Return to the Jungle

Returning to GVI Amazon as a scholar after seven weeks of travel was met with excitement and a little bit of trepidation. Seven weeks ago you had to pry my fingers from the comedor and make me leave the snakes, spiders, mud, six o’clock breakfasts, cold showers, diet of beans and most importantly my friends which I had loved so much for the past ten weeks. Now I was returning and needed to pick up where the previous scholar Benny had left off. Which people tell me is a ridiculous amount of benches being built around camp.

I was welcomed back into camp by having to help carry a massive food order up from the GVI port at the river’s edge. 270 steps and over 80 packets of pasta later I was home again for five weeks. I have a new room, new responsibilities and the task of removing 12 amphibian pitfall traps this phase.

However, nothing has really changed around camp. My hair is twice as crazy in the mornings, Laura and I have resumed gossiping positions in the hammocks with the new recruit Jenn and the rainforest is as amazing as ever. It’s great to be back.

Bianca Amato – Scholar and Volunteer – Jan-Apr & May 2010

Return to the Jungle