Once we reached Shell, we found our intended lunch spot, but soon discovered that they were unable to accommodate us due to a wedding. We stopped by the Vozandez Hospital del Oriente for a quick tour, and ran into yet another of Sara’s previous co-workers. Miriam greeted us and promptly asked if we had eaten lunch yet. Turns out she knew of a great Chinese restaurant and was available to take us there for lunch.

After lunch we headed to the Missionary Aviation Fellowship office and airplane hangar for a tour. MAF often takes supplies for missionaries out into the jungle, makes medical flights, and also supports other humanitarian groups by flying them out to the jungles. Dan Whitehead gave us a tour and included some of the history of MAF as well as a visit to Nate Saint’s home just across the road.

Supplies for missionaries and community workers in the jungle ready to go out on the next flight.

Our guide, Dan Whitehead, suggested that the girls would enjoy trying out the flight simulator and led us to this. :-)

Nate Saint house

We piled back into the bus again for a short trip to the town of Puyo to find Jardin Hostal to relax for the night. Getting all of our luggage to the hotel was quite an adventure as no road came within 200 yards of the hotel. I imagine all the locals shaking their heads at the parade of American women and girls with their suitcases, duffel bags, and shopping bags crossing the metal swinging bridge over the river. The hotel was very worth the trouble, though.

We crossed this bridge with all of our luggage.

Part of the garden that surrounds Jardin Hostal.

Maddy is taking a picture of a very tame Macaw.

After we got our luggage settled, we took a walk along the river – a tributary of the Amazon River. It was great fun to see plants that we know as houseplants growing big and wild along the path. We have enjoyed experiencing the beautiful variety of Ecuador: mountains, valleys, rivers, and the edge of the rainforest. Because Ecuador is on the equator, darkness falls quickly and early year round. The sun rises at 6am and sets at 6pm each day, so we had to cut our walk a little short to make it back to the hotel with a little daylight to guide us.

Sophie D, Kenzie, Maddy, Sophia M, and Kacie cross a swinging bridge.

Back at the hotel, we sat down to another multi-course meal of bread, potatoes, salad, and our choice of grilled shrimp or steak, with strawberry juice, pineapple juice, passion fruit juice, or lemonade to drink. We have been extremely well fed this entire trip! Sara says that if her groups have good food, good beds, and good transportation, she can get a lot of work out of them! J

After supper, the girls took some time to enjoy the immediate grounds of the hotel and the hammocks along the porch. A couple of them enjoyed the hammocks so much that they had to be woken up and sent to bed! I think there will be a few Ecuadorian hammocks in our suitcases on the way home. The girls enjoyed the chance to have mini “sleepovers” since the rooms we stayed in each had four double beds (two downstairs, two in a loft).