Santiago!! Our trip to the "jungle"

This weekend we were able to take a couple of days off due to Ecuadorian holidays here...able to catch up on laundry, sleep and school projects.  We were also able to take a day trip to Santiago.  The road was completed to Santiago this year and it is about as jungle as the road will go inside the province of Morona Santiago where we live.

I am not really a jungle exploring kind of mom, but I decided to slather myself with sunscreen and bug spray and then be ready to head out.  I hate being bit by bugs and seem to have a slight allergy to their bites.  We picked up a few more relatives in another town after our first hour drive.  Then we turned off on the road to Santiago.  A few miles down we found a waterfall where the boys were able to get wet with Tio Henri!!

Playing in the waterfall!!

We went through a little downpour and ate some great chicken and rice at a restaurant.  Then we drove another hour to Santiago.  What INCREDIBLE beautiful green jungle.  We kept passing small villages and lots of small creeks.  When we finally made it to Santiago, it was hotter than Macas and we were ready for a swim.  We found the BIG river Santiago to be nice and not too cold.  GREAT after the drive!!  We crossed a

scary suspension bridge to get to the swimming hole.

The boys LOVED the river!!

In the town of Santiago, Robin asked a lady what the population of the town was.  She said "there are quite a few of us".  We have been laughing about this ever since.  We got some great ayampacos (chicken cooked in a banana leaf) before we headed out to drive back.  What a great day!!