Tena

Rio Jatunyacu beneath stormy skies.

Tom Murphy and I traveled to Tena (on the western edge of the Amazon Basin) last Thursday. 

 Among the highlights:

• bug bites to rival any August Alaskan mosquito attack
• muggy, rainy heat that could only be countered by the diligent consumption of cold frosties
• discovery a Catalan-owned restaurant in town, menu complete with Spanish tortilla and gambas!
• paddling in warm water!
• riverside locals who gasp and then cheer after each successful (or unsuccessful) combat roll
• naked children with homemade water wings who may or may not have had better lines than us in the rapids

Tena in the evening.

I have included a link below to a video of mediocre quality, composed of bits from our two days on the Jatunyacu River, filmed with my amazing new camcorder.  Discerning viewers may be confused by the obvious lack of whitewater in the video.  Although the rapids were fun and big and, at times, punishing, the novelty of our days on this river was not found in the whitewater but in the other elements: the people, the vegetation, the birds, and the rain.  So please (this is a disclaimer), do not watch this video if your only hope is to see me swim.   

Follow this link:  Tom & Chandra's Jatunyacu Video



Graffiti in Banos

On the way back from Tena, which is about five and a half hours by bus from Latacunga, we stopped for a night in Banos.  Banos (like "baths") is perhaps the most tourist-friendly town in all of Ecuador.  It is settled in an Andean valley and thrives in the shadow of Tungurahua, a (very) active volcano.  Ecuadorians flock to Banos to go swimming in the public baths, but our visit was too short to enjoy the murky, mineral-dense water.  Early in the morning on Monday, before rushing to catch a bus back to Latacunga, we walked up a muddy trail to the ridge above the town.  Climbing up through (and emerging above) a cloud, we were rewarded with an amazing view. 

Banos, as seen from the Bellavista trail.