Straight in the Eyes
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6 March 2009
Amazon Basin Rainforest
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The trip into the Amazon basin begins by air, but must end on the water because there are no roads.
Click here for the rest of the story: http://www.hackneystravel.com/writing/2009/ecuador/straightintheeyes.pdf
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5 Comments
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sissy
WOW, thanks for the ride. I think that’s as close as I’ll ever want to get to that area. I’d never survive the heat & humidity. How do you spell “swollen”!! Great photos and hope you two didn’t have bug issues going in:-)
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Ron Baker
Beautiful photos of a place fecund with life. It reminds me, sadly, that South American rain forests, much like the one you guys visited, are being destroyed at an alarming rate. We must learn to take better care of our home.
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Doug
Sis,
No bug issues before or during. We both came out with a few bites. When Steph immediately came down with fever, body aches, etc., we feared the worst.
Our travel doc, who we consulted via email, suggested Dengue Fever. We hoped for an alternative prognosis.
As far as mosquitoes go, the Amazon basin has a huge ecosystem called the Blackwater Forest. It is flooded forest, and the tannins released from the rotting wood create an acidic environment. In those areas the number of species are limited to those that are acidic PH tolerant. There are zero mosquitoes because they cannot lay their eggs in acidic water. Consequently, we only experienced mosquitoes while hiking rather than canoeing. The Amemrican bug juice with 40% DEET we keep clipped to our camera bags was only moderately effective. We had 100% DEET bug juice with us on the trip but didn’t think to bring it along out on the trail. Doh!
Love,
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sheelagh
Hi Doug and Steph, glad to actually to see a photo of you both. The pictures are brillant and Patrick will be most impressed. Makes our journey to a safari park here, look quite mundane, even though when the tiger walked right past the car, the tension in the car rose and 2 teenagers soundly went very quiet and the car seemed very small. Nature is a wonderful thing, and hopefully the next generation will be able to see it in reality and not as memories. All the best to you both. The Cramptons
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Joe Barker
Great photos Doug & Steph! Thanks for sharing your experiences. I can almost feel the heat and humidity. Travel Safe.