We awoke to a thunderstorm today. Usually, I would soak in the thunder and lay in this lovely lodge with screen walls, but…we had an early morning and a 6 hour canoe ride ahead of us today. Yikes. Everyone was frantically finding trash bags to wrap around our singular backpacks of luggage and changing into bathing suits. First, we would take an hour-and-a-half-long bus ride to get to the canoes.

PRAISE THE LORD the rain stopped as we drove on. The bus ride was SO BUMPY, but I somehow fell into a deep sleep until we stopped at a convenience store where I discovered a love for Panchitos (imagine Pirate Booty and Fritos had a baby). 

Once all of the canoes were loaded, we started our journey. The motor was jarring. It reminded me of the lawn mowers back home and how people wear ear protection for the hour they cut the grass. Unfortunately, I definitely lost some hearing after the 6-hour ride. My canoe had James, Mark, Skip, Meg and I alongside a 7-year-old boy, an older woman, and a middle aged man who controlled the motor in the back. I actually loved the whole ride. I shared my snacks with the woman beside me, and, even though we didn’t speak the same language (she spoke mostly Quichua), she was so loving and would touch my legs, gesturing for me to cover them. This is one of the few moments in my life where I was blatantly aware of the depth of womanhood. Here we were, from completely different parts of the world and ways of living, both responsible for bearing children at some point, sharing sunscreen and wafers, and looking out for the welfare of the other. Even while the boat vibrated like my whole brain was having a seizure, I managed to sleep again…even my boatmates splashing me with water didn’t wake me! Eventually, my boatmates and I were burnt to a crisp playing random games and yelling over the thrum of the engine. 

We arrived just before dusk and struggled to haul the gallons of gasoline up steps of mud without completely tumbling down the line like Donkey Kong. Everyone was spent from the journey and went to bed after dinner. Sadly, my bug net doesn’t cover my bed 🙁 Tomorrow we will learn with the Waorani people!!