Living in the Amazon- A Summary of my Time

My cabin and 2 of my cabinmates

Our class bug specimens, 3 of which are mine here

Wow, what an amazing three weeks it has been. I have not recorded much, but I have done and learned so much about nature and the people around it.
What have I learned? Well, I can name the order of just about any insect you give me/ I can recognize many of the bird, monkey, and frog calls. I know how to tell the different between a frog and toad, a centipede and milipede, and most of the birds that fly overhead here. I can identify many plant groups and tell you information about them, and just from asking a very knowledgeable guide, I have learned about many medicinal uses of plants as well.

We needed to learn all this, and more for our exam. We also broke off into groups and did a research project of our choosing. My partner’s name was Deidre, and she is a botany expert. We started off reporting on Medicinal Herbs, but it would not be possible to conduct a medicinal study in the four days we were given, so we decided to study emergent leaves on certain plants and what the advantage to anthocyanins (red pigments) vs. plain green emergent leaves were. The paper and presentation are due when we return to Quito.
One of the days here, they drew names out of a hat to see who got to go fishing. I was drawn first along with four other students. We went on this big canoe with some of the workers, and we took fishing line with a hook and bread on the end and just threw it out, no pole or anything. I caught two sardines with which one of the workers cut up on the spot and caught two giant catfish with. I got to play with the catfish, and I made friends with the worker I sat next to. His name is Alfonso, but I call him Alfie. Because he worked in the Kitchen, I got seconds whenever I wanted, and he would always save me an extra desert. His friend’s name is Tomas, and Tomas is an indigenous Indian. He speaks Spanish, Quiche, and Haurani. He is native Amazonian, and looks it! I talked to him for a while to get to know the area, and I realize I am most intested in the anthropology of the area here. It is so fascinating!
Another day, we went on a morning float where we were allowed to get off the boat at one point and float down the river in life jackets. This was probably the most amazing experience I’ve had. There I was, floating down the Amazon, with nothing but trees around me. It started raining halfway through and I immediately felt that I was really doing something special! I was living like an animal- I was floating down the world’s most original lazy river. We could not touch the river floor because there are lots of caimens, piranhas, and  electric eels, but as long as we didn’t touch one, we’d be fine!
Our professors set up bat nets one night. They are really fine nets that are used for catching flying animals. We caught 5 bats, and I got to hold one! It was amazing!
Also, on the day after out exam, we had a fun day. My roomates Jennifer and Francesca and I hiked back to the lagoon and paddled around in a canoe. On our way, we saw 3 species of monkeys above us. The first were the Red Titi Monkeys, and we could tell them from their distinguishing howls (they sound like a squeaky bed spring/they are mating all the time, its really funny). We also saw Wooly Monkeys overhead. Then we were crossing a bridge across a river, and we saw a big group of Squirrel Monkeys. They were literally jumping across the river from the trees on one side to the trees on another. They would get a running start and just fly across. I couldn’t get my camera out in time, but it was so funny to watch.
When we got to the lagoon, we paddled around, then returned to the dock and hiked back on another trail for lunch.

Here at the field, numerous people come through. I have met some photographers, scientists, and news reporters. I met one of my U of I ecology teachers’ good friends, and a guy who is filming a documentary for National Geographic. He was really cool, and we discussed film and photography a lot.

I also spent some time playing with a snake, catching butterflies, catching bugs and Iding them, practicing navigational skills, and playing around with my camera. I did so much, its hard to write everything.
Well, now I am so excited for the upcoming Coast Trip as well as Spring break, and then best of all, THE GALAPAGOS!
So pumped.

Dung beetle courting a female by rolling up some dung.

On the way there

View from the boat ride there

Owl we spotted

Bromeliad

Looking through the prop root of a Socratae

After our guide gave us a plant to chew, our mouths turned blue

Rhinella Margaritifer camouflaged well

Eating at the top of the tower

Climbing to the Canopy

The Catfish we caught

More fish we caught

White Throated Toucan

Caimen

Capybara

Monkey Ladder

Strangler Figs

More Crypsis/ Can you spot the Frog?

Lagoon Trees look like a Dr. Suess book

Yellow Rumped Caciche

Yellow Rumped Caciche in flight

Yellow Legged Land Tortoise

The sign in front of the photo traps that National Geographic is funding.

Brownea Flower

My favorite snake

One of the bats we caught

I got to hold it

Creepy teeth, and these are just for fruit! Imagine a Vampire Bat!

Beautiful wing

Tree Defense

Morpho with its wings closed

Red Titi Monkeys we came across

Dumb land bird

Owning those butresses

Beautiful lagoon

Cabin mates on our boat ride

Canopy climb group with our harnesses!

How We Traveled

Tiputini Biodiversity Station is hard to get to. Here is the day of traveling on my way there:
Flight from Quito to Coca: 0.5 hours
Bus from Coca to the Dock: 15 min
Boat to Oil Station: 2 hrs
Bus from Oil Station to Tiputini River: 2 hrs
Boat Through Tiputini River: 2 hrs
(+lots of waiting in between checkpoints)
Total time from Quito to Arrival: roughly 7 hrs

And reverse plus some time for traveling upstream on the way home. It is very tiring, but really amazing to be so far from Civilization!

Studying in the Amazon

I only have a few days left at the Tiputini Station here in the Amazon, and I have my final tomorrow, so today is study day. I am currently studying and as I play my bird calls, the same bird answers from the trees. Its amazing. This place is a living classroom, and I am learning so much from it. I just wish my allergies weren’t so bad so I could really get to know all of it. I have to much to write and say, but I will save that for later.

Greetings from the Amazon

I am writing now from the middle of the Amazon. This place is absolutely amazing, think Rainforest Café, but not fake. There are monkeys on the tops of trees, and so many beautiful birds. None of them will come near you, so you need to look from different areas to see anything. There are so many different types of plants that I have never seen in my life, and you can eat or taste a lot of these things. The endless possibilities of medicinal properties of these plants and animals fascinate me. We found out about a plant that looks like a rose bouquet hanging upside down with a black cross part called a Flor de Crux or something similar that the indigenous people use for birth control. It makes me wonder why we don’t use these things that the people here have been using for years, but there is no research on the US on it all.
On Tuesday we woke up at 5am and climbed to the top of a tower built on one of the tallest trees around to observe the sun rise and all of the animals that wake up and fly around. It was wonderful, but I was so tired and I need to adjust.
The sounds at night are just amazing, and I am working on learning the monkey, bird, and frog calls so I can identify what is outside our cabin.
Today we took a long hike through the Amazon and got to observe some amazing plants and insect communities. Everything I have ever learned in all of my Integrative Bio classes and major has been observed here, and I’m so happy I chose to come here of all people. I feel that anyone who cares about biology should see this stuff. I have observed just about every example of evolution in the animal and plant communities here. All of my professors would be proud.

Now for a little unfortunate news;  they said it would happen, and I was hoping I would get by without it happening, but when we returned to our cabins last night, some girls came running out saying that their cabin was robbed. At first I just thought there is no way, the only people here are the workers, researchers, and us….and the indigenous tribes down the river.
There are two tribes here, and the workers here are very acquainted with both of their leaders. They are the Hauorani and Quichua tribes, and are both indigenous Amazon people.
The robbers took two girls’ entire backpacks, passports, and censos, but left cash laying out. They took a whole room’s cell phones and ipods, and unfortunately, they took my camera and $200 binoculars. I did not realize it until this morning because I was in bed when I heard this had happened and didn’t believe it, but my stuff is not anywhere to be found, and was on my bed by the door before dinner. This has never happened in the history of this reserve, so it was so strange. We are in the middle of the Amazon Rainforest, 6 hours from the nearest city. They thought that maybe the tribes from around were watching to see when we went to dinner. (I was the last one to leave the cabin area, and I heard other people, but I thought they were my classmates. When I had yelled who is there, no one responded. I didn’t think anything of it until all the staff was patrolling the area.)
There is not really a way to get here besides the Tiputini River, and the workers would have been able to hear a motor. If it was the indigenous people, then they would have to take a canoe back down the river. Some of the workers here sped down the river to see if they could find a canoe. It was wild to think about.
I am glad that everyone is ok, and that we are all safe. The Ecuadorian police have been informed, and the government is sending in some army people and some oil guards to check out the area.  I just think this is such an interesting story, and the show must go on!
Can’t wait to see what tomorrow will bring…
I may not be able to get on for a while,
Love from the Amazon,
Dena

The People I Meet

Wow, what a weekend I've had so far!
Where to start? Well, I finished my Spanish and Bio exams, which were horribly difficult, but done. Then, later that night, I decided to see If I could find the other Jews in Quito, and see what they were like. I got in contact with the Chabbad Rabbi, or Jabad Rabino here, and he told me to come at 6pm for Shabbat dinner. I arrived at 6:15, and there were 2 other people there sitting and praying. I forgot this was Ecuadorian time, and by those standards, dinner was actually at 8pm.
Their house was very beautiful and had a wonderful courtyard with a fountain and a good set up for a Chabbad. When I arrived, I was greeted by a little boy who did not speak English. I tried my hardest to ask where his mother was. It was a bit awkward at first because I didn't know what to do, and she doesn't speak any english, but then I lit the candles with her, and we both recited the same words in hebrew.
After a few minutes, an older woman came and asked me where I was from. She was very very nice, and we sat and talked for about a half hour while the men were praying in their own separate room. It turned out that she doesn't usually come to Jabad because she is not religious, but she likes to visit them every once in a while. After attempting my Spanish conversation for a half hour, she answered me in perfect English. I was shocked and asked why she didn't speak English sooner. She said she wanted me to practice my spanish, a common theme here as I've observed.
A bit later, some more Americans came in. They are may age and also Exchange students from California. The Rabbi came over and explained this week's portion in Spanish. (Its hard enough to understand in English) In the middle of it, the woman I had met turned to me and asked if I understood and everyone stopped to see my reaction. I just said un poco, and the Rabino looked scared and asked if he needed to re-tell it in Spanish. That was not happening so I said I understood enough.
After the discussion, I talked with the girls, and in walks more people. Among them was a guy that I know from USFQ who is on the other program similar to ours through Boston University. His name is Gary and he is from West Virginia. I didn't realize he was Jewish as well, so we talked for a while and he saved me a seat. He is the only Jew on his program as well, and it was such a coincidence that he came to the same place on the same night for the same purpose.
Another woman walked in holding a child. She walked up to us and asked if we spoke English then introduced herself and her child. He name was Candice and her son's name was Mateo. It turned out that she is from Manhatten, NY, and was in Ecuador to adopt Mateo. She was really nice and I sat next to her as well. Her story was so touching. Her family had been looking to adopt for years and flew down to Ecuador for this child. They have been preparing for years, and they needed to stand before a judge to determine if they get to take the baby out of Ecuador. They had a translator, but he was not allowed in for some reason, and they had to wait hours for a new one. When the new one came, they entered all dressed up and serious; the judge was wearing a hoodie and asked one question. She said it was a nightmare and they were furious. The judge has three weeks to tell them what his decision is, so her husband and other kids went home to NY and she is just stuck here waiting for the permission to leave with this child. Her story was so touching, and it was strange to think that I'm living in a country where Americans fly down to adopt children out of.
I also met a girl from Argentina who teaches in Quito and studies fashion. She told me that you can't buy clothes here because they are too expensive. People go to the US to buy clothes, which is so strange to think about.
Overall, I was very happy that I went to Jabad, and they invited me to come back whenever. It was so funny to be in a room where everyone spoke two of the following: English, Spanish, or Hebrew. You would have to figure out which language they spoke that you speak. It was very confusing.

Friends at Zocolo

After the dinner, I was in a very good mood and I decided to go out with my friends on my program. We went to this bar called "Naranja Mecanica" which is supposed to be like Clockwork Orange. It is the coolest bar I've ever seen. There was a room of fur and little rooms leading into bigger ones. It was Elena's birthday, and Lydia's was a few days before. I went to the bartender and talked with him for a bit. He was so nice, that he gave me 5 shots instead of the 3 I ordered on the house. After that bar, we went to a shot bar for a bit and then returned to our favorite salsa/dance bar called Zocolo. I sat down and felt really good. It must have spread because the bartender leaned over and said that the owner had told him to give me any drink I ordered on the house! I talked to them for a while and then the owner came over and asked me where I was from. When I said Chicago, he got excited and said his daughter lives in a western suburb of Chicago, but he didn't know which one. I told him that I work in a bar, and he said well come back here and work! I thought he was kidding, but he let me go behind the bar, and had the bartenders teach me some of the drinks they make. It was a lot different than the cheap collage bar I work at in Champaign. They let me make all these drinks and give them to my friends for free. We had a wonderful night, and they invited me to come back anytime. It felt like home again!

The bartenders that invited behind the bar

We decided by the time we left that it was too late to go home separate, so we all went to our friend Carl's. Carl was on the CEIBA program two years ago, and while working on his internship, discovered a few new species of frogs, so he was asked to come back to classify them. Carl lives in a beautiful apartment type thing overlooking the mountains. I met his neighbors in the morning, and they offered me a German breakfast of beer and more beer. I needed to get home though.
It was a beautiful day yesterday, and we decided to go to the Mariscol area for breakfast. There is a place called the Magic Bean that is based on a Shel Silverstein poem. It was sooo delicious! I got my food to go so we could go to the Market, and of course they tried to over charge me like they do to all Americans. I caught it this time, and made them change it. We went to the market and looked at all the Artisan goods.

The woman eating the food I gave her

As we were walking around, a woman with children asked for my food. She was there because she sells gum to people walking around. At first I ignored her, but then I felt bad since I didn't really need my food. I gave her my food and watched her walk to the curb to eat it and split it with her children.

Grace getting her hair wrapped

We wanted to go to Old Quito, but we never got around to it. Instead, we found these nomads that travel across South America doing hair wraps and making string jewelry. They were really cool, so we all sat and got hair wraps, dreads, jewelry, or games for hours. One of them told me he wanted to marry me, and kept coming over and hugging me. He was about 23, and from Tongo. He made me a beautiful anklet! We sat around for a long time, and had this milky drink that they serve in the area with them.

Isabel and I

After the day's festivities, I returned home to get ready to go out with my Ecuadorian friend Isabel. Isabel lives upstairs, and speaks really good English. She invited me to a party for her friend's birthday. I went as the only American. All the girls there were beautiful, but it was a bit difficult to communicate. By the end, I was doing fine.

One of Isabel's friends from Chile

She told me that most people date here, it is rare to be seeing someone or to have a fling. The culture is much more conservative. One of the guys there started talking to us and was shocked when he found out I wasn't Ecuadorian. He said I fit right in really well when I said hola. We talked to him for a while, and it turns out that he had studied in Israel for 3 months and knows hebrew. He is in the process of converting, and was wearing a Jewish star necklace. His English was amazing as well. We talked for a while, (his name is Alejandro, like the Lady Gaga song) then he asked me to dance. I have never danced with such a good dancer, and I was put to shame a bit because I don't know how to salsa. I am planning on learning when I get back from the Amazon. He said he would take me out to dance if I take him to Chabbad.

Alejandro

Overall, this weekend was wonderful, and now I have to pack for the Amazon. We fly out of Quito in the morning around 8am, and then take a boat for a few hours to a bus. The bus will drive through some Indegenous towns, and then take us to the Tiputini river to take another long canoe ride to the Tiputini bio research base. There, I will have no internet, and minimal electricity. The humidity is supposed to be intense. I secretly hope there is a famous scientist there studying that I can meet. The base is used by scientists from all over the world, so I am excited!
Thats the quick update on what I've been up to. I probably won't be able to write until after the Amazon.
Next post in three weeks!

El Paramo

The páramo (or desolate territory) is a type of ecosystem. You can find it in the high elevations, between the upper forest line (about 3000 m altitude) and the permanent snow line (about 5000 m). It is very cold, even though it is close to the sun. We went last weekend to two different sites; Antisana and Cayambe-Coca. At each site we had some class, birdwatching, and data collection in order to make a species curves plot. On the way up the first day, we stopped at a point on the side of the street and climbed down to a stream. The trees are all stunted from flavonoids, so it looks like a fairy tale/haunted forest.

 

We took a bus up to the very top, and the plants looked like foreign/underwater plants. The plants there are all really low to the ground due to the height and elevation. Many are called cushion plants, and really do feel like a cushion or mattress. It was fun to walk and sit on. Cushion plants conduct heat, so it is warm and soft to sit on one. We all had to nature pee at certain points, and the cushion plants provided the best place to do so.

It was hailing during our data collection, which was not pleasant. However, afterwards, we went to a hot springs area where we all sat in different temperatures in different pools and relaxed for a bit.

The next day, we went to another Paramo to take more data. In the morning, we went bird watching because many rare and endangered species live up there. There was a sheppard and sheep that I caught through my binoculars.

When we were done collecting data for our projects, we saw a line of four horses, but were not sure if they were wild or not.

This time, we collected data a lot quicker, and had time to take more photos:

The target species we were looking at

My group thought the hills and are were were in reminded them of The Sound of Music. My group skipped around and took photos of each other and of the area itself.