Ecuador, Mera

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It's always nice to get off the gringo trail and experience local life in a completely natural setting. Despite being beautifully positioned on the verge of both the Andes and the Amazon, Mera is barely, if at all, mentioned in any guidebook and rarely visited by tourists. We were here for two-weeks as volunteers helping to construct Merazonia, a new 220-acre animal reserve that will eventually house rescued trafficked animals. It was physically demanding and dirty work. There were no power tools and we were in rainy season. Sometimes we were knee deep in mud struggling under huge stretches of metal fencing or sacks of rocks while mosquitos dive bombed us from overhead. But it was tremendously rewarding, and we got to use machetes. Would definitely recommend volunteering here if you get the chance. We created trails through the forest, built bridges, constructed the quarantine enclosure and helped out with anything else that sprung up. The project has been running for four-years but set backs such as squatters on the land has made it a lengthier process than the organisers had banked on, but it's almost there and they hope to move onto the grounds and start taking animals in soon. In the meantime, there were plenty of dogs to play around with, including a lovely stray called Limpy that I got particularly attached to and wanted to bring home with me. Sadly English quarantine laws were against me but after much ear bashing I convinced the reserve to find a good home for her out here, which made me feel a lot better about saying goodbye. Thanks guys, you the best! [Clare]