A TRIP TO THE AMAZON JUNGLE, ECUADOR
Why, Where, When?
For many years I intended to be a volunteer...this thought was running
around my mind.
If look around, I notice I have everything I need, my life is, in general,
full of happyness, but I need to feel useful, in one way, I need something
else...In my opinion, no one can’t be completely happy if he or she thinks
about how is this world given out, sometimes is better to live inside
ignorance, you can be happier, the more you learn the more scared you feel.
My time had arrived I could not keep on being so selfish.
I spent one year collaborating with an assosiation called "Asamblea
Social Universitaria" that year, my ideas clarified. I could feel the power
inside myself.
Now, the point was to know where I should offer my help. For two
years, some volunteer information was being receiving by me, the web page
was www.idealistas.org.
By chance, they offered me to go to Quito for teaching to the street
children. When I started to look more for information about the ONG, I
discovered they also had very interesting programs in the Amazon
Jungle...The idea drove me crazy!!!.
How could I achieve it?
It was the perfect moment to carry out one of my dreams. During that
period, luckily, I was working with a Vice-rector, this way, I could earn
some money. The main concern was the flight ticket, its name was 900
Euros. I got a loan from a friend of mine in order to pay the flight in once.
I could imagine the quantity of issues that I should take heed of, the scope
of the project was incredibly huge, I will try to summarize as much as
possible.
Firstly, I should get the whole study materials, my mission in the
jungle was being a teacher. I prepared carefully 25 kilos of books with a lot
of pencils, pens, papers, etc.
Afterwards, I began to think in optimizing myself. The jungle is, of
course, an inhospitable place, and you need to prepare physical and
mentally in order to tackle the target with expectation of success. Vaccines,
apparels, documentation, are just some little examples of the terms you
have to heed to.
Yes! I am there now...
Time went by so slowly, It happens when you are anxiously waiting
for something that is able to change your live forever.
27 of July, 2005. 16:08, I land in Quito. A spectacular city situated
3.000 meters over sea level. You don't need to search too much for finding
dozen of children threw on the ground, and you don't need too much time to
realize you are in another world, another planet.
I spent two days in Quito preparing my departure to the jungle, the
manager of the ONG explained me many important questions that I should
bear in mind.
My first stop was in a community of Kechwas called Sumac-Wasi. I
spent almost fifteen days there, I was the first Spanish person visting the
area and the second european.
I was living with a lovely family who treated me like a son. Despite of
that fact, when you are in the jungle you get mishaps every other day and
you constantly endangered your life.
I founded a little school called La Pasionaria, I teached English,
maths, geography and a lot of stuffs, but, of course, it did not have
comparission with the things that I learned from them and the enviroment.
As an example of the kind of life I leaded there, I would like to
mention that I sleept on the floor with many rats running around me, every
night. Bats, tarantulas, and the worst mosquitos you can imagine were some
of the animals I could find in my "room" or, even, in my clothes.
My time expired in Sumac-Wasi, and after 18 hours travelling in
order to cover 300 kilometers I arrived to my new destinitation. It was an
ecological farm situated one hour by car from the city of Coca. I chose the
worst moment to stay there, an armed conflict broke out. I spend eight days
there, working very hard on the land, with the highest temperature and
humidity I ever felt. My adoptive father, two children and me, spent four
exceptional days in a virgin region called Lago Verde. We fished piranha
for not to starve and we almost were devoured by thousand of cannibal
ants.
The experience was finishing, the last challenge was to come through
unhurt from the armed conflict. The city was dismal, streets were empty, a
curfew had begun. After some hours of uncerntainty, I could leave the city
by the river. I rent a boat and a long trip to Quito started, twenty hours later
I reached my destination. Afterwards, I spent four days in Quito, resting and
getting one's strength back.
25 of August, 2005, 10:00, Finally, I am in Madrid again. I had returned
to my planet.
What could I say?
I can't decribe in some lines how the experience was. Just mention
that it was the most exciting time I ever felt. I learnt more things about life
and myself than I could imagine.
It would be stupid talking about the money I spent, the only thing I
wish now is to come back to Ecuador as soon as possible, and to keep on
helping needy people.
They can show you how to be happy when you have
only enough to live on.