Yesterday (Sat, 6/30) was a busier day than I had expected.
I got up in the morning with no clue what I would do. The only thing I envisioned was tweaking and uploading some photos, doing a blog post and giving y’all some updates on Facebook/Twitter.
Instead, I met a guy around a tourist info booth. Name is Jeff. He’s from Miami, working as a professor in Peru, and visiting Iquitos for a long weekend. We decided to join forces, eat something and head to a Mariposa (butterfly) Sanctuary.
After a moto taxi ride, street rice, plantain and juice, and 45 minutes on a “rustic” wooden boat, we arrived safe and sound. It was small, but beautiful. They had a number of animals: exotic birds, monkeys, an ocelot, a jaguar, sloths and a “jungle rat” (you think the ones in NY are big!!). Then on to the butterflies.
Since we joined the pre-scheduled tour late, the founder of the sanctuary gave us a private tour. Turns out, she actually was the first person to study butterflies intensely, identifying secrets about them that not even natives of the jungle knew. For instance, she found that each species of butterfly has only one type of plant that they feed on. Just ONE. When that plant disappears, so does that butterfly. She personally identified 23 species by looking for eggs on plants and waiting for them to emerge as adults to see who’s who. Took yeeeears. Whoa.
She also discovered that they don’t reproduce the way you were taught in school. They don’t build a cocoon around themselves and grow wings, etc. inside it. They actually grow the cocoon like a skin, shed their caterpillar skin like a snake, and liquify – yes, liquify – inside the cocoon. That liquid then somehow turns into a completely different animal, a butterfly. Scientists don’t know how they do it – it’s just one of those magical things in nature. Crazy, no?
Anyhoo, the day ended with a boat ride back, beers overlooking the river, and a very long nap.
Unfortunately, the nap was disturbed by stomach grumbling. And an urgent trip to the bathroom. And then more trips.
I promised I’d meet Jeff at 11pm to eat and go to a club (apparently they party hard here), and my stomach calmed down enough that I was able to get dressed and head out. It didn’t last long, and suffice it to say that I made it through a tall glass of acai and guarana juice (YUM!!), but didn’t make it to the club.
It’s morning now and I’ve been ok. I think today is a juice and rice day, though. TMI?
Ok, here’s what you’ve been waiting for… Pretty butterfly and animal pics. 😉
