My Amazon experience

For as long as I could remember I had wanted to explore the Amazon. In 2017, with the help of IVHQ, I did just that. The experience was a highlight of my travels and something I will never forget.

We were an hour's boat ride from the nearest town, with limited electricity and no cell coverage or WiFi. The Rio Madres de Dios provided us with a means of showering, and our diet relied almost solely on non perishable foods. It was remote, basic and awesome.

For the reasons listed above, there was plenty of time for cards, board games and banter amongst the volunteers. By the end of the two weeks I'd made a lot of cool and interesting new friends, some of whom I caught up with again later in my travels.

The volunteering was interesting, valuable and at times challenging. Helping to develop an agroforestry plot, night time reptile monitoring missions, cutting jungle tracks and more; it was definitely varied.

What I'll remember most though, is the pure thrill and excitement of being in the Amazon. Wading at chest depth through Aguajales, keeping an eye out for anacondas. Paddling though caiman filled lakes in a leaking canoe. Discovering a tarantula crawling on my boots just as I'm about to put them on.

A unique experience such as this is probably best suited to a unique type of person, but don't be too put off, it's not all snakes and spiders. Just make sure you bring a head torch!