First(ish) Impressions

I only arrived 10 days ago in the Ecuadorian Amazon and it feels both as if I have been here forever and yet have only just arrived. Time has flown by but I already feel at home: after a total of ten hours bus travel and feeling a little tired after our gringo shindig in Tena, we arrived at the Yachana Reserve and I was immediately impressed with how lovely our little home really was! We have already done so many incredible things, stuff that I never thought I would, such as learn the Latin names for 43 different plants and animals; trek four hours in jungle mud; stand just a metre away from a poisonous snake (a baby Fer-de-Lance); have a stick insect crawl across my face; and eat a lentil, garlic, and banana peel mash in a crazy eating contest; although the last experience wasn’t all that fun!

It’s amazing how close you become when you live in such a remote yet cosy environment – I didn’t think that I would be cosying-up in a hammock with friends I made just a week before. But everyone is super close and we have a lot of laughs even if it is to the mystery question “Who’s blocked toilet four again?’! I was initially a little perturbed by the fact that I would have to leave my hammock and do some work, but I’m so proud of what I have already accomplished and feel this project was perfect preparation for my environmental degree. I would recommend a conservation project to anyone, but especially with GVI as we have a beautiful family here and I’m already thinking about when I can come back next!

Charlotte Mugarra D’Cruze - GVI Amazon volunteer May-June 2010

First(ish) Impressions