First week in the Amazon

Tiputini website: http://www.usfq.edu.ec/tiputini/
I only have a few minutes to write so this blog is kind of shaky and quick. I apologize.
Arrival:
The field station we are staying at is called Tiptutini and is located in the “most biodivesrse place on the planet” and is literally in the middle of nowhere. How in the middle of nowhere? Here is our itinerary to get here:
Hour long plane ride- ½ hour bus ride- 2 ½ hour long boat ride- 2 ½ long bus ride (this “bus” was more of a semi with pews in the back)- 2 ½ long boat ride
In between our 1st boat ride and second bus ride we had to get checked through a large oil operation. It was intense! All of our stuff had to get searched and there was signs everywhere instructing employees not to talk to us about their work. One of my professors had done her masters research at this particular oil camp and had told us the inside scoop so it was really interesting to see the place we had heard so much about. Our second boat ride was a bit rough since we got greeted to the rainforest with a huge rainstorm. I was one of the lucky ones who was sitting near a tarp so I didn’t get too wet but almost everyone else got completely soaked.
The Station:
The research station is much nicer than I expected. The station consists of several research laboratories, a large dining hall, researcher cabins, and student cabins. Our cabins are actually very cute and clean and even have electricity for a few hours every day. We also have purified running water, which is something I have not had since arriving in Ecuador. It is so nice to be able to drink out of the tap again! Showers are cold but I am so hot all the time it really didn’t matter. It has rained almost the entire time. I guess that makes sense since I am in the “rainforest” though. My clothes are constantly wet and stinky and are growing mold but luckily the station does laundry for once a week. The meals are excellent and they have real coffee!! I am not roughing it near as much as I thought I would be.
The first week:
Typical schedule of the first week:
Wake up at 6 for breakfast. Hike or visit canopy towers until lunch. Do field methods for 2 hours or float the river looking for birds. Lecture until dinner at 7. Go to sleep.
Highlights of week 1:
1) We are doing a lot of monkey watching and on one of the days we were lucky enough to have tamarins come down right over our heads.
2) We are doing a lot of swimming in the Tiputini River. Once I got over my fear my anacondas, rays, electric eels, and fish that climb into urethras I starting having a lot of fun.
3) The station has a pet bird (Lucho) that follows people around. It reminds me of Romeo (my pet pigeon) so I spend a lot of time playing with Lucho.
4) We went to both canopy walkways and towers where I gallantly faced my fear of heights.
5) We practiced capturing and counting techniques with the giant Congo ants. I was scared to death of them since one bite can paralyze your leg for a few days and I felt really extreme once we had completed the experiment.
Overall, the first week has been amazing! Next week we are starting on our independent research projects. I think I am doing mine on piranha habitats. I get to sit in a boat and fish these savage fish all day. Not too bad for a school project. I am going fishing for my first time today with the cooks to check out possible hypotheses I could test. Hopefully I will return will all my fingers intact.

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