We live by HOWLER MONKEYS!!! Incredible jungle trek to the natural springs of Dos Mangas (2021)

00:02 - - And I’m JP. - And we’re sharing our unconventional life with you from Ecuador.

00:05 - - And today we’re gonna check another item off our bucket list and go on another adventure into the jungle.

00:11 - And there may be howling. (tropical music) We’re really excited because the Guayacanes are blooming and there’s a bunch of them on this hike that we’re going on.

00:25 - So we’re gonna get back to our more normal expat videos soon.

00:29 - We have a video coming out about what life looks like here on a $500 a month budget.

00:34 - And we have another video about tips and hints to get the most out of your trip to Ecuador.

00:39 - So be sure to hit that subscribe button and ring the bell.

00:42 - So you get notified when we post those videos in the next couple of weeks.

00:46 - All right, Amelia, are you ready to head into the jungle? - I am ready.

00:55 - (birds chirping) We’re just starting the hike and we’re hearing so many beautiful amazing bird sounds.

01:12 - - [JP] And we saw a pink Flamingo. - Yes.

01:18 - (birds chirping) - We just had our first monkey sighting.

01:35 - We’re trying to see if we can spot him. He was on the other side of the tree so we didn’t get him in video.

01:39 - - I didn’t see him. - Amelia’s too short.

01:42 - - Hay muchos colibríes y oigo abejas también.

01:46 - So there’s lots of hummingbirds and I also hear bees.

01:49 - And I’m guessing there are lots of bees. - [JP] Yeah, I hear a lot of bees.

01:52 - Go climb that tree, Amelia. - No. - Must be some good stuff up there with hummingbirds and bees.

01:56 - (chuckles) - No thank you. (birds chirping) - [JP] It’s muy tranquilo aqui, Amelia.

02:12 - - I know all the birds are amazing. Wow.

02:21 - (birds chirping) - We have reached the fork in the road.

02:32 - En esta dirección están las cascadas That’s where the waterfalls are.

02:36 - Y en esta dirección acá están las piscinas The pools.

02:40 - That’s where we’re going today because we’re in a drought right now.

02:43 - We haven’t had very much rain at all. So the waterfalls are pretty much non-existent right now.

02:48 - But the pools do have water. So hopefully we’ll be able to get in.

02:51 - We’ve heard it’s the water is very cool and beautiful.

02:55 - Este es un árbol de mamey. This is a mamey fruit tree.

02:58 - God, we love mamey. It’s almost like pumpkin but it’s a fruit that’s about the size of a mango.

03:04 - - We just started walking on the official trail.

03:06 - And I told JP that this area behind us reminds me of Colorado.

03:10 - - [JP] They look like aspens. - [Amelia] It is so beautiful here.

03:13 - There’s so many amazing trees. And the birds, wow.

03:16 - - [JP] Yeah, aspen’s with orchids. We won’t see orchids in Colorado.

03:20 - - No. - [Xavier] It’s una spider. Tarantula spider.

03:23 - - [Amelia] He’s coming. (laughing) I was like a spider, spider, spider.

03:27 - - [Xavier] She’s a baby. - [Amelia] Oh yeah, don’t kill her.

03:30 - - [JP] This is Caña Guadua or what we would call what we call it? Bamboo.

03:35 - I forgot the English word. (laughing) Caña Guadua And they use us a lot in building materials here.

03:41 - - This is called Muyuyo. and we just heard monkeys.

03:45 - So let’s go. Oh I see it. It’s just very far away.

03:50 - - We’re heading off trail for a little bit here.

03:52 - We saw some howler monkeys up in the top of this riacon.

03:57 - It’s bright yellow tree that are most commonly known for Aloha.

04:01 - Aloha area. But they have a bunch of them in this area too.

04:24 - They are really close here. (monkey sounds) - This is so cool.

04:42 - Shhh. (laughing) I am so excited.

04:46 - - [JP] I like your Guayacán. - Oh gracias.

04:48 - - [JP] Flower of the Guayacán on your hair.

04:53 - (monkey sounds) - [Amelia] Oh wow. - [JP] This is the natural spring over here with freshwater that the howler monkeys like to come drink out of.

05:10 - That’s why they hang out in this area. So Amelia, tell us your thoughts about the first howler monkey sighting.

05:16 - - Oh my gosh that was incredible. I can’t believe, I mean we heard that there were monkeys here.

05:20 - But to actually be living in this area and see them in the wild was incredible.

05:26 - And hearing their, their noises. They’re very loud.

05:29 - I was scared. - [JP] She was like a kid.

05:31 - She just keeps going wow, wow, wow. - Only very quietly.

05:35 - - [JP] She sounded a bit like a howler monkey on her own.

05:37 - (laughing) Our travel companions picked up a bunch of ticks.

05:53 - They must have stepped in that nest or something.

05:55 - They’re just both of them covered in these tiny little ticks about the size of a pinhead.

05:59 - - Yes, so now I’m paranoid that I am also covered in ticks.

06:02 - - Yeah, now she’s convinced that she has ticks all over her.

06:04 - Even though we haven’t seen any on us, but.

06:06 - - Well we’re not sure. I did brush a couple of little things that looked like I thought maybe they were dirt but they were awfully round.

06:12 - - Yeah, anyway. We’re still over a mile out from Las Piscinas.

06:16 - - Yeah, we’re having an amazing time. It is so beautiful.

06:19 - - So we need to pick up the pace. (laughing) We are very slow - Oh cool.

06:36 - Wow. - [JP] This is what they use to make the panama hats.

06:38 - or the Paja Toquilla in Ecuador. Panama hats are actually from Ecuador.

06:45 - And they were sent to Panama during the Panama canal project to help protect the light-skinned workers from the sun.

06:52 - Wow. - [Amelia] That’s cool. - [JP] That’s a whip.

06:57 - (laughing) For the los insectos. - You can cook those With water and salt.

07:06 - - Si. - Then you dry it and after that process.

07:11 - And then you weave the hat. - Oh. Okay.

07:21 - - [Xavier] Take our your hat, Amelia. Look she’s an indigenous from America.

07:26 - - [Amelia] Oh, I love it. (laughing) - [JP] How cool, I like it a lot.

07:32 - - [Xavier] A gift. - [Woman Off Camera] You have an ant on your hat.

07:38 - - [Amelia] Oh no. Oh that’s really natural.

07:41 - - [JP] Muchos insectos. - [Xavier] Look there’s another one, sorry JP.

07:47 - This is a tradition It is a tradition Everyone who visits Dos Mangas.

07:52 - Especially women and girls. We gift them a hat.

07:56 - From Paja Toquilla of Ecuador. - Muy bien.

07:59 - - No more panama hat. It’s a wrong name.

08:00 - - [JP] Yes, it’s Paja Toquilla. - Paja Toquilla.

08:04 - - [JP] You look like Peter Pan. (laughing) - Peter Pan? - [Amelia] Oh yeah.

08:12 - (laughing) - [JP] There is the beach.

08:15 - - Yes, it’s muy hermoso and so is this breeze.

08:19 - I am very sweaty, but I don’t care. It feels wonderful.

08:21 - I am not going to complain one minute about the sun and the warm temperatures and the humidity.

08:28 - - [JP] ¿Ni su sombrero? - Si. - [JP] Not that either? - No, it feels really good.

08:34 - It’s actually pretty cool on my head. I like it.

08:36 - (laughing) Cause I don’t know what I look like.

08:38 - - [JP] Queen Amelia. She’s an Ecuadorian Queen.

08:42 - - [Amelia] Oh gracias. - [JP] Ecuadorian.

08:44 - (laughing) Tenemos un kilómetro más.

08:53 - We have one more kilometer to until we get to Las Piscinas.

08:57 - The pools. And we are all ready to dive in.

09:01 - Because it’s really hot. - The shade is great.

09:27 - - [Xavier] You said a spring. - [JP] Mmm hmmm.

09:29 - - [Amelia] Oh yeah. - [Xavier] Look at the beautiful water.

09:33 - Clean, clean. - [Amelia] Wow. - [JP] We took a wrong turn somewhere.

09:40 - You really are in the jungle, Amelia. (laughing) You’re on the wrong side of the road.

09:53 - - Not anymore. - [JP] Está bien Xavier.

09:58 - - [Xavier] I don’t know. (laughing) - [Xavier] Oh you meant me? Yes, I’m fine. I meant the track.

10:04 - Yes, this is the right way. - [Amelia] Oh okay.

10:07 - - [Xavier] A blood. - [JP] You cut yourself? - [Amelia] Yup.

10:10 - - [Amelia] That’s all right. Just so little.

10:12 - - [JP] Our first hiking injury. - Yes.

10:14 - - [JP] I think you’ll live. - Yes, I think so.

10:17 - - [Xavier] You will live. - Yes. - [Xavier] You will survive.

10:24 - - [JP] Amelia, you know where you are? - No.

10:27 - - [JP] You’re in the jungle, baby. - Oh gosh.

10:29 - - [JP] We don’t have to amputate? - Nope.

10:31 - I think we’re okay. Of course, it’s a little dirty.

10:33 - We’ll have to take a nice shower when we get home.

10:36 - But I would have to do that regardless of a scrape.

10:39 - - [JP] I think we’re going to have to do a tick picking party too.

10:41 - Something to look forward to. - Yeah.

10:45 - - There’s a family in the pool up above us.

10:48 - So we’re going to go back down the hill a little bit and go into one of these lower pools.

10:52 - Amelia is dripping in sweat. So she may ruin the pool.

10:56 - We’ll mark it so you know which one not to get into if you come up here.

10:59 - - Ha ha. I know I will dry myself off before I get into the pool.

11:04 - - [JP] Xavier, be careful. Take care of yourself.

11:14 - - [JP] Amelia? I think this is a bit too steep for me.

11:17 - - Well yeah. You have to go down on a rope.

11:19 - I think we may wait for the other pool. - [JP] Yeah, I think I could get down there but I don’t think I could get back up.

11:24 - It’s a knotted rope. I think we should continue upward to the other rope.

11:28 - - Yes. - [JP] Or the other pool. - I think so.

11:31 - Except there’s a bunch of people in that one.

11:32 - - [JP] Well, we can we can just do a cannonball and they’ll all leave.

11:37 - What do you think Amelia? - I don’t know.

11:40 - I heard there was a bunch of spiders down there so I really don’t want to go in the water.

11:43 - - [JP] Spiders? There are spiders? - Si.

11:45 - - [JP] In the pools? - I guess. Around there.

11:49 - - [JP] I heard screaming. (background conversations) Oh water spider? Is there a water spider? Yes, and the water is deep here.

12:03 - Si, they’re just water spiders. - Yes, no gracias.

12:07 - - The other family left the upper pool. So I came up here.

12:10 - Hopefully everyone else will join me. - [Amelia] All right, go for it JP.

12:20 - - All right, I’m getting in. It’s cold.

12:22 - (background conversation) - [Amelia] Is it too cold? - It’s chilly.

12:29 - Yay! - [Amelia] Good job. - It’s really cold.

12:36 - That is a big spider. I would say that is about six inches across.

12:44 - It’s hard to gauge the size. Feel better, Xavier? - Cold! - [JP] Cold water.

12:57 - - Very cold. - [JP] Are you going to get into the water, Amelia? No, the water feels amazing.

13:01 - But based on your reaction and you love cold water I think it would be way too cold for me.

13:06 - - [JP] I know we’ve been hearing lots of screaming and moaning.

13:08 - - Yes. - [JP] It’s like a thousand needles on your skin.

13:13 - - It feels excellent. And I’m very refreshed.

13:15 - - [JP] Now that I’m in the water it feels pretty good.

13:17 - But it took a while to get used to it. - Yeah, but gosh, it’s so beautiful here.

13:20 - - [JP] I know. - This has been amazing.

13:22 - - [JP] Look at this. This is incredible.

13:26 - Ohhh God. It’s so cold. - [Xavier] Don’t tape me in underwear.

13:36 - (laughing) - [Amelia] Don’t worry you’re not in the frame.

13:39 - - [Xavier] Just thousands of people in underwear.

13:41 - (laughing) - [Amelia] It’s not that kind of video.

13:48 - - It’s a family friendly channel. (laughing) - All right, we’re all cooled off.

13:52 - We’ve had our lunch and now we’re going to head back down the hill.

13:55 - - Yes. I am looking forward to a more leisurely walk downhill.

13:59 - And hopefully we won’t be quite so sweaty. (laughing) But it was worth it.

14:03 - Oh my gosh. - It is really cool up here.

14:05 - It’s a bit of a difficult hike. but not too bad.

14:09 - Mostly it was just really warm. We had such an amazing day today.

14:13 - I think we’re going to make this a regular hike.

14:14 - - Yes. It was awesome. - It was.

14:17 - But we’re almost back down to the bottom. So we’re gonna wrap it up for today.

14:20 - Hope you enjoyed it. And if you did, leave us a like.

14:22 - - Yes please. We hope you have an unconventional day and we will see you all in our next video.

14:27 - - Chao. - Chao. (burping sound) (laughing) - That will be a blooper.

14:38 - (laughing) This is what I have to put up with, unconventionals.

14:43 - You all think she’s so perfect. - I can’t believe I just burped like that.

14:47 - Excuse me. (laughing).