After five weeks here at the project I have finally found the perfect day trip or getaway for the weekends. It is a small town called Piatua, on the way to Tena from Puyo. The bus fair is cheap, costing only a mere $1.50. Piatua is about an hour and fifteen minutes away from Puyo. Upon arriving you can see a beautiful river with a small bridge crossing it. You walk across the bridge and then take a left down a small dirt road that parrallels the river. You can walk down this road until you find a spot on the river that suits you.

We had picked probably the busiest day of the year to head to the river, not realizing it was the day to celebrate Ecuadorian Independence. Had it not been so busy we could have set up camp on a beautiful sand beach. However, since it was so crowded we decided to head further down in search of a more secluded spot to lounge. We came across a giant boulder in the middle of the river which looked as good a spot as any. After wading through the river, careful not to get our cameras, phones, and food wet, we set it all down on top of the giant rock. The river was calm, the sun was out, and everyone was happy to enjoy some time tanning or swimming in the deeper sections of the river on the other side of the boulder. Everyone had a great time lounging around and soaking up rays from the close Ecuadorian sun.

A few of us decided to head to the bridge a bit further up the river where there is a rope swing and a spot deep enough for the daring to jump off of the bridge. We had a great time there and when the sun had been completely covered up by the clouds we decided it was time to head to the near by bar and hostel. We drank our fill of Pilsener (Ecuador´s main beer) and had a blast playing card games and socializing with all our friends from the project. Some of us had a better time than others and wound up dancing on a table, much to the amusement of the locals (who took no time at all to bust out their cameras and phones to take pictures or videos).

A few of us decided it would be best to stay the night and luckily the nice lady the runs the joint had a few empty beds for us. The rooms were very small with minimal furnishings but we all slept soundly. When we woke up in the morning and went back to the bar/restaurant the owners of the place were ready to cook us a delicious breakfast of eggs and rolls with butter. It was very reasonably priced, $9 each for the room and for breakfast. After eating and paying our bills we said goodbye to our gracious hosts and were on our way to catch the bus. After only 30 minutes of waiting, the bus from Tena came and we were on our way back home, with plenty of time to enjoy the remainder of the weekend relaxing at the house.

If I were to have more time left here at the project, Piatua would definitely be another weekend trip I would happily partake in. Overall, great weekend with great friends.

Jeff Summer