canoes for a ride down the river to our resort located on the other side. Apparently, the road from Tena on the resort’s side of the river is even worse than the one we took. Hard to believe.

A ride of about 15 minutes down river brought us to the resort. Exiting the tippy canoes in the fast-moving river was a challenge, especially considering there was no dock, only rocks made slick by algae. We made our way up the steep river bank to the resort where we received room assignments and went to unpack before dinner.

Our room was clean and relatively comfortable with twin beds, private bath, ceiling fan (no A/C) and rather minimal lighting. A hammock-equipped balcony overlooked the Napo valley. Given the state of the electrical wiring we saw, it’s obvious that building codes haven’t penetrated to Amazonia as of yet. In spite of the variable speed switch, the ceiling fan had only one speed - ripping. Bathroom facilities were adequate though the sink had cold water only. There was hot water for the shower but locating it proved to be a challenge as both faucets were labeled C, one for Cold and the other, presumably, for Caliente. It didn’t help that the Caliente was on the right rather than on the left. I imagine that the only way the builders ever get hot water is to heat it on a fire or stove, so it’s not surprising that there was no particular pattern to the way they connected the plumbing at the resort.

After unpacking we adjourned to the open air bar where our spirits were quickly revived by a 22-ounce bottle of the local brew, Cerveza Pilsener served very cold in a frosted mug for only $2.00. This soon became a favorite with just about everyone. Meals were also served buffet-style in a covered but open air dining area overlooking the pool, bar, and terrace — all of which overlook the Napo River. Despite all of this open air, we suffered very few mosquito bites at the resort itself. Insects of all types seem to be on the menu for numerous predators including the large bats attracted to the swimming pool’s underwater lights at night.

While some folks were content to lounge at the resort pool, others ventured on morning and afternoon treks into the wilderness and local village. The resort stocks many pairs of mid-calf-high rubber boots and each trek began with a visit to the bootery where your shoes were traded for a pair of these very practical boots. From there it was down to the river for the obligatory canoe ride. At the resort Romiero was assisted by local a Quichua Indian Guide named Clever. Clever was very knowledgeable about the rain forest and local village life.

One of the highlights of our rugged morning hike through the rainforest was the poison arrow frog discovered by Clever. Following the hike, we floated back to the resort on a balsa wood log raft. In the afternoon we visited a local farm located on a small island in the river. Rainforest soil is very poor, but soil on the islands is renewed by the river’s yearly floods. Manioc root is one of the staple foods along with bananas and plantains. We also saw papaya trees, cacao trees, and coffee trees. Clever used his machete to serve up fresh papaya and cacao seed pods.

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