Rainstorms, Caiman and Constellations

Tourists coming back from Turtle Mountain, a trip I still have to go on!

My weekly lessons from the jungle:

1. Check the sky thoroughly before doing laundry!

 Yesterday I decided to do laundry (I reached the point where all of my clothes needed washing of course!). The Iwokrama field station has a laundry tub and lines to dry clothes but no washer and drier. Once all my clothes were washed, I hung them to dry on the lines beneath the brilliantly blue morning sky. Little did I know, a small grey cloud on the horizon was going to expand into an enormous cloud within a couple of hours and pound down rain for the rest of the day. It hasn't rained that hard since I arrived! Despite my attempt to rescue all of my clothes and sheets, everything got soaked! I have skillfully hung all my damp clothes in my small room wherever possible, and used my sarong for a blanket last night, but everything is still damp this morning since the air is so humid here! I wonder when it will dry......

2. Buy an astrology book

The stars here are AMAZING. The other night, we took a 15 minute boat ride to Michelle's Island, a desolate island except for one lady's house that she has turned into a bar equipped with satellite TV, a speaker system, a pool table, and a fully-stocked beer fridge. After enjoying the evening off, we headed back down the river to the field station. I cannot believe how many stars are in the sky! Between Orion and the Big Dipper there are dozens of more visible stars that I have not seen in the night skies of the northern hemisphere. I am looking forward to learning more about the constellations in the south.

Enjoying the night off at Michelle's Bar on Michelle's Island

3.Check for Sankar, the resident Caiman before swimming in the river

I have managed to build up enough courage to go swimming in the river! After the stiflingly hot afternoons, the river beckons me for a swim, even though it is Sankar's territory and you cannot see deeper than a foot in the murky waters. I joined the researchers for a quick dip and it was really worth it. Do something everyday that scares you, they say! Unless I have no time, I will try to swim in the river everyday while I am here :)

Me with Sankar in the background!

Sankar :) Cute Caiman, hey?

4. When going for a run, go with someone else!

I have been going for runs alone up the access road which is a small dirt road that cuts through dense forest with a canopy hundreds of feet above. It is so so breathtakingly beautiful. I have seen spider monkeys, macaws, and many other birds in the treetops. Since Iwokrama is in the middle of the wilderness, there is a healthy population of jaguars and other small cats that are known to be dangerous to humans. The jaguars are not equivalent in nature to the black bears of BC's forests, and will stalk and strike if they choose. Although it is refreshing to escape into the forest after a day of being surrounded by other people at the field station, I should get in the habit of running with another person up this road teeming with wildlife!