Cracking into Fresh Eggs: Going Local

Fresh eggs

Deep in Peru’s Amazon Basin, a hacienda nestles in the rainforest along the shores of the Tambopata River. A covered walkway leads to outer buildings, then transforms into a narrow footpath leading past a banana field, lemon trees, and a vegetable and herb garden. The path ends at an enclosure which engulfs and fences an unseen part of […]

Memories of a Carnivore: A Vegetarian in Korea

Memories of a Carnivore: Adventures in Eating Ethically, by Julie Dupuis.

While I was in Korea, I wrote most of a book. I had to sit on it, go back to it, let it go through its process (which took a lot longer than most of the writing did). At the time, I didn’t know it was a book. I suspected it might be, but I never dreamed that […]

Bus Ride From Puerto Maldonado to Cusco

The view of the area surrounding Puerto Maldonado was very similar to the views on the earlier part of the bus ride from Puerto Maldonado to Cusco.

I left Puerto on Sunday afternoon at 2 o’clock. The bus ride from Puerto Maldonado to Cusco was supposed to last 18 hours, but we were stopped a few times: once because the road was flooded, once because a bus ahead of us had mechanical problems in a flooded area, and once because I-don’t-know-why. Even though it’s only […]

Playing With a Monkey in Puerto Maldonado

Jungle-themed city scenery.

Playing with a monkey in Puerto Maldonado was probably the highlight of the time I spent there. I didn’t do much at all, but I did go to a campfire party in honour of the full moon with some artesano friends, which was cool. And I visited a zoo, where again I didn’t think the animals were well-kept […]

Tambopata to Puerto Maldonado

Senovia in the peki peki on the way down the Tambopata to Puerto Maldonado.

The day I took the Rio Tambopata to Puerto Maldonado did not start off well. In fact, if I moved to Picaflor, I’d have to evict Pico. He left before I did this morning. With no idea where he was, I was ticked off. On Tuesday, the taxi-boat drove right by and we had to chase it down […]

Last Day at Picaflor Research Centre

Sunrise over the Tambopata River on my last day at Picaflor.

Today’s my last day at Picaflor Research Centre. Oh, no! I woke before the sun was up and went down to the river to watch the sunrise. It was so calm and beautiful, it was hard to stop watching. But it was my last chance to be in the jungle at dawn, so I pulled myself away. I […]

Wildlife Sightings Round-Up from Picaflor

This wildlife sightings round-up from Picaflor Research Centre includes a tiny lizard, here seen in the corner of the shower.

Time for another wildlife sightings round-up from Picaflor! Here are a few tales about the animals I’ve seen in the jungle and around the hacienda lately. Pico and I went for a swim yesterday. On our way to the quebrada, we sighted a red-and-green macaw. On our way back, I saw what might have been an olive tree […]

Sleeping With Tarantulas at Picaflor Research Centre

This spider may or may not be similar to the time when I was sleeping with tarantulas at Picaflor.

Sleeping with tarantulas at Picaflor wasn’t exactly on my itinerary, but in a way, I guess it was meant to be… Johanna discovered a tarantula on the ceiling of her bedroom one morning, but it was her time to leave and she was packing. I went down to the river with Johanna to wait for her boat. While […]

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