We booked a 9 day tour with gap adventures, 3 days on a boat cruze and 3 on Isabella island. We thought having a little mix would enable us to really see what the golapagos was like. It was truly amazing, being surrounded by so much wildlife and being able to get so close, it’s a truly unique and magical place. As I am unable to upload photos at the moment I am going to keep this short and try to talk about some of my personal highlights, obviously upon my return to UK I will be adding tons of pictures.

Swimming with sea lions is was great fun. I had the opportunity to do it twice, the first time in deep water next to a small island just off of Española and the second time was at the dock of Isabella island. In the deep water the sea lions tended to keep their distance. While we where snorkelling around the docks the water was very shallow and all the sea lions where younger and a little more playful. They would lye on the surface of the water and float towards you, as yet got close (within 10cm) they would dart to one side or under you. It was great fun an something I don’t think I could ever get board of.

Climbing Sierra Negra on Isabella the largest island in the Galapagos was a real eye opener from a mother nature point of view. From Puerto Villamil we drove around 45 minutes and then walked gently for around 1.30 hours to reach the crater of the volcano. The most recent eruption of the main volcano was back in 2006 and the inside is black and arid. We then walked a little further to see some parasitic volcanoes (smaller volcanoes which feed from the main lava canal) and had a nice view over Elizabeth Bay. The most recent eruption in this area was 1979 and it was great to see the contrast between old and new lava flows as well as the vast differences in vegetation. What was really surprising to me was the time line of all these varying events, your talking millions and 10s of millions of years, puts it all into perspective abit.

Interesting Fact: The Galapagos islands are on a hotspots in the earths crust and are moving 6cm a year towards South America and will eventually disappear underneath the Andes. The Galapagos islands are around 1000km from the coat of Ecuador, I will let you do the maths on how long it will take!

The other thing that really struck me was the people. Everyone was supper chilled out, willing to help, friendly and the whole place felt really safe. Staying on Isabella really gave you a chance to soak up a bit of the local vibe, shame we could not have hung out a bit more really.

As a picture speaks a thousand words I’m gonna leave it their for now. If you ever have the chance or think you might like to go to the Galapagos islands, GO, it’s a magical place and you won’t be disappointed!

Related posts:

1. Ecuador, Columbia, Ecuador, no wait…… Columbia
2. An email Home, La Paz to Cusco
3. The Traveller

Walking around Cuenca, Ecuador

You can easily spend a day walking around the old colonial centre of Cuenca. The architecture has endless details which keep you engaged for hours. Thousands maybe even millions of small bricks with large almost marble like pillars around huge doorways make the cathedral one of the most breathtaking I have seen on my travels so far. Small squares with busy market stalls are dotted all over and their are at least two impressive markets for fruit and veg all within walking distance of the centre. We found the busses around Cuenca are easy to use and cost $0.25 per trip, you need exact change.

On our last day in Cuenca we took a walk along the river to the edge of the national park in search of a vegetarian restaurant that had been recommended. The buildings along the river stand tall, some are well kept or more modern while others are run down and have great character and charm. As you walk further towards the national park the buildings and architecture become less unique but I always find it interesting to see the moderner and perhaps more commercial areas of any city, it almost tells a story. After walking for an hour and searching for a further 30 mins we could not find the restaurant so hopped on a bus and went in the general direction of the centre, we got of the bus at San Blas church and wam, veggie restaurant bang in from of us, always the way!!

Hot sulphur springs, Baños, Nr Cuenca

The hot springs at Baños are well worth a visit, I felt so relaxed for the rest of the day. City Busses travel across Cuenca from the main terminal en route to Baños, we caught the bus from outside the university on the river. Baños is around a 15 to 20 minute ride from Cuenca. We visited the hot baths at Hosteria Duran which is clearly marked as you enter Baños. Duran has 2 large pools at different temperatures with a very warm pool attached to one and a separate pool with some slides (never to old), unfortunately we where unable to use this as the water was way too hot. There is also a spectacular blue an white church at the top of the village which is worth a visit.

Is all of Equador like this?

I’m sure its not the whole of Ecuador but in Cuenca the contrast of the people is amazing. It’s not like the rich (I use the term rich loosely) poor divide like I saw in Bolivia and parts of Peru, it’s more traditional verses modern. Traditionally dressed women walk the streets alongside business men/woman wearing suits carrying blackberrys. In one of the markets yesterday we whatched some students perform modern abstract dance routines followed by another group performing traditional Ecuadorian dances. Traditional colonial buildings now house modern offices, shops and bars. I have never seen anything quite like it, I’m excited to see what the rest of Equador has in store.

Related posts:

1. The small colonial town of Paraty
2. Ecuador, Columbia, Ecuador, no wait…… Columbia
3. Vilcabamba, a magic place in Southern Equador.

Firstly, having spent a large amount of time in Iquitos volunteering we did not really get the opportunity to experience the jungle the way that we would have liked. I think we would both like to have have a jungle experience that is a little more raw than what we had in Iquitos. Also while in Iquitos we found out allot about Iowaska healing ceremonies, something that myself and Kat feel we would like to experience and give all the time that it requires. We met a couple in iquitos who where planning to spend a week their, by chance we saw them 2 weeks later and they where planning on staying a month in total. It’s very easy to be part of a ceremony in Iquitos but I am having a few problems trying to sort one out for Ecuador, I’ll keep ya posted.

Secondly, their is just so much to do in Ecuador. We will have been here a week when we depart for the Golapagos islands and then have a further week if we follow our original plan. Its just not enough time, it would be great to head out to the coast, hike some volcanoes (preferably not the one which is erupting outside Banos) and see some more of the south.

Thirdly, Columbia is a big place with loads to do too…. We are flying out of Quito in Ecuador so would have to do a loop involving either a flight or expensive and long bus trip one of the ways. Also the things that i would really like to do in Columbia all take a bit of time. Hike to the lost city and chill out in the Carabeian coast, OK, so the later does not need to take a week but it would be a much better experience if it was.

So when this posts I will be enjoying the Galapagos islands not really worrying about it all. Why, things rarely go to plan, i can always change my mind and perhaps most importantly if you embrace travel their are no wrong decisions. It’s our trip and we can do what we like, I just wanted to share my current thoughts, maybe it will help!

Related posts:

1. Vilcabamba, a magic place in Southern Equador.
2. Peru to Ecuador, Boarder at La Balsa
3. Swimming with Sea Lions in the Galapagos

We spent a few days in cusco before the inca trail. Supposedly relaxing and resting but as per usual we ended up walking around for miles and miles. The historic centre of cusco is really nice. It feels like it’s just a small town within a city. The only let down is that you cannot walk two steps in the centre without being hassled by someone to buy something. Obviously I understand they are just doing their jobs but after 4 days of it, it was driving me nuts! We had a guy selling paintings which Luke showed some interest in so he followed us for about an hour.  He even sat outside a cafe and waited for us. We also had the best chocolate cake ever in cusco…yum!

Luckily the first day of our trip was mostly a bus ride with just a few hours of walking so the legs got a little reprieve. We briefly visited a rescue centre in the morning and we saw lots of animals. It was only small and family run so all the animals looked happy and healthy with nicely kept enclosures. The deer were a little overweight though. You can take the vet nurse to south america but it’s hard for the vet nurse to switch off when it comes to animal welfare! We went into the condor enclosure which was pretty scary, they are huge! We also saw pumas which made me very happy. I had a brilliant photo opportunity when the male walked right infront of me, after everybody else had moved on, only I had my camera zoomed right in and managed to cut his head off…oops!

Later we visited the sacred valley and some inca ruins. I didn’t really learn anything because I was too busy concentrating on staying sane whilst being told what to do ever 5 minutes and following our guide around like a sheep, with the 15 other people on our tour. All I remember the guide saying was that the Spanish came and destroyed everything and that nobody ever gives the pre inca civilisations enough consideration. He was very passionate about inca and pre inca traditions.

Over the course of the inca trail we learnt a little about pre inca and inca traditions. They worship the mountains. At the beginning of the inca trail we each made an offering of coco leaves to the mountains asking them to keep us safe. At the end of the trail we also gave an offering of rum to say thank you. Our guide told us stories about people being negative and cursing the mountains or the inca trail and later becoming injured. Personally I think it’s all part of the experience respecting the local traditions.

The next day we started our 46km hike to macchu picchu. I hadnt really given the days Leading up to macchu picchu much thought previously and was pleasantly surprised by the scenery along the way. The first day we walked as a group at a very leisurely pace, it was mostly flat and fairly easy going. I think we walked about 17km. We passed a few ruins and our guide explained the uses of plants as we passed them. We had lunch by a river. The porters had set up two tents, one to cook in and the other with a table and chairs for us. We had juice, tea and a three course meal. Then we had a seista before another two hours of walking.

The porters amazed me everyday! They each carry 25-30kg including all of our clothes, tents, sleeping bags and food. We had 22 porters for the 16 of us including two chefs. After each breakfast and lunch they packed everything up and then had to get to the next stop and set everything up before we got there. They flew passed us wearing only sandals and carrying all of that stuff. It was impressive enough even on the first day when it was mostly flat but no matter what the gradient or the terrain they were always overtaking us. Its hard enough just walking the trail let alone running it at altitude, carrying a big bag and doing it week after week. They get paid 177 soles (about £40) for the 3 days of work.

The second day was the most challenging. We got woken up with coffee in our tents at 5.30am, had breakfast and set off at 7am. It was uphill all morning. Over 8km we climbed 1200 meters. We had one guide at the front and one at the back and had soon split into two groups. Our group got to the 2 hour rest point in an hour. In the secod phase it got a bit more steep, we over took the guide and made it up the millions of steps to the next rest point in about 50 minutes. We stopped for some soup and then continued up to dead womens pass.

That next 45 minutes/500m climb was the most challenging and satisfying thing I have ever done. I walked on my own. I wanted some timeout and I couldn’t be bothered with everyone else stopping to catch their breath, it’s just harder to get going again. I think I had my competitive head on too. I just paced myself, cranked my iPod up and marched on. It was the most challenging walk I have ever done, physically and mentally. I didn’t doubt that I could do it for one moment. It felt like such a massive achievement when i reached the top. As excited as I was I soon got cold waiting for Luke. He was taking a far more leisurely approach to the whole affair so I headed down to camp. The down was worse than up. I walked with the ex ice hockey player and his wife and talked dogs.

The third day was a mixture of uphill, flat and down 3000 steps in the afternoon. It was also the most beautiful day through cloud forest. We couldn’t see very far due to the cloud but we could see all if the vegetation around us, bamboos, really cool looking trees and some new breed of mini orchids. Up until about midday that day it had been dry but cloudy so perfect walking conditions, then the heavens opened and it poured down for about an hour. By the time we had finished lunch it had stopped and we began our decent. Oh before that our chef presented us with a huge, freshly baked cake. No idea how managed to bake a cake with only gas rings, up a mountain but it was delicious!

The next day we had another early start to get in the que for the check point that opened at 5.30am. We were through shortly after that and a few of us, despite being shattered really pushed ourselves to get to the sungate, to see macchu picchu at sunrise. We got there at 6.20am but couldn’t see more than a few meters due to cloud. We must have got to macchu picchu just after 7.30am. You could just make out some of the ruins nearby, then gradually it cleared and revelaed the city and the surrounding mountains. It was even bigger and more beautiful than I ever imagined it to be. We spent the next hour just sitting, taking it all in and taking photos. Later our guide gave us a tour. Its astonishing how they managed to get those massive stones there in the first place let alone piece each one together so they fit like a jigsaw puzzle. Again its so hard to put into words the beauty of the place. I’m sorry to say that it’s just one of those places you have to see for yourself to really appreciate it.

They are currently in the process of designing and constructing a cable car over the ruins. In a couple of years it will not be possible to walk around, only to view the city from the cable car. They are doing this in order to better preserve the ruins and righltly so. The fact that in the future people won’t be able to experience macchu picchu as we did just makes me feel even more lucky.

Sorry there is slight delay with this email as last week I enrolled myself into a spanish language school and we have just been on another 3 day hike (email to follow).

X

Related posts:

1. An email Home, La Paz to Cusco
2. Bolivia so Far ….
3. Puerto Iguazu and Foz do Iguacu

Rumi Wilko is around 10 minute walk put of town and is clearly signposted. The owners have created a nature reserve on their land and have cabins along the river and shared rooms which where basic but adorable. Within the reserve their are a number of walks of up to two hours, we went out for a walk in the afternoon. Some of the paths where a little overgrown and their where a huge number of spiders which was kinda good to take some pictures but not so good for the nerves, both myself and Kat are not the best with spiders, it was worse than being in the jungle!!

The next morning adopted a leisurely pace, it was nice to get the travel vibe back after our volunteering in Iquitos. After lunch we went out for a ride, on the edge of Parque National Podocarpus, the area around Vilcabumba is stunning. When it comes to riding my arse can only take a couple of hours so we decided not to head the the near by waterfalls (4 hour round trip) but to ride around Vilcabumba. The veiw’s over the town and surrounding area where well worth the pain the next day.

Although short, I enjoyed my time Vilcabumba, the supper relaxed atmosphere at the hostel and the like minded people who are passing/resident just made it for me. It’s changing though, land is cheap and the current president of Ecuador is investing in the countryside in an effort to boost tourism. I’m not saying this is a bad thing for the area and certainly not Ecuador as a whole, I just hope it retains some of the magic I feel it has…

Related posts:

1. Peru to Ecuador, Boarder at La Balsa
2. Foz/Puerto Iguassu (Iguazu)
3. 48 hours of change, The journey from Peru to Ecuador

Tarapoto to Jaen, Peru

We caught the bus direct with the Fernandez bus company, ask moto taxi to take you to Terminal Morales in Tarapoto. The bus passes through Pedro Ruiz, so if you wanted to get to Equador from Chachapoyas it would be no problem, moto taxi’s go from one block past the market in Chachapoyas to Pedro Ruiz. The bus from Tarapoto to Jaen took us 10 hours and cost 40 Soles.

Jaen to San Ignacio, Peru

Our bus arrived at 3 in the morning and we where able to stay at the bus depot until 5 when the town woke up. From terminal in Jaen we asked moto taxi to take us to combi’s for San Ignacio. The combi from Jaen to San Ignacio took 2 hours and cost us 12 soles.

San Ignacio to La Balsa, Border with Ecuador

In San Ignacio if you walk towards town and take a right going steep uphill. Ask taxi’s for a shared to La Balsa. You can also get a shared taxi from here to Namballe which is 15 minutes from the boarded. We where able to go direct to La Balsa so was easier but when we passed through Namballe their where plenty of moto taxi’s kicking around who would take you to the boarder. From San Ignacio to Peru/Ecuador boarder at La Balsa took around one and a half hours and cost us 12 Soles.

La Balsa to Zumba, Ecuador

Although our guide book said that their where taxi’s from La Balsa to Zumba the only way that we could see to get to Zumba was by Rancha or Open sided lorry. From our understand these left Zumba at 12.30, 2.00 and 5.00 in the afternoon taking around one and a half hours and costing $1.75.

Zumba to Vilcabamba, Ecuador

Busses are fairly frequent throughout the day, you want a bus destined for Loja and get off early. If you get the 12.30 Rancha from La Balsa you will be lucky to make the 2 o’clock bus but their is another at 4 and plenty in the evening. (They also run in the morning) It was sherry hard to find out exactly how long the bus would take to get to Vilcabamba, we herd anything from 3 to 5, it actually took us 6 and cost us $6.5. I think the time it takes is very dependant on weather and what condition the road is in.

If you are short of time or do not wish to visit Vilcabamba the bus will continue on for around another hour to Loja. Please note that I did this journey in dry season, I have read in Lonley planet that it can be difficult when wet and I noticed that the road from the boarder in Ecuador is unpaved and very bumpy.

I hope this has been informative and please feel free to comment especially if you are doing this in reverse or wet season?!

Related posts:

1. 48 hours of change, The journey from Peru to Ecuador
2. Catching the boat from Yurimaguas to Iquitos, Peru
3. People from Mazan, northern Peru’s Amazon jungle

43 hours ago we ha arrived at a local bar in Iquitos to grab something to eat and for a drink to celebrate completing 2 weeks volunteering for amazon cares. Not wanting to stay out late due to our long days of travelling ahead we tried to only stay for a couple of drinks. Finally hitting the pillow at 4 in the morning we where grossly unsuccessful.

36 hours ago we said our farewells to all but one of the other volunteers we have been working with for the last 2 weeks. As we drove to the Airport we reflected briefly on how it had felt like a lifetime ago that we had arrived in Iquitos. Meeting new friends and sharing hard times, frustrating situations, moments of laughter and hopelessness have made it an emotionally draining couple of weeks I will never forget.

29 hours ago we arrived at Tarapoto, as I stood alone waiting for the luggage I felt strangely at home. It’s amazing to experience a place like Iquitos and the surrounding jungle communities then jump on a plane and go through the same familiar processes you have done time an time again, check in, security, take off, land and wait for luggage. I suppose it was just another one of those realisations, where I am, what I’m doing and where I’m heading next.

24 hours ago the sun was setting as I sat on a cramped bus heading for Jaen. Knowing that when I arrived I would be at altitude again and in completly different surroundings heading for Equador, hopefully arriving the following night. I took a moment to recap the border crossing from Peru to Equador at La Basa in the guide, feeling a little confused, aperhansive and tons excited I tried to get some sleep on a bus that seemed to stop every hour, not ideal on an 11 hour journey.

Arriving at Jaen at 3 in the morning (15 hours ago) after a broken nights sleep we waited in the bus depot for a couple of hours until the town woke up. At 5 after in-listing the help of a random Peruvian we jumped on a moto taxi to get a combi heading towards San Ignacio. As I sat with my knees round my neck, head bobbing I watched as the scenery passed us by. The rolling hills reminded me of the south of Spain only the olive trees and brown dry earth where replaced with patches of lush green vegetation and grassland.

6 hours ago we arrived at the border to Ecuador after another 2 hour taxi with number of passengers ranging from 4 to 8, as you can imagine 8 was a little cramped. My brain thought of little during this part of the trip. On crossing the border we had a 2 hour wait for a truck to take us to Zumba. Amazingly and to the surprise of kat and 3 other travellers we had met at the border I managed to sleep on the rickety old open sided truck with planks for a seat and back rest.

Around 2 hours ago after missing one bus we finally got the bus I am currently on (at time of writing) heading for Vilcabamba. When i think about where i have come from in the last 48 hours it’s hard to comprehend. I have flown in a plane, rode in an open sided truck, caught 2 taxi’s and had 4 moto taxi experiences. I have reflected, got excited and now just want this journey to be over. Hungry, cramped and somehow sun burned I am exhausted and hopping that finding a hostel is going to be a smooth process.

Travel is cool, ain’t it!!!

Related posts:

1. Peru to Ecuador, Boarder at La Balsa
2. Catching the boat from Yurimaguas to Iquitos, Peru
3. Pantanal and Bonito

We finally arrived in la Paz after a bus trip which ended up being 23 hours instead of 10. We spent a couple of days exploring la paz. We had booked a tour of the worlds most dangerous road on the Saturday. We got to the office at 7.15am as arranged. We waited and waited and
nobody arrived. All sorts of things were going through our heads about it being a scam. Finally the other couple gave up hope and left at 8.45 so we thought we would go too. When they finally opened the office at about 11am we were waiting for them. The had 650 Bolivianos of our money! It turns out that our guide had a bike accident in the way to meet us. Probably a good thing he never made it to work. If he can’t ride his bike to work how is he going to make it down the worlds most dangerous road?! It rained all day anyway so we wouldn’t have been able to enjoy the views.

We managed to get our money back so I treated myself to a £2.80 haircut. I managed to communicate with the hairdresser completely in Spanish and it turned out ok. I did keep telling her only to cut a little. We ambled around the markets. They have  whole streets designated to certain products. You can by absolutely anything from footballs to industrial sized cookers. There was an entire street where they were selling second hand/stolen items. We walked through the witches Market where they sell random things including llama foetuses, which are just hanging along the street. In the evening Luke treated himself to one of the best steaks he has ever tasted. Whatever I had didn’t agree with me and I spent the next 36 hours in bed.

On Monday we travelled to copacabana. We got the boat straight to the island of the sun on lake titicaca. The lake is so big its like being on the sea. When we got off the boat there were about 20 boys all offering to guide us to a hostel or carry our bags. We said no as we had a hostel booked but one of them followed us all the way offering us hostels where he obviously got commission. He didn’t look too happy when we walked into our hostel where he obviously didn’t get commission. The hostel had showers but they had to carry the water the 1km up a steep hill from the lake so we decided to go without because we felt sorry for them. Crazy that they don’t have mains water but they do have Internet cafes?!

On Wednesday I got my results and am now a fully qualified canine behaviourist!!! I was bouncing off the walls! Unfortunately I only checked 30 minutes before getting on a three hour bus which wasn’t ideal. I danced along to my iPod all of the way, poking Luke every five minutes to remind him.

Everyone we had met previously had raved about Bolivia. I wasnt sure if that was just because it is cheap meaning everybody can spend money freely and have a good time. Now I have experienced it I know that’s not necessarily the case. Bolivia is such a beautiful place and the scenery is so diverse. The people are lovely, if not a little crazy. It’s also been amazing to see how the people live, how poor and desperate many of them are. The children working from such a young age. We were served in a shop by a boy who was in sole charge and must have only been 7 or 8 years old. There traditional outfits warn by so many are also stunning. I was very sad to leave Bolivia but moving on to Peru…

On Thursday we went on a tour of the islands around puno. We visited the floating islands which was ok but all put on for tourists plus I felt like I was back at school being told what to do every five minutes. I’m not the best at being told what to do as most of you know but I managed to survive the morning without having any strops. It was quite interesting. The islands are made out of reeds which they have to add to every month so that they don’t sink. They have to lift up their houses (also made out of reeds) and lay a bed  of reeds under them too. The islands usually last about eight years and then they have to make a new one.

Then we went to Isla amantani were we were met by a family who we spent the night with. It was amazing! They had two children liz aged eight and a little boy, eddison, aged three…so cute! Luke played a very basic game if football with eddison and even a three year old didn’t make him look good. Their house was basic to say the least. They had a small shop, their own room and our room upstairs. Downstairs were just storage sheds and a kitchen that consisted of a wood fire for cooking, table and chairs. They only had one tap and that was outside. The food was really good tho. Awesome soups! We had some interesting conversations in spanish with long pauses while we looked up words in the phrasebook. They were a little concerned when I asked where the nearest hospital was but then couldn’t explain that I was fine I was just interested to know. In the evening they dressed us up in their traditional clothes and took us to a fiesta (picture attached). They demonstrated traditional dances and then we had a go. It was great fun!

The next day we went to Isla tranquille which is famous for it’s textiles. We visited the Market and had trout from the lake for lunch. The people on the island wear different clothes that tell you things about them. The women wear red sweaters If they are married and paler colours if not. They have shawls with pompoms which they add to every year so the bigger the pompoms the older they are. The men do all of the knitting and have to prove they are worthy of marrying the women by having a water tight, knitted hat. They have to live together for one year before getting married, like a trial run. The women grow their hair for that year and at the end get it cut off to make a strong belt for their husbands to protect their backs. The gene pool
on the island is so small that they are going to the mainland to seek partners and those partners are not willing to take part in their traditions so they are dying out.

We are now in cusco and i know I say this about everywhere we go but this place is lovely. The people on the markets seem equally as desperate as those in Bolivia. There are loads of little cobbled streets with little shops. The plan is to relax for a couple of days, maybe a little shopping, find some decent coffee and re charge the batteries before the inca trail.

That’s all for now folks,

Chao x

Related posts:

1. An Email Home, Cusco and the Inca Trail
2. Bolivia so Far ….
3. Swimming with Sea Lions in the Galapagos

We are in a small village called Mazan about a 15 minute moto taxi ride from Indian which is 39km down river from Iquitos. Around 10 years ago the population was around 1000, today the population is between 5 and 7 thousand. The main reason for such rapid growth is the construction of a road from the Iquitos to Indiana. The road from Indian to Mazan is a 10/12 ft concreate pathways through what would have been lush jungle and is now has skattered rubish dumps, wooden houses and patches of cleared jungle for cultivating crops and rearing animals.

From what I gather Mazans inhabitants are of mixed origin or mestizo’s as they are known locally. Allot of people have moved away from one of the 45 tribes that inhabit Peru’s northern jungle in search of a better life. They are not in search of extravagant things, schools for the children, trained doctors and a market to buy and sell produce are what they perceive as vast improvements on their previous tribal lives, all of which I can understand.

For many of these people looking to escape the tribal communities of the amazon jungle, Mazan is no where near end of line. From Mazan people want to get to Iquitos, the expensive jungle city is the steppingstone to bigger and better in the capital, Lima. From their these isolated people believe can achieve anything. Is it even possible for them to make it to Lima, for a few maybe, but as the lucky few have the opportunity to move out they take their money with them. Meaning the people in Mazan and other villages are left fighting for survival, a cycle of life that is by no means unique to the communities of the northern Peruvian Amazon I’m sure.

Is this really how it is? Who knows, the guide seems to think so and to me it seems plausible but without actually talking to the people I can’t be sure. We also talked about the impact of the people on surrounding jungle, really quite frightening….

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1. Hanging out in the Amazon Jungle
2. Treating dogs in amazon communities
3. Conflicted in the Amazon Jungle

For the past 4 nights myself and the rest of the AmazonCares Volunteers have been staying in what i would call more than adequate accommodation. Arriving at Ceiba Tops you immediately realise that it is on another level. Air con, hot running water, concrete path ways, Jacuzzi and pool are a dead give away. As we got off the boat to take a shortcut overland between the river Napo and Amazon one of the other volunteers was obviously looking forward to our new accommodation said “i’m waiting for a moto taxi to take me to heaven” made me smile. Its not that I think that this is over the top or don’t understand why this place exists (I work in hospitality, i know how it works), its just not how i imagined my time in the Amazon jungle to be. All this being said I will be making the most of this little treat, I just cant help but feel its maybe a little over the top!

I think the main reason i have had an overwhelming erge to share this is due to what we have have been doing over the last few days. Working in one of the worlds most remote area’s you soon realise how much you have and more pioniantly how much others do not have. Being with people who are not travelling for an exstended period of time has been like a little reminder of what I am used too and what i have seen on a day to day basis while travelling around South America.

Today we visited another remote village called Urco Murano in the amazon, once we where set up i assisted Kat for a moment just to help the pre-med the first couple of dogs. I then went and observed and took some pictures of a talk that Bruno from Amazon Cares was giving to the school children in the village. Given that I had plenty of opportunities to take pictures of people i spent most of what was left of the day taking pictures of them, I’m not to good at taking pictures of people so I was pleased to have some practice. You can see them dotted around this post. In the afternoon we also had the chance to try a local fruit called Goyaba Brazilera which is about the size off an orange with the texture of a mango, patrick offered up a great description of its flavour ‘it’s citrus without being citrus’, classic….

Related posts:

1. People from Mazan, northern Peru’s Amazon jungle
2. Treating dogs in amazon communities
3. Helping dogs as a Volunteer in Iquitos, Peru