Jungle Fever

Out the front of the PSF gates with some of the many amazing people i met!

So I'd made it to the Amazon, but there were some adventures in between. I'll take you on a quick recap! 6 months at PSF and i thought I'd never get out of that place. It has a very appealing draw to it and it's no wonder people stay there so much longer than planned. Had it not been for some strict commitments myself it wouldn't be any surprise if i was still there now, but it wouldn't have made much of a difference. Everybody's times comes to an end sooner or later and it was my time to venture off. There is never a good time to leave Pisco, but the reality is you can't stay there forever. So with the help of Christine i was able to break the shackles of Pisco and move one.

Finishing the concrete sports pitch for the community of Jhiret!

Little Guadalupe who stole my heart! She is what made it all worth it!

Our first pit-stop after boarding that infamous bus at el cruce was to the centre hub of Peru and one of my least favourite cities, Lima. Now don't get me wrong, Lima is a beautiful city. Lima has the ability to find the right balance between historically cultured and modernly developed, but it just isn't the right city to travel to after an extended stay in one of Peru's poorest areas. It's almost like a culture shock in it's own right the with contrasting differences that are most significantly highlighted only 4 hours south by bus. After living on a peasants wage for the last 6 months the first battle i had to admit defeat on was the prices of things. Accommodation, food, taxi's, just about anything you were looking for in Lima is definitely overpriced. 


Now to the everyday person living comfortably back home these prices may not seem expensive, in fact a lot of these things will seem very cheap indeed, but after living on the alternate side to Lima for such a long time it is a very big shock. When you're volunteering you're not making any money, in fact you're paying money to donate your time to help. It may not be a lot of money, but you're still sacrificing your own personal funds to be there. You learn to be meticulous with your spending, not in a Scrooge like way, but in a way that makes you understand and appreciate the true cost of living. In a way that makes you realise how certain people have been living on the bare minimum, and how back home you have so much access to expendable and disposable money. It's not that you are being a big tight-ass about spending money, but you've seen, in its rawest form, just how far that money can go and it's hard not to think about that every time you want to justify spending wasteful amounts. The key is to just be a little bit more conscious of this fact, but also acknowledging the unfortunate fact that you are going to have to spend a little more when getting to these big cities.

With that fact resonating in our minds we decided to only spend a couple of relaxing days in Lima before embarking upon the next adventure. Relaxing being the key word, but not being the right word. These days were far from the relaxing adventure I'd expected with the running around trying to plan things, the longing in my heart from already missing Pisco and the uncomfortable spending situation. After a couple of days we were well and truly ready to hit the road again and after a couple of personal treats (McDonald's sundaes in the park everyday and some expensive sushi) we were ready to hit the budget again. We were heading north to the Amazon, but we needed to travel some distance first. First leg of the travel was a 30 hour bus ride up to a little town of the fringe of the Amazon Basin called Tarapoto. We stayed here for a night simply because the 30 hour bus was a very uncomfortable experience, and then we headed straight for the last stop on the road, Yurimaguas, before you hit the river. From here it's only by boat or plane that you can go any further into Peru. The next stop, and our next destination, is Iquitos. Iquitos is a city famous for being the largest city in the world unreachable by land. The only way to access it is by air or boat, and by boat it's a couple of days on the slow barge with a hammock strung up, which as the cheapest option we naturally decided upon.

After Yurimaguas we boarded a slow boat for the day before getting off about 12 hours later in a small section of the Amazon called Lagunas. From here they run tours into the Amazon jungle that are a lot less touristy than when you get to Iquitos. We hadn't really planned much so when we got there we worked off a couple of recommendations, but otherwise that was it. After a long stint at PSF and then a equally busy week we weren't the most energetic go getters so in hindsight perhaps settled for one of the easier more organised tours. Probably a lot more pricey when i think about it as well. In Lagunas there are many more options than originally thought in terms of jungle tours and guides pretty much work around you. If you've got the time it's recommended to go there and source out prices and haggle a bit. I mean don't get me wrong the tours are not really expensive, but after you finish and see how cheaply it's done then you do wonder where some of the money goes. Overall, however, the experience was one to remember. Whether it was the sticky heat, the constant bugs or the sleepless nights, this tour had something for everyone.

The base of the tour was canoeing down an arm of the Amazon and into the jungle. The tour itself only lasted 3 days and we didn't go deep in, but it was enough time to see some amazing landscapes, spot some exotic animals and do some crazy things. Among some of the local inhabitants we spotted were a baby anaconda probably 1.5m long, some small 1m caymans, toucans, jungle parrots, few different monkey species, a sloth, river turtles, venomous tree snakes and various other things. We got to fish for our dinner and caught all kinds of strange looking catfish and happened to snap up a few piranhas as well. We swam in piranha infested waters, chased wild pigs through the jungle with machetes and went exploring along the river in the middle of the night in pitch black for all the nocturnal wonders of the Amazon. For a short 3 day period we jammed a lot in and it was a great snapshot of the jungle life. Had there been a few more days to spare then perhaps we would have considered spending more time there and going deeper, but we were on a strict schedule to get to the north of Colombia in 2 weeks to meet up with Christine's family. So with the Amazon jungle experience ticked off our list of things to do we boarded another slow boat and heaped to Iquitos, this time for 2 days.

When we got to Iquitos we didn't have a lot planned. A couple of days to check the city out and then we were back on another 2 day boat to the tri-border between Peru, Colombia and Brazil. Iquitos was spent catching up on a bit of rest, cooking some delicious meals and checking out a few of the local sights. One which included the famous Belen market where it is quite possible to buy/sell anything. From all kinds of mythical concoctions in oddly shaped bottles to parts of animals dangerously close to extinction, Belen has it all. It was quite the eye open in some sections, but we were fortunate not to witness too many horrific aspects to the market. One of the main reasons this market is famous is for the floating village that comprises the population of Belen. We happened to be in the low season so all we saw we the houses resting on their stilts, but in the high season as the river rises up to 15m higher, this whole village rises with the water. The houses, shanty shacks more appropriately phrased, sit on huge raft type structures that help with flotation. We heard it was quite a sight, but even just looking at the village was enough to realise how amazing this little town was.

Other than Belen market the 5 days we spent in Iquitos were spent lazing around, catching up on sleep, planning the next leg of our adventure and cooking. Cooking has become a huge part of the travels since leaving PSF as we maintain a great budget that allows us to see all the things we want to see and keep costs down. In fact after eating rice, pasta and potato 2-3 times a day in Pisco it was an absolute pleasure to start cooking for ourselves again. We could not only reduce the costs of travelling, but we could also cook delicious meals of what we wanted, when we wanted and for cheaper. In fact the food we were cooking was a lot healthier as well as most of the 'gringo' restaurants catering to travellers only serve up the same crap food you can get back home. Greasy hamburgers, chips and whatever get repetitive, boring, pricey and fattening. But you'll get to hear more about the cooking adventures later on down the travels.

Iquitos was all but done, but on the last day we ventured out to an animal and butterfly sanctuary just a short boat ride out of town. It was really refreshing to see a different perspective on animal refugee and protection after witnessing people eating monkeys and selling tiger skulls in the jungle. In the sanctuary they worked on rehabilitating animals caught on illegal trades and had a huge jaguar, an ocelot, all kinds of creepy biting monkeys and other assorted animals, as well as a huge butterfly breeding station. With that trip finishing up in the early afternoon it was a mad dash back to the hostel to pick up the bags and then we were back at the dock boarding a cargo ship to the Peruvian border.

This time we were in a boat for 2 nights and 2 days before arriving in Santa Rosa, the border crossing and last spot in Northern Peru. Another couple of lazy days on the Amazon River swinging in hammocks and taking in the local wonders, but after a sleepless night because of loud partying and drinking at the back of the boat, it was fair to say the novelty of hammocks on cargo ships was wearing off. It wasn't just the loud music and particularly crowded boat that was wearing thin, it was also the ordinary food served and lack of showering that was making us feel like real sea drifters. However, luckily it wasn't too enduring and we really didn't have too many complaints, but after another 2 days we were definitely looking to ditch the boat for some land.

Peligroso Boys making a lethal Pisco Punch!

Arriving in Santa Rosa we were immediately greeted by eager moto-taxi drivers wanting to acquire our services, but we had heard it wasn't a very far walk to the immigration office so we battled the heat for 20mins before realising maybe a moto would have been a smart idea. After walking right past the office and for an additional couple of minutes it was disheartening to have to trudge back, but upon arriving out the front it's no surprise we missed it. There were no signs, no plaques and no indication at all that this was an official government office. We walked up the stairs, of what looked like someones house, wondering if we were going to step into their living room, but instead stumbled across the office of a pretty relaxed looking guy in his early 20s. He was more interested in chatting to us than exiting us from the country and didn't seem too bothered that we'd both overstayed our visas. This was the second time now that I'd overstayed my time in Peru, however this time didn't cost me as much. It's one dollar each day your over, and after almost 7 months in Peru i only had to pay 20 odd dollars. I'd been successful in gaining a 6 month visa when first crossing over from Chile and that really saved me a bit. Christine, however, who wasn't as fortunate had to cough up well over one hundred dollars. After exiting out we decided to stay in Santa Rosa for the night and try to catch up on some sleep.

The area that we were in is quite a unique one. It is a tri-border between Peru, Colombia and Brazil and there are certain boundaries that you're able to cross into without having to swap visas, as well as being able to check out of a country and then cruise into the next for your entry stamp within a 24 hour period. A very relaxed process and you could officially become a lost citizen at this point in South America because if you just decided to go wherever you wanted no one would know where in the world you were. It's no surprise then that this tri-border area is an important smuggling port for all kinds of things and it's not hard to get your hands on anything if you know where to look or who to ask. Unfortunately we weren't looking for any black market trade, so instead we headed towards a cheap hostel and settled there for a few nights. There wasn't a great deal to do in Leticia so after getting our entry visa the following day we mostly just spent our time reading and cooking. In a couple of days time we had a flight up to Cartagena so the main part of our time in Leticia was getting some rest in after a big couple of weeks travelling. One thing to note about Leticia is that it is a little bit more pricey than what we had expected, and Colombia overall is a bit of a price shock after living in Pisco for 6 months. Leticia is deep in the south of Colombia and within the Amazon so the only options are to fly or boat product in, therefore most prices are increased to accommodate the extra transportation fees.

With the days of relaxing over we boarded our flight to Cartagena and arrived safely to perhaps take on my biggest adventure yet... meeting Christine's family and travelling with them for the next 2 weeks. Next edition includes the time in Cartagena and then heading north to see some of the most amazing sights that Colombia has to offer, as well as the non-stop adventure that is travelling with the Williams'.

Adios Amigos!

Moving On In The World!

Floating down the famous Amazon River on a cargo ship with a hammock strung at the top deck. The girl I love swings next to me. It's a beautiful day and the picturesque landscapes that pass me can only be described as the type you see in exotic documentaries. The types of places you dream to be at when your at home wishing you were anywhere but home. It's also at this specific point, like something just triggered in my brain, that I think I'm the luckiest guy in the world. And why am i lucky you might ask? Well that's an easy question to answer in many ways, and more difficult to answer in others. In an easy and simplistic way this can be summed up with sheer level of happiness i have currently achieved. This may not seem like a lot for most people, but for me to be happy is the most important aspect of life.

Bring out of the cliches if you will, but something I've always said is that we're only on this world for a short time in the broader scheme of life. In realistic terms most of us will not account for any life changing or forever remembered event in life. We may not cure cancer, or win a Noble Prize, but at the end of the day even those people are forgotten. History proves that history is forgotten, eventually. I couldn't tell you who won the Nobel Prize for Peace in 1959, nor could i tell you who invented the vaccine for polio. What i can tell you though, is that i appreciate the effort and cheers for keeping the human race kicking along. Your contribution to human life has been especially noted and appreciated, but in the broader scheme of life so is everybody's contribution when they make even the smallest positive impact. It may be the baker who provides you with bread everyday or the farmer who provides you with sustenance to live through their livestock or fresh produce.

The thing is, everybody has a role in society and everyone should appreciate life and be happy. That's not to say you shouldn't strive to become more, or that you should settle for mediocrity, but what you should ultimately strive for is being happy and then everything else will fall into place.

Now saying this is not as easy as making it happen and it is easy for me to say this from the position I'm currently in. Floating down the river of the one of the greatest natural wonders of the world. I'm laying in a hammock somewhere deep within the Amazon jungle and life couldn't get any less complicated. For me this whole journey has been one of discovery, learning, understanding and appreciating all that is being presented to me. And this is not the end by any means either. There is work, sacrifice, suffering, doubt and all the other challenges of finding happiness that continue to reside in retaining happiness. Just because i realise happiness in this present time doesn't mean that i am going to feel happiness forever. However, what it has done is given me the thirst, the desire and the encouragement to pursue it. It hasn't come easy, despite what people may think, but then nothing worth appreciating ever does. So now this is my motivation!

I have had the taste and i want to continue to pursue this. They call the good life many different things in many different places of the world, but it always comes back in its truest form as happiness. The feeling that you are not only contented, but you are also joyful of the way your life has panned out. You are excited about facing the challenges of the future and the anticipate the reality of the future with a strong and focused mind. The thirst of life, the Elixir of Life, living forever, praise some form of God, live a good life, karma, don't do this, do this instead, rules, regulations, societal expectations and norms, acceptance and whatever else comes in between are share differences and similarities interpreted completely different from one person to the next.

Out of all of this there can be only one true factor that resonates amongst all the obscurity of differences. What is important is the thirst for life. This is not a preach, by all means take it as you will, this is more intended as an appeal for those who have drank from the metaphorical cup of happiness and have realised their thirst has yet to be quenched. Pursue the rest of it and realise that it may not come easy, but when you finally get to drink from that cup again the harder it has been the more refreshing life will taste.

Teaching the kids at Ludoteca about Australia!

Ok so i might have forgotten a few things in between the last time we crossed paths. It was mid September the time i wrote that passage and a lot has happened since we last communicated. My level of communication over the last 6 months has been poor to say the least, but all within excusable reasoning. I have once again finished an extended stay at the volunteer organisation Pisco Sin Fronteras in southern Peru. An organisation established in response to the 2007 earthquake in Pisco that destroyed 80% of the town and left hundreds of thousands of people displaced. Even after 5 years of the earthquake and 4 years of operation by Pisco Sin Fronteras (|PSF) there are still many things to be done for the people of Pisco, but slowly that emphasis is finally being shifted more heavily to the local administrative governments as it should have been from day 1. However, that being said it has been a remarkable journey that PSF has been apart of over the last 4 years in helping to rebuild not only the physical infrastructure of Pisco but also the emotional and psychological damage created by the devastating earthquake 5 years ago.

Finishing off the last concrete slab of the 600m2 sports pitch we constructed in Tupac Amaru!

It has been another 6 months at PSF beginning way back in March and ending up in September, but it has been the most unbelievable challenge, once again, that has been presented to me at this stage in my life. This time around i was responsible for the additional role of being the Project Manager, a position that was equalling rewarding as it was difficult. But rather than go into that right now i would like to try and at least briefly describe my time at PSF. I can't even begin to explain how many times I've tried to sit down and right about this experience. I thought it was difficult the first time when i finished up 5 months back in 2010, but now after another long stint it feels even more challenging. It not only became a huge part of my life, but in my role as project manager it seemed to almost completely consume me into the PSF bubble and leave me without any concept of what was happening around me. 

Plaza del Parque at the end of my time!

Whether it was coordinating and managing jobs of construction and education for up to 60 volunteers from all walks of life at any one time, or whether it was trying to personally deal with the emotional roller-coaster that is PSF when you spend so much time becoming apart of a community that had been stripped back to its very basics because of this atrocious disaster. Some of the things i have seen, some of the living conditions i have seen children growing up in, some of the stories i have heard or the people i have met i will never be able to describe no matter how many words i throw down or photos i publish. And maybe this is why it has always become such a difficult experience to talk about. Maybe that is why the PSF community has always stayed so tight and family like, because the experiences you witness and are apart of in Pisco are so foreign to anything you could begin to explain to people back home. The bonds you create with these people seem to be forged with the undeniable notion that there is nothing like this back home and it is only these people that will ever be able to understand the kind of personal transformation that you achieved while experiencing the challenges of Pisco.

So in the short form that is where I'm at right now with my life. PSF is behind me, but never ever forgotten. And i know as PSF takes its next challenging step that this will not be the last time i cross paths with the world of volunteering. Actually I'm currently sitting in a hut in the middle of the Sierra Nevada on the Carribbean coast of northern Colombia, but there is a lot to fill in-between that and where i last left you that will be saved for another time! 

In the next addition there is the trip into the Amazon jungle, more hammock cargo ships, Iquitos, crossing into Colombia through Leticia, flying up to Cartagena and all that falls in-between!