BREAKFAST in the JUNGLE – WHS Student Comments (about the trip so far)

ANONYMOUS – Pucha Buenazo!  Yesterday I ate some …sort of Fried rice with banana and mushys in it and it was all wrapped in a leaf from the jungle that Harry told me was called ‘bijao’.  We also met lots of people from the community (and I danced with them) and I made a bracelet out of native seeds for my mum.  It was incredible.  Last night we did a night solo.  Harry left me for 20 minutes in the middle of the jungle.  The guy is nuts!!!…but it was an incredible experience…until I got attached by a whole bunch of monkeys!  Today we are going to the animal shelter to help rescue animals that have been injured and release them back into the wild…I can’t wait!

Matthew – The trip so far has been really, really great. I’ve had so many new experiences and ‘bests’ of my life, like the best shower, the best plane trip, the best lemonade, and so on. We’ve eaten really well too, with lots of food and great-tasting food and new food. The amount of stories I have with my friends and stories I’ll be able to tell my kids is great, I’m really glad I came.

Atticus – This trip is unlike anything I have ever done, while I can’t speak for the other students, I can say that this has been the most memorable and exciting week I can think of, I’ll remember these experiences the rest of my life. Bloody brilliant.

Karen – The only thing I am enjoying more than these amazing places and activities is the growth in the kids. After some rocky moments early, the team is really coming together, supporting each other, building new friendshups and enjoying each other’s company. We have seen so many brilliant sites and sights! Harry can finally breathe a little easier now we are in Vanessa’s lovely care. Overall a life changing experience for all of us.

Oscar B – everything in Peru has been absolutely incredible. Machu Picchu was jaw dropping, it was like nothing that I had ever seen. The trip has been very full on but luckily I just got to have a very nice long sleep here at casa amazons. The food in Peru is definitely very interesting and honestly a lot of the things I haven’t been a very big fan of, but I am having loads of fun trying everything good or bad. I am super exited and well rested for the rest of the trip. Also everyone is cool to hangout with.

Hugh – Peru has been wild so far but the best experience ever. I couldn’t pick a favourite moment but ones that are up there would have to be the bike ride, Machu Picchu and the amazon lookout tower. It’s been really eye opening seeing how most Peruvians actually live. The food has definitely been interesting but a great experience. This place is amazing!

Isaac R – Peru has shown to me the reality that people unlike Australians have to live in, after living nearly 16 years in Australia I was given the vision that there were a lot of privileged people in the world, but after coming to Peru that vision changed and its interesting how many people are still smiling. This trip has been indescribable, the places we have been and the people we have met have all make this trip worthwhile and I can’t wait for the next couple of days.

Oskar. M- The hammock is comfy, Now to Charlie Bell with the latest.

Charlie. Bell- Peru is very beautiful. A lot of people don’t have very much stuff, yet so many of them are always so happy. People in the community we visited do nothing but work, sleep, eat and dance, which is a far more simple (and potentially boring) life compared to what it’s like in Australia. It’s a nice contrast.

Kaity- Peru has been an unreal experience, the culture and community has been such an eye-opener. Seeing how things work over here and how people act made me realise how lucky we are in Australia.

Lilly – My experience in Peru has been so amazing, and it has gone so quickly I am super sad it will be over soon. It has been incredible to get so many insights into local communities and experiences that would never be possible without a local guide with so many connections like Harry. It has also been great to talk to many people I would never usually talk to at school and to see the group come together over the time we have had. Overall it has been fantastic and I am so excited for the time we have left!

Jayla – My first trip overseas and these experiences are a once in a lifetime opportunity for some people. There’s not a moment I haven’t enjoyed except when carrying my massive bags but it’s all a part of the learning experience. My favorite part of the trip by far has just been being surrounded by the amazon jungle. I’ll definitely come back.

Emilio – Peru has rich, unrivaled history and landscapes that change in the blink of an eye. These features make it a top 3 country I’ve traveled to. Of course it is not perfect, maybe colonization is at fault there. We have traveled to the ocean, Andes (both plains of grasses and steep jungle), Machu Picchu! And yet none have captured me whole more than the greatest forest on earth, The Amazon. I’ve seen animals I didn’t know existed (Caymans), potentially animals the experts didn’t know existed (bugs) and animals I has my heart out on seeing (paradise tanager, king vulture and white throated toucan). I have also seen more things that can kill you in the jungle than clean pairs of socks! I’d like to mention my favorite activity, the “Watch Tower”, once you Jimi up the ladders you could see all along it. Hopefully the following poem can elaborate:

Limerick:

In Posada Amazonas, there is a 40m tower

Climb it slowly and take in the flowers

Feel the wind from the Macaw’s wings

And the cruel bite of mosquito stings

I’m sure I’ll be back soon, to the Posada tower

2^nd verse (making up rules of poems)

Scans your eyes out as far as they can see

And you won’t be let down, the views do please

Keep a keen ear for the red monkey howls

And the rival male who will return a growl

All atop the canopies of the Amazonian trees