Ecuador, Amazonia

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Once again we made like Tarzan and spent five days camping in the Amazon rainforest, tracking wildlife by foot and canoe and getting circled by 200+ monkeys, which was unbelievably amazing. We visited the home of our native guide, got our faces war-painted, learnt about tribal culture and medicinal plants, ate some large rodents (surprisingly tasty) and drank traditional corn alcohol. Camping in the jungle was a unique experience, though we were slightly cheating as our tent was on a wooden platform and covered by a makeshift grass canopy. But hey, at the sides only canvas separated us from the creepy crawlies outside. Of which there were lots. Each day we awoke and fell asleep to a chorus of croaking, whistling, buzzing and humming with the odd jet engine screech from a howler monkey thrown in for good measure. My ability to sleep through anything came into its own. Tom relied on ear plugs. [Clare]