My Birthday In The Peruvian Amazon

   I wanted a memorable birthday and that is exactly what I got in the middle of the Amazon on a river cruise with the best man I know, my daddy! The entire week with G Adventures flew buy much too quickly but I will treasure this experience forever. We flew into Iquitos, the largest isolated city in the world with a population of 600,000, which was much larger than I imagined. The first stop was the manatee rescue centre. These friendly giants were much more than the blobs of fat that I expected. Their skin was soft, their movement elegant and their smiles heartwarming especially when they were eating bananas out of my palm. The turtles and monkeys there seemed to be also enjoying themselves especially the black chested tamarin monkey who jumped all over us and even attempted to bite my neck with his baby teeth. 

   Next it was time to board the Queen Violeta which had the largest rooms I've ever seen in a ship. Believe it or not we even had a giant bathtub! I didn't go in it because, even though it was treated, the water was brown from the sediment of the amazon river which didn't make it to inviting. I quickly learned that when G adventures advertises comfort they sure mean it. From the cabins, to the staff and the food all of it was excellent!

   The activities is what really made the experience so special. Each day we got on the skiff and explored the wild life. We spotted many monkeys, sloths, all types of birds, iguanas, frogs, a tarantula, a bird eating spider, bullet ants, and tons of other giant insects. My favourite were the pink dolphins that circled all around us as the jungle sung us symphonies.
Our nature guides were keen to show us the animals up close and personal which resulted in an aggressive and wet battle with a sloth that came for a forced visit on to our skiff. Our tranquil night ride, illuminated with glow worms and cayman eyes also ended in a similar fashion. Again, seeing the caymans from a distance wasn't enough so one of the passengers held on to our guides ankles as he dangled off the boat and caught a baby cayman to show us. Of course none of the animals were hurt but the humans did get a few rashes and scratches. Well, other than the piranhas that we caught during our fishing trip.

   Our encounters with the humans were equally as impactful. We visited a shaman lady and learned about her plant medicines, went on a canoe ride with the locals from one of the villages, and had a delicious lunch with a local family at their home where I tried some monkey. Yes you read right, I ate monkey and it was actually really good. What was really special was visiting a school in a small village of only 120 people. The kids were so thankful for the pencils and notebooks that we brought them that they even broke out in song for us. When asked what they wanted to be when they grew up the youngest girl, who was only 3 and looked a lot like me at that age, announced she wants to be a tourist.  As she twirled in her pretty white dress I couldn't help but think of how slim her chances are to have the same opportunity as us. But even without all the shiny iPads and all the rest of the materialistic luxurious of the western world these people are rich in life. They have strong spirits, unforgettable smiles and an appreciation towards life that we can all really learn from. As I blew out my candle, signifying my 27th birthday, for the first time in my life I didn't make a wish. Instead I gave gratitude for everything I gained out of this unforgettable experience and amazing life.

The Animals

The Scenery

The People

15-22 MAR 2014