Dia de Diversión

We add a third night at Bellandia because Angel has offered to take us on an excursion to an indigenous community, and more.  The Kichwan people of the Amazon don’t believe in owning land, but that the land is for the benefit of all.  They  believe plants and animals have souls and are essentially equal to humans. Their beliefs are deeply connnected to Mother Earth.  They strive to keep the forest healthy, as all their well-being, physical and spiritual is deeply rooted in it.

They are well prepared for tourists dropping in.  First, we are treated to face painting, which tickles. The red dye is quite durable as we will find later when we wash our faces and I now have a spot of it permanently on my pants..

A young man introduces us to this boa, which gives me the willies.

These little boys, with their drums, will soon lead the women in a dance..

I am about to join in the dance after being dressed a a grass skirt and beaded top. 

 

I look totally ridiculous and before I know it, they have Ben in a grass skirt!

It is just amazing to try the blow gun that the Kichwan use to hunt small animals and birds.  One puff and the thin wood dart has penetrated the target.

I got a little closer to the target, the red splotch, than Ben.

Besides being posed for silly pictures, we are treated with great hospitality.  Just before we leave we are chatting with a family next door and the husband insists we try chicha out of a communal bowl. Chicha is a fermented beverage made from maize or yucca.  We have heard the women chew the yucca and spit it out  to make the drink.  We gulp and take a sip each.  

Angel has a canoe ride down the river planned.

Our young rower gets us expertly through some rapids in this long dugout wooden canoe.

We pass lots more Kichwan villages with elevated, thatch roof houses hugging the river shore.

Then we are off to another adventure.  We climb hundreds of steps to get to this swing platform.  Now it’s my turn to beg off, as the swing is simply a wooden disc hung on a rope. This time Ben agrees to try it.  Angel tells him to only swing out 3 times.  But on the third return, Angel slips and can’t pull Ben in.  It takes a couple more returns before he can drag Ben back and get him off the swing (Angel wrapped a big chain around him to secure him in the swing - jungle safety measure).

I am super relieved Ben is back on solid ground.  The back up plan was to reach a long bamboo pole to him and pull him back from dangling over the precipice.

This place also has a cave, carved out of the hillside to resemble some indigenous design.  Very hokey and muddy inside too.  Bats go flying out around our heads.

It was quite a day of adventures!  We get back to Bellandia for our final dinner and a beautiful sunset.  Angel heads home on his motorcycle after he and Alexander make our dinner. 

In the morning it’s time to say “Hasta luego,” to these guys who have taken such good care of us and head to Baños.