7/8 - Healthcare and Lilly in the Amazon :)

July 8

We ended last nights with a wildlife boat ride that would make National Geographic jump right out of those convertible hiking pants!

We saw a boa, frogs, spiders, a camen lizard, and a few sleeping birds - it was awesome!

We started this morning birding and then came back to our lodge for a visit with the Yagua tribe.  If you google Yagua people - that's exactly what we saw. They are very simple and have many traditional customs. The men fish every morning, weave baskets, build roofs and farm. The women weave clothing, make jewelry, bags, clay pots, dye fibers, and take care of the kids.  In addition to seeing all of that, we also got to try rum brewed from sugar cane, try Amazon food like Yuka and tamales, I paddled a canoe on the Amazon River and danced a traditional Yagua dance. I even got to help make a roof out of palm leaves - I just wouldn't want to sleep under it in the rainforest! 😁 it was a great morning! I loved seeing how the Yagua people live on the day to day and how proud they are of their products. The man who made the roof with me was so patient and kind - I am overwhelmed by the niceness of everyone in the rainforest. When I bring my students, this morning is a top priority on the itinerary!

At lunch, Dr. Linnea Smith talked with us.  She visited from WI 20 years ago and never looked back! At first she ran a clinic full time in the forest, and now that it has grown, splits her time between Peru and WI. When she visited, she noticed there was no medical facility nearby.  The closest was 22 hours away in Iquitos on a small motor boat. Linnea fell in love with the magic of the rainforest (just like I am!) and opened the first clinic. Most of the funding is from her own pocket with a few small donations. It's a small facility with a lot of malaria, snake bites, infections, and pregnancy issues. Hearing the stories of her cases really opened my eyes to what it would be like to live in the rainforest.  Being pregnant is very dangerous here, but is a way of life. One of our guides, Raul, had 2 step moms who both died in childbirth, and he has 17 brothers and sisters. There is birth control available, but it's in Iquitos, and the people here are very uneducated when it comes to healthcare. They don't know to go to the doctor for check ups or annual exams, or even when to ask for help.  It made me crazy to think of all of the preventable deaths, if they just had a little bit more education and modern medicine.
After lunch, we went to the library to visit with Peru teachers and kids. This workshop was out on by my awesome roomie, Lilly. She did the whole thing in Spanish for the Peru teachers, in an effort to help them incorporate birding activities in their classrooms - and she rocked it! Most of the kids go to the library after school to read, and they also offer English classes. We had a chance to talk with the Peru teachers about their classrooms.  I don't think I'll ever complain about a broken stapler or missing video again (who stole my stapler?)😳 Most of the teachers live in Iquitos and stay in the rainforest all week to teach (I can't even imagine sleeping one night in the gym at MP).  They have no internet, hard physical conditions, and a skeleton set of supplies. The parent support is there, but most haven't gone past 6th grade and can't be role models in education. I was absolutely struck by the dedication of the rainforest teachers. They are truly in the profession to help the kids, and sacrifice time from their own families to do so. Metal king to them made me remember why I became a teacher in the first place.  In my first couple years of teaching, I really connected with my kids.  Knowing their struggles helps me identify ways I can help them. One of my goals for this year now is to build stronger relationships with my students. (And also to complain less when someone takes my purple sharpies!)

This was an inspiring day and I loved every second of it. I knew this trip would mean something, but I had no idea it would be like this. 💗 Next stop - our last full day in the jungle. It's been unbelievable and I have a heavy heart thinking of it ending. Goodnight!