After we got off the bus in Puerto Maldonado, we took these 3-wheeled dirt bikes (tuk-tuks) to a really nice hotel for a buffet breakfast. The breakfast was very refreshing after a 10-hour bus ride. We were able to charge our phones and I talked to my mom to check-in with my family and wish her a happy birthday. After breakfast, we walked to the local market and bought rainboots for everyone. Then we went back to the hotel and relaxed for a couple hours; we played billiards and foosball, and I jumped into the pool. Next, we took a 90 min boat ride to Panthera Conservation, where some people read while others played Contact and Catch Phrase. When we arrived at the site, Aaron (one of the people who live on the site) took us on a tour around the campus assigned our rooms; unfortunately, I was stuck in the dorm furthest from the Comedor (main meeting area).
The campus was incredible. Pierre (the main man in charge) has lived here for 10 years and built most of the furniture and buildings on site. We also met Armageddon (Pierre’s pet wart hog), who basically acts like a smelly, dirty dog. The rest of the day and night was a mixture between playing card games and eating. We had some fried potatoes with veggies inside for lunch and spaghetti for dinner. I played Euchre, Secret Hitler, President, and Code Names while others read or played Jungle Uno and Jenga. I had a ton of fun playing games with all my friends and the time seemed to stand still because the sun went down at 6 pm. It was very, very hot the entire day and night and I had a consistent layer of moisture on my body for the entire day and night. It took a while for me to fall asleep and was constantly woken up by the howling winds from the Friaje (winds from the mountains that bring cold air to the area). The sweat turned into chills as the temperature dropped.
-Mark Spencer
EGL Family Abroad 