Amazon Woman

The Peruvians tell me that Natasha is the name of the woman of the Amazon..
I am going to the Amazon.Tomorrow. Here is how it all went down....

Orientation for volunteer work: teacher mentions that we can go into jungle to help with the research of medicinal herbs and plants, orchid and animal conservation, and doing medical checks and helping out at local schools. . .

Me at orientation pondering leaving this smoggy, yet beautiful city of Cuzco for the wild, all natural Amazon Jungle: I could stay here and do the medical placement, which I heard is great, but has major setbacks if you can't speak fluent Spanish as far as what you are able to do and how much you can really help. Also I heard from other students that it is fairly disorganized. I also had feelings of just wanting something totally different. When am I ever going to have the chance to go the Manu Reserve in the Amazon Jungle again??? A place you have to get permission to visit, a place where you have to tie yourself onto a rope with all your bags and hang while the pully you across the Amazon River...a place of research, discovery, nature, pure air, jungle sounds, butterflies, monkeys, anacondas, orchids.......amazing energy.

I remember watching movies about scientists deep in the jungle, searching for a cure for cancer...and Jane Goodall advocating for her ape companions. I have always dreamed of doing such amazing things...or even just being there to help in a small way...And who didn't fall in love with Jungle Book as a kid? I highly doubt I'll be finding the cure for cancer, and last time I checked Apes were in the Congo...but this may be as close as I ever get to a childhood fantasy.

Everyday, everything, every thought of my life back home is medical related. Jokes have even become funny only to people that speak the medical terminology... that understand the nuances of health care. I am sick of seeing sick people. I am even more weary of seeing people die in my Emergency Room and in my clinicals. I just want to pretend for a minute that the world is perfect and people aren't mere mortals.

How could I pass this up? I didn't. I leave tomorrow to make my own jungle book.

... Christmas in the jungle....tonight I will have visions of monkeys in my arms, waterfalls, orchids, and pure life dancing in my head. Goodnight. And Feliz Navidad.