Took the hotel shuttle to the airport and off we go on our next adventure. We have reservations for a week at the Casablanca Golf and Country Club in the Esmeraldas.  We knew the Country Club was a long way from the airport and we hoped there would be a taxi available. As we were about to leave the plane Ryan noticed a person wearing a T-shirt imprinted with Casablanca Golf and Country Club and asked him if he worked there. He said his father helped develop the resort and informed us that a shuttle was picking him up. Our lucky day! It took about an hour to get to the resort and we arrived there just before dark. Once we were settled in, we looked for some place to eat and found a restaurant on the beach.

In the early afternoon, we took a walk along the beach to find a restaurant that was recommended to us. Casa de Amigos and its hosts Gaby and Rudy became our new best friends. We wined and dined with them for the next 5 days. They gave us their Honda dirt bike for a whole day and we explored all along the coast. It was at their restaurant that we played with an animal (have no idea what it was) that we thought was their pet, only to find out the next day, that they had never seen it before. Idiots!

Today was simple, I got the shit scared out of me whitewater rafting. Almost lost a poor soul who fell overboard, had to get naked in front of 5 ladies, didn’t get any pictures from our cameras, and had a bunch more excitement at the zoo where we got to see a Galapagos Tortoise. I’d say the best part of the day was the fact that I was still alive and had dinner with a woman who has no fear.

7:30 AM and nothing to do except to wait for breakfast, which is at 8:30 AM. We did some more wandering around and picture taking of the parrots having their own fruit meal. It was really cool to wake up to an Amazon parrot squawking. This one was wild, unlike the one we found at the last camp where the locals had trained it to cry like a baby. It was way too funny.

Coffee, fresh fruit, eggs, and juice filled the void before putting on wet socks and rubber boots. We were off again, but this time it was to climb a mountain to overlook the canopy we were staying in. The hike was unlike the previous because now it was very wet, muddy, and humid. By the time we made it to the vista, I was a mop and felt like I was going to keel over. This is where we met some local Indians who made a necklace for Jo-Ann and a bracelet for me out of 100 percent natural items were found growing there. After a 30 minute relaxing rest in a hammock we started down the hill.

This was the end of the jungle and the start of the crazy ride back to Banos. We got back to the hotel, took a shower and then went out to celebrate our journey into the Amazon Jungle with a Bombay Sapphire and a fabulous dinner at a place called La Caldera. We both highly recommend this place to anyone who visits Banos. And right next door is the tour office where we booked tomorrow’s ordeal.

On the return back from dinner, we found that our hotel had been locked up for the night. Bummer. After 15 minutes or so of ringing the door bell and hitting the door, I decided I’d better go get some help. Just down the street was the police substation. I was able to explain the situation and the officer walked back with me to the hotel and with one knock, the door opened. So, it was now bed time again and prepare for the next adventure first thing in the morning. Whitewater rafting.