Blogs from Tarapoto, San Martín, Peru, South America

Somos todos loquitos, no? - Wir sind doch alle verrückt, oder? Angekommen in Tarapoto (die größte Stadt San Martins, auch bekannt als “Stadt der Palmen”) machten Elli, Sabi und ich uns vom AirBnb aus auf den Weg um das Zentrum zu erkunden: Durch die Straßen rund um den Hauptplatz, Plaza de Armas, vorbei an vielen kleinen Läden bis hin zu ein paar Straßenverkäufern die uns schon bei der Hinfahrt zum AirBnb ins Auge gestochen waren. Michele, einer der (Lebens-)Künstler, strahlte eine Freundlichkeit und Herzenswärme aus die ich noch selten erlebt habe. Mit einer selbstlosen Freude zeigte er uns seine Kunstwerke, erzählte von den Eigenschaften der Edelsteine, der Samen, der Federn und der Farben. Und obwohl wir erst nichts gekauft und nur geschaut haben, hat er so viel Wissen, Freude und Leidenschaft mit uns geteilt, uns mit ... read more

Buenos Noches Mis Amigas y Amigos! I am going to start this blog with a huge THANK YOU to everyone who has supported my campaign to both get here and do this important work. Whether you supported (or are supporting) in prayer, good vibes or the generosity of your pocket, I want to say I am moved with love and gratitude. I am being a very good steward and feel absolutely inspired to take my work to the next level. Please forgive the dreadful internet service preventing me from being able to blog sooner. It's been truly dodgy, where nothing would load and sooo slow (my cousing Athena travelling and doing humanitarian work while exploring in Africa understands!!!) But all that aside, tonight, sitting here in a sweet jungle lodge in Tarapoto with the cacophony of ... read more

Part 1 Boats galore over the past few days!! We headed to the cargo boats after our last blog Íquitos´. We all realised hammocks aren´t so uncomfortable after all, minus the occasional collisions in the night. Some people liked to make the most of the space available and spread out. Laura sat in her hammock thinking she´s a pea due to the lovely vibrant green colour of the hammocks. It took a while for us to set sail due to the thunder and lightning. For most of our two/three days on the cargo we played card games, not all of us quite understood the rules of all the games though. The toilets on board were...interesting, and the beetles and other insects weren´t quite so welcome either. It was really nice for us all to interact with ... read more

Tarapoto was a good “base point” for some great hikes to various waterfalls. We recommend you to get information at the tourism agency of the municipality, which is in Plaza de Armas. This is a public information point and therefore allows you to plan your own trips without having to go on more expensive tours organised by private agencies. In fact, this office puts you directly in contact with those guides who live in the villages close to the waterfalls. The hike to the Tamushal waterfall allowed us to visit a project which is reintroducing local species into the area and which takes place 10 minutes away from the waterfall. The hike to the waterfall was 1 hour and a half at a good speed, but it can take up to 3 hours if you walk ... read more

I know I haven’t blogged since Christmas (Sorry!!). A lot has happened since I’ve been back...I won’t bore you with all the details, but in nutshell I’ve been completing the last stage of my project, writing my master’s ‘thesis’, traveling a little, and trying to enjoy the time I have left. It’s really strange to me that my time here is coming to an end…although I’m extremely excited to go back home, Peru has sort of become a part of me, and it will be hard to leave knowing I may not be coming back (although I do hope to stay involved with the work here). It’s also exciting knowing that I’m graduating a month from now…my master’s essay has been approved and I’m officially done! Now I can stop paying Hopkins the big bucks, and ... read more