Here’s my high-tech, 100-percent guaranteed method of keeping creepy crawlies out of my clothes and shoes while in the jungle.
A ginormous Ziplock — Amazon-sized for freakishly huge Amazonian bugs.
Peru wrap-up
August 13, 2010Some call Peru “the catalog of the world,” and for good reason — the country boasts a little bit of everything.
I started this trip with some knowledge of that diversity, but I was still in awe of what I found. From deserts to thick rainforest canopies, Peru really does have it all. It’s a downright magical place.
I think I’ll always have a special place in my heart for this country. Not only is it the place where I leapt out of my old life and into my new career as round-the-world adventurer, but it’s also where I spent my honeymoon.
Together, The Husband and I tackled the Inca Trail, and he cheered me on when things got rough.
Together we explored the Amazon and saw things we never could have imagined. He also nursed all my bug bites with “dragon’s blood” from a shaman, including a few welts from a spider who was determined to know me intimately.
And together, we just spent a lot of time enjoying each other.
I know there’s value in solo travel and in traveling with your friends — both of which I’ll get to know better as this trip progresses.
But there was something particularly special about starting this journey with my new husband — and learning how love can grow even bigger in places we never expected.
Do drink the water
August 13, 2010Our entire trip has come with warnings and ominous advice — including the well-worn refrain of “Don’t drink the water.”
Everybody has told me this, in one variation or another.
Don’t drink the water. Don’t use the ice. Don’t brush your teeth with water from the tap. Don’t let water from the shower splash your face. Don’t consume blended margaritas. Don’t wash fruit with water from the tap. Don’t eat the fruit that has been grown using the water that you should not be drinking in the first place.
Excellent advice except … I still need water.
Buying many bottles of water per day is expensive and not very eco-friendly. And the chemical drops and pills designed to treat the water are impractical and not a decent long-term solution. Plus, they taste bad.
That’s why the most important thing in my backpack is my SteriPEN.
It’s about the size and shape of a highlighter marker, so it’s extremely light and compact. I can easily stow it away in my daypack or purse when I’m on the go.
To use, I simply press a button, an ultraviolet light comes on, and I stir the pen into the water. Just 90 seconds later — PRESTO! — I’m the proud owner of one liter of fresh, safe water.
I have The Adventurer model, which comes with a solar battery charger — so I’ll never be stuck without access to clean water, no matter where I am in the world.
So far I’ve used my SteriPEN all over the Amazon, through rural Bolivia, even on the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu, where our guides confirmed the water contained cryptosporidium (aka one of the nasty buggers that will sock you right in the intestines). With my SteriPEN in hand, I was confident that I could purify the water and remain healthy — and I was right.
I firmly believe that this trip would be next-to-impossible to do without a SteriPEN. And that’s something I’d say even if they weren’t one of our sponsors.
I’ll probably even carry the SteriPEN with me once I return home, since some water sources can be pretty dodgy. (I distinctly remember one water fountain at LAX that tasted like mold and poison.) I also think it makes a valuable addition to my earthquake kit.
SteriPENs range in price from about $60 for the small emergency version to $100 for the heftier models. (Extra batteries and solar charging kits cost extra). Purchase through an online retailer like Amazon.com, or visit an outdoor goods store, like REI.
Find out more about the product at their website.
Kids in the Amazon
August 9, 2010The best travel moments happen when you least expect them.
That’s what I learned when my husband and I made an excursion to the village of Manco Capac, situated on an island in the Amazon River.
Our intention was to spend the morning strolling through the tiny town, getting a brief glimpse of village life. We had no expectations and no plans.
Then we stumbled on to a school just as the children were getting ready for their Independence Day parade.
The kids immediately crowded around us, tugging at our clothes, smiling shyly, pulling us into their classrooms. They all wanted their photos taken and loved seeing the digital image displayed right back at them.
When the parade started, someone grabbed a couple of chairs, setting them up where we’d have the best vantage point for viewing the festivities. The teacher told the kids to sing extra loud for their special guests, and he motioned to us.
The kids acted out the story of the liberation of Peru, then marched all over the schoolyard, waving tissue paper flags.
It was one of those things that could never be replicated for any tour, and you’d never read about it in a guidebook. But that brief morning with the kids — laughing and singing and hugging — was one of the happiest, most genuine travel experiences I’ve ever had.
Monkeying around
August 1, 2010As our boat approached the dock, a monkey launched himself off the shore and into my arms. Quite a warm welcome to La Isla de Los Manos, aka Monkey Island!
My greeter’s name was Mayo, an orphaned spider monkey and full-time resident at the primate sanctuary. He clung to me for an hour or so, nuzzling me, hugging me, even falling asleep against my shoulder.
Located on the Amazon River, Monkey Island is a haven for monkeys who would otherwise be sold in the exotic pet market. Most of them have been orphaned — their mothers killed by hunters — which explains why they look to others for affection.
The sanctuary is home to eight different species of monkeys. They don’t live in cages — they run around the island freely and independently — but they are still comfortable and curious around humans.
I’m always a little skeptical about wildlife sanctuaries, because I’ve seen too many that don’t act in the best interest of the animals. They exist simply for show or to suck money from real animal lovers.
But Monkey Island definitely appeared to be a place that does it right. Owner Gilberto Guerra clearly is passionate about monkeys and has created a place where they are treated with respect.
More than anything, my trip to Monkey Island reinforced my belief that all creatures crave love and deserve our kindness and affection.
