Just your mashi in the sacha (in Quichua indigenous language, mashi=friend, sacha=jungle)

Hi again!! I don't know how long I'll be able to be on here... I'm on my laptop now and the wifi is verrrry iffy and slow. I haven't been able to check my email because yahoo.com seems to be a bit too much for this connection to handle or something... so, sorry if I haven't responded to emails! I'm not able to add pictures to this either because the connection's too slow. Sappmom and Sappdad, thanks for your comment and I miss you too! Mom and Dad, YAY I was hoping yall would check this blog just in case I was able to get on the internet in these first few days! I love you and miss you. And, believe it or not, I miss the Alabama summer weather.

More adventures today! If I wrote everything I wanted to tell you, this post would be like 10 pages long so I'll spare you and only go over the highlights. We went hiking through primary (ancient) rainforest today and saw some AWESOME stuff!! Including the "palma andante" or "walking palm" which uses its roots to slowly pull it and move it across the forest floor over the course of its lifespan, and trees with GIANT buttress roots over 20 feet tall.

Apparently I'm very allergic to something in the rainforest because I've never sneezed so much in my life. " Over here at the lodge we're in a secondary (newer) rainforest and all I have is drainage and a little headache, but WOW when we got into the primary rainforest it went all out. I'm all drugged out on Allegra and Ibuprofen now though so I feel fine.

After our hike, we went to a cacao-processing farm and saw how chocolate is produced... I was in HAWG HEAVEN. But I did learn that when they say raw cacao beans are bitter, they mean it. They gave us fermented ones too, though, and I'd take those babies before Godiva! So yummy!

We visited the Yachana Technical High School and the kids there are sooo nice! They barely spoke English but their Spanish was so beautiful and clear that talking to them was just as easy as if it had been in English. Some of us went to help the kids in agriculture (they got to wield huge machetes!), some made shirts with the kids in silk screening, and I went with the group that made jewelry. I made a necklace!

And, finally, a moment that will probably haunt me forever: We were sitting at dinner when Lindsey, who was sitting next to me, started screaming and flailing. As she turned around I saw why... there was a massive tarantula on her back! It had fallen from the cieling. Apparently that's not the first time that's happened either. We were all too scared to do the night hike after that and decided to save that until we get to the Sani lodge.

Well this post is entirely too long already so I think I'll leave it at that tonight... we are all perfectly safe, though covered with a thick layer of sweat, sunscreen, and bug spray! (yes mom, I'm wearing sunscreen... and thank you dad for giving me your skin and NOT mom's because I'm one of the few who haven't burned yet!) Lindsay, I've seen plenty of little fleabitten village dogs and I think of Pip and Chip every time! Even though they're 348930284 times more obese than these dogs! Joel, I hope you're still having a good time in your class and can't wait to hear from you! Until later, adios!