After Machu Picchu I decide to go back to Ecuador to spend two weeks here. Because there's still a couple of things on my list to do here! My friend Chelsey and I fly back from Cusco taking an early morning flight to Lima. At the airport the security officers ask me to inspect my baggage so I open my backpack. After a thorough inspection the guy takes out the little package of licuorice ('drop'), Dutch candy. This seems quite an unknown substance to the officer and he takes a very close look, checking out the substance, its texture, etcetera. While he is doing his job, I am just killing the time eating my 'drop' and offering all the other officers one, which they kindly refuse. People waiting behind me start laughing because of this obnoxiously funny situation Another officer joins the club to do a second check to this potentially dangerous good. Finally they let me through, leaving the candy for what it is. We have a good flight to Lima and then back to Guayaquil, Ecuador, where I say good bye to Chelsey. She's heading back to the US.

From Guayaquil I take a bus to Quito, which will take there in about 8 hours. I'm going to Quito, because I want to do a trip to the Oriente, the jungle. Most of these trips can be booked from Quito. The bus leaves quickly and after about 6 hours of driving we make a short dinner stop. And when I say short, I mean very short. After a quick dinner I decide to use the restroom, as using the one on the bus usually is kind of a suicidal experience. Getting back to the parking lot the bus has left, leaving me backpackless in the middle of nowhere. After a split-second of desperation I decide there's no point waiting and a need to act. I quickly hail a cab to catch up with the bus, but even though driving the car at its speed limit, he doesn't make it and drops me off at the next toll station. I ask the cops for assistance and they try to call the bus company but that doesn't work out either. All I can do and do is taking another bus to Quito. Finally I make it to the bus company's office where I am reunited with my bag, only an hour later than expected.

In Quito I book a four-day excursion to the Cuyabeno reserva, which is in the far north-east of Ecuador. It's a gorgeous part of the Oriente, famous for its diversity in wildlife. In the jungle I spend the nights in a lodge and most of the excursions we make with the ten-person group go by canoe or walking. We spot a lot monkeys, birds (parrots, tucans), river dolphins and at our night walk we see some nice spiders. We even go swimming and piranha fishing... in the same laguna. Yeah don't ask me why, but I loved it. The only unfortunate thing is my camera that got stolen on the way back. Luckily it's insured so it's not too bad.

I get back into Quito on Friday. I've spent a couple of days here relaxing and getting ready for Cotopaxi, which I'm going to climb tomorrow with two friends! With an altitude of almost 5900 meters, it's the world's highest active volcano! After getting back to Quito on Tuesday, I'll the go back to Cuenca, spend a couple of days there and then start making my way to Peru and further south!