Ready, set, go!
If I thought the May was a whirlwind, June was a tornado! It has come and gone in the space of what feels like a week, and I am currently writing this while I wait for my plane from Madrid to Lima. I can’t actually believe this moment has come, after so much planning. In a way, I feel like I have been planning this trip in my mind since the last time I was there in 2019, for my PhD fieldwork. I was so disappointed when I found out that my 2020 trip had been canceled because of COVID, and for a long time I feared I would never be able to go back. But a part of me knew this would be possible again so I made it one of my main goals - and now here I am! I now have to endure a long intercontinental flight, but what makes it sweeter is expecting the awe-inspiring sight of the Amazon from the plane. An endless expanse of trees interrupted only by meandering rivers, and I can’t wait to travel to the middle of it.
Needless to say, in the past month I haven´t done much else other than preparing all the necessary equipment and documents for my trip. I now have my research permit for working in the Pacaya Samiria national reserve which will allow me to enter the reserve itself and carry out my methods, take samples and be welcomed in the various villages I will be staying.
All my equipment is ready (it’s a little late now if it isn’t!), I have my army of pollen traps with me, I managed to put together a decent filming kit, and soon I will begin my work. Speaking of equipment, the prototype of my river pollen trap which we tested at the water treatment plant (see my previous blog post!) has officially worked so I will definitely be implementing those in the field. More updates on that soon, if everything works out as planned!
I will be mostly based in Iquitos, and from there we will be travelling to the national parks where my sites are located. Next Monday I am scheduled for my first trip to Pacaya Samiria National Reserve, and I will be staying the village of Veinte de Enero where I was during my trip all those years ago. It will be a little emotional to be back, not going to lie!
Anyways, the flight is about to board now, so I´m signinf off.
Stay tuned and stay safe, and catch up in a month. I hope to fill the next blog with lots of pretty photos.
-Dael
PS. I´ve made a little video about fieldwork equipment, please watch and share if you know anybody who might be interested!
