Exploring the Amazon

The second day in the Amazon was just as incredible as the first. When we visited the lagoon we got in this tiny boat that rocked all over the place. Usually I am not afraid of a boat tipping over but this one rocked so much i thought we would all end up in the water. Usually ending up in the water would not be a big deal but this lagoon had caymen and piranhas that I would prefer to stay away from so I was a little bit scared being in the boat. As soon as we started moving around the lagoon I became mesmerized by the beauty around me and I was so startled that water level could change that drastically in a few short days. I remember how tired I was from all the walking and the heat and the bugs. I remember thinking that my feet had stress fractures because they hurt so much but then you would turn and see the biggest tree you had ever seen in your life or a bright blue butterfly making its way through the canopy and it would all be forgotten. That was just how it was when we were leaving that platform. We were tired and on our way to dinner and had to stop because a whole group of monkeys jumped into the tree nearby! We were mesmerized watching them and then we were captivated by the sunset and it just seemed impossible to stop looking at the beauty around us to eat even though we were starving. I also remember that it didn’t really cool off at night but I still slept great because I was so tired I couldn’t stay awake if I wanted to. The trip back to Quito was very similar or exactly the same as the way into the Amazon. One of the boys on the trip made a time laps video of the trip which I would have loved to share with you but he lost his camera and the video with it. I do remember that on the way back it felt different than on the way in even though it was the same rout. On the way in I was excited and felt like I was coming alive even though we had been up and traveling for hours. On the way back to Quito I felt excited for a hot shower and some comforts of civilization, but I also felt a morning loss for the untouched beauty I was surrounded by for those 2 short days. If I were ever offered the chance to go back to the Tiputini Biodiversity Station I wouldn’t hesitate to take it. That was an experience I will treasure for the rest of my life.