Rio Muchacho 15-17 September

Note that this is out of order and Galapagos details are in next entry below
Rio Muchacho, an organic farm just out of Canoa revolves around Poop. Nicky(an ex kiwi) and her Ecuadorian partner, Dario, live the organic and recycling of Poop message. They run the Ecuadorian version of the Wanganui river Flying Fox. It´s a restful place ( with the exception of the roosters and pigs and cows that I think wake to a different time zone), with heaps of character, excellent food, and teach alot of local knowledge in food production and handicrafts.

All waste (even we contributed with the composting loos) is used to fertilise their amazing garden. It is probably a gardeners dream with about 30 different vegetables, fruits and herbs. It seems that you plant the seed, add lots of fertiliser, water, care and volunteer labour and you can produce vegetables that rival any A & M show winner.

The local guide who was great helped us to make chocolate and coffee from the bean to the cup, making cheese from milking the cow to eating the cheese. We decorated mate gourd bowls, created tagua(vegetable ivory) necklaces from the tagua nut, and rings from the royal palm pod.

A horse trek took us into the lusher semi jungle area where we swam in a pool and spotted howler monkeys. The last afternoon was spent catching freshwater crayfish (cameron) and eating them.

All in all a great few days and the food and fellow travellers company was great.