Unplugged, off the grid, complete bliss. The rainforest was everything that I wanted and needed it to be: I gain inspiration and energy from nature, and just being in that forest made me feel so alive. The forest teems with life – and the biodiversity is astounding. You rarely see the same insect/amphibian/animal twice, so you cherish it when you do see it. Living in the rainforest for eight days was a wonderful way to practice living in the moment.
We flew into Iquitos, the Amazonian port city, from Lima. One can only reach Iquitos by plane or boat, as there are no roads constructed through the rainforest in those sections. The city of Iquitos is a wonder in itself – there are very few cars there, the main transportation being motorcycles and motorized rickshaw taxis. Iquitos gained popularity during the Rubber Boom of the late 19th century. Many European countries influenced Iquitos’ style and architecture.
Our time in Iquitos was short; we set out on the Amazon River aboard the trusty Tucunare, sailing upstream for about 12 hours to the Amazon tributary, Rio Orosa. Our boat’s passing seemed to be the day’s entertainment:
The children were very friendly and waved at us from the banks of the river. There are many small villages up and down the Amazon – the river is their lifeblood.
We neared one village – near the intersection with the black silt river, Rio Napo – and we spotted something I had been dying to see: the Amazon River Dolphins! It was nearly impossible to photograph them as they bobbed in and out of the water. They were quite playful and came very close to the boat. The adults are pink, and the younger ones are gray.
We reached the Madre Selva Field Station after dark. We had nice facilities: a tent, a “lab”, and even some toilets (I was prepared to “rough it” but was pleasantly surprised). We used the field station as a base camp, venturing out by canoe, skiff, and on foot. We took hikes everyday, and that is when we saw and collected some amazing creatures. [Kris's Flickr page is the repository for all the critters - he got some amazing shots, and he is still uploading many of them - including frogs, lizards and snakes. Please look if you get the chance - also see Kris's blog!] There was a 50- foot tower for canopy observations, and a number of amazing trees on the property. I thoroughly enjoyed our stay at Madre Selva. The company that we worked with has a high code of ethics, and works closely with the indigenous populations for sustainable economic growth. The owner of the company is a trained field biologist/ecologist and can identify many a creature by their calls. The group was small, only 8 people, so we got a very intimate experience with the rainforest.
One of the true highlights of my stay at Madre Selva was the barter market and visit day at the nearby village of Comandancia. We took the small skiff boat up to the village, and met many of the people, traded goods with them, and got to see their homes, their livestock, and their way of life. The village chief, Manuel, showed us the traditional dress of his tribe (the Yagua). This village visit made an indelible impression on me.
Our trip to the Amazon was a very reflective time: I kept copious notes – sometimes 15 pages a day – about the sights, sounds, and feelings of the rainforest. Despite the heat, the humidity, the clothes that never truly “dry”, the mosquitos, the ants, it was the most amazing experience I have ever had. I learned more about myself, and the people in the world. I am already thinking about a return trip…
We took hundreds of photos, and you can see a slideshow of the Amazon photos on Flickr (about 120 photos represented). Please comment or email me if you have any questions – I would love to share more with you!
Beautiful, BEAUTIFUL pictures. I’m amazed how many things in the Amazon are here in Florida too.
I’m glad you had a wonderful trip, in spite of some of the hardships. It will be a journey you won’t EVER forget.
Oh, thank you so much for sharing this with us! I’m already enchanted by your vacation – I never thought this was somewhere I’d want to go, but you have changed my mind. The pictures are gorgeous!
I’m so glad you had such a wonderful journey! You and Kris both look so happy – but oh my god the BUGS! I would NEVER have survived the bugs.
I’m having so much vicarious fun looking at your pictures! What an amazing, amazing trip.
I’m really enjoying reading about your trip to Peru. I often have mixed feelings about traveling what with all the jet fuel, chain hotels, etc. Your trip is a reminder of the real value of travel in terms of seeing the world from a totally different perspective- different languages, animals, plants, cultures, religions. I bet it puts in home in a new light.
Thank you for sharing your experiences in the rain forest! I almost felt transported from my living room sofa into the beating heart of our planet! I can see why you were enchanted by it (and that’s only from one sense – not all 5!)
What sensory overload you must have had! Thank you so much for the detailed and stimulating posts.
Wow, I’m really loving reading about your experience – it must have been so amazing, especially to be in such an integral and interesting environment. What did it smell like in the forest? How often did you come across animals while hiking?
I’m glad to see that your camp did have toilets. Latrines can fundamentally change the health conditions of communities that rely on one source of water for all of their needs, greatly decreasing harmful germs. If your tour company is respnsible, that would be one of the first things they woudl take care of!
I want to know more about your interactions with the people. Were you able to communicate at all? Was your time in the market the main time you met people?
wow. what incredible pictures. i have to say though, the creepy crawlies that i saw on kris’s flickr pages would have had me freaking out ever so slightly. yikes!
excellent about the toilets by the way.
And again – wow!
It indeed looks like a trip of a lifetime.
Gorgeous photos Lolly. Thank you for all the descriptions under your Flickr photos. I am half way through them and enjoying every single one of them! It is like being there with you. A wonderful trip.
Wow, I will definitely have to check out your flickr pictures and Kris’s, too! I’ve been waiting until you wrote about them but I can’t wait anymore.
By the way, I never got a chance to comment on what you posted from your travel journal, but I’m so, so glad that you got back safe and sound! Losing Kris in the airport, even if it was only for a few hours, must have been terrifying!
Your pictures are so wonderful, Lolly. I’ve only made it through one set so far, but, oh my! What an amazing adventure!
What a blessing you experienced to have had such a journey! I have no doubt that this adventure will continue to shape the person you not only are at present but the extraordinary human you will become. That all sounded rather….. well, something— but you know what I mean. Thank you for sharing your remarkable photos!
What an amazing adventure! Beautiful photos.
What an experience! Thanks for sharing the pictures, they’re inspirational!
Beautiful, scary, beautiful pictures. Love the dolphins – bugs not so much. Your travel writing idea mentioned previously – do it! I feel as though I’m getting the virtual amazon tour.
Gosh Lolly – I can’t thank you enough for sharing your wonderful experience. I feel like I got to go to the Amazon, too. I am certain this will be one of those experiences to last a life time! I’m so glad you got to go.
Everything looks amazing, Lolly! I’m loving your photos and commentaries, thanks for sharing them with us!
Wow, what a trip! And what awesome photos! (my favorite is the last one, of you with the trees!)
I am so pleased that your trip sounds to have been even better than you might have hoped. Fabulous photos. Thank you
that looks truly amazing. what an experience. I can’t imagine all you saw and learned by being there!
It sounds like it was an amazing trip. Your pictures were wonderful!
Beautiful photos Lolly, thank you for sharing them…but the bugs… I am just not a bug person….. but the bugs were, of course, lovely…in their own way!
I have a question—did you have to get any immunizations or vaccinations before you went to Peru? Or take quinine for malaria? I’d imagine you probably had to take some precautions before traveling to the Amazon…what was that like? I’ve done my fair share of international travel, but only to European countries where the health and sanitation was comparable to the U.S. Did you have any surprises that you weren’t prepared for? (I guess that was lots of questions!)
So beautiful, Lolly! Thanks for sharing your photos and experiences with your knitting and blogging fans
Beautiful photos! Thank you so much for sharing your experiences with us. I don’t think you can visit a place as magnificent as that, and not come back changed. The forest is so stunningly beautiful.
Such pretty little babies! The rainforest must be an amazing place, but I bet the mosquitoes would be thick and crazy! Although I did live in Manitoba, I bet I could hack it.
I understand what u want to say about Peru… When I was there, in the middle of nowhere, I was like “feeling at home”, simply living the present moment (not always easy when u meet the “curanderos” lol). Sometimes I was thinking about staying there, but then Irealized it’s not really a matter of place in the world, it’s more an inner state of being/mind. U right : we can learn a lot in this kind of journey.
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I have to say, I have truly enjoyed your vacation posts. I KNOW that there is no way you can explain all the feelings of your vacation, pictures just cant do that, but I appreciate what you have put down. UNBELIEVABLE abt the earthquake while you were there, I cried while I read that the two of you were separated and I also cried to think what your mom must have felt being on the phone with you during the quake, have you cut off, and then seeing how big that quake actually was. I’m SO glad that you are ok and back home.
What an amazing trip! I’m really enjoying reading all about it. Oh, and your interpretation of the beso: adorable!
WOW!
this is fantastic lolly… such beautiful pictures, and i am loving reading about your experiences. you have a lovely way of describing your travels.
You write so well. I feel like I’m there with you. Beautiful photography of the country too. I’ve never thought about staying in the rainforest. It sounds wonderful.
[...] of it during our trip to the Olympic Peninsula last year, and were able to compare it with the tropical rainforest and cloud forests we saw in Peru in 2007. The temperate rain forest is not hot, but there is a mist and an insulating humidity. Much [...]