I’m writing this at 6:06 pm on August 15, 2016 and I’m deep in the Amazon rainforest.
I’m completely disconnected from the rest of the world, no wifi, no electricity (I’m typing this quickly to conserve battery power) and although I’m in a place where danger is potentially lurking around every corner, I can finally feel myself relax.
I’ve spent the last 10 days in a constant state of packing, unpacking, re-packing, checking and double checking the status of my camera batteries. I’ve been washing my dirty, sweaty, stinky clothes in the small sink of the shared bathroom at hostels and hoping they will air dry in time to pack them up the next morning. I’ve complained to myself about the weak wifi connections and the questionable sheets on my beds. I’ve wandered around aimlessly in three completely different cities not knowing anyone. I’ve smiled at strangers hoping for any form of friendly reciprocation yet finding none. That is, except for the long-held stares from local men on the street that make me wish I wasn’t walking alone.
It's all worth it because right now I’m in a place where not many have traveled and where the wildlife vastly outnumbers the humans.
I’m in a place where I’ll experience raw Peru.
No more loud, honking traffic, no more dusty roads and pollution, no more lines of tourists with Indiana Jones gear and selfie sticks, no more taxi drivers yelling “Lady, taxi!” trying to entice my business.
Now, all I will hear as I drift off to sleep tonight are the buzzing cicadas, the whistling night birds and the chirping crickets.
Yesterday I traveled all day after having spent two days visiting the gorgeous Sacred Valley, Machu Picchu and Aguas Calientes with some great people who are now new friends. After experiencing the stunning views of the Andes for two days I returned to Cusco and immediately sought a tour agency that would take me deep into the Amazon. Lucky for me I found one that was set to leave the very next day at 6 am.
At this point I’ve realized that this is the busiest trip I’ve ever taken. Every day so far I’ve been traveling somewhere. You probably don’t know this about me, but I’m the type of person who needs time to adjust to situations, I don’t know why but sometimes I feel like I just need a minute to figure out how everything works and how I can get things done. That has not been the case for this trip. No, this time I just threw my apprehension to the wind and haphazardly booked flights, bus trips, train rides and tours back to back.
That’s how I went from Florida to Lima to Huaycan to Cusco to Aguas Calientes, back to Cusco and now I'm not even sure where exactly I am. All I know is that I'm sitting on a bed encased in a mosquito net wondering what the heck kind of animal is making the whirring clicking and whistle sound.
I went into the bathroom that’s about 100 feet from my bunk and as I lifted the lid of the toilet seat something launched itself from the seat and landed on the bathroom door in front of me. My first thought was,
“Ok Heidi, do not scream, it probably won’t kill me… well I am in the Amazon so it could kill me but let’s not think about that right now.”
I let out a big sigh of relief when I see that it was a really adorable frog just trying to blend in. I like frogs, frogs are cute.
I’m back in my room and there’s a bead of sweat running down my neck from behind my ear. It's dark now and I hear the leaves outside rustle from a shy breeze. I’m silently cheering for it to fight its way through the screened window and envelop my face for a few seconds of bliss.
It’s been an intensely hot and humid day. I’ve spent the last 12 hours in a small bus driving on dusty gravel mountain roads with sharp switchback turns. I've had my breath taken away from the panoramic views of the mountains. I've also had my breath taken away from the sharp realization of the sheer drop off only a couple feet away from the edge of the road we're driving on. The road is wide enough for two cars to pass each other as long as one sees the other coming and has time to pull over to let them pass. This is why the driver blasts his horn before each turn- to give a warning that he's coming 'round the bend. Eventually we climb to a high enough elevation to be above the clouds. This only adds to the suspense since now visibility is at a minimum. Even though I've got a healthy case of stress sweat happening by the end of this trip, I'm glad I took a bus. I was able to fully take in the beauty of Peru's landscape and I definitely recommend it for anyone who wants to travel through the mountains of Peru.
Now turn south and come visit us in Chile! :)
Reading your posts make me so happy! I can't wait to experience some of the things you have :) I admire you and your life! Please keep posting I can't get enough hehe :) I can't wait to see more of your travel photos! And when ever you get time to write about tips and stuff, I'd love to read about those :)
Youre right @kaylinart, heidi has an amazing life always attach to nature. She seems to have no problem at all.
How cool is that, "STEEMIT.COM" in the Amazon!?! Awesome! Thanks for the post and maybe you'd also like my travelog that has mostly been about the Canadian Rockies so far, enjoy:
http://steemit.com/@eric-boucher
Safe travels and namaste :)
aLready for your next travel story
Butt why dint you kiss the frog?
It was your prince.
Steem on Sis-Star!!!
Hello @heiditravels, its been a while since the last you posted your journey. I was just asking myself where is heidi but this was posted 19 hrs ago. I wonder why i didnt see it when im always looking forward to read your journey because it feels like i was also travelling.
awesome photos @heiditravels !
Machu Picchu looks really nice with this gorgeous steemit girl on it 8]
Now come visit us in Pakistan's K2 Mountain! :)
World's Second Biggest Mountain
@jackgallenhall Cool video. Thanks
Another great read by @heiditravels! Love hearing about all your amazing adventures Heidi you are a true Steemit sensation!!!
Great read! Wonderful to hear you throwing caution to the wind! Have fun, and keep going!!
The pictures really add to the story, makes me feel like I'm there. Great stuff.
Travel Goals:) Very Nice Share Yet Again @heiditravels! You look amazing as always, cheers!
I envy your Steemit success @heiditravels - It is amazing to see your ventures into parts of the world i will probably never never see. It all looks amazing, keep it up.
Thats why i told her that everytime i read her travel adventure it seems like i was travelling also.
THis is awesome. It must have been a wonderful experience for you. Love the photography of yours. Keep spreading Love
The photography is amazing! How did the local people react to your visit?
Probably stared at her ass non-stop.
Your narration is captivating, I felt like I heard the leaves rusle as well. Your entire trip could be made a great movie.
Be Safe.
wow this is amazing. you definitely seeing the world.
Where do I get a steemit shirt?
good question
I used uberprints.com since I needed them delivered fast before I left for the trip. It was super easy to design the shirt, although I was careful to use "steem" and not "steemit" to avoid any copyright problems. Hope that helps!
great job! subbed!
You think copyright is still an issue if were going to use steemit to print shirts? Im planning to print shirts for my whole family.
Awesome, truly awesome. Raw nature at its best. A real shame the forest is being cut down so much though.
Nice Post Heidi, like allways, makes me feel to travel....
another great read - loving your Peru trip - maybe you could help the bus drivers around the bends by singing " She's coming round the mountain, when she comes....etc". Happy traveling
It's been a dream of mine to visit Machu Pichu! Can't wait to see your post from tomorrow as I have a friend from Madre De Dios and always talks about how beautiful this place is! Hope to one day be doing what you do @heiditravels! You are awesome!
Impressed by your courage. I completely relate to the "take time to adjust" mentality and admire you pushing beyond your comfort zone.
Heidi is a cowgirl, a beautiful woman who mine digging the mud for the sake of travel. Amazing woman.
I asked you awhile back if you were going to visit Machu Picchu. You responded that YES YOU WERE. Here we have it, you have provided the photos. Honestly this place always looks beautiful to me regardless of who takes the photo. I don't believe I've ever seen a bad photo of this area. You could of course put your thumb in the shot and give me a bad picture, but you know what I mean.
Thank you for sharing these. That is a place I wouldn't mind visiting at some point in my life. I grew up in the Mountains of Colorado in a pretty remote section so I very much enjoy trekking along trails and into places like that. I have never been anywhere that is likely as humid or potentially hot as that place MIGHT be. That might bother me, I don't like hot too much. :)
Wow. You are so brave and adventurous.
I don't think I would be brave enough to go anywhere near the Amazon too many scary insects for me!
I'm loving the photography too.
Some really gorgeous images. The last one is my favourite.
I also love the butterfly - that is one type of insect I'm not squeamish about.
Did you have to get any special vaccinations to go? Also what are you doing about malaria and other mosquito borne diseases? I'm assuming these would be a problem there.
All the best. I look forward to the next instalment so I an continue to vicariously live through your adventures!
Shes all driven by its desire to get close to nature. Its priceless.
This place looks familiar to Tarzan but Tarzan don't remember what it's called
cool adventure. thanks for taking us with you!
Thanks for sharing the beauty
Great pictures Heidi! Congrats...hope to see more of your travels.
Heidi, you are one of the best travel writers that exists out there. The way you can make me feel is not just amazing, it is dazzling.
I like how you describe things in such details and the emotions that you experience during the trip as well.
To be honest Machu Picchu is on my top list to travel, along with the Mexico.
I hope nothing bad happened with you, those insects were always making me nuts :)
A story about a frog was also quite awesome, especially the words "well I am in the Amazon so it could kill me but let’s not think about that right now". I was scared for you but after I figured you're okay, I was released.
Anyways, I would really like to meet you in person sometimes. I believe you're an amazing girl to spend the time with.
If for some weird reason you appear in Ukraine, contact me :)
For now I wish you all the best, have fun, be adventurous but stay safe.
You can also add philippines in your list.
Actually it is on my list. In fact I would rather travel the whole globe.
All that I need is to finish my university and have a plan how to work on the road.
Poison dart frogs are one of the most poisonous animals alive...and they also happen to live in the Amazon. Great post @heiditravels!
Amazing pictures. My favorite is the last one...something about it.
Something about it alright! of course it has ass right in front of you :)
Your images appear to be broken on my web client. I am still going to upvote you.
In India they say that a horse is aging because of hard work. A woman - because of the lack of love from her husband. And a man is due to travel.
But still I want to travel! :)
Thanks for sharing your wonderful experience, @heiditravels! This allows to travel staying at home ;)
"I like frogs, frogs are cute."
Girl, that frog was probably more poisonous than you could imagine. Night creatures in that environment are the most dangerous ones, either prey or predators.
Anyways, a night in the jungle is was safer than a night at Cuzco's streets.
Next, head into Brazil's or Argentina's side of the jungle, you'll be amazed of how much the landscape changes, still being the same jungle.
For your battery issues, get one of these:
Since you're a frequent traveler, it's a MUST to have today.
What kind of stuff is this @renzoarg?
A Solar Power Bank, just hang it on your backpack (I hang it at my belt). Comes with several ports (USB included, obviously).
Very cheap considering that it may literally save your life by keeping your phone/GPS alive totally disconnected from the electric grid. Some come with an LED high power flashlight at the reverse side.
that is an amazing gadget i was totally unaware of. thats gonna be my lifesaver (well, more likely my social network saver if we are honest haha). Thank you!
Luckily, the cute frog wasn't one of the poisonous Amazon species.. ;) lol - looks like a few others are having the same thought!
so proud on seeing you becoming such a badass!
You're flipping awesome! Rock on ! :D
Absolutely Awesome post with great images. I hope you have a great journey and make sure we learn something along the way! I am following now and can't wait for the next installment. I embark on a trip to Italy in a couple of months - follow me if you get the chance..
Really nice pictures, I followed you for more stuff! Best regards, Jonas
Let me know if you travel through Ecuador, I'm in Quito. :D
Great pics and great post. Come visit us in Chile
thanks for sharing this material. I like what you posted. if you want you can visit my blogg you. Thank you
Thank you for sharing this experience, it is exacly as I was with you there. :)
Breathtaking! A trip of most peoples dream! Be safe and enjoy every minute of it.
Awesome post, and beautiful pictures!
Props for leaving your comfort zone, and persuing your journey despite the uncertainty and toilet frogs. It seems like your courage paid off in the end! And good thing it wasn't a poison frog! :)
I thought it was amusing when you described the constant state of packing, unpacking, washing clothes in hostel sinks and bad wifi connections, because I've been doing the same thing all summer...In San Francisco. Lol. But that's a post for another day!