By Jennette Timmer

and Jeni Gort Guest Writer, Staff Writer

It was about 4 a.m. and cold for being on the equator. The rain pelted our skin as the boat sped along the flooded Amazonian tributary back towards civilization as we knew it (in the loosest sense of the term). We had to duck periodically to avoid branches barely visible through the darkness (Yeah... I didn't duck. The vampire branches smacked me down while I was sleeping and drew blood).

Only a couple days earlier we had the unique opportunity of camping in the middle of a Hourani village (They were a really friendly group of indigenous people. They were kind enough to wear clothes for us, instead of their usual strings). They cleared hiking trails for us by machete (and took us on a four hour hike that turned into eight hours when the local guide got lost) and taught us how to use a spear and blowgun.

Our spare time was spent swimming in the opaque brown river (the closest thing we had to a shower) or playing soccer with the village children. A few of us even had the unfortunate experience of being bitten by unidentified Amazon fish (Yeah for piranha fishing...). And, in the middle of nowhere, so far away from the nearest electric light, it's amazing how much of the Milky Way is visible.

A few more hours in a bus (never define ``few'' in the course description if you want people to take your class... this time it was over 20) and a plane ride landed us back in Quito, the capital of Ecuador. We had a day of rest, laundry and repacking.

Some of us spent the day white-water rafting in the Andes. It meant another bus ride, but the 4-5 class river made it all worthwhile. It was an exciting time, especially when one of the rafts capsized due to rock wall, and the following raft almost collided with the people stranded in the water.

Then it was off to the Galapagos Islands. There we lived on and traveled by yachts, which those of us who didn't get seasick enjoyed thoroughly (and those of us who did lost weight). Each day, accompanied by naturalist guides, we hiked on different islands and were able to see the small differences in each island's inhabitants, mainly birds and reptiles, that corresponded to the island's vegetation and led Charles Darwin to form his theory of evolution.

Snorkeling (from within the safety of the tourist corral marked with black and white posts) was a daily highlight (even though they bait you with the warm water and don't tell you that it is going to get progressively colder each day). A few of us got the opportunity to go scuba diving for a day.

My interim in Ecuador was an excellent experience. Not only did I get to learn about the country's unique biology and different cultures, but I also learned to appreciate warm showers, safe tap water, manioc-free meals and toilets where you throw your toilet paper in the bowl (and, of course, where toilet paper is actually provided).