My Gap Year

5:45    Wake up nad begin first task o fthe day. This could be bird observations from one of the platforms around the reserve. the aim of this is to record sitings in the reserve and be able to prove that the area is worth protecting. The bird watching can be really exciting seeing lots of brightly coloured and/or rare species but some day it can be very quiet. Another early morning task is farm maintance. this means feeding the donkeys, gunie pig and bottel feeding the baby goats.

8:00 Breakfast

9:00 There are many jobs that need to be done in the morning, some daily and others less often.

* Lodge maintanence has to be done everyday. All of the animals need to be fed. Taricaya has many mamals and birds that have been rescued from homes where they have been kept as pets. The animals are looked after untill they can be released back into the wild. Often the birds have to grow their wing feathers back as they have been clipped to stop them from escaping and others have to learn to survive without a beak. Once released alot of the animals like to hang around the area and remaiing the lodge pets.

* There are many jobs to be done on the farm, like chopping down old plants, cutting flowers, picking coffee beans and planting fruit and chilies.  This is all done on a small scale to show local farmers how to make money sustainably so they don´t need to cut down trees and hunt indangered animals.

* Other tasks include checink the sensory cameras around the reserve, clearing the trails, maintaining the animal enclousers and lodge buildings. Setting up and monitering bird nets, reptile traps and butterfly nets.

Throughout the middle of the day it is usually to hot to do much so we takes naps, read and swim in the river. Although it is not extreamly hot all the time, the temperature often drops when weather fronts come in called friaje. Somethimes it can be so cold you have to wear hats and sit around a fire.

3:30  We begin work again wither with more bird observations or training donkeys to be passed on to local comunitys in order to help them out.

Most days we finish at 5:30 and we have electricity for three hours from 6 so we are able to watch films. However sometimes the staff take us on reptile hunts through the forest and caimen hunts down the river. We have also been given talks or birds and bats.

Life at taricaya is basic but never dull. The huts where we live are simple and showering in the cold river water can be tough when there is a cold front. But even the muddy water is strangely refreshing after using a machete to clear the trails in 35 degree heat. As we have limited electricity and boatds to the town only once a week the food is also simple, it includes alot of egg, rice, potatoe, pasta and smash!! At meat only when there is enough ice in the cool box to keep it fresh!!

Alot of the time we finish the day with a party before heading back to our hut and removing the cockroaches and if your lucky a trianchular from your bed!

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