And since pearls of wisdom like this are rare from people like us, I've linked pictures and videos to share the experiences with you. So here we go. The 25 Life Lessons we learned from within the Amazon Basin...
1. Always ask for help. People are always to assist. (Especially friendly Ecuadorians!)
2. Look before your step - lest you trample a rare horned toad.
(Luckily Gallo caught me before I stepped on the toad that was resting along the trailpath. You can see how well camoflauged it was.)
3. Johnson and Johnson's Baby Shampoo makes for a great laundry detergent and cures blepharitis.
(I did my laundry on a Tuesday. By Thursday, it was still soaking wet because of the high humidity in the rainforest. Rookie mistake...)
4. There is value in both western and native medicine.
(Dr. Mehrotra, Medicine Woman and her Amazonian counterpart, the shaman/healer of the Quichua tribe.)
5. Sleep tight, don't let the bed bugs bite isn't just a silly rhyme anymore.
(We had weird rashes and bites for a full week after the trip. Wasn't pretty.)
6. Always use mass transportation.
7. Even the smallest things can create big impact - like the leaf cutter ants that can strip a fifty foot tree of its leaves.
8. Just when you think you know everything about your friends, spend a week with them in a one bedroom cabin.
9. Keep track of your loose change because you never know when pennies will matter.
(Mona begging on the street to get the 18 cent bus fare to Otavalo.)
10. You haven't had real chocolate until you've tasted it from the source. Buy it at yachanagourmet.com
(Fresh chocolate sauce made from cacao beans from the Yachana farms.)
11. Always take lots of pictures both on your camera and in your mind.
12. Patience really is a virtue especially when it comes to basketweaving.
13. 25 years of watching the Discovery Channel can actually pay off.
(The Brawny Man meets the Amazon Man.)
14. Never forget to call/email/text home.
15. There is a very delicate balance between plants, animals, and humans. Do your part to protect it.
16. Your entire house can fit inside a backpack and still feel like home (but make sure it includes a blow dryer and lip gloss.)
17. True happiness is being with the people you love - no matter how high maintenance (Gallo), impatient (Mona) or neurotic (Tara) they may be.
18. There are no limits to where you can go in the world, but be prepared to take trains, planes, buses, horses, canoes, and your own two feet to get there.
19. If you like a certain dish, never hesitate to ask the chef for the recipe.
*Mona will be posting the recipes for a special Ecuadorian salsa called aji and the amazingly good (and easy!) recipe for Cafe Fruille's Sangria so check back for updates.*
20. Whenever you can help it, use fresh ingredients and eat more vegetables, fruits, and grubs.
(one word of warning, don't watch this video immediately before or after a meal)
21. Study abroad for one year before your 30th birthday.
22. Go outside.
23. Learn the language of the country you are visiting and use it.
24. When you're in the wild, shaving and deodorant are optional. Hair and makeup are not.
25. Make sure your next place has room to hang a hammock. You'll never find a better place to nap or think.
2. Look before your step - lest you trample a rare horned toad.
(Luckily Gallo caught me before I stepped on the toad that was resting along the trailpath. You can see how well camoflauged it was.)
3. Johnson and Johnson's Baby Shampoo makes for a great laundry detergent and cures blepharitis.
(I did my laundry on a Tuesday. By Thursday, it was still soaking wet because of the high humidity in the rainforest. Rookie mistake...)
4. There is value in both western and native medicine.
(Dr. Mehrotra, Medicine Woman and her Amazonian counterpart, the shaman/healer of the Quichua tribe.)
5. Sleep tight, don't let the bed bugs bite isn't just a silly rhyme anymore.
(We had weird rashes and bites for a full week after the trip. Wasn't pretty.)
6. Always use mass transportation.
7. Even the smallest things can create big impact - like the leaf cutter ants that can strip a fifty foot tree of its leaves.
8. Just when you think you know everything about your friends, spend a week with them in a one bedroom cabin.
9. Keep track of your loose change because you never know when pennies will matter.
(Mona begging on the street to get the 18 cent bus fare to Otavalo.)
10. You haven't had real chocolate until you've tasted it from the source. Buy it at yachanagourmet.com
(Fresh chocolate sauce made from cacao beans from the Yachana farms.)
11. Always take lots of pictures both on your camera and in your mind.
12. Patience really is a virtue especially when it comes to basketweaving.
13. 25 years of watching the Discovery Channel can actually pay off.
(The Brawny Man meets the Amazon Man.)
14. Never forget to call/email/text home.
15. There is a very delicate balance between plants, animals, and humans. Do your part to protect it.
16. Your entire house can fit inside a backpack and still feel like home (but make sure it includes a blow dryer and lip gloss.)
17. True happiness is being with the people you love - no matter how high maintenance (Gallo), impatient (Mona) or neurotic (Tara) they may be.
18. There are no limits to where you can go in the world, but be prepared to take trains, planes, buses, horses, canoes, and your own two feet to get there.
19. If you like a certain dish, never hesitate to ask the chef for the recipe.
*Mona will be posting the recipes for a special Ecuadorian salsa called aji and the amazingly good (and easy!) recipe for Cafe Fruille's Sangria so check back for updates.*
20. Whenever you can help it, use fresh ingredients and eat more vegetables, fruits, and grubs.
(one word of warning, don't watch this video immediately before or after a meal)
21. Study abroad for one year before your 30th birthday.
22. Go outside.
23. Learn the language of the country you are visiting and use it.
24. When you're in the wild, shaving and deodorant are optional. Hair and makeup are not.
25. Make sure your next place has room to hang a hammock. You'll never find a better place to nap or think.
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