Tena (it's so hard to stay away)

Tom Murphy and I cruised over to Tena shortly after his arrival in Quito.  Tena has come to feel like a second home here in Ecuador (or maybe a third home, after Latacunga and Maria and Shannon's place in Quito).  Enjoying stuffed avocados at the Cafe Tortuga in the morning, sharing beers at El Vagabundo at night, and going to bed exhausted and bug-bitten at the same little riverside hostel each time I visit...these are some of the defining elements of a trip to Tena.  The heat, the spiders, the tiny ants that threaten to invade, in single file, the store of pb & j if any sugary residue is left outside the jars.  The warm river water, the even warmer rain water, the butterflies and strange jungle sounds.  The reunions with new friends and the excitement of exploring new rivers.  When I come back to this country, Tena will be my first destination.

Slip-sliding to the put-in on the Jondachi-Hollin.

Jondachi-Hollin

Exploring the Upper Jatunyacu.

Gravel mining on the middle Misahualli.

To learn more about gold and gravel mining along the rivers, hydroelectric development, and watershed preservation efforts in Ecuador, visit Kayak Ecuador's website: http://www.kayakecuador.com/default.htm and click on the Ecuadorian Rivers Institute link on the right.  This is M. Terry's organization.  He has become a good friend and contact here in the country. His tireless efforts to foster watershed awareness on a local level and combat illogical development have yielded many victories, but his work is far from over.  If you are interested in somehow lending support the Ecuadorian Rivers Institute (Fundacion Rio Napo), contact me or M. Terry directly.  There's a lot to be done, and new energies, funds, or creative ideas would be welcome.