A good friend of mine likes to use the expression “Aventuras in Ecuador” to describe the random and totally unexpected experiences a traveler will encounter. For instance, the friend in question, Jim (pronounced “Him”) was just hanging out at the local Ecuadorian disco one night and asked a pretty woman to dance, now he lives with her and son in Tena living the relaxed life. Now that is a full on life changing aventura in Ecuador. As Jim would agree, the best adventures happen with you just go with the flow. I write this blog after spending three days at Canoa beach where my only daily plan was to drink coffee at the Surf Shack and then let the adventuras present themselves. Day one started midway through my second press of coffee when the owner asked if I wanted to drive shuttle for him another paraglide pilot. Hmm let me think, 4X4ing in Ecuador, not yet checked off the ol' bucket list- Bring it on! Within twenty minutes I was staring over Canoa from the highest point in town, trying to rub the white out of my knuckles due to the over clutching of the “holyshit” bar of Bills Land Cruiser that rocketed us the to the top. As the boys were preparing to fly I was being totally entertained by horrific stories of paragliding crashes and screaming widows at funerals. Thanks for that Bill, ixnay on such stories near my wife, as I really want to get into the sport someday soon. The aventura was far from over, now I had the pleasure if driving the little truck that could down the super sketch class IV+ rutted sandy slope. Yee haw, whose got the “holyshit” bar now sukka? BTW, for some awesome long term or weekend stays in Canoa check out Greg's Hotel right on the beach.
Over the last few years here I have improved my ability to let is flow and learn to free myself to such adventures. This year alone I was able to drive on several occasions, The first time was coming back from Kayak practice with my youth development kids after our driver decided to try out the sport of kayaking mixed with the sport of swimming, the two should rarely be combined. Sopping wet Sisto asked me to drive the truck back with six kayaks in the back and an equal number of kids spilling out of the cab. I made sure to honk the police on the way by and flash them a peace sign. It may seem like a trivial thing to drive a truck but, to most Ecuadorians their truck is a baby and hard to trust a gringo with despite the fact that most gringos have an extra three generations of driving experience engrained in them. To prove the point, I am pretty sure I hold the first decent in successfully backing a truck into our boathouse without at least a two or three point-turn. 
Unplanned exists on river runs or rapid shooting (for you old skoolers out there) is also a great source of aventuras in Ecuador. One time four of us decided to run the Papallacta at near flood levels, not really the most thought out plan considering it can make your sphincter shrink even at low levels. So two kilometres or 5 minutes later we decided to hike out. The hike was a fairly steep cow pasture and it just so happens that one of our paddlers was hiking a shiny red kayak on his shoulder when a not so friendly bull noticed. We all stopped dead in our tracks and waited for disaster. A moment later a four foot, three inch one hundred year old lady ran out of nowhere wielding a stick and made that bull cower like a sweater wearing Jack Russel facing a Pit-bull. After thanking the woman for our lives we were on our way promising to never bring the red kayak along on such doomed to be sketchy adventures.
As you may have noticed, the above aventura examples have bloomed without the help of alcohol, please young impressionable readers take note; you do not need the old bad idea juice to have a great time. A few years back we just happened to be in San Francisco de Borja during their anniversary celebrations. On a side note, you can pretty much travel across the country and stop at different small towns along the way being exposed to the craziest parties you can imagine. There is always something to celebrate in Ecuador and they are the professionals at it. The Borja celebrations started with a thirty-foot high bonfire of bamboo and lots of oil products at around nine o clock.
After the official start of the party, friendly locals were handing out free samples of Aguardiente, a warm mix of fruit juice, cinnamon, and cane alcohol. I call this ritual paying the subscription to “Gringo Television” All the locals have to do is keep the free hooch pouring and they can enjoy the constant entertainment of the gringos making total asses of themselves. Gringo TV did not disappoint that night, one of our good friends from a place called Newfoundland (consider the MTV version of gringo TV), decided with some coaxing that it would be a good idea to join the youngsters in the inflatable jumpy castle. After some uncoordinated back flip attempts and various other style-points scored he was punched in the face by a 9-year-old boy causing his lip to bleed. After being ejected from the play park he went on to have various other unknown adventures that ended in the final resting place of my driver Wilos ditch. 
There are almost too many adventures to recite in detail but I will lay out a few for you briefly -- Getting a shuttle ride in the back of a police truck after a day of paddling. Being on a parade float in kayak gear holding a fishing rod with a recently dead trout on it. Swinging from a tree with three other monkeys. Hosting a free kayak and rafting day for the locals and having a surprise 400 people show up. Passing out on concrete stairs on new years eve fifteen minutes before twelve. Being on a river that rose 2 meters with only fifteen minutes warning. Almost getting arrested four days prior to leaving the country after retrieving MY kayak from a bandit guide from Tena. Bringing school supplies to a poor jungle school in the middle of nowhere and sitting in on the class, sharpening pencils and meeting really great kids. Witnessing the prize bovine of 2009 projectile poo on a friend of mine. But the most important aventura of all is the daily encounters I have with the wonderful people of this country and sharing the country and kayaking with my beautiful wife, friends and guests.
See you on and off the river!
Chris Ryman
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