We bounded across a bridge right before it closed for construction which marked our exit from the cities. From there we continued down muddy roads (some the texture of soft serve ice cream which trapped trucks larger than our jeep). At the halfway point we stopped at the only restaurant on the road... It was called Station #58 and was renowned. See, that first road into the rainforest was actually the only road going all the way from Brazil to Venezuela...so this place was THE place.
I had curried chicken and roti which was a little different from the style that I have had in Malaysia...but I decided to try something familiar instead of the jungle rodent and tapir that were also on the menu. I wasn't feeling quite that adventurous yet.
Hours later I arrived at the Ecolodge Field Station though my cohort was out on monitoring projects already. It gave me a chance to rest, sip coffee, look out over the river and forest, and breathe again. Sometimes we get so stuck in our heads that we keep forgetting to take the moment... But thank God, I was given a moment to take...and savor.
It's been a couple days since then. We have done some monitoring, bird lists, hiking, discussions, lectures, and such...but it just feels so different from any other EE field study I have done. I really am rather enjoying it!
Today is our last day at the field station which has the wifi. We head further into the interior after lunch and will find ourselves in villages of the Makushi people. I hope to give a more inclusive update later, however. But until then, enjoy photos of this amazing place!
