From Blue to Green

Saying goodbye, to Jill and Brian, who, lucky people, get to stay and dive another week with another group of Denver divers, many of whom I know and love to dive with but for this trip just got to wave a blank hello to them out of the airport window, we head back to Quito, and altitude, for the night before flying to the other side of Ecuador and into the rain forest. A short 30 minute flight has us landing in Coca, north east of Ecuador and then onto a motorised boat for the 2 hour trip down the Rio Napo and into the deepest darkest (ok, maybe not darkest but it is thick in places) rainforest. The river is very wide, fast flowwing and is a tributary into the Amazon. Ecuador has just 2% of the Amazonian rainforest and unfortunately there were many signs along the river of the infiltration of the oil industry. A further 30 minute walk through the rainforest and a paddle across a tranquil lake and we are arrived at Sacha Lodge, our home for 4 nights. It is a great set up with all rooms spread out and raised above the very wet forest floor with a great communal area with large dining room downstairs, bar upstairs and viewing tower at the very top. There is plenty of decrotive wood from banisters to railings and it just looks really good. The rooms are spacious with private balconies complete with hammock and chairs which came in very useful when the spider and capachin monkies were frolicing right outside our window - or fly screen as there were no windows. This was also great as not only did you get a through breeze in the room to disperse some of the humidity but come 6pm when the sun went down the noise of the jungle was just great.