Black Monkey Pro Sleepover Guide Pdf
Carletta Azahar
The objective of Vipassana is nothing less than liberation from all suffering. The technique is thought to be what the Buddha himself used to achieve enlightenment around 2,500 years ago. By developing the mental acuity to perceive first the natural breath and then the smallest sensations on the body, meditators break the habit of craving positive sensations and rejecting negative ones. The path to happiness is understanding that all things pass.
The morning of the first full day, I sleep through the 4 o'clock wake-up gong, finally stirring when the breakfast bell tolls at 6:30. At the dining hall, I scoop oatmeal out of a metal steam tray and make a cup of instant coffee. The only sound is the clinking of silverware against plates.
After breakfast on departure day, a volunteer hands me the bag that contains my wallet, keys, and iPhone. Do I really want to plug back into the Matrix? I push the power button. The Apple icon appears. It reminds me of the full moon on the ninth night, pure white light in the big black sky. Alerts for 10 days of missed text messages and emails and voicemails flood the screen. I sense my monkey mind stirring, preparing to swing again.
In this part of the world you can spot wild animals, trek through humid jungle, gaze up at thousand-year-old trees, splash around in river water, and (best of all in my opinion) spend time with the locals who call the Ecuadorian Amazon their home.
Just on the edge of Misahualli village and next door to the local school is the mariposario, or butterfly house. The owner, a local man named Pepe, built an enclosure in his back garden because he loves butterflies and wanted to ensure that the hundreds of species native to this part of Ecuador continue to thrive.
For a $2 entrance fee, Pepe showed us around his butterfly house, explaining how he collects butterfly eggs from his visits into the jungle, then cares for the caterpillars and pupae before finally releasing them into the enclosure.
Pepe also collects all manner of different insect species from Misahualli plaza to prevent them from being eaten by the monkeys. They get stunned by the bright electric lights, allowing him to grab them and transport them home!
On our wanders through the jungle with Juan as our guide, we began to understand what makes the Amazon so special. Pushing our way through dense jungle vegetation, dodging the creeping vines and taking care not to trip over exposed roots twisting along the ground, I felt like I was in a completely different world.
When we passed a tree covered in hatch marks from a machete, Juan explained that this was the cruz caspi, a tree whose bark is stewed up and the resulting liquid drunk by local people to help them conceive.
Later, Juan heard one of our friends coughing and immediately stopped so he could give her some medicine. Deftly folding up a large leaf, Juan mixed together a thin paste of San Juanito tree bark and water, then poured the concoction up the nose of its cautious recipient. She coughed and spluttered but he said it would clear her cold right up!
Yuca (or cassava) is an extremely common food in South America and is a staple of many Ecuadorian dishes: chopped up and added to soups, served as an alternative to potato, or ground up into flour and baked into things like pan de yuca, a deliciously dense little cheesy bun which I ate in abundance while living in Cuenca, Ecuador.
The nocturnal side of the Amazon is fascinating. Animals which hide away from predators during the day are suddenly out and about: copulating grasshoppers, steadily crawling caterpillars, giant moths, very nimble spiders, and teeny tiny frogs.
Flora Baker is the founder and editor of Flora the Explorer, where she writes about her travels around the world, her volunteering exploits and her ongoing attempt to become fluent in Spanish by talking to anyone who'll listen. Follow her on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
Hi, Flora! Lovely write-up. I volunteered in Riobamba, Ecuador last summer with WorldTeach and some of the other volunteers were located in Tena. I spent just a half-day at Misahualli and loved seeing the monkeys and exploring the nearby jungle. Unfortunately, my friend and I were taken advantage of by one of the men who ferries the boat across the river and had to leave a bit earlier than we wanted, but it is a fascinating town to visit! I also read your other post on the town of Salinas and loved it. You captured the town so well! In Riobamba I lived with 3 Ecuadorian priests who often went to Salinas to meet with their priest friends and shop for cheese and chocolate. They took us for a one-day visit and it was a special day.
We literally stumbled upon it when we were exploring the mountain. On one little side road, no signs, We found a family that had a restaurant with fish ponds AND were offering zip line rides. My first.
On the way down the mtn we saw a little old man sitting in a lawn chair in the middle of nowhere and asked him what was going on. He motioned to a trail. We parked, followed the trail thru a cow pasture and there it was. The swing. Nothing but a dowel across the gut to hold one in. Got a push from my brother and off I went. What a rush. I think they charge for it now. Probably two Dollars.
Hi Flora. I and my wife Gala are planning to make the trip you described. How do I get in touch with Juan the local guide? Or is it just to be at Hostal Packay and ask any guide?
Thanks in advance.
Ernst.
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