Monday, August 14, 2006

Amazon Jungle Diaries Vol.4

Yes, people do eat armadillo in the jungle. I can´t think of a more disgusting animal to eat! Well, atleast our guide and his family cooked us very good food that I could digest. Picture: Smoked armadillo prepared by a fisherman.
As we passed by the creek late at night we came across a fisherman who was climbing up the riverbank . He and his wife had been fishing all night long and appeared to have a lot of luck because his fishing pale was full of wierd looking fish. He also tossed a smoked armadillo at my buddy and asked us if we wanted any armadillo. He grabbed the animal and flipped it over and started picking out the meat from it´s underside. He and his wife had been snacking on the armadillo while fishing in the boat. Pretty grose.
Picture: Unloading our gear from the canoe.

Yes, the waters near our campground were very murky and full of piranas and electric eels. Before we realized what kinds of animals lived in the creeks and rivers, we were very tempted to go swimming after our long treks into the jungle. You couldn´t have paid me a 1,000 dollars to swim in that water.


Picture: An orange-bellied pirana that I caught with a fishing pole.


Picture: Piranas laying on our oar.

When you catch piranas they make a lot of noise, much like the noise a catfish makes when caught. They are beautiful fish and have very sharp teeth. My friends were daring me to stick my finger in the piranas mouth but had second thoughts after our guide thought I was crazy. He said that the bigger ones can bite off your finger.

Picture: Spear fishing late at night in our canoe.

Our guide would paddle around the creek late at night trying to spot caimán alligators. We didn´t have any luck seeing caimán, however, we did have some luck spearing dog fish. For breakfast the next morning we ate all of the fish that we caught.

Picture: Pit viper on canoe oar handle.

This was the second venomous snake that we encountered on our excursion. As we fished into the night from our canoe we came under some branches where we saw this guy. Our guide said that is was some around the 20th most venomous snake in the jungle and probably wouldn´t kill you but make you sick. He told us that lots of fisherman get bit by these snakes because they hang over the creeks from the limbs and if someone wasn´t careful and their canoe crosses paths with the snake they tend to bite for the head. It was a beautiful rose colored pit viper that stood out against it´s green background. I want to find out it´s name.

Picture: Man with his pet bird.

It was very common in Iquitos to see people with exotic animal pets. They tend tend to be birds monkeys or big snakes and most of them are tied up with a lease. Pretty sad because they are taken out of their habitat and used like circus animals to make money.

Picture: Tarantula on Bamboo

This picture was taken next to our base camp. The spider looks like the tarantula´s we have in Oklahoma exept our guide told us they are poisnous. It sounds like most insects and snakes in the jungle are venomous. Maybe it is becuase there is more competition to survive?

Monday, August 07, 2006

Views from the Highlands of Piura

These pictures were taken by my friend Nik whose work site is near by. I thought these pictures were beautiful. He told me that yes the site is nice but it was freezing at night.



Amazon Jungle Diary Vol. 3

One of the neatest aspects of our trip was that is was entirely un-planned. We had ideas what we wanted to do but we didn´t do our homework and in the end it turned out better that way. Anyways I´ve learned its better not have a detailed plan in Perú but rather expect the unexpected. When we arrived at the river port town we took a motorcycle taxi to where the cargo boats line up. We realized right when we saw the boat we were going to take that it wasn´t a tourist boat but the exact opposite...a mix between a zoo and a supermarket. There were more animals on the boat than humans! We made a deal with the captain to not rent out the 4th bed (since there were 3 of us) in exchange that we later give him the pillows and sheets that we bought for the trip. The room was so small that I prefered to sleep in my hammock outside with the other people. We were packed in like sardines. I felt like my personal space was very violated but in Perú people are used being smashed in tight. The idea of personal space doesn´t really exist. I ride a taxi each morning the size of a battery powered kid car with 5-6 other people packed in tight. I got used to that but definately not people bumping on all sides of my hammock. It was part of the adventure and something I will never forget. Picture: Our native guide, Romen, listening for wildlife

We probably wouldn´t have seen much wildlife or learned about all the cool kinds of medicinal plants if it weren´t for our guide. He took us off the path (which you could barely tell was a path because he prefered to leave nature un touched by man) when we heard certain animal sounds. We saw monkeys, parrots, toucans, macaws, 2 pit vipers, butterflys of every color, piranas, dog fish, jungle rats (size of rabbits), frogs, iquanas, grey and blue river dolfins. We didn´t see any sloths, caimán, jaguars, tapirs, cabybaras (huge rodents the size of hogs), or anacondas. You need to stay longer in the jungle to see everything.

Picture: Me and my jungle outfit

Recommendation. Don´t wear wear tank tops! The rubber boots are essential though. I wore this shirt for 5 days without taking it off! It became a pride issue after the 2nd or 3rd day. I wanted to see how nasty I could get. Plus I think my smell became a natural insect repellent. I remember what a treat it was to finally take a hot shower when we got back to Iquitos.

Picture: Jergon Pit Viper

My friend Nik almost stepped on this highly venomous snake. Our guide says you have up to 6 hours to live if bitten depending on your current health.

Picture: Sign of a lodge that tries to protect the pink river dolfins of the Amazon

We didn´t get to see any pink dolfins though we did see many grey dolfins.

Picture: Nik letting termites crawl all over his arm.

Our guide told us that in these huge cacoons there are millions of termites. We broke a piece off and let the termites crawl all over our arms. We then smashed them and smeared thier guts and juices on our arms and legs. Why? It acts as a natural mosquito repellent. They smell like wood.


Picture: Me with my cows

We played poker next to these guys for three days. I felt sorry for them. They were packed in tight and looked miserable. I did eat a hamburger when I got to Iquitos though. I wonder if one of the cows I befriended I ended up eating?

Picture: Typical village cottage with Peruvian flag

Since we travelled on Fiestas Patrias (Peruvian Independence Weekend) all of Peru waves their flags with pride. It was interesting to see a Peruvian flag so far out in the jungle. It felt like I was in a different country being in the jungle. The people look different, talk different, and the food is different. I have been used to seeing all brown living in the coastal desert. It was refreshing to see all of the different colors and hear different sounds. The jungle is a very intense and competative environment. We learned that back in the 60s and early 70s Peace Corps put volunteers in the Amazon jungle. I´m not sure if I could survive. Too many mosquitos!

Sunday, August 06, 2006

Amazon Jungle Diary Vol.2

The adventure continues... Maybe the main highlight of the trip was when my friend Nik almost stepped on the 3rd most venomous pit viper in the jungle next called ¨Jargón¨ not sure what the scientific name is. After our guide trapped the snake by tying a piece of string around it´s neck he told us some interesting facts about the snake. ¨If you get bit by one of these snakes you have about 6 hours to live. When you start bleeding out of your eyes, ears, and finger nails your done for...! ¨Holy shit¨¨ I thought shaking with adrenalin. We were definately atleast 6 hours away from the nearest hospital with antivenom. The guide thought he could save someone´s life by killing it. 2 months earlier a Peruvian man got bit on the leg while taking a dump. He didn´t make it home. The next day I skinned it and have plans on making a belt out of it. Nik wanted to eat the snake and make a necklace out of its head. He didn´t eat it but still has the head.Picture: Black Capuchino monkey staring down at me
Can you see the monkey? We saw 4 different species of monkeys on our expedition. (Capuchino, Howler, Spider, and Black Capuchino). Monkeys I guess aren´t too hard to find if you go deep enough into the jungle. Plus it really depends on how good your guide is and how quiet you are. We were fortunate to see the Black one in this pic. Our guide was super excited to see it which made us excited as well. He told me its almost impossible to see them because they run away at the smell, site, or sound of humans. We got lucky because in this pic there were dozens of other monkeys making lots of noise which worked in our favor. When we approached this area we saw dozens of monkeys jumping around. It sounded like a summer rain storm with all of the leaves rustling.

Picture: Me ¨thinking¨ at Laguna Azul in Sauce, Perú

The only funny thing that happened on this part of the adventure was when my friends and I sunk a canoe in the middle of the lake. I was scared we were going to have to buy another canoe. It was a tiny canoe and definately could not hold 3 people. We were acting like idiots. No wonder American tourists have the reputation of being obnoxious.

Picture: Sunset over the Amazon River

One cool thing about Perú is the architecture. Every region has its own style of building. In the jungle all of the houses are build off the ground so when the river rises the water goes under their house. How do they get around then? By canoe.

Picture: Me, Eli and Nik standing in a swamp where there are Caimán (jungle alligators)

Smart huh. Our guide told us there ¨probably weren´t¨ any alligators in this swamp. We trusted him so we all got in and took a pic. I was disapointed that I didn´t see any Caimán on this trip. Apparently in the summer time when the water is high they are everywhere.

Picture: Giant lilly pads


Picture: Sun shining on the grass near our base camp

Amazon Jungle Diary Vol. 1

I always thought I was a pretty tough guy until I ventured into the Amazon Rainforest. The mosquitos only laughed at me when I pulled out the ¨OFF¨ brand bug repellent. If you go to the jungle, remember that there are special clothes made just for that kind of environment, Don´t wear tank tops and shorts like I did. I was smart enough to bring enough Binadryl to control the mosquito bites. I don´t want to make it sound like the jungle is only full of just mosquitos, because its not! We were fortunate to see some incredible wildlife on our jungle expedetion with my Peace Corps buddies and our native guide, Romin who could almost immitate any animal noise. Here are some of the highlights...........Picture: frying up Pirana and dog fish what we caught the night before.
Pirana actually tastes very good....I guess like any other fish. They were incredibly easy to catch with fishing poles and using raw chicken meat as bait. Unlike some myths, piranas rarely attack people, but if they are hungry enough there are some species that can attack and eat you (white and piranas are bigger and more dangerous). They are attracted to blood and open wounds though. These aren´t the only dangerous critters in the creeks and rivers. There are also anacondas, dog fish (like pirana but bigger teeth) and electric eels which can kill a person very quickly.

Picture: the town of Belén on the outskirts of Iquitos, Perú

Belén was probably one of the most interesting places I´ve ever seen in my like. This whole town lives right on top of the river! All the houses either float or are built of stilts. During the winter (the dry season) the river is low enough for people to travel around on foot. You can see children playing in the streets and looks like a relatively normal poor village. However, in the summer when the river is high, everyone travels around by canoe! It is like a very poor Venice Italy. I was shocked to see people going to the bathroom, washing their clothes, and children swimming all in the same water almost right next to each other! There is little room for privacy in Belén. When we took a canoe around I could see right into people´s homes! Some people were sleeping on thier docks. It was also one of the poorest places I´ve ever seen.

Picture: Hammock deck on cargo boat

When we left the port town of Yurimaguas in route for the jungle city of Iquitos, our only option to get there was either to fly or hire a boat since it is the largest city in the world that has no roads going to it! We hired a captain of a cargo boat to take us on a wild adventure down the Amazon River. We rode for 3 days hanging out playing poker next to boxes of fruit, and a bunch of cows and pigs. I slept one night in my hammock and one night in our cramped cabin room. I would totally recommend doing something like that in your life!

Picture: Playing with a full deck next on the cargo boat

I lost 40 soles to my friend Eli that trip. I learned never to play poker with just one other person. I prefer group poker. I was mad at him for days for taking my money!
Picture: View from the upper deck of the cargo boat in route for Iquitos.

It was so beautiful to watch the rain pour on the river. After the rain stopped we saw lots of river dolfins leaping out of the water. It was the first time to ever see such a thing. Later in the trip our guide showed us a spot where there were lots of them in one spot. I was kinda frighted at first when I jumped in the water and swam close to them. It´s not like the ocean where you can see everything underwater. The Amazon river is very murky! There are even pink dolfins though we didn´t see any this trip.

Picture: Nik, me and Eli, Peace Corps friends next to a waterfall in Tarapoto, Perú

Swimming and jumping through the waterfall was probably the coolest thing we did in Tarapoto. This was at the beginning of the trip before we got onto our cargo ship for Iquitos. The jungle in Tarapoto is much different than the jungle in Iquitos. Tarapoto is located in the ¨selva alta¨ or high jungle. There are many hills and mountains and the flor and fauna is much different. I particularly enjoyed Tarapoto.

Picture: Me with a giant tortouise in Tarapoto, Perú. The big dumb animal in the lower right hand is my friend Eli.

This tortoise is much larger than the one I have in my home in Piura. However, I now know what to expect in a few years. These tortoises will out grow me by several hundred pounds and definately out live me. I have heard that if you have a big one as a pet the literally can destroy your back yard. They are very stubborn animals and don´t like to move out of the way for anything, especially large flower pots or wooden tables. My turtle has really frustrated me over the last year.