The Founder of G Adventures, Bruce Poon Tip, wrote this in his book Looptail, explaining to Delfin, the father of his Quichua family, why he wanted to spend time in the jungle with him and the rest of his family. The Quichua people are the largest of the 13 indigenous groups in Ecuador (and actually make up 2 of the 13 groups - highland Quichua and rainforest Quichua). Their encounter led to the beginning of a long friendship and a long business partnership in which G Adventures would take small groups of travelers on a homestay experience in Delfin's community.
For this class, we are both traveling on a G Adventures tour and shadowing the organization to see how it implements sustainable tourism. We eagerly anticipated meeting Delfin - already famous from our pre-departure reading. Each of us had different expectations of what life in the jungle would be like. This part of our program offered much more than a 'jungle excursion.' We arrived to our home nervously anticipating insects, a language none of us spoke, and a hope for a glimpse into the world that Bruce Poon Tip encountered many years ago. I'm not sure any of us imagined how much could happen in just over 48 hours. From learning about traditional medicines to hunting techniques, to making our own chocolate from cacao beans, we got a snapshot into Quichua life and traditions.
There were so many remarkable moments it is almost impossible to know where to begin.
On Monday we arrived in 4x4 trucks to a remote part of the Amazon jungle to live with Delfin's and his family for 2 nights.
After settling in to our rooms and having some time to eat dinner (we ate lots of rice, plaintains, yuca, and some of us even ate tree grubs) the group had a chat by a campfire with Delfin in which he told us about Quichua traditions, religion, and family. The Quichua practice what could be considered a fusion of Quichua indigenous religion and Catholicism. When we asked Delfin what he practiced, he told us he was a Catholic. His Catholicism, however, is very connected to indigenous beliefs about the Amazon jungle and the spirits that live there. For Delfin, every element and person in the jungle has a spirit, and this aspect of his religion is defined by duality; everything's spirit can be either good or bad. Delfin's decision making is often guided by his dreams. For instance, we planned to go on a hike and Delfin was going to stay back at home, but he had a dream in which a black dog was running across our path. This black dog represented an evil spirit for Delfin, so he decided to change his mind and hike with us for our protection.
We also were able to participate in a reenactment of a traditional Quichua wedding; there are actually three weddings in this tradition, one Quichua, one Catholic, and one civil.
Our group had so many experiences in the jungle. It was amazing to sleep in a cabin in the middle of the rainforest with no electricity, it seems like everything would be quiet and peaceful, but the sounds of the insects and animals were louder than in many cities. We did everything from relaxing in hammocks to hiking to 4 waterfalls to making chocolate from cocoa beans picked from the jungle. We learned about traditional jungle medicine, how to trap animals, and how to climb a tree using only leaves made in to a rope.
From a Sustainable Tourism perspective, we evaluated the changes that tourism has brought to Delfin's family. With the money they've made from their partnership with G Adventures, they have been able to expand their structures by building more living spaces for the tourists. Tourism has shifted the family's work from agriculture and has brought them economic prosperity and stability. Delfin has come to understand through his interactions with tourists that we are all "una gente"-- one humanity. He hopes to instill these values in everyone he meets and be able to educate people about culture and the environment. There are many issues to consider when talking about sustainable tourism, but this model seems to be working for Delfin, his family, and the tourists.
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