Meet Harry
Allow me to introduce you to my new friend, Harry. He is probably the best science teacher I have ever had and he was my magnificent guide in the Amazon rainforest because he is experienced, smart, and patient. He has a soft voice, but that is good because in the jungle you have to be patient and, at many points, quiet. He has been working as a guide in the Amazon for five years, so he is very familiar with the jungle and how to point out wildlife and plants. We had two full days together in the Amazon and he just made the experience so much better.
The first day, we woke up at 4:00 am to see macaws and parrots at a special location. That location was a macaw claylick. A claylick is where the clay is rich in salt and nutrients. The macaws like the salt so hundreds of them come at once and all go to these cliffs to get the nutrients they need. It was almost a two hour boat ride to get there and then we waited for about 3 hours to see all of them. He pointed out many different species of birds and he even helped me take great pictures! On the way back to the lodge, he spotted squirrel monkeys far off in the distance. He was very patient and told us exactly where they were. Before lunch, he told us about a special fruit called huito, which is used for tattoos, like henna. The blue ink can stay on for months at a time. Harry drew a blue and yellow macaw on my arm. Unfortunately, our tattoos didn’t stay on for that long but it was still fun to learn about the fruit and then have tattoos! That afternoon we took a short walk to a big tower called the canopy tower. It is called the canopy tower because it is higher than the canopy. It was cool because we got to have a whole different perspective of the rainforest.
On the second day, we didn’t wake up very early (thankfully) but we hiked on a trail through the rainforest. It was about a 45 minute walk to a surprise. That surprise was a tree called the sacred tree. It was huge! The diameter was about the size of a big car. There we made bracelets with special seeds from palm trees. We also each got two “lucky” seeds. People carry them with them everywhere. Harry also gave us each some chocolate and our own magnifying glasses. On our way there, we also saw howler monkeys. Harry knew exactly what type of monkey it was the moment he saw the trees moving. It was amazing how he did it! He also pointed out the vines we made our bracelets with, a rubber tree, and which mushrooms are poisonous! He has skills that I will never have!
One of my favorite parts of this part of the trip is when Harry surprised me by telling me that we could help make lunch. The day before, I mentioned to him that I enjoyed cooking and he arranged with the chefs for us to make lunch for the entire lodge! It was very fun and interesting to make something new. We made Juane, which is rice, chicken, boiled egg, olive, and the chicken juice all wrapped up in banana leaves. It is a traditional dish in the Amazon that had been made for many, many years.
That night we went on a sunset cruise and Harry was always alert for wildlife. Because of him we saw the worlds largest rodent; capybaras, and a snake in the water!
I had an amazing time with Harry! He is a wonderful guide who made our trip really fun!