Taricaya, day 1

As I am writing these few lines, I am sitting in a hammock at Taricaya, Projects Abroads conservation project in the rainforest. All around me I hear the amazing sounds of the jungle: crickets, some monkeys and a Tucan in quarantine and a whole lot of others sounds I have no idea what is. After a few hours of morning rain, the weather is sunny and warm. Our two local Trumpeters (birds) are also here, eating all the bugs they can find. I was told that when the Taricaya projects first started in 2001, these birds were moved further into the jungle to have a less crowded life, but they kept on coming back over and over again. So now, they are the local mascots, a part of the family and the grass is trimmed regularly in order for them to find bugs easier.

(Due to mosquitos I have now moved inside...)

About 3.30pm on Sunday 13^th I was on the boat down one of the siderivers of the Amazonas and on my way to Taricaya. With sun on my face, wind in my hair and complete silence (except from the motor running), the trip made me relaxed and calm and I was looking forward to seing my new home for the next week. We were about 30 people in two boats going to Taricaya, volunteers and staff and the trip took about 1.30 hour. It is highseason for volunteers here now, and all together we are 31 volunteers with new people coming and «old» people leaving almost every day.

I was really excited to go around and have a look at my new home when we got to Teriacaya, but first things first: We had to unload all the food we were going to eat for the next week, and put everything in their right place. After helping with this, Jesse, who is a staff member, took me on a guided tour: She showed me my room which I am sharing with two other girls, Anna (Sweden) and Sasha (England), the kitchen and dining room, the TV-room/bar, veterinary station, workshop and the animal cages.

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  At this moment Teriacaya has:
  1 red Howlermonkey
•  10 Spidermonkeys
• 2 Squirrelmonkeys
• 1 Saddleback tamarin
• 1 Nightmonkey
• 2 White-fronted capuchin
• 1 Brown capuchin
• 2 Jaguars
• 2 Tapir
• 1 Margay
• 2 Jaguarundi
• 1 Short-eared dog
• 2 Toucans
• 2 yellow and blue Macaws
• 2 red and green Maracutas
• 2 Yellow-crowned parrots
• 2 Mealy parrots
• 2 Blue-headed parrots
• 1 Red-headed Parakeet
• 2 Pale-winged Trumpeters
• 1 Scarlet Macaw

At 7.00pm we had dinner consisting of the usual ingredients in Peruano comida (food), rice and potatoe, and afterwards I went to bed, ready to get up the next morning for work.