Riding on the Rain Forest River

The best way to cover large distances while traveling in the Amazon rain forest is by river. There are few roads that traverse the forest, so the river is a major transportation source for anyone who wants to enter its depths.

On this trip, the boats my group and I traveled in were long and low to the water, and they were powered by outboard motors. While on the river, our group was accompanied by tour guides, the boat drivers, and other guides who rode in the front. Any time we came upon something in the water, such as a rock or large piece of wood, the guides used long sticks to push us away from it. Since June is part of the dry season, there were plenty of items in the water that had to be addressed.

This was one of the boats we used to travel the river.

We had rules to follow when we traveled in the boats. For instance, we had to wear lifejackets while in the boats, no exceptions. We also had to sit so that our weight was evenly distributed, and we weren’t supposed to stand or walk while the boats were in motion. We didn’t want to capsize the boats by disturbing the balance of weight. We also were instructed to remove our knee-high rubber boots. The boots would fill with water and drag us to the bottom if we fell in the river. I was careful to follow all these rules because I did not want to end up at the bottom of the river.

We had several trips on the river, but the long boat journeys were the ones that I enjoyed the most. Our longest span on the river was a five hour journey to the Tambopata Research Center (TRC). Five hours on the boat meant we had a lot of time to take in the scenery, catch up on journal writing, and relax. It also meant that we had to eat lunch on the boat. Our lunch was simple: chicken and rice. The most unique part of the lunch was that it was wrapped in large banana leaves. We ate the food as we rode along in the boat, and when we were finished, we just tossed the leaves and any leftovers into the water. Everything was biodegradable, so there weren’t any worries about pollution. I loved the novelty of eating my lunch from a leaf. They were like nature’s own zipper-top bags!

Another thing I enjoyed was the speed of the boat because we had a cool breeze blowing on us. The rain forest was so hot and humid, we never had any relief. The breeze on the boats made it a cool and pleasant experience, one that we all desperately needed. We got to see some animals from the boats, too. I saw my first capybara while on the boat, an animal I’d never seen. We also saw turtles, caiman, and birds during our boat journeys. We kept our eyes open for interesting animals as we traveled.

Because we were on the river for long amounts of time, there were restroom issues. It’s not like we could just pull over at the nearest gas station or fast food restaurant. Fortunately, the longest journeys included stops at river checkpoints for stretching our legs and using the restroom. Peruvian restrooms are basic, and toilet paper is NOT included. Hand washing opportunities are not always available, either. We learned to come prepared with our own supplies, and that just became another one of the many cultural experiences we faced.  

It rained on us for the first time while we were on the boat to TRC. The boat had some roll-down plastic for the sides, so as the rain got more intense, we had to help roll it down. This was a challenge because we had to keep the weight balanced in the boat. It’s a miracle that we didn’t flip the boat as we struggled to get the sides into place. About ten minutes after we finally got the sides down, it stopped raining and the sun returned. So then we had to roll the sides back up again without tipping the boat.

While on the river, I realized what a lifeline it is for many animals and people in the rain forest. There are people who make their livings either on the river or beside it. We saw gold miners who risk their lives to retrieve that precious mineral from the river’s bottom. We saw farms along the river’s edge, and numerous families who call the riverbank their homes. The quality of the river directly affects the quality of the people and animals who depend on it for their livelihood. This hadn’t occurred to me until I saw it in action. If the river suffers, the people and animals suffer. There is a symbiotic relationship there, one that I witnessed during the entire trip. The Amazon rain forest cannot exist without its rivers.

On the Road Again...In a Motortaxi

 

My transportation adventures in Peru were unique. In the two weeks that I spent there, I experienced planes, trains, busses, automobiles, taxis, boats, my own two feet, and motortaxis. Yes, that last one was, “motortaxis.”  Allow me to explain.


It is expensive to own and fuel a car in Peru. Since roughly 36% of the population lives in poverty, alternative modes of transportation are often seen. I didn’t notice this too much in Lima, the capital, but when I got to Puerto Maldonado, I saw it in full force.

I'm ready to ride in the motortaxi!

Puerto Maldonado is a growing city on the edge of the rain forest in southeastern Peru, and this was the meeting place for the teachers in my group. Motorcycles were the most popular mode of transportation there, and all the taxis in town were either motorcycles or motortaxis.


A motortaxi is like a motorcycle and a rickshaw combined. It seats two comfortably and three uncomfortably. When my group traveled by motortaxi, of course we always had three people wedged in the seat, which was the rickshaw part. Any luggage or other large bags were bungee-corded to the back, and the driver rode on the motorcycle part.

The native people of Peru are short, with the average height being about 5 feet, 1.5 inches. So, clearly, three Peruvian people in a motortaxi was quite different from three American people in a motortaxi. Riding three to a seat was survivable when the three people were all women or were the smaller people of the group. It got interesting when the bigger men were factored into the equation. All of the people in our group were physically fit, but we did have some men who were bigger…taller, huskier, and more muscular. I found myself in a motortaxi with those guys on a few occasions, and those close quarters made the entire motortaxi experience even more memorable.

Roads in Puerto Maldonado were paved in some areas, but a lot of them were just dirt roads. When we drove on the dirt roads, the dirt flew all over us and we choked on it. It was a 25-minute motortaxi ride to get from CECCOT, the place where we stayed, into Puerto Maldonado. The roads for that entire journey were dirt and gravel. So, by the time we got to town, we had been bumped around, hip to hip in the back of a motortaxi, for 25 minutes straight.

On our last day at CECCOT, we needed to leave there and travel by bus to get to the river dock. At that point we were going to board boats that would take us to Refugio Amazonas, our next stop on the trip. The road that ran by CECCOT was a basic road, so the bus could not come down to retrieve us. Motortaxis were organized to take us to a place where we could meet the bus.

I was in a motortaxi with another gal and one of the larger men from the group, Brian. Our luggage was strapped to the back, and we were headed on our way to the rendezvous point. All was well until we came to a hill. The motortaxi groaned and strained under the combined weight of us, our luggage, and the motortaxi driver. The driver urged the motortaxi on, but to no avail. So finally, Brian got out and started running alongside the motortaxi and pushing it to help it get up the hill. We girls stayed in the seat yelling encouragement to Brian, and trying not to laugh. Brian huffed and puffed as he ran alongside the motortaxi, which was still struggling to conquer the hill. When we finally got to the top of the hill, the motortaxi took off with a burst of speed and poor Brian got left in the dust. The driver stopped and waited while Brian jogged to catch up with us. Panting and out of breath, he was not as amused by the ordeal as we were. We packed him back into the seat with us, and we were off, making the rest of the trip without incident. The whole situation was strangely hilarious to me, and I couldn’t stop giggling to myself for the rest of the journey.

Other people in the group also had interesting moments in the motortaxis. One group’s motortaxi broke down. Another person got hit in the leg by a large piece of rock that flew up from the road. One group’s driver made a wrong turn, and they were lost for awhile. As a non-Spanish speaker, I’m glad I wasn’t in the motortaxi that got lost. All of these mishaps aside, it was a novel thing to ride around in a motortaxi, and I actually looked forward to it each time. Maybe this will be the next big motor trend for the United States. Motortaxis for everyone!

This is NOT the Discovery Channel!

 

My group hiked extensively in the Peruvian rain forest. We observed plants and the structure of the forest, but we mainly searched for animals. One thing I learned is that although there are lots of animals in the rain forest, they don't come right out to say hello. They are hard to find. Before the trip, I expected something like I've seen on the Discovery Channel. On those shows, all the animals are right there in living color, up close and personal. In reality, they're well-hidden, and we had to be quiet and observant if we wanted to see anything.

Hiking through the rain forest was a unique experience. Our hiking apparel included long pants, knee-high rubber boots, long sleeved shirts, and hats. All of this was to keep insects off our skin and poisonous plants off our legs. We needed the boots because in some areas we trudged through mud. I always coated myself with bug spray, and I never went hiking without my hat because I didn’t want bugs falling into my hair. All of this gear was hot, even though I had the kind of clothing that was moisture-wicking. The humidity was so intense, the entire day was spent sweating, no matter what type of clothing was worn. Even with those challenges, I made myself ready to head out and find those animals.

We had guides who took us into the forest when we hiked, and we were not allowed to hike alone. These guides could identify lots of animals by sound, and they saw animals that were perfectly camouflaged. Sometimes we didn't see animals, but we saw the tracks, nests, or holes that they left behind. In the areas where we hiked, paths had been cut. This didn't mean that there weren't things to step over or around, it just meant that we had a clear trail to follow.

We mostly saw insects. The rain forest was literally crawling with them, and some of them sting and bite more painfully than any Ohio insect ever could. I always imagined that the big animals would be the most worrisome, but those animals never came out to reveal themselves. Bugs were everywhere, and if their territory was invaded, they would definitely fight back. Hiker, beware! The next most common animals we saw were birds. In fact, birds were one of our main studies of the entire trip, and we saw plenty. My favorites were the large macaws. I enjoyed watching these majestic birds soar across the sky in a flash of color. They were a sight to behold.

A squirrel monkey at the Tambopata Research Center

My most exciting animal moment was the first time I saw a monkey. Our group had stopped along the river at one of the few checkpoints. As we were waiting, we heard chattering in the trees nearby. I had my camera with me, so I started snapping pictures right away. They were little squirrel monkeys, and they were having a great time swinging through the trees. I was thrilled to see them! Now I felt that I was really in the rain forest. Later, when I scrolled back through my pictures, I had another reality check…photographing wildlife was as difficult as finding it. Those monkeys didn’t want to sit still and pose for pictures. I had a lot of pictures, but only a few that were quality. How do they get such great pictures of animals on the Discovery Channel?

My goal over the next few days was to take quality pictures of the animals I saw. Sometimes I was successful, but many times I was not. Those animals had no interest in participating in any human endeavors whatsoever. I was disappointed that we never saw any big animals, either, like jaguars or sloths. The guides told us that it’s rare to see a jaguar. Oh sure, they’re out there, but they have no interest in revealing themselves. I did see some animals that were new to me, like capybaras, which are the world’s biggest rodents. I also saw caimans along the river. They’re related to alligators. One day while several of us just happened to be standing outside the Tambopata Research Center, an agouti, relative of the guinea pig, decided to come strolling out of the forest. I started snapping pictures, and after awhile, it just turned and walked back into the forest like it didn’t have a care in the world.

These days, when I watch the Discovery Channel, I have great respect for the wildlife photographers who take those pictures. I understand how patient they have to be to get just the right shot because as soon as a human sets foot in the rain forest, every animal knows he or she is there. However, that doesn’t mean they have to come out and play, as I definitely learned the hard way.

This Clay Lick's for the Birds!

Traveling to the Peruvian Amazon rain forest meant I saw many new things each and every day. One of those new things was a clay lick. Before this trip, I had no idea what a clay lick was or why birds would visit it. By the end of the trip, my knowledge of tropical birds had grown, and I was fortunate enough to make two trips to a clay lick. What I saw amazed me.

My group’s sojourn into the rain forest took us to the Tambopata Research Center (TRC). While providing tourists with ecological opportunities and adventures, it also functions as a working research facility where the main focus is macaws. TRC is located close to a sizeable clay lick. The most basic description of a clay lick is that it’s a cliff of clay where birds, such as macaws and parrots, come to eat. Researchers think the birds do this because the clay helps neutralize the toxins from other foods they eat, such as berries. However, the research on clay licks is still being conducted in the field.

Going to the clay lick involved an early wake-up call because we left TRC at 5:00 a.m. We needed to be in place at the clay lick observation area before the birds arrived. The clay lick was not accessible from TRC by foot, so we took boats to the viewing area. The boat ride was just a short ten minute jaunt down the river. Our journey to TRC had been a total of eight hours on the boats, so ten minutes seemed miniscule in comparison.

The first morning we went to the clay lick, it was still dark. The sun had just started to peek over the horizon, and the color of the sky against the outline of the forest was like a scene from a painting. We loaded into the boats and headed for the clay lick. I wore my knee-high rubber boots, but I took them off for the boat ride. The guides told us that if we happened to end up in the river, the boots would fill with water and drag us to the bottom. So, I always took them off when I was in the boat.

The river was shallow in places, and as we maneuvered to the clay lick, we hit a set of rapids. I thought for sure we were going to capsize as the boat rocked from one side to the other. I grabbed hold of the sides and held on for dear life. All I could think about was what I would do if I ended up in the water. I was glad I had taken off my boots! The boat driver and our guide in the front, whose job was to push us off protrusions in the river, handled the situation with ease, but I was glad when we reached shore.  It was the only time in all of our boat rides that I felt afraid.

Once we were ashore, we had to walk for five minutes to get to the viewing area for the clay lick. We each had to carry a little aluminum folding chair as well as our own backpacks. The viewing area was across from the clay lick with an inlet from the river in between. We set up the chairs, and then we waited.

Mealy parrots and blue headed parrots at the clay lick

There wasn't anything to do at this point except wait for the birds to arrive. We could hear birds and monkeys in the forest, and occasionally we would see birds fly in the sky. At one point the howler monkeys started to make noise, and they sounded like a freight train. The other birds and monkeys joined in until they all made the most awful din. And then...it started to rain. I was shocked by this because it seemed as if the animals knew the rain was coming, and so they called out their warnings to the surrounding area. I don't know if the animals’ calls were a coincidence or not, but it was a surreal moment for all of us. The rain didn't last long, but it was heavy enough that I was glad to have my raincoat and umbrella with me.

Finally, the birds showed up at the clay lick, and they all came at the same time. They swooped in and out to eat the clay. We saw about five different types of parrots and three different types of macaws. The guides had brought along a telescope, and through it we could see the birds well. When they were done at the clay lick, some of them perched in nearby trees, so we studied them even more. After awhile, all the birds flew away, and we wondered what had triggered their departure. The entire spectacle left me with the impression that the birds were purposed and coordinated in their visit to the clay lick. We humans were the ones who wanted to try and understand the meaning behind it.

Bats....Why Did It Have to be Bats?

 

Of all the things in this world that I am afraid of, bats are close to the top of my list. So, I should have known that I would have some bat encounters on my trip deep into the Peruvian Amazon rain forest. I didn’t want to have to face my fear, but once I got to the rain forest, I realized there would be no escape. There were bats, lots of them.

One of the many bats in the rain forest.

The first place our group stayed, CECCOT, was rustic. It didn’t have running water, electricity, or flushing toilets. The cabins were all open air. This would not have bothered me too much except for the bats. They roosted in every cabin, including mine. When I realized this, I knew that these three days were going to be long ones.


The first time I walked into the cabin and saw bats flying, I turned right around and ran out as fast as I could. It was daytime! Bats are nocturnal. I could not believe they were active during the day. I guess we must have disturbed the sleeping bats, and so they decided that flying around in the cabin would be a good thing. Thank goodness for my cabin-mates, Julie and Sue. I called them my "bat buddies." They helped shield me from bats as best they could. I don't think I would have survived without them.


The bats didn't just fly around at the ceiling. Oh, no. They liked to fly back and forth under our beds, too. I would often stand by my bed only to feel the wind on my legs that was created by their wings as they flew back and forth. That was nearly enough to send me into a panic attack. When we brushed our teeth each morning, we all stood by the side of the cabin wall, brushed, and then spit the toothpaste over the wall onto the ground. I got “buzzed” by a bat every time I brushed my teeth. By the second day, I learned to keep my eyes closed while brushing so I wouldn’t see the bats flying around my head.

If I had to go back to the cabin by myself, I felt some trepidation because of the bats. I would stand at the door and open it slowly to peek in and see if any bats were on the move. If they weren't flying, then I could enter the cabin with confidence. If they were flying, then I had to make a decision. How badly did I need to go into that cabin? Sometimes I ran in, grabbed my things, and scooted right back out the door. There were a few times that I didn't go in at all. I decided that whatever I needed wasn’t important. There was more than one occasion when I didn't think the bats were around, and I went into the cabin. They started to fly, and I ran right back out the door. I’m sure my jumping around and shouting outside the cabin was a funny sight to anyone who might have been watching.


The best time to be in the cabin was right after night had fallen because the bats weren't in the cabin at that time. We liked to say, "They were out for dinner." During that time, I would take a shower (in traditional camp shower-type fashion) or do anything that needed done in the cabin because I knew it was a "bat free" time. That's not to say I never ran into them after dark. I could hear them flying around during the night as they ate insects. I am thankful that we slept under mosquito nets. The safety of the net, plus the fact that I wore earplugs while I slept, helped me get a good night's sleep.


The last two places we stayed on this trip, Refugio Amazonas and the Tambopata Research Center, did not have as many bats. They had netting in the ceilings that kept the bats from roosting up there, so I only came in contact with bats when they flew around at night. After CECCOT, I felt that I could handle the nighttime flying and feeding. There was one night, however, that I woke up at 3:00 a.m. to loud screeching. It was the bats. I even heard them while wearing my earplugs. Talk about the stuff of nightmares (at least for me). I knew I couldn’t do anything about them, though, so I put the pillow over my head and went back to sleep. That's when I knew, that while I still wasn't fond of bats, I had come a long way in just a few short days. I was way out of my comfort zone, but I was surviving.

Rules of the Rainforest

             After I arrived in Puerto Maldonado, Peru, and met up with the rest of my group for our week-long sojourn into the Amazon rain forest, our leaders gave us a few rules to follow. These rules were imperative for keeping us safe, happy, and healthy while experiencing nature at its most volatile. The rules were:

            #1: Always look before you put your hands on anything. This included rocks, trees, and vines out in the forest, as well as any piece of furniture or item in our cabins. Touching the wrong type of insect or plant could be very painful, and in a few cases, fatal. We were specifically warned to be on the lookout for bullet ants. The bullet ant’s sting is said to be as painful as being shot, and the intense throbbing and pain lasts for at least twenty-four hours. These words rang in my mind later that week when I had a bullet ant crawling up my arm. I didn’t hesitate to brush it to the ground and stomp on it.

            #2: Before putting on your shoes, shake them out to make sure nothing has crawled inside. I definitely didn’t want to put my foot on something that would bite or sting. And, bigger animals than bugs can find their way inside a shoe. I made sure to shake my shoes out every single time, no exceptions.

            #3: Always sleep under a mosquito net. This was one rule that was taken very seriously in the rain forest. The mosquitoes were most active at night and could carry a variety of diseases, so mosquito nets were essential. We were also told to check the nets every night to make sure they didn’t have any holes. When one of my nets did have a hole in it, it was replaced immediately. I also appreciated the mosquito nets because they kept away more than just mosquitoes. Bats, spiders, and all manner of critters moved around at night. I felt much safer inside the confines of my net.

            #4: Don’t leave your toothbrush out or uncovered. At first I thought this was unusual, but then I learned why it was so important. Cockroaches love toothpaste. Leaving toothpaste and a toothbrush out in the open was a great way to attract them. Later in the trip when I had a two-inch cockroach on my shirt, I was really glad it wasn’t my toothbrush.

This is a large ficus tree. Yes, I did look before I touched it.

            #5: Before you get out of bed in the morning, check the floor to make sure it’s safe to put your feet down. This rule is similar to rules one and two. Putting feet down on a creature that could bite, sting, or pinch would be an unfortunate and painful mistake. So, the floor had to be checked every morning. I expanded this rule into an entire morning routine. Before I got up, I would shine my flashlight all around inside my mosquito net. I always slept with my flashlight inside the net because it was my only light source at night since we didn’t have any electricity. Anyway, then I would sit up and shine the light all around on the floor. I had flip flops right next to my bed, so once I was sure the coast was clear, I would come out of my mosquito net and put on my flip flops. I never once walked barefoot during the trip. I always had shoes on.

            #6: Keep luggage zipped and closed at all times. This rule was important unless you didn’t mind sharing suitcase space with a snake, spider, or bat. I have to admit, I struggled the most with this rule because living out of a suitcase was hard enough without having to keep it closed all the time. I guess I was lucky that a small creature didn’t find my luggage too attractive.

            #7: Keep your field pack fully stocked for every hike. This meant that we had to carry drinking water, our rain gear, and our journals. I also included my camera equipment, granola bars, and bug spray. I faithfully carried my rain gear on every hike, but we only needed it two times. My journal was completely waterproof, and that included the paper, too. The whole thing could get wet over and over again without ruining the pages or the writing. It was an amazing little notebook, but unfortunately, I never got to put it to the test because we hardly had any rain.

            When I look back on these rules now, they seem very obvious, and they make sense. At the time, however, they were just another part of my learning curve for surviving in the rain forest. At home I never had to worry about a cockroach on my toothbrush, but clearly, I wasn’t at home any longer.

Journey to the Amazon

The Amazon rain forest. Those simple words conjure up a variety of pictures in the mind. When I hear those words, I envision tall trees, animals everywhere, lush green foliage and a world far away from the one I experience everyday in west central Ohio. I see a place that is still an unexplored frontier. It’s a place where humans can visit, but never truly own. With all of these visions in my mind, I did not hesitate to seize an opportunity to visit this vast wonderland. Going to the Amazon rain forest would be my chance to experience a corner of the world not often traveled by the masses. It is a place that most people only dream of visiting.

            This Amazon opportunity presented itself in the form of a program called Earth Expeditions. Earth Expeditions is part of a larger program called Project Dragonfly, run by Miami University in conjunction with the Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Gardens. It offers educators the chance to travel to a natural habitat in remote corners of the world. Those locations include ones in Asia, Africa, Central and South America. Other aspects of the program include learning about conservation, community-based collaboration, and inquiry-based learning. More than just a trip, this program is an actual college course. There was work to be completed both before and after the trip. The final culminating project was an inquiry-based project that educators conducted in their own learning environments. The participants communicate with each other via a web-based learning community where all coursework is posted and discussed. While the group I was part of was comprised of Americans, the program is open to educators from around the world.

            My departure for the Amazon was in June 2010. I flew into Lima, Peru, and from there I headed to the eastern side of the country. My group, 19 other educators with whom I’d interacted on-line but never met, congregated in a small town called Puerto Maldonado, on the edge of the rain forest. The participants in this Amazon group came from Ohio, New York, California, Washington, Hawaii, and Idaho. We spanned a variety of ages, the youngest being 26 and the oldest being 55. Some of us were classroom teachers, while others worked at the university level.

Before leaving, I have to admit that I was nervous. I was getting ready to head into the rain forest with 19 other people that I didn't know. Traveling across the globe to meet up with complete strangers and then trek into the wild is a situation that's fairly unusual. I certainly felt it would test my ability to adapt and make friends quickly. Would I have the mettle? Fortunately, as I realized later, most of the people in the group were in the same exact situation. We all needed to make friends quickly. We all had to adapt. We all had to step out of our comfort zones. It helped that we were all educators, so we had that in common. Once I got to know my group members, I realized that these fears were all baseless.

As my plane circled Puerto Maldonado, I looked out the window. All I could see was a blanket of green…the rain forest. It was stretching out beneath me like a green carpet, just waiting to be explored. The excitement on the plane from the foreigners was palpable. We couldn’t wait to get out there.

The airport in Puerto Maldonado on the edge of the rain forest.

My first new sensation when I stepped off the plane was the humidity. It was like a smack in the face with a wet blanket. I was instantly sweating. Right away I was glad that I’d made an effort to pack clothes that were moisture-wicking. I knew I was going to need them. And, even though I thought convertible pants with zip off legs looked ridiculous, I could see that they were going to be very practical on this trip.

I quickly found out that air conditioning in this part of the world was a rare and exceptional treat. The airport was not air conditioned. In fact, it was fairly open-air. Inside the airport we already saw a few tropical birds flying around. The airport offered few creature comforts, but there was a place to buy a cold drink. Coca-Cola was my choice since I knew it might awhile before I consumed anything cold and caffeinated.

My group members were starting to assemble in the airport, and while we were waiting for everyone to arrive, I had the realization that I was on the threshold of the most unusual and unique experience I was likely to ever have in my life. It would be a week of new encounters, high adventure, and a journey into a place that most people will never see. It's the Amazon rain forest, and this was surely going to be my most thrilling experience yet.

The Road to Machu Picchu is an Adventurous One, Part 1

After about a week in the rain forest, the official class portion of the trip was over. However, I had decided a long time ago that I was going to stay and take an extra trip to Machu Picchu. Machu Picchu is the number one tourist destination in South America. I felt that it would be pointless to go all the way to Peru and not visit Machu Picchu. So, early on I had made the plans to travel to Cusco and then to Machu Picchu. Originally, I thought I was going to be doing this alone, but a few of the other gals from the group also decided to go to Machu Picchu, so I had some company. This was fine with me, and it definitely made my husband feel better since he knew I wouldn't be by myself.

The airport in Puerto Maldonado is pretty basic.
No Starbucks here!

Most travelers to Machu Picchu go to the city of Cusco first. From there, it is a train ride to the town of Aguas Calientes, which sits at the base of the mountain Machu Picchu. This trip seemed so easy and simple, but back in February 2010 there had been a landslide that took out part of the train tracks to Machu Picchu. Even though it was July, that landslide still affected our entire trip to Machu Picchu, and made it much more of an adventure than I originally thought it would be.

Getting to Cusco from Puerto Maldonado was no problem. It's a simple plane ride from one city to the next. Surprise! It was only 60 degrees in Cusco. What a shock to the system after spending a week in the humid rain forest. Thankfully, I had a sweatshirt with me. I wore it the entire time I was in Cusco and Machu Picchu. I also bought a hat and gloves made from Alpaca fur.

It was a welcome relief to get to the hotel in Cusco...Hotel Marqueses. I had a suitcase full of stinky rain forest clothes, and I felt grimy from a week of rain forest sweat. I definitely wanted some creature comforts. The hotel was able to wash my dirty clothes with just a few hours' turn around time, and the hot shower was a blessing. A nice meal with entertainment and a warm bed topped off that wonderful first day. Ah, it's the little things in life that make such a difference.

Waiting for the bus to take us to the train.

The next day we were off on the trek to Machu Picchu. We were booked on a tour of the Sacred Valley first (which I will describe in more detail on a future post). By mid-afternoon we were in the town of Ollantaytambo waiting to catch the train to Aguas Calientes. Because of the interruption in train service, we actually were waiting on a bus that took us to the train. We felt confused during this wait because we didn't speak Spanish, and we were at the mercy of anyone who could translate for us.

The bus ride to the train station was interesting. It was on a one-way road, and we spent part of the trip sitting in a traffic jam. Finally, we got moving, and then we were flying! It's a miracle that we weren't in a wreck. The river was on the left side of the road, and it was a pretty good drop-off from the road down to the river. One wrong move, and we would've been dead! This was not for the faint of heart, for sure.

Waiting for the train

When we finally got to the train station, there was more waiting. It was fun, but in an awkward kind of way. Again, we had the confusion of not knowing what was going on. The representatives from Peru Rail mostly seemed to be bilingual, and so we kept asking and asking where we were supposed to be and what was going on. A few times we just followed the crowd and hoped we were headed in the right direction. This was how we got down to the train platform. Then, we stood there and watched as they put the train together right there on the tracks at the station. Peruvian efficiency?

After all this waiting, we got on the train to Aguas Calientes. This was the "Backpacker Express" train, and it was the cheaper train. It was filled with young people and some families. We were seated across from a young man from Spain who was doing some traveling before heading to a new job in New York City, and an American missionary from Belize whose family was on a vacation to Machu Picchu. His wife and daughters were across the aisle. We chatted with them a little bit. This was a pretty slow moving train, so we had plenty of time to talk, sleep, read, and take in the general atmosphere. Unfortunately, it was dark outside, so we didn't get to see any scenery.

Finally! Here comes the train. Oh wait, they have to put it together.

When we arrived in Aguas Calientes, it was midnight. We hadn't had dinner, and we were starving! We were staying at a hostel, and they had food ready for us when we got there. It was delicious and exactly what we needed. The rooms at the hostel were basic, but clean. We hit the showers and then the beds to rest up for our exciting day at Machu Picchu. The wake up call was coming at 4:00 a.m. Ay, yi, yi!

The Great Kapok Tree

Standing at the base of a Kapok tree

Just like in the famous children's book The Great Kapok Tree by Lynne Cherry, I was able to see an actual Kapok tree in the rain forest. It was huge! Here I am standing next to it. It reaches so high into the sky, the top of it can barely be seen from down on the ground. It was an amazing tree..

Not Just Animals in the Rain Forest

The Amazon 2010 Group and friends at CECCOT

Before I left home for this rain forest adventure, I was a little nervous. I was getting ready to head into the jungle with 19 other people that I didn't know. Traveling across the globe to meet up with complete strangers and then trek into the wild is a situation that's fairly unusual. I certainly felt it would test my ability to adapt and make friends quickly. Would I have the mettle? Even as an adult, I always have the fear that no one will like me and no one will want to be my friend. It's amazing how some of those schoolyard insecurities hang around. Fortunately, on this trip, they were fears that were completely unfounded because most of the people in the group found ourselves in the same exact situation. We all needed to make friends quickly. We all had to adapt. We all had to step out of our comfort zones a little bit. It helped that we were all educators, so we at least had one thing in common. I think this was a good exercise for me. It stretched me, made me grow.


What's interesting about teachers is that we tend to be slightly obnoxious at times. Most teachers are take-charge kind of people. We're used to being in control and giving orders. We like to talk. It can be hard for a group of teachers to acquiesce to another authority. However, in this group, we did, and it worked amazingly well. We got along great, we got along well with our leaders, and everyone seemed focused on the common goals of learning and growing. As a group, we were a well-oiled machine, and that's saying something.

I am grateful to the people on this trip who spent time with me, got to know me, and even tolerated some of my quirks (like my fear of bats). I never would've survived without my "bat buddies" who shielded me from the winged beasties. I enjoyed the conversations we all had about school, life, and the awesomeness of the experience we were having. Traveling is great, seeing the world is awesome, but it's even better when surrounded by people who make it memorable. The people on this trip helped to make it memorable for me, and for that, I am truly thankful.