In the Jungle... - Exploring the Modern Day Pangaea

October 29, 2004

In the Jungle...

No time to rest, I arrived back into Cusco around 7pm on tuesday night and had to do laundry and repack my bags for our next trip, into the Amazon Jungle! The Amazon is an enormous jungle that spreads across vast parts of Columbia, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia and Venezuela. The part of the Amazon that I went to was in the southwest corner of Peru, near Bolivia, along the Rio Madre de Dios. The same seven of us that hiked the Inca Trail flew to Puerto Maldonado and boarded the canoe that was going to take us down the river to our lodge in the Jungle.

The jungle lodge, called EcoAmazonia was about 2 hours downstream. The cabins were very nice, much nicer than I was expecting. No electricity or hot water, which I would have been suprised to have, although a fan would have been nice, seeing as it was incredibly hot and humid. After dropping my stuff off and taking pictures of the parrot that was hanging around the lodge, I applied about 10 layers or mosquito repellent, and we got back into the canoe to crossed the river to Monkey Island, to see the monkeys. It didn't take long to find several species of monkeys, including the Lion Faced Monkey, and the Black Spider Monkey. After the monkeys had enough of us, we sat down by the river and watched the sunset.

When it got dark, we went into the jungle to see what spiders and insects we could find. To see the animals at night, we used our flashlights to look around the forest for the reflections of eyes. Unfortunately for me, since I was using a headlamp, it meant that all kinds of bugs were attracted to the light on my head and kept flying into my face. Yuck. We saw some morpho butterfly larvae, an enormous katydid, and a wooly spider, but the real excitement (panic?) came when we were walking along and all of a sudden my head lamp shined on 3 tarantulas. They were scurrying into their hole like marbles going down a drain. I always thought spiders were slow! These were REALLY fast, and REALLY big. Our guide, Elias, got all excited and told us to turn off our head lamps. That was the last thing I wanted to do knowing there were tarantulas around. He went off and caught some crickets and put them near the tarantula hole. The crickets dissapeared and then he took a little twig and started rustling the leaves near the hole. The tarantulas starting coming out of their hole and running around and then scurrying back into their holes. EWWWW!!!! I managed to get a few pictures, but really, I just wanted to get the heck out of there. (its hard to tell from the pictures, but they were about 5 inches in diameter!) I didn't sleep very well that night, I kept imagining tarantulas decending down onto me from the ceiling of our thatched roof hut.

The next morning we went for another walk in the jungle, and a small canoe ride down one of the tributaries of the river. Lots of birds around, but not too many mammals. On our walk, we did find this really cute leaf frog, which was well camoflauged, and didn't seem very impressed that we picked him up to get some pictures.

After the nature walk, I wandered around the lodge grounds taking pictures of flowers and leaf cutter ants carrying leaves (exciting, huh?) I was interrupted by a large funny looking animal walking towards me. It really caught me off guard and for a minute I wasn't sure if I should turn and run, but then the manager of the lodge, Lazaro, (who must have seen me looking confused) yelled out that it was a tapir and that it wasn't dangerous. I had never seen a tapir before, it was pretty funny looking, kind of a cross between a pig and an anteater. Lazaro gave me some bananas to feed it. Then I spent the rest of the afternoon following the Tapir around.

It was a short and sweet visit to the jungle. I'm not a big fan of crawly things, and of course the jungle is stocked with them. I'd love to see a puma or a cougar or one of the big cats, but apparantly those are very rare to see. Our tour guide has lived in the jungle all his life and has never seen a big cat himself!

If you enjoyed reading this blog entry, please post a comment! I like to know who is e-travelling with me! Thanks! Blog you later!

Posted by msshell on October 29, 2004 07:21 PM
Category: South America

Comments

Hi, Michelle, Of course your mom and I are the most faithful silent readers of your blog. We have enjoyed travelling with you and loved your pictures. Since mom communicates with you thru e-mail so often, I don't usually post messages. Enjoy your adventures! Miss you! And, take care! Dad

Posted by: Dad on October 30, 2004 07:15 AM

I had lunch with your mom yesterday. She is so glad you are in the same time zone. I'm enjoying your travels.

Posted by: Terri on October 30, 2004 05:28 PM

hello,Michelle: Don't forget we are your loyal silent reader. It's been a pleasure reading your exciting experiences abroad. Enjoy yourself and have a safty trip anywhere you go.

Posted by: grace on October 31, 2004 01:38 AM

hi Michelle!
no Amazon River Rafting? No leaches stuck to your legs and arms? Well, I suppose your trip all the way around the world to get to the Amazon is enough, but it would be pretty cool if someone had to bust the salt on on you!
I LOVE to picture of you and the lapir. Did you give him a name? Looks like a George to me! I can't decide which picture to make my background, the lapir and you or the pretty flower. hmmm, Michelle and George, for sure! Be safe! Can't wait to read more!
j
P.S. If you take George along with you on the rest on this leg of the trip, he can be the shortest!

Posted by: jill on October 31, 2004 11:50 PM

tapir, that's what i mean, tapir!

Posted by: jill on October 31, 2004 11:51 PM

Hey Michelle,

Here's a little local sports update... You missed an exciting Michigan/Michigan State game this weekend! 3 overtimes... in the end Michigan pulled out a victory. Enjoying your stories :)
Lori

Posted by: Lori Edwards on November 1, 2004 10:48 AM

What a cute tapir and those monkeys are great. That lion faced monkey looks like he is wearing a skirt. That flower is really neat too- do you know what kind it is? I finally took some pictures of myself this weekend so I will e-mail you one. You just have to promise not to laugh =) Take care!

Posted by: Susan on November 1, 2004 12:11 PM

AH, the Amazon... Keep on trekkin' Michelle... hope to see you back in the States, if not sooner!

e (in Jaipur).

Posted by: Erik on November 2, 2004 01:04 PM

Hey, Michelle -If even your mom and dad are SBRs, why should any of us who have never met you, talked to you, or even worked at Ford (or driven a Ford- test, used or out of a showroom) have to fess up!!! I love reading your journal and appreciate all the effort you put into it. I have never written because as you can tell, I have nothing to say, besides thank you!
Lynn

Posted by: Lynn on November 2, 2004 05:47 PM

hey little miss wolverine!
this might be the first and last time i'll say this to you...GO BLUE!!! by the way, it's election night. aka christmas night for political scientists like me! so, let's go blue!! even at 1:30 am pacific time! so strange to think that you are not a part of this! next time, you will have to be here with me to enjoy xmas in november!
as always,
much love!
j

Posted by: jill on November 3, 2004 04:29 AM

bird...i'm reading...i'm with you...
just wanted to let you know.

anyways, it's a depressing day...i hate ohio by the way....and even though i can't wait for you to come back to the U.S., i may have moved *out* of the U.S by the time you get back. i'll send you a postcard...

on a happier note...oh wait...there is no happy note.

i miss you. come back.
-manali

Posted by: manali on November 3, 2004 02:35 PM

Wow, y'all are getting the hang of this posting messages thing, well done! Practice makes perfect! :) Responses below...

MOM/DAD/MIKE/GRACE: Of COURSE I know my family members are reading!!!

TERRI: Hi! Good to hear from you. Awww... Lunch with my mom, I miss lunch with my mom.

JILL: George sounds like a good name! Unfortunately I couldnt bring him with me... which is probably just as well, since Im most likely allergic to him anyway, like I am to everything else. ha ha. YES! GO BLUE! I was going to try to vote at the US embassy in Lima, but my flight got delayed until the evening so I didnt make it. At least Michigan ended up going dem... but it didnt matter in the end. sad.

LORI: Thanks for the update, yippee... I bet I missed a great tailgate at your place, and some great food too. Ahhhh food...

SUSAN: Still waiting..... :) I heard you were a pumpkin for halloween!? Cuuuute!

ERIK: HI! Hope your leg is healing well and that you had a nice day with the Marahaja of Jaipur!!!

LYNN: Hi! No one says you have to drive or test Fords to post on this blog! Welcome! Glad you enjoy it.

BIRD: I feel your pain... :( I hate Ohio too. (Sorry mark and chris)

Posted by: Michelle on November 3, 2004 08:04 PM

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