Cuyabeno - Deep in the Jungle

How should I summarize this 5-day trip in and through the Ecuadorian rainforest in just one blog post? The journey to Bamboo Lodge in Cuyabeno was already a little adventure for me. It started with a 7-hour car ride to Lago Agrio, a once very dirty small town that is now very lively and well developed due to the oil business. The next morning, we continued by minibus into the rainforest and then took a 2-hour boat ride to the lodge. Already on this trip, we could observe the pink river dolphins and various species of monkeys and birds, most frequently the so-called stinky turkey.

The sight of the beautiful lodge, which lives up to its name, was equally overwhelming. The rooms are nicely furnished, the service is like in a luxury hotel, and the food is incredible. It's unbelievable that there is such exquisite cuisine in the middle of the jungle. Checking the floor upon entering the rooms, shaking out clothes when getting dressed, and turning boots upside down to avoid any contact with potential six or eight-legged guests becomes routine, just like repeatedly applying sunscreen and repellent, the most effective mosquito protection beyond and on the equator.

I can't describe all the excursions we did individually because there were so many tours by motorboat, paddleboat, on foot during the day, at or after sunset, and on the last day even before sunrise. Our guide Wiston seems to know all the animal species of the Amazon rainforest and could teach us a lot of interesting knowledge about each species, whether it's spiders, snakes, monkeys, sloths, toucans, caimans, or plants of all colors. And above all, he has the trained eye to spot them all in the dense green.

Most of all, I enjoyed the boat trips at sunset because the warm light bathes this landscape with the treetops in the water in such a dreamily beautiful play of colors and shadows that you want to carry this fascinating image inside you forever.

The highlight was jumping into this sun-drenched water in the middle of the lagoon. Admittedly, it took me some overcoming the first time because we had just seen all the dangerous lagoon inhabitants, but allegedly they are well-fed and stay by the shore in the evenings.

The boat tour after sunset in complete darkness is also an unforgettable experience because the starry sky stretches unimaginably far above us, the Milky Way shines incredibly brightly, and the eyes of the caimans suddenly glow red by the shore. It's also a sight I will never forget.