I am currently in Puyo, Ecuador. Arrived by bus from Baños for $2. Baños is a small mountain town famous for the Tungurahua volcano and the hot baths- ding- Baños. Met a few Swiss and  few Americans. Tourist town and a lot of backpackers. My first stop was Casa De La Abuela hostal. Stayed one night- too simple for $15. Went to Posada del Arte. My room had a fireplace which I lit twice. I took a taxi to Casa de Arbol- the tree house- overlooking the town and the volcano. The volcano was in the clouds and I couldn't see it. The view was stupendous. I was told to take a path called the Virgen back down to the town but I chickened out and walked the road to Luna Runtun where I called a taxi to take me down.  http://www.lunaruntun.com
It was a little rainy anywho. Saw a turquoise jay to add to my list. That night went to Pipa's bar to watch the game with the locals gringo/Swiss crowd. I met so many nice people. I surprised everyone by having two large pizzas delivered at half-time. Ecuadorian pizza is delicious. That $12 investment payed off by having everyone buy me drinks. Ecuador won and a TV crew was across the street so, as I did in Plaza Fuch, I went and stood behind the interview. I think I have been on TV all over Ecuador. The editors probably ask who the hell is that guy? I do it every time I see a TV crew.
Next morning woke up very late- 8am. Sunny out so I took a taxi back up to Casa de Arbol. This time I walked down the path to the Virgen.  It started out just fine, and then it got steep, very steep, very narrow. My legs shook for the next 2 hours. They still hurt from walking down a slope horses and cows couldn't do. I wanted to kiss the ground when I finally saw cow shit in the path. I was so scared. I couldn't look over the edge but I did take a couple photos. Then I came to the statue of the Virgen and I am now catholic.
Bye, bye to Baños and hello Puyo. People get on the bus and ride it for 10 minutes to sell food, drinks, trinkets, candy. One old guy looked at me and asked if I was American. He said he was from San Francisco. He laughed and pointed to the next village. Such happy, shiny people. Another old guy sang to me tonight. He was selling menthol candies which he said were good for your throat. He actually had a nice voice, very strong.
 I just had a beer to watch the game ( Mexico is winning) and a young man came up and started talking to me and invited me to join him and his friends. I declined and felt bad about doing so but it takes a lot of concentration to sit with guys drinking and understand what they are saying. When someone pours you something you have to drink it. I didn't want to sit and have several glasses. He was so polite. I am not sure why but the TV at that bar had HD and that is the first place I have seen HD TV. I am on the edge of the Amazon jungle. The next village east is http://sarayaku.org. There are Waorani, Quichua, Shuar ( Jivaro) villages and that is all. It is 3,000 miles of jungle. Look east and it is just beautiful jungle.  The twilight was beautiful tonight especially knowing what lives out there, waiting for the dark. The jungle cools quickly at night. I watched black-mantled tamarins this evening with a setting sun glistening off their fur. The jungle smells like an upper-class French whore. I suppose- like I have had one of those before! Very exotic-erotic. I saw golden-mantled tamarins a few weeks ago in Baeza. The Amazon beckons you, invites you, lulls you. The insect sounds are incredible. I watched a pair of Amazon kingfishers with their long, sharp beaks, stalk their prey. They missed. The Puyo river is directly behind me. Locals swim and wash clothes on its rocks. They dig holes in the side of the hills to collect clay for pottery. Looks like great clay.The holes are everywhere.
When I arrived here the young girls who gave me my key looked Asian to me. The people here look very different than everywhere else in Ecuador. The people here are indigenous from the Amazon. Their eyes are much more slanted. Waorani and Jívaro. Very small in stature and darker skin. Hi, how long has your family lived here? Oh, about 12,000 years, maybe 20,000- we lost count. Oh, well my family came from Sweden 130 years ago. Lovely jungle you have.
I am not going into the jungle by road tomorrow for $120. I would only add about 7 new species and that's too much per-bird. To get the really great birds I would have to fly more than an hour east. I was told I could take a government plane. Omaere park is next door to me and a gentleman from U.F. named Chris told me I could catch a ride. He is showing the natives ( I hate calling them that) how to build sanitary toilets and he told me I could probably go for $20. If  I told them I worked in hazardous waste I am sure I could have gone. I have to be in Guayaquil a week from Thursday so I passed.
Goodnight Waorani. Nite tamarins and tanagers. Rub your wings and legs together bugs, big and small. Somewhere close by, a jaguar cleans its face with its paw. I hate to leave the Amazon.