Teatime in the Ecuadorian Amazon forest isn’t at 4 in the afternoon.
Instead, members of the indigenous Quechua tribe wake up at 3 a.m. to lit a fire to brew guayusa leaves. Guayusa is highly caffeinated and contains twice as many antioxidants as green tea. The Quechua tribe members need to be prepared for the possible danger that awaits them in the very heart of Amazon jungle darkness. Guayusa keeps them awake, active and especially very alert. Here for they are also called the Nightwatchmen.
Until sunrise, the village elders teach the youth about ancestral myths, hunting techniques and social values.
