Time in the jungle completed

Day1: After a long 3 hour journey into the jungle we eventually reached the Home stay. The leaders chose our rooms for us and we began to settle in. In one of our rooms there was a house guest ready and waiting for us by the name of Russell. Russell was our resident Tarantula who had to be moved due to his poisionous nature. After we had all settled in we started on our waterfall walk ,which wasn't really a walk. We climbed all the way in wellies and got soaked. With a lot of cheering on from each other and Delfine, Eddie and Carlos we made it up and down safely without any injuries. With lots of love from Cairenn who is safe and well xx

Day 2: This was our first day at the school we were volunteering in. We split into 3 teams to clean the kitchen, dining room and toilets. I was in Team Toilet which made a lot of good progress! I the afternoon we walked up to a point with beautiful view of the river, learnt our roll call numbers in Kichwa and tried mud face masks decorated with leaves. Love Eve xx

Day 3: Overnight we had a huge amount of rain but that didn't dampen our spirirts! After a hearty breakfast, Caro selected one person from each team to go into Tena and buy paint and cleaning supplies for the school. The rest of us headed off to the school and split ourselves into two teams, those cleaning and re-painting the main classroom and those organising and cleaning the toy room. Surprisingly, I volunteered for bug patrol and managed to get out 2 cockroaches and 2 spiders! After we had finished tidying for the day, we walked back to the Homestay where Delfine gave us a tour of the local plants, including those used for suicide, musical instruments and plates for the kitchen. Overall it was a very productive day and we all slept well.

All my love, Maddy Xx

Day 4: After a rude awakening from the rosters in the morning, we set off to begin painting the school. After a long and fulfilling day painting (including Lucy dropping a whole can of paint on the bathroom floor), we had a delicious lunch at the school. We then set off together to go to the Laguna pools which were just what we needed after a hot walk and there were even little natural waterfall slides. After a short break afterwards for ice cream, we set off back to the homestay in the back off a taxi truck! We then did a quiz together back at the house, which featured a lot more than just quiz questions! Finally, we wrapped up in our mosquito nets for a well deserved rest!

Love Megan :) x

Day 5:we awoke in the jungle again to the rather musical roosters,after a wondiful breakfast we walked the half an hour to the school for the final time. We finished the painting with a blue bathroom and kitchen and a red dining room (and a few painty people). After a spillage of bleach by none other than myself and the consequential soaking we finished. We sat at the desks while Cecily re-pained the letters on the walls and waited for the locals to arrive. When they did we showed the the donations and renavations to much thanks, we left well satisfied with our efforts. That afternoon we had a cultural expirance including:roasting,de-shelling,and grinding the cacao beans to create a chocolate fondue; blowing darts at a target with a blow gun; learning about kichua culture and celebrating the wedding of Jess and Cecily. Finally we when to bed for a much needed rest! Love Lucy xx