Day 2-Activities and Exploration

Special nuts used for medicine.

Our guide making string for a bracelet.

One of the monkeys in the monkey exhibit.

One of the monkeys in the monkey exhibit.

Anu feeding the monkey.

How the bug nets were set up.

One of the strange fruits we got to try.

Georgia in a bug net.

Today we did many different activities on our first whole day in the Amazon

Resource Exploration
We started our day with a nice one and a half hour hike through the jungle. We got to see where different resources that we use every day come from. There was lots of different medicines and perfume scents that came from the trees of the amazon. We think the age level for this group was probably 10 and up because of the dangerous atmosphere. During this exploration, you shouldn't to the trees because you may not know what may be hiding in there. You also should beware of strange bugs and ants they can sting and bight you. you should also watch where you step so you don't trip and fall or step on any animal. There happens to be no food served during the activity but it only takes about one and a half hours. It is a hot and humid hike but you aren't going to get sun burnt because the canopy of the trees protects you. The hike is only 45min. long but the other 45min. are explanations about the area and the plants. To accomplish this adventure you will need a tour guide to keep the pathway clear. The hike was taking place at our hotel( Amazon Eco Hotel). There were no bathroom facilities at the trail. So, make sure you go in your room before. The activity helped us and the rest of the group see how the world is affected by all the "necessary" items we "need" every day. it helped enrich the trip by helping us learn about different plants so when we went on other hikes we new what the plants were.

Monkey Exhibit
Right after the first hike we walked over to the monkey exhibit. The guy that fed the monkeys made a really loud noise. After a few minutes all of the monkeys appeared. The monkeys there are free animals but come into the exhibit to be fed. Some students got to feed the monkeys. They would stand there being very still and the monkeys would swing down and grab the food from the persons hand. There were two types of monkeys a bunch of gray/black ones with thick fur and another monkey that had orange long fur that kind of looked like a orangutan but was smaller. This activity helped enrich the trip by letting us hear the monkey sounds so when we were in the jungle later on in the trip, we knew what monkeys were making that noise. I think all ages could enjoy this activity only if they are quiet. Some safety precautions are that don't look straight into the monkeys eyes or look like you want to have a fight .This activity usually takes about 45min. or however long you want to look at the monkeys. There is barely any sun exposure there but the hike there was all in the sun. We are not sure if there was a bathroom facility or not. You may just have to go in the forest.

Jaguar Night
From the name of this activity you may be scared, but don't worry. The "Jaguars" were the leaders of the whole activity. If we needed help, they were supposed to help us. They also led our three hour hike from the hotel to the hammocks. The purpose of this activity was to learn how to survive in the jungle. We think to be able to do this activity, you need to be at least twelve years old. We think the main safety precautions of this activity is to be aware of insects, and to be focused on what we are doing, and to be aware of your surroundings. Food was served during this activity, in fact, the chicken was superb. Our plates were made out of banana leaves. We got to try all the exotic fruits from the Amazon. The activity lasted a whole night. There was some sun exposure as we were walking to the actual camp site. There was a lot of walking during this activity. It took about four hours to get to the camp site, and to get back to the hotel all together. The bathroom that was at the camp site was a pit for the girls. For the boys, they 360 degree area to go to the bathroom. There were no shops to buy anything in this activity. However, we got to keep the bowls that were made out of coconut. This activity enriched the trip by letting us see the Amazon jungle, and also to sleep in it. It was a great experience to sleep in the Amazon jungle because we could really feel how life is in the Amazon. This activity enriched our personal experience because we got to sleep in the Amazon jungle, and most people in 7th grade don't get to do that. This was an absolutely fabulous experience!! :)

Our Favorite Activity
Our Favorite Activity was the Jaguar Survival Course. It was our favorite activity because we got to actually sleep in the jungle, and hear all the indigenous animals. We also got to learn so many valuable survival tips. We have never participated in an activity like this before. The activity reflects upon the culture of Brazil because this is how the indigenous people live everyday. Also, a major site of Brazil is the Amazon rainforest, so it was a great experience to learn about it. This was an absolutely superb opportunity!! :)