At the end of last month, 16 phenomenal (and really tough!) students and I returned to the U.S. after spending just over two weeks in the Peruvian Amazon. It's no coincidence that "Amazon" and "amazing" have the same etymological root ("amaz(e)" means "to overwhelm with surprise or sudden wonder; astonish greatly."(Dictionary.com)). Every turn held a new wonder or surprise. After a few days in the river city of Iquitos (only accessed by plane or boat, and including the floating "city" of Belen), we took a four-hour speedboat ride up the Amazon to our destination, Madre Selva field station. This was a primitive base camp, immersed in the jungle, with electricity only provided for a few hours each day by a generator. Our days involved assembling and checking traps (pitfalls, bat nets, bird nets, funnel traps), hiking through the jungle (both day and night), fishing for piranhas, catching alligators, collecting leaves, conducting scavenger hunts, and catching snakes and tarantulas. We also visited the local villages and built desks and benches for one of the village schools. It was like no other experience, and we have to thank Project Amazonas, Inc., for guiding us and allowing us to share this opportunity. I could go on and on, but for now I will just say that it was truly
amazing.
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