Travels with V
Ecuador
Grilled larvae in indian village
La Selva part two
There is definitely a Norwegian feel to the interior design of La Selva. The rooms are stylish, but minimalistic. No fridge. No AC either, but that’s ok, the door leading out to the balcony doesn’t have glass panes, it’s just a net to keep the mosquitos out, and the cooling wind blows right through it.
There’s a fixed daily routine here, wake-up call is 5:30 every morning, breakfast at 6, and 6:30 the group gathers for a hike, a canoe excursion, bird watching or a visit to an indian village. Then back for lunch, and at 13:00 a new hike etc.
Some days there’s even a night hike, and that’s what we do on our day of arrival. There’s not a lot to be seen, mostly insects. But I spot a snake and it becomes the high point of the excursion.
The next morning we’re out on the wide Rio Napa again, this time going a few km upstream to a Kitchwa indian settlement. The men are out working for lodges or oil companies, so only the women and small children are here. They take us on a walk around the village and then hope that we will buy some of their handcraft at display.
We are also treated with traditional food and drink. First a cup of hot herbal tea that tastes like bark and soil. And after that some chicha, a white drink made of grated yucca mixed with water. It tastes a bit coarse, but good. Traditionally chicha in fermented form is the indian party drink, and when it’s time to drink it a little dance is required.
In the village there’s a small school that in addition to two classrooms also has a primitive computer room. The hardware is donated by a US school and electrified by solar panels on the roof. The village itself does not have electricity.
And then we are offered a plate with traditional food. A piece of grilled fish, some yuca, leaves that taste like salad. And then the clou, grilled palm larvae. We have seen it before, alive, in the market at Coca, where they offered grilled larvae on a skewer.
Some of our fellow travelers won’t eat the larvae, but I do. And I have to say it’s surprisingly tasty, a bit like crayfish actually.
We’re back at La Selva for lunch, and here it’s a three course meal, surprisingly. In Norway they most often don’t even eat a real lunch, just sandwiches. We expected to loose a few pounds here, but obviously we won’t achieve that.
As we go further into the jungle we see unusual monkeys, spectacular birds and a fish that bites.
