Catching and eating piranhas, getting to see pink dolphins in real life and having a monkey deftly attempt to pickpocket me are just a few of the things that made my trip to Peru such a great one.
Despite long airport layovers and missed flights, this was the best trip I have ever been on. I have returned exhausted, and my knees and feet hurt from all of the walking, but I would not have missed this for the world.
I decided last year to tag along on an Education First tour to the Amazon and began making plans and payments. The tours are comparably affordable and can be paid over time with no interest.
Thanks to American Airlines causing us to miss our flight from Dallas to Miami by 10 minutes, I missed my day touring Lima, which was disappointing.
But the next day began a most memorable trip. There was a group of 16 of us from Mississippi, Nebraska and Texas. The group itself made the trip a success as well as other factors. My roommate, Christina Gill, of San Antonio will remain my lifetime friend. The students, who ranged from 14 to 19, were all respectful and eager to learn.
We flew from Lima to a town on the Amazon River called Iquitos. Iquitos is large and is the most northern city in Peru. We took a boat from there to our lodge. We began in a tributary of the Amazon, and you could tell exactly when you entered the Amazon River because it was brown and the tributaries were almost black in color.
The lodge was a beautiful place where parakeets just flew from tree to tree squawking and all sorts of creatures roamed.
We had no air conditioning and no hot water, which we were expecting. We were also expecting heat, humidity, mosquitos and rain. It was hot and humid, and there were mosquitos. I would argue that Mississippi is worse on all counts. Perhaps it is because of the shade from the trees and the fact that the area is not full of concrete and pavement. It's called the rainforest, but it only rained on us a few times for less than 5 minutes each time. It was gloriously beautiful.
We were not expecting a visit to our room from a venomous wandering spider the size of my palm. The spider was humanely relocated by our guides.
We went on boat rides and hikes daily to look for wildlife. We were able to see sloths and monkeys in the trees, lizards and snakes, spiders and more birds than you could imagine, including three scarlet macaws in flight. That is rare because they are decreasing in numbers due to illegal animal trading, poaching and dwindling habitat. This is a sad truth about most of the animals in the area, as well as around the world. We saw the pink river dolphins. They live in freshwater, and many of them are a true beautiful pink color.
We fished for piranhas from the boat with short cane poles. We took what we caught, and lodge staff cleaned and cooked them for delicious dinners. They were not at all fishy and had a smoky flavor. Piranhas do have sharp teeth but do not generally attack people. Hollywood has vilified the fish species, as it has the anacondas. The most dangerous fish in the Amazon is actually a catfish species, and the most dangerous snake is called a bushmaster.
The food throughout the trip was fresh and light. We had fresh fruit and juices. We had a variety of fish and daily soups and salads. They turned corn into some dishes you would not believe were corn. They have a liquor called pisco, which was their failed attempt at wine making turned liquor success.
We visited a Yagua Village and got to see traditional dances and blow gun demonstrations. The children were beautiful. The young girls painted our faces to welcome us. Not only do visitors need to learn to conserve the rainforest, but so do the local villagers. They are hunters of the animals and had a baby sloth as a pet. There was a dilemma with our group and guides about whether the educational and experiential value of being able to hold a baby sloth outweighed the negative impact on that animal and on the species.
Our second lodging experience after three nights included air and hot water, as well as a swimming pool.
A highlight of the trip was a walk on the Inkateera Canopy Walkway. It is the longest in South America and one of the longest in the world at a quarter mile. It is 98 feet above the ground and has 14 segments of bridge. I have knee issues, and this walk was difficult for me, but I was so proud of myself for finishing it. I slipped once and the guide, Roldan, rescued me as he stayed by my side the entire way. Roldan told me I could go back, but I was determined.
A shaman, or medicine man, showed us how many plants are used in the rainforest for healing. These rainforest plants are used in many western medicines. He showed us the ceremony performed when locals drink the hallucinogen, ayahuasca, and talked of how it should not be done without a trained shaman present.
I got to release a butterfly at a butterfly farm. Watching that creature go off into freedom for the first time made me feel something indescribable. The butterfly farm, as well as the Explorama Lodges, are just opening back up after being closed for Covid. We were one of the first groups to return to the area. Many of the staff got to see their friends for the first time in two years.
We went to a place called Monkey Island where they rehabilitate monkeys that have been injured. Many had been shot or lost their parents. Some are released into the wild. Many cannot ever be. This once again brought up the question of domesticating wild animals or letting them be wild. We went to a manatee rehab center as well where they allowed no human contact with the animals other than feeding and where they release the animals back into the wild.
The trip ended with a visit to the Paracas National Reserve, the Moron Oasis and the Ballestas Islands. These areas are located on the Pacific Ocean. Pictures do not do them justice. We got to see Humboldt penguins, and I got to see a blue-footed booby, which has been one of my life goals. One of the small rock islands had more than 1 million birds on it, including cormorants.
I did not want to come home. I wanted to stay in this peaceful place with these kind people eating this wonderful food. But, I am back. I will strive to make some changes in my life based on my experiences and will hope to teach others about the importance of the Amazon Rainforest.
