As I open my eyes the static that has filled my ears begins to fade as my eyes adjust to the layers of greens and browns that are as intertwined as Velcro.  I close my eyes again and allow myself another moment to fully absorb the endless static.  As I get lost in the sound I am able to peel away the various layers; on top is the occasional shrill cry of an unseen bird, the undulating chorus from an army of various frogs, the deep rumblings as a stream of water continues it’s never ending beating at the rocks as it flows towards an unseen ocean, and finally the glue the holds all these sounds together- the soft staccato of water dripping from one canopy to another before finally returning to earth only to be reabsorbed into the rich topsoil.

Two days ago I was in the middle of twenty four tortuous hours of sitting in various airports and planes to reconnect with Shannon in Ecuador.

You might wonder what brought me leave Colombia for a short two day return to Washington, a return that would find me spending as much time in transit as I would in my temporary destination, the simple answer is family.  The longer answer is that over time you have friends that they become like family.  When that happens you are willing to fly between continents to share in lifes most meaningful moments. Although the trip was short and filled with a few other responsibilities and visits it was great to be back for the celebration.  The wedding between Chanda Luce and James Bigham was amazing and well worth the effort it took in making it back.  As time passes and life brings its inevitable changes it seems like the time one gets to spend with friends gets shorter and less frequent yet we are always able to pick up where we left off when back together.  Although I’m now back on the other side of the world I look forward to the next time we are able catch up over a board game or a fire pit and reconnect.

Back to the present, as I have to open my eyes again to work my way through the jungle and the next waterfall.  We initially came to the Intag Valley of Ecuador in hopes of an excursion on horseback and fishing for trout in remote Andean lakes.  We ended up staying two nights on a farm that borders the Cloud Forest spending time hiking to remote waterfalls, amateur birdwatching, tending to cattle, basket weaving. and eating some of the most amazing home cooked meals (Courtesy of Patricia).  As we make our way to the next waterfall I realize how steep everything is, six inches to my left is a 20’ drop to the creek and six inches from my head is loose forest detritus and numerous small plants striving for their own footing amongst an abyss of vegetation.  I’m not sure what exactly I am stepping on, it feels more secure than it should, but it’s a mix of dead leaves and small plants growing out of the hillside.  In my right hand I am holding onto a bundles of small roots or vines that dangle from various branches above and in my left hand I am cradling a few leaves that caught my eye and erroneously thought that I would be able to keep as a memento.

After about 15-20 minutes of making our way up the hillside we are rewarded with the next waterfall.  Although it is comfortably cool outside, I have worked up a sweat, and reward myself with a splash of cool water on my face and through my hair.  If it was a little warmer or if everything was a little less damp I would be tempted to set my clothes aside and enjoy the small pool at the bottom of the falls.

After enjoying the views of several waterfalls that have probably been seen by less than 100 people alive today it’s time to make our way out and back to the farm.  As I once again get lost in the kaleidoscope of greens and browns and cacophony of sounds that make up the jungle I again am able to find an inner peace as I appreciate where I am and all that I have in life.