Ecuador Ama La Vida, UCSD Global Seminar 2023

 I absolutely loved our trip to the Amazon and had been looking forward to it for the entire program. I loved everything from meeting new people and learning new things, the muddy hikes to the waterfalls, learning about different plants and their purposes, and especially our hike inside the cave.  However, my favorite part was tubing to the Amazoonico and getting to see monkeys for the first time. When we first arrived, I almost forgot about the wild monkeys until we saw them. It was so interesting learning about each of them.

 Unknowing to all of my fellow classmates, I captured all of us in our vulnerable states of slumber. It was all on bus rides. MVP is Doris, who slept pretty much every chance she got. ^ Karina                                                           MVP I do not apologize for catching people snoozing, we were supposed to stay awake and watch the scenery like Marcelo said. JAJA. These pictures were taken in every single bus ride in our adventures to: Mindo, Baños, San Clemente, El Pailon del Diablo, Cotundo, and Cotopaxi. It is unbelievable how much we did in one month and I enjoyed every minute of it. And the different types of sceneries we were able to witness in Ecuador is just as remarkable - the Amazon, La Sierra or highlands, volcanoes, and just green everywhere.  But all fun and games aside, I...

  During part of our Amazonian adventure we hiked through the jungle to get to some really amazing waterfalls.  We had to climb over slippery and sharp rocks, and the cool water felt refreshing after the walk.  I was surprised that the pressure of the falls was so intense -- I liked going directly under it.   Our guide Rafa was very knowledgable and explained about different plants that we saw throughout the jungle and their medicinal purpose, used by indigenous ancestors for many generations.  - Josephine Tozer

  We went on a jungle hike in Cotundo, in the Amaon region of Ecuador  and saw two beautiful waterfalls.  We walked for about an hour and a half through the Amazon rainforest with Raphael (our guide).   We saw waterfalls, had the opportunity to swim in them, and got a chance to try a natural skin mask (a special mud).  It was very fun! - Sofía Guerra

  One of the most amazing places I visited in the Amazon was the Amazoonico, which is an animal rehabilitation shelter for endangered animals who are not able to return to the wild or animals who are learning to readapt to their natural habitat.  Learning about the animals from the guide was phenomenal, but also quite saddening when we heard more about their history and how they came to be at the shelter. One animal that particularly stood out to me was a wooly monkey who had been tested on in a lab from when she was a baby.   Unfortunately, she is traumatised and continues to cry in her habitat for hours on end (any time her cage is opened) despite being in her safe environment for several years. While she will never be released, there are hundreds of others -- such as one of the Tapir's, a spidermonkey and the ocelot -- that will be able to live in the jungle after they have left the shelter. Lulu Tozer

One of the most interesting experiences for me, while hiking in the Amazon, was when we went through a cave hidden in the jungle. The entrance was almost invisible because of all the plants and trees surrounding it.   Once we entered, the cavern was illuminated by our flashlights. Water was rushing under our feet.  Many creatures, such as bats and scorpion-spiders, were hidden in the rocks that formed the cave and could only be seen when the space around them was lit by our headlamps.  It was nice to see the light coming through the end of the tunnel but it meant that the small adventure was over. - Daisy Tozer  

  We stayed at the Huasquilla lodge in Cotundo, in the Napo Province, and we had the opportunity to make chocolate with our guide Rafael. It was a very fun experience and the grilled cacao beans smelled like brownies. I chose to write about this because it was cool to learn the history of chocolate. - Alina Guerra