Living in Peru : your everyday companion

coloradoan.com
By Scot Sharp


Waking up to howler monkeys calling in the distance, taking stunningly beautiful boat rides down the Tambopata River and exploring ancient Incan cities are some of the amazing things I experienced in Peru as part of a tropical ecology class offered at Front Range Community College.

Barbara Patterson, a natural resources professor; and Chris Romero, a biology professor, planed the trip for 16 students, including myself. The trip was arranged through the Holbrook Science Foundation, Rainforest Expeditions and Inca Nature Travel.

The Jungle

After a few flights within the country, we arrived in Porto Maldonado where we boarded a boat that took us up river to the Posada Amazonas Lodge.

Along the way, we saw white caiman basking on the shore and hoatzin calling from the trees. We were all expecting rugged accommodations but were pleasantly surprised to find a giant wooden lodge with just about everything you would expect from a high quality hotel only deep inside the jungle.

Our first day included a hike through the jungle to a canopy tower where one of our guides, Augusto, taught us about the many different adaptations that the plants and animals of the jungle use.

The next day, we visited the local village of Inferno. In the village, we had a rare chance to talk with the elected president of the community and learn about inner workings of the village. After that, we were invited to play a friendly game of soccer with the local team. Of course, they won. I blame the heat but it was more then likely their superior skill.

This was only the beginning of our adventure. In the following days, we also toured a medicinal plant farm, observed a clay lick used by macaws and even got the unique opportunity to watch giant river otters fish. And each day after dinner, our guides presented different lectures about topics ranging from macaw conservation to the history of the lodges.

Environmental concerns

During our trip, we learned a lot about the Peruvian Amazon and the dangers that plague the local ecosystem. These dangers include the illegal macaw trade, development of a new highway system and the rash of gold mining operations that are responsible for the rising level of mercury in the river system.

Caty, one of our guides, took us to observe a clay lick. She taught us about how the clay the macaws ingest helps to detoxify the many fruits and seeds that they eat. Later that night, Caty gave a lecture about the illegal macaw trade.

More then three-fourths of the macaws in the pet trade today are victims of illegal trade. Many are pulled directly from the nest and shipped around the world in PVC pipes.

Traveling by boat along the river is the only way to get to where we were going. But that might change in the days to come. When we visited the local community of Inferno, they told us about plans to build a highway through the area. The people expressed mixed emotions about the future development. It would make travel easier but would also destroy a large section of pristine rainforest.

Peru is one of the top 10 producers of gold in the world. The operations usually consist of making shift rafts that process the gold from the sediment of the river. The main concern of the gold mining operations is that they use mercury in the refining process and then dump it into the river.

The dangerously high levels of mercury are around 9 to 10 times the natural level.

Incan Cites

Of course, a trip to Peru wouldn't be complete with out visiting a few Incan ruins. The two Incan sites we visited were the famous city of Machu Picchu and the ruins of Ollaytambo.

We traveled by train through the sacred valley, which is at the center of the ancient Incan empire, to the city of Aquis Calientes. From there, we travel by bus up a mountain trail to the Machu Picchu site. As we rounded a corner, we caught sight of the breathtaking city sitting atop a mountain.

Elga, our tour guide, lead us through ruins and taught us about the known history of the world famous site. Some of the other students chose to hike up Wayna Picchu, the mountain peek that rises out of the city. It was a beautiful and life-changing experience.

The following day, we traveled back through the sacred valley to the ruins of Ollaytambo. The site was originally thought by the Spanish to be a fortress. But it was actually a large agricultural complex. The ruins are made up of multi-level terraces and large stone granaries.

There were also gorgeous stone fountains that have been flowing since the days of the Inca. It was interesting to learn that one of the fountains on the site was the only known example of Incan petroglyphs.

An amazing experience

This was my first trip abroad, and it couldn't have gone better. All of our guides were extremely helpful and our accommodations were beyond expectation.

The steamy jungle, the fascinating Incan ruins, and the sprawling Peruvian cities all played a part in making this trip an experience to remember.