The Amazon Rainforest

Morning

6:00 - We open our eyes to the dimly lit sky. The blue and purple shades of the night sky fade away to the morning sun. With it’s long sleepy rays, the sun touches away any remaining stars of the night.

6:30 - Humidity clings to our skin, and frizzes our hair. It permanently dampens anything the rain has touched, and it fills our noses with the distinct earthy smell of the rainforest.

7:00 - The forest is alive. Monkeys bounce through the trees. Woodpeckers tap their bills. mosquitos hum in our ears. Owls sweep over our heads and we observe it all.

7:30 - We are deep in the Amazon Rainforest. Miles away from a road, a city, or the modern world. Our boots walk on trails barely used by humans, and through forests that have never been mined for oil or cut for wood. We look at animals that don’t hide at our sight and learn things that are not taught in schools.

8:00 - We climb. We climb high into the rainforest canopy. Flashes of lime green, turquoise, violet, vibrant yellows, and reds dot the tree tops. The most beautiful and radiant colors we will ever see is on a Tanager. Tiny, quick little birds play and flash their wings. As soon as our eye quickly catches the bright pigment of colors, it’s gone. No time to stare in awe.

Afternoon

12:00 - The windless days still the black waters. The lake is glass. Black glass that sparkles when the sun reaches down. A fish might jump, or an otter might come to the surface for a breath, only then will the tiny ripples of movement stir the lake.

1:00 - The forest is asleep. Time slips away and hides in the shade, away from the heat.

Evening

4:00 - Our adventures begin again. For this week the rainforest is our classroom, so we learn. We learn about natural medicines used by the native people. We learn the incredible adaptations of every plant and animal. We learn about life in the Amazon Rainforest.

5:00 - We laugh. Not only do we learn about this exotic forest, but we learn about the people here who teach us. We learn about their lives, and we laugh at their jokes. We tell them about ourselves, and they become our friends.

6:00 - The sun sets. Every insect and frog makes their existence known. Our eyes become useless as we try to navigate through the jungle. We will be asleep soon, but our surroundings will be awake. Our bodies already feel tired from a full day. We have climbed, walked, canoed, watched, and learned. Tomorrow we will do it all again, because there is nowhere else besides the Amazon Rainforest where we have experiences like these.