7/26/2017 2 Comments Iquitos, peruOur first day began at 6am on July 25th and was filled with travel: Austin to Miami (3 hours) then a layover for a few more hours and then Miami to Lima (5 hours). Once in Lima around 11pm, we walked across the street from the airport to the nearest hotel. We slept for a few hours and then woke up for a lovely breakfast buffet at 6:30am on the 26th. After our bellies were full with mini pancakes, bacon, fresh papaya and assorted cheeses, we walked back over to the airport to make our way to Iquitos. We waited in some lines at the airport but noticed it was the busiest yet quietest airport we had been to. All these people but barely any talking or noise. Interesting and oddly pleasant. I loved the flight to Iquitos because the clouds and scenes were performing just for me. At one point there was a sea of clouds with a few mountains peaking out. Later, I watched the Amazon river snake its way through the earth leaving oxbow lakes and remnants of its past. Once we touched down in Iquitos, we met up with Meg Lowman's group. She is everythjng as promised: full of life and excitement for the world we live in. We met our guides for the duration of our stay on our bus. They are knowledgeable and friendly. We visited a local market in Iquitos. This was a very difficult, yet paradoxically beautiful experience. The road was filled with vendors, trash, stray dogs, barefoot children and happy faces. Everyone had a smile on even in the midst of utter poverty. The locals were selling a wide variety of goods: produce, snake heads, chicken feet, herbs, honey, spices, raw meat piled high. Many aromas regularly wafted my way making it challenging to take a breath in without a slight wince. Yet I also couldn't help but smile at the sight of a small child playing with a deflated soccer ball and happy as could be. The market was filled with foods that would not be fit for American consumption. It was hard at times to see such poverty and lack of hiegine. At the same time, it was beautiful to see a group of people so content and happy with so little. We have a lot to learn from them. After the market, we hopped aboard a small boat on the Amazon river. We rode along the river highway, soaking in the rainbows and plants that sprinkled the river's edge. We arrived at our lodge, nestled in the rainforest near the river. This lodge is simply delightful. It's like a low lying treehouse connected by walkways and trees. The accomodations are more updated and refined than I expected. We had a lovely dinner in the main screened in hall, complete with fried fish, beans, rice and dried banana. Then we reapplied insect repellent (love that deer!) and ventured on a night hike in the rainforest. We hiked with headlamps and flashlights, observing any movement or indication of life. I witnessed my first ever tree frog and poison dart frog in the rainforest. They were adorable! We also found a baby blunt headed tree snake curled atop a broad green leaf. I stopped keeping count of large, hairy tarantula sightings after about #15. We also spotted large whip spiders and heard many noises and movement in the forest. The sounds were oddly peaceful and calming. Leaf cutter ants paved a pathway along the ground as they moved in a systematic manner, carrying their loot of leaves. To top the night off, a small tropical screech owl sat perched outside my door. What a day! I could hike in a rainforest every day for the rest of my life. Who said the mosquitos and humidity were too bad to go here? Not in my experience! Both are completely manageable. In fact, I have yet to be bitten by a mosquito. The proper clothing and equipment really do go a long way! And a good attitude, curious wonder and excitement certainly help!
2 Comments
Heather Fleming
7/27/2017 08:12:13 am
I love this description of your experienc! I feel like I'm living it through you! I a, so proud of you,
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Unknown Wonk Person
8/2/2017 10:48:15 am
When are you going to update this section?
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AuthorHannah Cotten is a 5th grade science teacher at Hill Elementary in Austin, Texas. She applied for and received a teacher travel research grant through Jason Learning, and will be traveling with Jason Learning on a research trip with Dr. Meg Lowman. CoSN is sponsoring Hannah, funding her entire expedition! ArchivesCategories |