My everyday life in the jungle

I can't remember the last time I slept so well and immediately decide to put a music box with jungle sounds on my wish list.

The four of us meet down in the camp, equipped with shorts, tops, insect repellent and hiking boots, for our first "Jungle Run Club", which we have just started today. After a warm-up, we start our run up and down the gravel path and still can't believe where we are. On the way back we even see a beautiful big blue butterfly like something out of a picture book and even spot a toucan up in the treetops. Back in time for breakfast, we talk about the day ahead: a little waterfall canyoning and in the afternoon a flora and fauna walk through the surrounding jungle - a normal Tuesday.

Before we set off, the eldest of the family paints various Kichua symbols on our cheeks using natural red pigments made from plant seeds and explains their meaning to us. For canyoning, all we need is a bikini, a helmet, our wellies and, of course, insect spray. It is incredibly fun to explore the jungle with your hands and feet, climb up small waterfalls and face the odd challenge there. Full of adrenaline and without injuries, we arrive at the camp in time for lunch and then have some time to relax in the sun or the hammocks and listen to the sounds of the jungle or the chickens running around. We slip into our wellies again and explore the rainforest near the camp: We climb trees, learn about medicinal plants and trees, edible and poisonous ones, set traps for birds, snakes and rabbits, mine gold in the stream and in this way gain many more insights into the culture and way of life of the Kichua. The last tree we are shown is home to lots of worms, which we look at in camp. Who hasn't had huge yellow worms folded in a banana leaf in the kitchen? I'll spare you the sight, but cooked, immobile and salted they really don't taste bad at all ("Chontacuru" for those who want to see it). After the small appetizer, we have some time to relax in the hammocks on the terrace and record our impressions in our blogs or on paper. After dinner, we get another glimpse of tomorrow, before the rainforest lives up to its name and the skies open up, there is lightning and thunder. We play another round of cards - "Dumble", highly recommended - and then crawl back into our mosquito-free four-poster beds while the rain patters on the roof.