Total Pageviews

Tuesday, January 15, 2013

Day 4: Feeling Hot, Hot, Hot

Day #4: Monday January 14th, 2013
Location: Tahuayo Lodge and Blanco River, Peru

Note: I changed the settings on the blog so that anyone (including non-registered users) may now post a comment. Feel free to comment and I will make sure your message gets through to its intended recipient.

Click here to jump to a web album featuring 26 photos from today.

Greetings from the Amazon! I am typing this entry in the "computer room" of the Tahuayo Lodge. I must say that it is surprising to have Internet service this far out in the jungle. They provide AC power via a generator and solar collectors, and somewhat-reliable Internet via HughestNet satellite. Can't complain. Other services offered here at the lodge include laundry (30 sol = $12 USD by the bag) - but they can't guarantee it will be dry! Dryness is quite elusive around here. In fact, a T-shirt that I wore into the rain on our first night here is still quite damp. Quick-dry clothes are a must!

After our very long day #3, we started our day at a comfortable 8AM this morning. After a hearty breakfast in the lodge (usually consisting of cheese/ham, eggs of some style, and a variety of fruit, some of it fried, as well as a local exotic juice), we boarded the boats for a full day trip. We headed up the Rio Blanco, viewing wildlife along the way (including a three-toed sloth - very cool!).



Near a village, we stopped the vote for a visit from Dorila (sp?), a common woolly monkey who allows passing boats to enjoy her company in exchange for some fruit. We were able to pet the monkey's soft back as it ate fruit (bananas and oranges) from our hands. Several students listed this as a highlight of their trip so far.



After another hour's journey upriver (about 2.5 hours total) we arrived at Laterra Firma, a wildlife zone known for its frogs. We disembarked, loaded up our backpacks, and headed off for a 3.5 hour hike through the dense, hilly jungle.


Our guide Wennie (short for Wennington) pointed out the wide variety of flora and fauna, including rubber trees (it was very cool to see the latex sap oozing out), termites, ants of various varieties, and many types of frogs, the  most poisonous among them quite colorful:


We learned how to fashion a roof from fronds, how to drink from a vine, how to spelunk a bat cave (watch out for guano and the vampire bat!), and how to swing across a river:





By the end of the 3 hour hike, we all agreed that we were the hottest we've ever been. The heat, humidity, sunshine, and hilly terrain combined for some brutal conditions. We rested within a covered hut as our guides prepared lunch for us (rice and chicken cooked over a campfire) and helped us 'go native' with headgear and makeup made from the 'paprika plant':


We appreciated the cooling effects of our ride back downriver in the late afternoon. After some well-earned rest and dinner, we were visited by a local shaman who explained his various medications to us (via translator), passed them around so that we could smell them, answered our questions, and then performed some ceremonies for us. It was very interesting to observe.



After the ceremony, we enjoyed some games and relaxed for a few hours. The rain came around midnight, capping off a hot but fun day in the jungle.

Thanks for reading!

5 comments:

  1. Sounds like you all are having a time of your life! Please let Lori know that I took out her plates and put them in the fridge yesterday.

    Eric: Please keep up the great posts and pictures.

    Sachie

    ReplyDelete
  2. Absolutely love reading the blog and seeing all the photos. Looks like an amazing adventure that will never be forgotten.

    Anne Farris

    ReplyDelete
  3. Fabulous pictures and a very informative blog! Can't wait to see what you do tomorrow. Wondering if Sophie is feeling better?

    The Therriens

    ReplyDelete
  4. Thanks so much for the updates and pictures...although seeing Liam swing through the jungle on a vine was a bit unnerving, but not completely unexpected!!! Get the most out this awesome opportunity folks! And thank you for taking the time to include us on your adventure!

    Pass along our virtual hugs from chilly Nova Scotia

    The Peck Family

    ReplyDelete
  5. Therriens: Are you referring to the cold that Sophie had at the start of the trip. Yes, she got over that by the second day or so. She is doing fine! You should have seen her on the zip line. Everyone was proud of how she overcame her fears. :-)

    ReplyDelete