Swimming in the Amazon with Pirahanas

Leo A

July 19, 2014

It was the second day of Guide-less hiking/bird logging today.  Our group, comprising of myself, Marjai, Maddie, Jeff, and Denise K. went on the Lago-Danta-Guacamayo trail. We had much better luck this time as we came across about 10 monkeys over two separate occasions.  We later decided to join the group that was bird logging at Torre 1 -- just to say hi and see what was instore for us tomorrow when it's our turn. 

Upon our return to the station, I among others, took a solid 45 minute nap.  It was sublime.  It's so strange that despite having 8-9 hours of sleep each night, I still feel somewhat exhausted during the day.  Perhaps because I have totally ceased my intake of coffee, or that I'm still adjusting to this relatively more active lifestyle.  

Most significant event today, Youngin walks into the library and tells us that she broke her sink before she breaks into a chuckle.  

We took a boat downthe Tiputini River at 3pm.  I was excited for the boat ride, especially on perfect day like today: we had clear blue skies.  It was perfect for swimming, and that we did.  Most of us went for it despite the countless worries we had.  What are in those waters beyond that brown cover?  What if something bites me?  Or worse, parasites that feed on me from the inside.  Whichever, I (we) did it and we lived to tell the tale that we swam in Amazon among the Pirahnas, stingrays, and caimans and who knows what else. 

Dinner time was something different today.  The lasagna was beside the point, but the rain made it possible for deeper conversations among us.  It is usually the case where we get up andleave not too long after we are done with our meals.  This time, we had a nice chat about our academic interests, jobs, and post-college plans.  Jeff, for example, had lots to share about his job at the mice-testing research lab; Younjin and her plans for grad school and becomming a veterinarian back in Korea; John with his job at z Zoo and possibly a real-estate firm in Texas, and so on. I can't express how delighted I am with such a diverse group of students.  

It's almost time for bed now.  It's also laundry-day tomorrow.  Couldn't be any more pleased.

Cuidado Por Favor

By Emily L

July 18, 2014

Today was the first day of hiking with guides. Denise K and Kevin led groups, while a guide led a third group to the tower for logging birds. It's incredible, the difference between hikes with and without our guides. Their ability to spot organisms from afar  and pick up on sounds, while the rest of us clunk around, astounds me. We barely saw any animal life by ourselves, but we made up for it by taking more time to admire plants and our surroundings.

I saw Jose, the guide I've had every day, before our hike alone. He is such a kind and caring man, and his communication goes beyond words. He kissed my cheek, hugged me, and said "quidado por favor."

The song of the day or week is apparently "Drunk In Love" by Beyoncé. I think Maddie has played the song at least five times on her iPod, and Precious rocked it out every time. Everyone seems to like the "surfboard" line.

We began our copper work today, and the talent and creativity coming from our members is awesome. Yunjin drew a woodpecker with a leaf background in 15 minutes flat.  Their talent is wonderful, but makes me a little frustrated because I can't even begin to translate my idea onto paper.  I'm grateful for those who have offered me help, or extended consideration and acceptance to me in general.  I was worried about making great relationships in our group, but there's no judging here, and the openess and comradory here is one of the best parts.

(Above: students begin to sketch images they will transfer to copper with embossing tools.)

First hike without a guide

By Youngin K

July 17, 2014

We changed our group for the first time today.  I was in Jose's group, but I transferred to Mayer's group to have an opportunity to interact with other members of our GIEU Ecuador group.  I learned that the same trailed looked and felt different depending on guides.  Event though I went to the trail "Chorongo" with Jose, "Chorongo" that I went on with Mayer felt different.  Mayer often went off trail  by cutting trees.

We saw a colorful spider that was pink in color and had white spots on it's back.  We also saw a bat hiding inside of a big green leaf.  It was a great morning activitiy.  Mayer gave us presents!  It was a warm and sweet surprise.  The present was a bracelet that was woven from palm fiber with hard red and blue berries.  He told us that it's a good luck charm and to remember him whenever we wear them.  The bracelets made our morning activity even better!

(sketch of bracelet that Meijer gave to his group)
After eating delicious soup and steak, we want to play on the lago trail. Some played soccer and it was an intense game. At 4 PM, we met and I like to hear the print presentation about turtles. The fact that surprised me the most was that turtle eggs that grow over 32°C are female and turtle eggs that grow under 32°C are male.  We also went to see baby turtles. We saw parts of their heads, but we were unable to see the full body of the turtles. It was interesting to hear about the turtles during the presentation. If I get an opportunity, I would like to do research on TBS. TBS is full of amazing experiences. 

Changing the World

July 16, 2014

By Maddie H

A few weeks ago, I had the opportunity to see Bill Nye give a speech at a hands-on museum in Ann Arbor.  What I remember most about his speech was his message that something that could change the world around us is probably right in front of our eyes.  I keep thinking about this while at TBS because the researchers here are studying amazing things that could lead to huge breakthroughs.   I have a lot of respect for the workers and researchers that spend so much time in these secluded conditions. 

(Above: primatologists and field assistants at TBS)

Yesterday,  I was telling Precious that I had enough butt sweat to quench the thirst of an entire country,  so to say that I'm a little uncomfortable is an understatement.  However,  as each day passes,  I find myself becoming more acclimated to the humidity and rain.  My sleep schedule is a little off,  though.  I screamed in my sleep last night and woke everyone in the cabin up because I had a nightmare that the cabin ceiling turned into a massive cobweb and fell on all of us.  This morning,  my group left at 6am to go to the tower and watch birds. As soon as we got there,  I promptly fell asleep on the floor of the tower platform (45 meters high) for about an hour and a half.  However,  if I was awake,  I imagine I would have seen a good amount of parrots and beautiful birds,  whose names I also would have forgotten. 

The afternoon adventure was a hike on the "lago" trail to the lake.  We took the boat ride,  despite the pouring rain and the boat was pretty unstable.  Our guide,  Jose, said there were fish 4-5 meters long and that was the only fact I needed to hear before I thought about putting on 2 life jackets. Overall,  I'm having a great time (even though I am out of my comfort zone) and I think I will grow from this trip.

(returning from a jungle night hike and discovering an enormous toad under one of the researcher's cabins)

Maddie H. 

First Day At Tiputini

July 15, 2014

By Jeff H

Today marks our first full day at Tiputini. As a host of alarms go off at 6am, we begin the day with a French toast breakfast and a listening meditation.  It is easier to remark at the peacefulness and stillness of the rainforest when in complete silence- no cars, traffic, city noises- only the gentle hum of insects, birds, and notably, the buzz of a hummingbird's wings.  Our first hike of the trip commenced on "chorongo" with Romero as our guide.  This first time on the trail really put the remoteness, and uniqueness of this place into perspective.

We saw incredible plants, many of which can serve as a remedy to a whole host of ailments, others that can paralyze you, and perhaps our favorite, one that turns your mouth blue when chewed.  Romero also made a point to show us a plant that contained many ants in its stem.  

The ants secrete an acid that protects the tree, and the tree gives the ants a home. This acid gives the ants a distinct lemony taste,  everyone tried them and went back for seconds.  

Perhaps the most incredible part of today was our experience above the canopy.  Forty-two meters above ground,  we climbed a staircase that resembled scaffolding ,  eventually arriving at a platform on an old growth tree.  The scene was spectacular -- nothing blue skies and rainforest for miles around.  In addition to spider monkeys, woolly monkeys,  and howler monkeys,  we saw a whole host of birds such as toucans and parrots.  The top of the canopy was full of life and activity and this only became more apparent as the sun began to set over the horizon.  Not too far from the canopy overlook was an impressive work of nature,  in that a system of vines had completely suffocated a large tree.  Over time,  the tree decayed and disappeared, leaving only a spiral of vines.  By stepping into the hole where the tree once was,  you could look straight up into a beautiful entanglement of something that resembled the outside of a tree.  

To wrap up the day,  we viewed a presentation on tiputini's camera trap program.  This presentation highlighted many of the rare -- and often unseen-- animals that live throughout the rainforest.  With a bit of luck ,  one can only hope that we are fortunate enough to see these animals in the field,

-Jeff h.

We made it to the biostation!

It took 10 1/2 hours to get here,  and it was worth every minute!  Some  of us saw our first blue morpho!  It's absolutely beautiful in every way!  

Student posts begin tomorrow!

On our way!

Yesterday's lost luggage was found!  Early morning departure to Coca.

Waiting in Coca at the dock for our boat to arrive!  It's a cool 70 degrees,  cloudy, and a fantastic breeze on the 

Napo River.

Tiputini!

Journal entry by Kevin W.

July 14, 2014

Today was a day filled with excitement.  We woke early and showed up at the airport hoping that we had tickets to Coca (they had been booked by others) luckily everything worked out.  

The roads were busy at 5am on the hour long ride in vans from la casa sol.  Our flight was about an hour long , and we disembarked from the plane straight into the baggage claim area off of the runway.

We hopped on a bus with a guide from Tiputini, and took a 5min ride to a pier where 45 minutes later, a long canopied boat took off with our baggage and ourselves. 

We zoomed down the river for about 2 hours as the captain slowed and twisted the boat through the occasional 90 degree turn.  We found out that he was navigating the hidden sandbanks of the muddy Napo River by memory which was quite astounding.  There wasn't a whole lot of animal life to see,  but the trees and plants lined the river the whole way.

It felt as if we were sailing off into the horizon the way the landscape seemed to fly by.  We checked in at an oil check point  before boarding a safari-type truck and setting off on a rocky road into the interior.  At this point, I expressed the thought that it was truly amazing to be setting off with no real idea or conception of where we were heading.  I suppose that part of that feeling is colored by previous experience and a true willingness to be open to everything. I greatly credit my parents for this.  We rolled and rolled through the dense vegetation for about an hour and a half before stopping at another research station where we boarded a slightly wider gondola boat with open sides and went downstream on the Tiputini River for another two hours or so.  

Here,  the weather finally caught up with us as the overcast skies opened up into a downpour that continued heavily for most of the night.  We finally arrived at a wooden set of stairs leading upward to two gazebos and the dining hall of the station.  How to describe this place?  Apart from the peace I felt from sitting in the gazebo as the sunset watching the lazy river eddy by,  this was the most remarkable bit of the day.  Lacquered woodcarved steps, tiled floors, well equipped cabins.  It truly feels like a very nice hostel shipped miles eastward into the rainforest.  Everyone seems to be enjoying themselves and to be very calm,  which is exactly what we could hope for. Three weeks does seem to be a much longer time now than it did before, but I am hopeful that this positive group spirit can continue beyond a night of tacos and cake.

Good morning from Quito!

Good morning from Quito!  We are all here,  safe and sound.  The Denises are enjoying a quiet breakfast before the students wake up.  Our b&b is beautiful!  

(The menu:  fresh guava juice,  fresh watermelon papaya, pineapple jam, fresh sweet roll.)

This is the view that greets us when we walk our of our room - a beautiful courtyard with walls washed In orange and yellow.  

Yesterday's trip, we're not going to lie,  was demanding.  The Denises (and a few students) left for DTW at 3:45am and they remained awake until the last group of students arrived at the b&b (almost 24 hours later).  What a relief to know that we are all here (minus a few pieces of luggage...that's today's challenge).

One of the best parts of the students' arrival was their giddy excitement!  It was infectious!  For a number of our students, this is their first time out of the country.  They entered the b&b in awe that we were staying in such a beautiful place in such a fun part of Quito (la Mariscal).

Next post,  we'll introduce you to our student fellow, Kevin, who was our superhero yesterday.  He made our arrival so much easier.

Today,  we'll work on finding our missing luggage, tour town,  and head over to a watch the last game of the World Cup with the locals!

From the rooftop

Delicious fresh juice...everywhere!!!