Visiting the Panga Wasi Community near El Coca in the Amazonas of Ecuador.

Carmit and Noy in the entrance of the Panga Wasi Community of the Ecuadorian Amazonas.

Waking in El Coca, also known as Pueto Francisco de Orellana, is the capital of the province, located in eastern Ecuador. This major city of the Amazonas, Ecuador, is where the Coca River and Napo River are merging together. This city is the point to get into the Amazon Rainforest, Ecuador. Taking the boat on the river, you can view the different colors when both rivers emerge.

Boat Ride in Amazon River Ecuador — Noy on the boat where the two rivers meet, the Napo River and the Coca River, in the Amazonas of Ecuador.

At that point, there is also a big army base of the Ecuadorian army who control the traffic over the rivers. The population, which is almost 52,000 people, did not have many tourists when we were there but I felt safe traveling in that city and around. On the boardwalk in town, there is a tourist information desk where official people of the community welcome you and offer you cruises into the Amazonas.

El Coca Sign Ecuador — Carmit in front of the “Coca” sign near the boardwalk of El Coca, Ecuadorian Amazonas.

We stayed in El Coca, enjoying every day, co-mingling with the locals, eating the local food, including Encebollado, which is a soup with onion and fish. I enjoyed meeting the local people, who are very nice, mainly selling fruits on the street. It is important to know Spanish in order to travel in this area.

Platano y Queso Dish El Coca, Ecuador — Carmit enjoying the local “platano y queso” dish from a local street vendor in El Coca, Amazon, Ecuador.

Fish Market in El Coca Ecuador — Carmit enjoying the local fish market in El Coca, Amazon, Ecuador.

Waking up in the morning and going to the local market, watching the fisherman bringing in the fish from the river and preparing the market for lunch and the activities of the day. We had the local drink, made of herbal medicine, which tasted fermented, at the beginning of the day. The Amazonas locals claim that this drink gives energy and wakes up the internal organs for the rest of the day.

Fruit Market in El Coca Ecuador — Local fruit market in El Coca, Amazon Ecuador.

Panga Wasi Community in El Coca Ecuador — Our arrival to the Panga Wasi Community in the Amazonas of Ecuador.

We took the boat down the river with the local Ecuadorian guide, who spoke only Spanish. That day, we decided to visit the Amazonas village of Panga Wasi. Arriving at Panga Wasi, through the river, was a ride of almost an hour. Upon arrival, we were offered the traditional drink of “Chi Cha” that was prepared for us. The guide lit the fire and explained to us that this is a sign for the other people to know that this place was occupied and people are visiting at that moment.

Carmit Jungle Walk Amazon Ecuador — Carmit with her custom-made hat from the tree leaves on our jungle walk in the Amazon of Ecuador.

We traveled into the community jungle of Panga Wasi. The walk through the jungle was amazing. Obviously we couldn’t do it without a guide because it's easy to get lost in the jungle. There are no signs and no way of knowing where is left and right. We found the Ayahuasca tree, with its big roots.

Noy on the Jungle Walk Amazon Ecuador — Noy on our jungle walk with the deep roots of the Ayahuasca tree in the Amazon of Ecuador.

Typical house in Amazon Ecuador — Typical house of the local community in the Amazon of Ecuador, Panga Wasi.

It is amazing to see nature and the wild animals in this area. Through the way, we had tropical fruits and the guide knew which one was poisonous and which one was not. This specific community has lots of cacao fincas and coffee is grown there too. We met the local community and “Luna” which is a native animal “coochocho” of the Amazonas.

Amazon pig animal — Native Amazonas pig animal that we found on our jungle walk.

“Luna” our friendly Amazonian companion on our jungle walk in the Amazon of Ecuador.

Amazon animal — “Luna” our friendly Amazonian companion on our jungle walk in the Amazon of Ecuador.

I loved eating the locally grown lychee of the Amazonas. Walking in the jungle, enabled us to eat fresh cacao, leeche, zappatos, and coffee.

Cacao Finca — Noy within the cacao finca on our jungle walk of the Amazonas of Ecuador.

We learned from the local Ecuadorian guide about the herbal medicines and specifically we had the blood dragon medicine pouring directly from the tree. This medicine is used by the locals on the skin to heal wounds and scars.

Ayahuasca tree in Amazon Ecuador — Carmit with the deep tree trunks of the Ayahuasca tree in the Amazon jungle of Ecuador.

Our departure from the Panga Wasi Community in the Amazon of Ecuador.

We concluded the day by visiting the local school and families. I enjoyed the visit. I enjoyed learning about their culture and most of all the amazing nature, which is an adventure of a lifetime. I am sending a special thanks to the community of Panga Wasi. I took home the souvenir of a special cup, where they welcome guests with local fermented drink of “Chicacha”.