I came to the Arajuno Road Project for 6 weeks and immensely enjoyed the time with the kids and other volunteers in the house. One of the highlights of this program is the weekends. You can do whatever you like, stay at the house and be lazy in the hammocks or go for the more adventurous option of going to another town.
Tena, is a popular destination amongst the volunteers. It is a town around 2 hours away from Puyo and offers various attractions like white water rafting (the best in Ecuador), swimming in the local rivers and a very fun night life. Rafting was relatively expensive, 45$, but it takes a full day. You leave at 7am and get back to the hostel at approximately 4pm. After around an hour of being on the river we also stopped at a local beach for some lunch, which was great. Rafting is also available for different levels of experience, so if you feel confident enough, the 5th level is the highest. I took level 3 to 4 and it was a perfect combo of some rough and calm waters.
One of the absolutely best bars in Tena is Arana (Spider ) located on the other side of the river from cafe Tortuga (the best place for breakfast and lunch). The bar offers around 25 different cocktails all ranging in prices 3 – 4$. After we would either go to one of the three nightclubs or pool/karaoke bars.
I liked Tena so much I went there two weekends in a row, but don't forget about other beautiful towns near by, like Banos (offers hot springs). So make sure to make use of your free weekends, but try and stay a weekend at the house as well. A day of shopping and ice cream in Puyo, followed by a sunset near by the house is a must.

Agnese Soldane