Tarapoto here I come

I knew this morning languishing in bed that I had to give myself a good, quick kick in the ass and get on transport out of this city.

So I laid out all my gear on the bed, separated tropics vs. alpine trekking and looking at them I chose tropics.  Coin toss confirmed it.  This had me packing up my alpine gear and clothes and schlepping them to the baggage holding centre at the South American Explorers Club for drop off.  Then I headed to Star Peru and (before I could talk myself out of it) booked a flight to Tarapoto, which is essentially a town that sits in the area between the Amazon Basin and the tropical side of the andes mountains. This despite reading up on the area and acknowledging that what I would like to do is most likely impossible given my 3 or so word spanish vocabulary.

Never let it be said that I always play it safe. 

I gave directions to a lost gringa today.  What a hoot, considering how turned around I get myself.  Really, it is a good thing I have a compass so I will know which way west is when I head over the mountains.

Went to the main park in Miraflores today and wandered around looking at all the crafty goods people are selling in little stands. There were also some colourful paintings (some good, some awful, IMHO) and several tourist police officers scooting around on those two wheeled wonder thingys... starts with an S and was supposed to be the biggest thing since sliced bread, but obviously isn´t because this is the first I have seen since the big launch years ago. Segway? Someone put my out of my misery here and let me know what they are called.  Or I will remember at 3am.  Whatever.

I digress.

I then went for an afternoon city tour, just in case I wasn't turned around enough in my two little suburbs.  I joined a crowd of folks sitting atop a double decker sightseeing tram and went cruising the noisy, busy streets of downtown Lima.  Took requisite photos.  Also took photos of different kinds of trees gasping an existence through the concrete sidewalks on the main streets.  Don´t know why, the photos I mean, seemed an interesting idea at the time.

Sat behind blonde bombshell and got to watch all the attention she got. Yes that is jealousy talking.  Although I did seem to catch the eye of a couple of cute kids and we waved.  Kids and dogs, but that is a whole different discussion in itself.

Anyhow, the highlights of Historical Lima:  Narrow streets, shuttered balconies, pretty ironwork, colonial stonework, quaint plazas of green, stray dogs (which amazed me, I figured anything with four legs would be flattened in no time by the out of control drivers here) and lots of electrical lines. (line of sight etc.)

Interesting factoids...

Lima has a population of 9.5 million (crowded)

It also has the oldest university of the Americas: The National University of San Marcos, which according to wikipedia was originally named as "Royal and Pontifical University of the City of the Kings of Lima" and was founded on May 12 1551. (that´s copywrite infringement and/or plagiarism I think, BYW) I await the law suit.

By far one of the most ghoulish things I have seen was the catacombs at San Francisco monastery.  Piles of bones, some artfully arranged with skulls in circular patterns.
The church that sits above the catacombs was open, and was lovely. Lots of gold and silver work, and intricate wood carvings, frescoes and figures. The inner courtyard of the monastery was covered in hand painted tiles that were beautiful, and in quite remarkable shape considering their age and exposure.

The main square outside the church was busy, lots of kids chasing pigeons, bird poop and of course locals wearing cultural / native dress wandering around looking for cash for photo ops.

Hailed a cab back all by myself.  Face your fear and all that.

Went to the supermarket to pick up sticky buns for dinner.

Now I must go to the hostal and pack because tomorrow Tarapoto here I come!

PS to Amy ... Found the motherload! a whole network of little alleyways with stores all dedicated to shoes! Fantastic shoes, beautiful shoes, high heeled wonders. You would so love to join me there.

Circles in Lima

So I spent 2 days wandering in circles in Miraflores, and have since moved on to Barranco and have now spent 2 days wandering in circles here.

Barranco is another Lima subdivision, slightly smaller but alas, no quieter than my previous digs. Actually I lasted about 2 hours at the first hostal I tried here.  I do not exaggerate when I say it would have been no louder sleeping on the sidewalk, which is basically what they offered. On possibly the busiest street here the gate opened and I was shown to what was essentially a beach hut stuck to the back of the gate. Hmmm.... Lonely Planet listed it as "a peaceful family environment, good to spend a few days resting and relaxing".  Sure.  Grain of salt and all that.

I high-tailed it out of there and found a hostal that had a clean room facing away from the street. Ahhh.  Now I can rest.

So the buses are running again, yet I find that I am no longer in a Yoga frame of mind.  I will take another couple of days to ponder my next steps.  Might take in a museum or two while I do.  I have heard reports that some of the roads to the smaller places I want to visit in the north are impassable right now, but there is always the option of heading to the highlands again.  There are a few spectacular places to trek in the Cordillera Blanca.

Will think twice about the altitude though.

There are always spanish classes, and I could volunteer in a small community teaching english too.  So many choices, and yet here I sit, making circles in the Lima suburbs.

Meanwhile I have been to the Canadian Consulate and can report that they have excellent security screening to get in the front door, but THAT IS AS FAR AS YOU CAN GO. PERIOD. FULL STOP.  Wait, they did let me use the potty.  So there you go, I made peepee back on canadian soil yesterday!  Then they basically (and politely) threw me out.  Smiled while they did it too.

I also went the the "indian market", which is pretty much a myriad of small cubicles filled with smaltzy, touristy, mass market trinkets.  I was looking for a back and white alpaca shawl, special order for my mom, however I didn´t find anything that suits.  Will continue the quest tomorrow and try to get it off in the mail before I leave here.

You know, basically when I decide to stop circling and CHOOSE already!

And for those of you worried souls out there, mind is clear again and pain level is good. Another lesson in the value of pacing.

I am off to pick up my laundry and complete my circle back to my sleeping digs.

Two words... Bus strike.

So here I sit, stuck, not going anywhere because there is a country wide bus strike and I can´t get to the yoga centre I had planned on visiting.

Day two and I can´t say Lima has grown on me.   Still noisy, dirty and humid.   I hit several "tourist attractions" today, including the famed Parc d´amour on the cliffs in Miraflores.   Watched some very brave people paragliding off said cliffs, but alas twas too pricey for me (or that´s the excuse I will use). Took requisite touristy photos.

Looked for and finally found the Canadian Embassy.  Closed. Of course.  Better luck tomorrow.

I checked out a couple of hostels to move into until said strike is over, or until I change my mind and fly away to a different frontier.   Mountains, cloud forest, jungle.... just about anything but this "last place on my list of things to do" city, Lima.
                        
Think Toronto on it´s worst traffic jammed, grimy, smoggy, hot summer days, then add in certifiable drivers and triple the volume. Then add in some horns, actually lots of horns.

As my mom would say, "Oh well".

Think I´ll start checking the airlines.

Belly full of delicious vegetarian fare, and I have another quiet evening planned.

Take-offs and Landings

Here I sit in Lima, sweltering actually, and reflect on the fun of travel. Air travel to be specific.

Since last Tuesday I have snoozed my way through 5 plane rides. Quite a selection too, from small to Jumbo. Common link? I was relaxed throughout.

Now those of you who haven´t known me for long will shrug and think "whats the big deal?" So let me tell you a wee bit about my flying history. The first flight I remember I was 12 or so, one of the unacompanied minor type deals. Now, you have to know that I was a "severely attached" kid. This business of flying sans mom made quite an impression.

So for the next, oh, twenty years or so I would happily drug myself in order to get on a plane. I refused to let the fear have the upper hand and keep me earthbound, but it was close pretty much every time.

And then one day, somewhere over the Swiss Alps my plane hit an "air pocket".  What a silly name for such a terrifying experience.  The plane dropped like a stone.  Stomach heaving, people screaming straight down.  Not nosedive, just think of the amusement park rides where people are dropped straight down on seats. Only, guess what?  There was no "safety stop" promised.   Then, just as suddenly the plane caught whatever air current it needed and we started to climb, and the captains' voice comes over the speakers and says "well that was a bit unexpected, but don´t worry, these planes can handle just about anything"!

Fast forward to travels now, and see me snooze through landings, takeoffs and turbulance.  I actually find them soothing.   During my bumpy flight from Vancouver to Toronto yesterday I heard myself repeating the captains words to a frightened passenger, and I realized just how far behind I have left the paralyzing fear of yesteryear.

Yay me!

Anyhoo, 12 hours of flight time plus check-ins, layovers, customs and hotel transfers equals a VERY long day.  Put that on top of the events prior to me leaving, visits in Kelowna and Whiterock and I am at an energy low.  Experiencing some "sideways" medication side effects, and have decided to stay over an extra day here in Lima to catch up.

Lima.  Busy, frantic main streets, quaint side streets, evidence of wealth, dirty air, heavy humidity, and a very nice vegetarian restaurant not too far from the hotel.  Which is nice, has hot water, beautiful wood floors and nice sitting areas.  I´ll give it an "ok" rating for clean.  That translates in to good enough to shower and actually sleep in the bed.

So now that I have let y'all know I am still alive I am going to head back to that bed and sleep. Tomorrow I will explore.

Lunch with an old friend

So a little bit of visiting before heading to Lima. Spent time with Mom while staying with my sister Leanne, and had a great visit with a childhood friend, Colleen. Four hours flew bye, and much reminiscing was done.

Today I am in Whiterock with Martha, and am spending a quiet day. Tonight will be a romance movie night and an early bedtime. I have a five am check in for Lima in the morning.

Low key.

Princess Victoria is gone...

Having blessed my life for more than a decade, Princess Victoria (aka Vicky) went from my arms to Puppy Heaven this morning.

Not quite the way I had expected my last day here to be, but I am thankful it happened while I was still here and could be with her at the end.

As you can imagine, I am hurting and expect getting packed will be a challenge.  Life is surely a wild ride.  So much fun on Saturday, and so much heartbreak today.

Carpe Diem.

Party Hearty

Sooo, on the eve of my departure from work for another great adventure, my boss Bert saw fit to throw me a party! And a great party it was too.

Well, ok, it was really the staff year end party... but fitting none the less. Got to see everyone in their non-CT duds, and wow, there were some pretty fancy duds at that.  I didn't recognize Teresa, she looked so fine, and Allison just plain looked regal.  We all clean up pretty well, no?

Some of the highlights of the night:

Kayla's camera shenanigans
Jamie's elegant head ware
Seeing a relaxed Eric
Finding a few guys that like to dance
Watching Keith cut quite a rug
Doing "the bump" with Eli
Admiring Don's dancing finesse
Really good food
Sharing chocolate with Deb
Seeing Peter in a tie
The "hardware only" sign on Steven & Rod's table
The desert table (yum)

Got home in the wee hours, having enjoyed myself immensely.  Time to pack and prepare!

Nighty-night!

Amazonia Expeditions... a sad goodbye

Departure day..

I am not ready to let go of this glorious adventure yet, so Gerlo has agreed to a very early morning canoe ride up the main river before breakfast.  The air is fresh and the sun hasn't yet reached it daytime scorch, although I can feel it coming.. The waters are wider here, calm and dark, leaving the canoe strokes rippling as we paddle along.   The birds are vocal and I am using binoculars to try and find them in the in the vegetation along the river.  

Enjoyed my final royal breakfast, and at the last minute possible boarded the speedboat for the return ride to iquitos. Gerlo was with me, but the plan was for him to hop boats mid journey for a meet up with a new group headed to the lodge.  We were chatting and saying comfortable goodbyes as the two boats came along side.  Change of plans it seems as their plane is delayed, and so he came back with me to Iquitos.

I have time to spare before my flight to Lima, so we head out for a short historical tour of city.  A stroll down the sidewalk along the river is accompanied by mototaxi serenade.  We take a rickshaw to get ice cream and  tour a sad little city museum.  There is poverty evident at every .  every turn.  We end our walkabout back to the company headquarters, gerlo meeting up with people he knew along the way.  It was fun.   Hot, humid and have managed to collect more mosquito bites in a couple of hours in the city than I did during 7 full days in the Jungle. 

Short cab ride to the airport, which is crowded and hot.  My plane is delayed and the sweat is once again beading.  I got a window seat, so I got to take one long, lingering last look as the pink river got ever smaller in the distance.  Am really, really sad to have this part of my trip end.  What an adventure the fine folks at Amazonia Expeditions provided me... wonderful from first email contact to my delivery back at the airport. 

In no time at all I find myself back at the Lima airport... where I promptly check in for my flight back to Canada.  Next up I nip into the washroom for a quick wash up and a change into fresh clothes... don't want to be too stinky on the long flight home.  Pay my departure tax, pass through security and then a wander about the shops where I spend the last of my soles in the gift shop on a couple of trinkets.  On to the Air Canada gate for my overnight flight home.

So my adventure concludes.  In the end most of my preplanned activities and travels were abandoned, but there were plenty of exceptional alternatives.  I am headed home warm, tanned and healthy...   albeit bone rack skinny.  Probably won't take long for the skinny part to change.

Amazonia Expeditions... paddle, paddle, pee

Time to return to the main lodge.  The usual reliable transportation and smooth introduction to my digs.  

Heading out for the rest of the day through a swampy area and a small lake. After several hours of hacking our way through thick shrubs and trees for a long time, and lots of deaf ends and turn arounds it was losing its' charm.  Too much cutting through.  We finally reached our destination, an observation platform raft in the midst of a  watery, vegetation filled bird viewing area.  I fall on the peanut butter and jelly lunch, I am famished.  It is tasty and feels fun to eat something simple.  

The mosquitoes are thick, and there is no breeze to keep them away so we depart the raft.  But first I must ask the boys to hop in the boat and paddle around some bushes because I am in a desperate need of a pee.  

I look around.  Where the hell to I pee?  Holding on to the railing with one hand, bare butt hanging over the edge of the raft, with my other hand frantically trying to keep the mosquitoes from sinking their snouts into such a lily white, juicy and fully un - deeted target.  

Yep.  Attack of the killer mosquitoes meets exposed bum.  Who do you think won?

The boys dutifully return and we head off to an area known to be frequented by the Huatson Bird.  A cool looking prehistoric dude.  Unfortunately I couldn't get a good picture. 

Our afternoon paddle saw us gliding past the zip line canopy platform.  Still no.  I think there is a bigger, meaner breed of mosquito in this area.  They are aggressive and no getting away from them.  This is a dark area of the reserve... the tall, full canopy trees allow little light to penetrate to the water.  

Almost lose Gerlo overboard... again.  What a laugh we have.  

The monkeys can be heard overhead, but keep hidden.  Too bad.

My time in this mystical place is growing closed.

Amazonia Expeditions... poison frogs and a friend

Even though I dropped and broke my travel alarm clock last night I still manage to get up for an early start to my day.  There are again Pink Dolphins playing in the river, and I watch them and a couple of large eagles as I sit on the dock waiting for breakfast.  

Really cool juice with breakfast... and pancakes!


This Am / aft. the jungle is "high ground".  Very humid, very humousy.   Huge plants and evidence all around of animal occupation.   Our goal is poison dart tree frogs.

Up the Rio Blanco, and seven hours mucking about the Jungle looking for these tiny wonders proves fruitful.  Numerous of the thumbnail size poison cuties hide in nooks and crannies, many wearing their young on their backs.   Brilliant red and black frogs.  Highly poisonous.  Florescent yellow and black stripped frogs.  Not quite as bad.  I am told they are only poison when squished, so I make sure to handle them carefully

Our froggy wish list includes the elusive Harlequin frog, known to be sometimes found in the area.  On and on we slog, eyes peeled for the tiny turquoise blue and black frogs with red feet and belly.  This one is not dangerous.  After hours without luck Gerlo is willing to keep going, but I tell him not to worry because if I am really meant to see it then it will happen.  I kid you not, less than five minutes later I pause for breath before a tree trunk laying across my path and I look down just in time to see a Harlequin frog slowly hopping along the trunk.  Gerlo looks with disbelief, and I just say "see what I mean... it was meant to be".



Gerlo gathers fruit pods and places them in the boat with us on the return trip.  Heading along the river I see movement in the trees and shout 'Monkey!"  The trees begin to frantically shake as this creature rushes to meet our boat pulling along side the vegetation.  

Meet Dorilla, rescued from the market as a baby and brought back to the research lodge.  Playful by nature she caused such havoc they relocated her to a corner of the reserve located across from a safe station.  She is checked on daily, and receives food everyday.  Semi domesticated, she takes to visitors well, and allows me to feed her bananas and the ice cream fruit. 

What a sweetie.  Gerlo and Marsielle seems surprised that she became so trusting of me that she actually stuck out her leg to me in as a request to help her with clean off some kind of leg tick / wound.  I rubbed her belly and had her lying out flat as she soaked up my back rub.  Just like a member of her troupe so to speak.  I lost a big piece of my heart to her.






Made a short stop at the safe station and saw a mustached marmoset (rescued as infant), a couple of huge, colourful macaws and a very playful young dog.

Other sightings today?  Many nasty biting ants, a few non-threatening looking spiders.. Blue with red butterflies, moths, and lots of bats.



Have been blessed with another sunny day, and I close my eyes to appreciate the feel of the heat and river breeze on the boat, still not lost despite all the shortcuts we take through the vegetation.


I am pretty sure I am starting to react to the Deet.  Hope I can manage for another couple of days. Lots of thoughts of my very sick mom today, and wonder how she's doing.

There are going to be 30 teenagers at the main lodge tonight (or so I'm told). Figure it will be a noisy human night rather than a noisy animal night.

Amazonia Expeditions... wows me again

Today I once again head out on a boat ride with Gerlo and Marsiel.  We head well up river, and once again Gerlo puts his machete to work, hacking his way through blocks of vegetation, almost falling in a couple of times - hillarious.

Boat FULL of spiders and many kinds of ants falling off trees as we hack through.  Again.   I entertain Marsiel by trying to scoop the spiders overboard with a large pod of somekind.  Again.

Gerlo is being stung like crazy by the ants. Ouch.

Made it upriver to the "dry season campground"

We hike into the "heart of the jungle" - different than the  terra firma close to the research station, more humas, larger ferns and trees. Harder to find the path.

Armadillo / anteater evidence abounds.

We spot spider monkeys in large troupe. They are curious, one ventures quite close and cocks it head in curiosity.  Very cute.  The larger (and smarter?) ones take off in other direction

Snake sighting...   Six feet long and iridescent green with yellow head,  Marsielle says not poison.  I get almost close enough to touch it before it slitheres away.

Bazillion mosquitoes. centipedes, white "milk" tree frogs, and a huge eagle of the Amazonian kind.

Unbeknownst to me the plan was to cut down a plam tree for me to try fresh "heart of palm", but I when I realise what they are up to I ask them not to "kill a tree" for me.  Environmentalist gene or something.

My first mosquito bite is itching me.  Acquired last night on my foot, little bugger must have gotten me as I was putting on my jammies. 

Sometime in the conversation it is decided Gerlo and I will switch shirts tomorrow... he wants the blue shirt now.  Such a boy.

We return after our tramp, flying upriver with a lovely warm breeze.  I spot masses of what looks like red clematis, weird fruit, flowers and berries galore.  I am assured it is monkey food, not edible for humans.

The afternoon tarkget is Pink Dolphin lake.  On my afternoon wish list is another sloth sighting.   We motor it's length, putting here and there along the trees ringing it.  I get pink dolphins, spider monkeys, turquose birds, neon red / black birds, indigo birds and aonother large hawlk sighting

And my sloth.  So entertaining as it hangs by one long, furry arm while it  scratches away with the other.  Belly, bum, legs, ears... It lifts it's head when Gerlo does his imitation sloth call, then just return to his scratching.

Perfect

Despite having doubled up the seat cushions I still come away from the day with a sore bum.

Dinner with Gerlo makes for interesting conversation, and on my wander about before retiring  to my room for the night  I discover the presence of a large green tree frog just waiting for his photo shoot.  

Cold shower, clean teeth and a scramble into jammies an the protection of my screened in bed.

High 5 to Gerlo, Marsielle and Amazonia Expedfor once again helping me have an excellent day... definitely one for the memory box.  Indiana Jones probably never had so much fun!

Amazonia Expeditions... day 3!

Feb 26th.

After another great sleep, I am up early and raring to go .

Our journey begins with a 6:15 speedboat departure.  We travel up (down?) river +/- 30 minutes, then transfer to canoe.   Whenever we get where we are going (much trust involved here) we will hop out and it will be a rubber boots required situation.

  It is a great monkey sighting day, starting when Gerlo recognizes the sound of a baby calling out to it's mother.  Mama and baby are on opposite sides of the river, and the babe sounds in distress.  We follow mama in and find her troupe, which is traveling together with a troupe of a different kind of monkey.  Gerlo easily recognizes them, but I can't for the life of me remember the names.

 More beautiful birds, monkeys and some really ugly spiders (um, yay?).  No snakes. Lizards yes, ants (leaf cutter and fire), and giant millipedes too.

Much of the area we walk through is blanketed with pretty lilac lilies.  It is interesting to see the tropical plants in their REAL setting... no spritzing and pampering required.  Ferns abound and I see bushes that look like the Oregon grape we have at home.

It is amazing to see the massive ant and termite nests built on the tree trunks.  Several times Gerlo reminds me not to touch certain trees, as they exist in harmony with the fire ants... and apparently they will attack if me if I make the mistake of bothering the tree.

We are again traveling with Marsielle, an aboriginal local guide, who has kind eyes and a fun sense of humour.  He speaks the local dialect, and castilliano.   No english but we seem to get on well.  Gerlo makes a great interpreter as well as being a superb guide.

Our monkey search continues, which involves much looking up. They can really only be located by watching for tree movement as they jump from one branch to another, and then following along.

Monkeys leave quite a trail to follow, with discarded Ice cream fruit pods and other small berries and fruit pits. The ice cream fruit tastes like cotton candy... although I am warned l not to swallow the large black pods inside.  It is their fuzzy outer layer that is edible and I find it easiest to just to use my tongue to separate them. (The pods / seeds inside will make a human quite ill). There is a small yellow fruit (like a tiny apricot) that is particularly delicious, with an addictive sweet/tart taste.

After a satisfying bushwhack, we eat a well deserved brunch (11ish) and then climb back into the waiting canoe. I pause and think that it is a good thing that the canoe is where we left it, untied...

We return to the research station for a rest.  I strip off for a nearly nude nap (it is sweltering) and find a little red tick making it's way up my tummy.  ICK.  Squish.  Sleep claims me for an hour or so and I am a bit groggy when lunch is called.  At this point I am still feeling full from brunch, but the food is again delicious and I manage to eat.

Afternoon finds us back on the water.  We upset a troupe of monkeys (bushy black with brown faces... big tails, spider monkeys I think.) and their leader aggressively tries to scare us away by jumping up and down in the trees and screeching at us.  Way cool.

We get another glimpse of a pigmy marmoset. They are so tiny and cute. I can see why monkey smuggling is a big industry.

As usual we are following no particular trail. We glide through trees and duck under bushes. Gerlo makes ample use of his machete to carve a path and spiders fall into the canoe as he does.  I provide entertainment as I try and scoop them all out and over the side.

We see beautiful neon red & black birds and brown & orange birds with red heads. Amazonian kingfishers fly bye.  Gerlo says he will make an ornithologist of me yet. Probably not with my memory...

We were very quiet trying to locate things by sound, and in the background there is loud, echoing plopping sounds as fruit drop from the trees into the water.  Haunting.  On the tree trunks sit huge small bodied but long, skinny legged spiders, camouflaged to exact bark colour.

We made it home before the rain... Edgar the pet alligator was waiting

Amazonia Expeditions... Fun in the Jungle

Feb. 25th.

I thought I might have trouble sleeping here, there is such a wild sound to the place.  Buzzing insects, frogs, birds, and who knows what else?  I followed the "tropical health & safety guidelines by ensuring that the bed netting was tucked under the mattress, as much to keep any lurking spiders out of my bed as to keep out the mosquitoes.  It felt kind of harem-like to be sleeping in a big 4 poster bed cocooned by netting.

I actually slept like a log... not a single mosquito bothered me and the symphony of sound was quite comforting.  The oxygen rich air didn't hurt either.

However the flying cockroach in the bathroom took me by surprise, and as it sailed past me I was quite sure it must have been 5 inches or more. Once my heart rate settled and I got a closer inspection, I'm thinking probably 2.

Up for early AM boat ride - 2 hours to the research station. How they found it beats me.  I got lost after the first "shortcut" through the dense jungle. Oh who am I kidding... of course I got lost. This is the Amazonian Jungle for heavens sake!

My question is this:  If the land/floor/lake is always changing with the rise and fall of seasonal waters, how do they know where they are going?  How to keep track of where they have been? With a the river rising up to 9 meters in the wet season, what kind of markers can they follow?

I am the only "guest" at the lodge for a couple of days.   This is fine by me, lots of privacy and opportunity to observe.  I expect it will be very quiet.

I do wish I had followed through on the impulse I had to grab something to read off the shelf in the main lodge to bring with me. There is nothing to read and no cards etc. to pass "down time" with. The food is good - real veggies and lentils at lunch.  I just may be able to gain back a bit of the weight I have lost since the beginning of my great adventure.

After lunch it was hopping back into a canoe to find "terra firma", or high ground.  Not such an easy feat in the middle of rainy season.  Once there I find myself winding my way through big trees, massive vines and lots of mud.  There are Rubber trees with scarring still visible from the"boom" time, when tapping the trees was a major industry in the Amazon.

Along with the mud and mosquitoes I saw a couple of interesting birds & animal tracks. The monkeys are off playing somewhere else apparently.


Me, in the jungle, up to my knees in water / mug, surrounded by clouds of screaming mosquitoes.  Never have I sweated like this.  Very Cool.

On my return to the station, I watched pink dolphins feeding in the river in front of my room.  So graceful and full of fun.  I also met the pet "caymans" - babies really. Pepe and Edgar.  Wonder how big they have to get before cute becomes dangerous.  I discover a small lizard / gecko in my room... good!.. they eat spiders and mosquitoes.  It is camouflaged to match the silvered  wood of the room. This is much different than the lizards we found during our walk in the woods, which were bright green with black stripes.

The weather today has been hot, sunny and humid.  No sign of rain.  Calling this the "rainy season" is kind of misnomer.  It doesn't rain much more than the rest of the year, but the waters rise as the rains in the mountains across the country are carried down raging rivers into the basin enroute, eventually, to Brazil and the Atlantic Ocean.

The air is saturated though, so much so that I can actually put my arm out and watch the moisture accumulate and bead on my skin.

After a very cold shower I slapped on more mosquito repellent in preparation for sundown.

Note: 30% Deet repellent does about an hour, then watch out!  50% would be better. Too bad you can't buy it in Canada.   Best bet though is to make sure you bring and wear long sleeved shirts and long pants.  Lightweight of course.

I lent Gerlo my long sleeve pink shirt because I just couldn't stand to see him being eaten alive while he sat in front of me in the canoe.  He looked adorable and got razzed like crazy by the other guys here.  Hey, it is a "Mens" shirt...

As darkness fell, once again I was gifted with incredible insect sounds, frog calls and bird symphonies.  Sitting safe in my screened in room it feels romantic... not sure I would feel that way out in the night sitting like bait for the creatures of the wild world I am visiting.

Another night with no electricity.   The lights in the lodge consist of kerosene lamps along the walkways and flashlights in the room.  Very glad to have the headlamp, and it is an adventure trying to sort my way in the dark.

It is a clear night, so we head out to look for Caymans on the river.  How fabulous... boating at night with a swath of shining stars overhead and the shadows of trees/bushes in relief all around us  against the sky . I breath deeply to create a memory of the scents around me.  I never want to forget this.

A cayman's eyes look red when caught by light apparently, so we kept our eyes peeled.  We didn't have much luck which I am told is is common with the waters so high. They can go deep into the flooded forest for cover and food.

So far this is not the jungle from Indiana Jones. We are not hacking our way through massive vines and ferns, and I haven't been attacked by roving bands of evil spiders.

All in all, a great day. One for the books.

Amazon bound... Journey to mosquito land

Feb. 24th.

I managed to while away my last extended day in Trujillo, and the flight to Lima was angst free and uneventful.  Knowing that I had an uncomfortable overnight planned on waiting room chairs, I took my time browsing the stores.  LAN had given me a food voucher to compensate me for my "trouble" and I enjoyed Pizza in the food court.

As I have previously mentioned the Airport a Lima is a large, modern affair. The boutiques and restaurants are open 24/7, as is their Internet cafe.  One last call to Air Canada proved fruitful, as my originally coveted return date had opened up, so once more I had a date change happening.  E-mailed the tour company out of Iquitos I had reserved with and gave them the heads up that I would stay two more days... they responded giving me a couple of options as far as lodges.  I told them I was too brain dead to make decisions and they should schedule my time as they best saw fit, seeing as they were the experienced party in the arrangement, and I but a novice amazonian explorer.  I have to say they have been exceptional. 

Then I went to spend my evening trying to sleep under bright lights on waiting room chairs.

My only real observation is that it is amazing how noisy an empty waiting room is...

Moderately queasy, and with big, dark bags under my eyes, I board the plane and we depart for the last "big adventure" of my trip.

A beautiful sunrise presented itself, and we then began our descent into Iquitos.  We headed through 6 separate layers of cloud... some wispy, one popcorn like, and one that was pretty standard from above but that became like long rolls of dirty grey wool lined up in the sky when we got below it.  My first sight of the Amazon River was like a fairy tale come true.  Massive and winding, a dark pink colour in shocking relief to the green of the forests.

I was expecting to be hit with a wave of hot humid air when deplaning, but it must have been too early in the morning because I found the air to be pleasantly warm. Humid, yes, but I am a west coast girl and am fairly well acquainted with "moist"...

After a smooth airport pick up and transport I was introduced to my guide for the week, Gerlo. Speaking in almost perfect english (yes!) we wander over to the market to get breakfast before we are to board the speedboat to take us upriver to the lodge.  Our little wander through the market (noisy, smelly and dirty) took on a yuck factor all of its' own when Gerlo pointed out that among the chopped up alligator for sale was a perfectly skinned whole monkey.  I delayed breakfast consumption to a later time.

Quickly filling two water bottles with potable water, I was escorted to the now waiting speed boat and joined the cargo of goods to be delivered upriver.  A lovely three and a half hours of zipping up the amazon, and then one of its tributaries ensued. Lots to see, including grey river dolphins, small villages, boats ferrying people/crops to the city and all manner of water lettuce, and all from a cushy, comfortable seat.  Gerlo and I spent a bit of time getting to know each other while the winds did their best to whip my hair into a rats nest and my ears rang from the buffeting.  We stopped and I registered with the game reserve warden, and was treated to the sight of naked little kids playing/swimming in the river.  All good.

A wee bit of copywrite infringed info about the reserve where I spent my time:

"The Reserva Comunal Tamshiyacu-Tahuayo (RCTT)

The Reserva Comunal Tamshiyacu-Tahuayo is located in the northeastern Peruvian Amazon within the state of Loreto and extends over an area of 322,500 hectares. The reserve is situated in the upland forests which divide the valley of the Amazon from the valley of the Yavari... The reserve is bordered on the west by the upper Tahuayo and Qb. Blanco rivers, the south by the upper Yarapa River, the east by the upper Yavari Miri River and the north by the upper Tamshiyacu River."

"The RCTT is divided into three distinct land use zones. These include 1) a buffer zone of subsistence use of approximately 160,000 ha, 2) a fully protected core area of approximately 160,000 ha, and 3) an area of permanent settlement which has few definite boundaries. The fully protected and subsistence areas fall within the official limits of the reserve and have no human settlements. The fully protected zone does not have extractive activities, whereas the subsistence zone is used by local residents of the permanent settlement zone for extraction of natural resources. Residents can not set up permanent settlements or clear land for agriculture within the boundaries of the subsistence use or fully protected zones. The zone of permanent settlements along the Tamshiyacu, Tahuayo, Yarapa and Yavari Miri rivers is adjacent to the reserve. This area encompasses the villages and is for intensive land-use activities, such as agriculture. The permanent settlement zone was not officially incorporated into the reserve to avoid conflict over land use practices, but is an important part of the RCTT management plans (Bodmer et al. 1990b)."
Dr Richard Bodmer, Department of Anthropology, University of Kent

The company I used for this grand adventure was Amazonian Expeditions, and they maintain one of the research stations used to track and study the primate species found in the reserve. Amazing company, they consistently win awards for service excellence and the work they do for conservation and charity.

More info on the reserve & conservation projects can be found at: http://www.perujungle.com/rctt.html

The lodge itself is rustic, without electricity, with a nod towards modern life being the availability of solar power to recharge camera batteries.  The rooms were all screened in, and considering we are in THE MIDDLE OF NOWHERE they are very comfortable.  I lucked out day one in the main lodge with my own bathroom.

My first outing is a canoe trip into the bush.  The wood canoes sit 5" above the water line, and I am wondering how easily they tip. Traveling this way is quiet though, and doesn't scare away the animals.  Gerlo is in a short sleeve camouflage t-shirt, and it is killing me to see him sitting in front of me being eaten alive by mosquitoes.  He prefers not to use repellent, has apparently already had malaria, and explains that for him the mosquitoes are just a slight pest.

I however, with my buttoned up long sleeve shirt and my long pants tucked into my socks, have slathered and sprayed the deet over every exposed surface.

Sightings today... a sloth sitting in a stupor high on a tree, a pigmy marmoset sitting in it's food tree, birds galore, and mosquitoes by the millions.

I gasp through a cold shower as I try to untangle the knots in my hair from our wild boat ride earlier in the day.

A home cooked vegetarian meal for dinner (yay!), and early to bed. Tomorrow is a transfer to the research station.

Photos

http://picasaweb.google.com/lifeagainstthewind/Peru?feat=directlink