Greetings from the Jungle!

Hello from the Amazon, friends and family. This morning we left the lovely city of Quito bright and early and hopped a plane to Coca.

After our brief half hour flight we landed in Coca and took a bus to our motorized canoe. The launching site was amazing! There were monkeys and birds that were extremely friendly.

The students learned a new card game during our rain delay and then we boarded a motorized canoe for our three hour trek into the Amazon Rainforest! We took one small break as we traveled up the Napo river to stretch our legs and view some of the scenery.

After our on-board lunch, we arrived at the Yachana lodge and were greeted by the great staff! They had passionfruit juice and snacks waiting for us.

The lodge was founded by "failed" Kentucky businessmen Douglas McMeekin, and resident rainforest hunter Juan Kunchikuy. Together they have created the Yachana lodge which means "a place to learn."

Juan shared ecotourism facts about the lodge while we ate. There are only 12 volts of electricity during the day (generated by solar energy) and then they turn the generator on from 6-10 every night. In addition, they recommend that you use biodegradable and non-flammable products to protect the rainforest.

The lodging here is beautiful! They have done a great job of maintaining the beauty of the rainforest while providing an excellent way for tourists to view it.

We are excited to travel to the technical college tomorrow. Many of the students there work here, at the lodge.

We're sure it will be as amazing as the lodge!

Here are some thoughts from Kasie:

"Food food food! It's so scary! The thought of trying new and foreign food when I'm such a picky eater is scary. However, I have moved out of my comfort zone a bit. I didn't stay out for long. I tried Guinea pig. Not ok! It tasted like chicken but that will never be happening again. I also tried weeble. A giant creepy crawly wax worm looking thing. It was cooked with seasoning. I can't say that it helped at all thought! I prefer my grilled cheese and pb & j, but it's not everyday that you're in Ecuador."