Today was moving day for me again, this time from Iquitos to Explorama Lodge! I will still go back to Iquitos some weekends, but for the next 7 weeks Explorama will be home. I have been very excited to come stay here to work at the library, but today as I said goodbye to my friends in Iquitos I started to get a little nervous. Of course I will see my friends who are guides sometimes as they pass through with tourists, but with the exception of student groups, this lodge doesn’t get as much traffic as the others do. I’m sure there’ll be many occasions when I am the only “guest” here. I slept on the boat on the way here, and as soon as we turned on the Yanamono River to get to the lodge all of my uneasiness was gone. It couldn’t have been a more beautiful day, I kind of sat in disbelief as I rode to the lodge just thinking – I can’t believe I get to live here! I have never seen the river so high, it is incredible. I have been so anxious to see the lodge during the high water season, when I got here I took out my camera and walked around taking pictures like it was my first time here. Even though I was just here 2 weeks ago, the change is dramatic.
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| The Explorama Dock, (usually there are a lot of stairs to get down to the water!) |
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| The Bar at Explorama (2 weeks ago it was dry underneath!) |
As I walked around the lodge I sort of felt like Snow White, it was as if all of the animals came out to greet me! First, Pirata the puppy decided to accompany me as I walked around. Then as we walked the macaws and the parrots swooped in to see us, a huge lizard scurried past us, butterflies fluttered around, and finally about 6 saddleback tamarins came up to the dining hall to eat bananas! -All within about 20 minutes.
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| Pirata |
I unpacked my things and settled in and checked e-mail. I ate dinner with my friend Cesar and joined the staff in the back to watch the Peruvian presidential debate (the election is April 10). As it turns out the wi-fi signal reaches my room, so I am writing from under my mosquito net! The mosquitoes are going to be a big challenge while I am here, they are intense right now. Tomorrow I head to the library after breakfast. This time Nancy, the current director, is going to pick me up, so no solo canoe adventures for me just yet!
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| My New Home |
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| My New Room |
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| View From My Front Door |
