Dear friends,

I hope this letter finds you well. I’ve been here 3 months! I have been very busy but am settled in completely now (I’m even driving like a local) and things have improved since I first started. I will be moving to a room on my own (made of bricks and concrete!) and next week we are aiming to move the common room to a lovely wooden cabin by the lake, with air con. It will be nice to spend Christmas in there. Christmas will be celebrated on the evening of the 24th, with our Peruvian bosses and then me and a couple of other staff are planning to cook Christmas dinner on the 25th. We’ve also arranged a Secret Santa, so even though it doesn’t feel like Christmas at all, we’re trying our best. This happy time of year slightly overshadowed because after Christmas, all my companions are leaving! By the start of February I will be the most long-standing staff member here. But I will tell you all about that in my next letter!

As mentioned, the last few weeks have been pretty busy! With work and social events. We went on a night walk in the reserve, it was supposed to be 2 hours, but I’m pretty sure the guide got lost, because after 2 hours we got to a crossroads where he looked both ways and then backtracked… after 3.5 hours we made it out alive, very soggy and extremely tired. We didn’t see much in the first hour, which may be why the guide took us off piste, but by the end we had seen some colourful lizards, loads of enormous insects (the cricket below was as big as my hand!), a few frogs and we smelt a Tamandua.

We also celebrated Thanksgiving. With only one American, it was definitely just an excuse to make some delicious food. Alongside normal dinner (always cooked for us), I made macaroni cheese and Laura made garlic bread, we then had cake and smores for pudding! But we did get into the Thanksgiving spirit and went around the table saying what we were thankful for. We’ve also had International Volunteer Day, for which I managed to get a cake and beer, which went down very well! And a peruvian “pub night” where the power went and the bathroom consisted of a non flushing toilet behind a sheet. But the beer was appreciated!

There have been a couple of work outings too. Another charity, called Animalover, asked to collaborate with us during one of our pet campaigns (where we treat local pets for parasites, for free). They are a charity that rescues and fosters out street dogs and helps educate people about responsible dog ownership. I went along to video the event (you can find it on RAREC’s YouTube channel). It was really lovely that so many people brought their pets, in their arms, or even in shopping bags (including a very well behaved cat).

Belen market in Iquitos is infamous for the wildlife trade. The vets organised a trip to see what they could spot and I went along, because it is also a tourist attraction that volunteers are not recommended to go to, especially alone, but obviously sometimes want to, so I wanted to be able to answer any questions they may have. I rode my first proper public bus, which are made of wood, with an open doorway and windows. Latin American music blasting along with half the engine which is situated behind the driver makes for a loud ride. The buses are different colours depending on the owner and have a little board in front that tells you the route, you can jump on or off wherever you want (as a driver behind them they are lethal, because they suddenly just stop or start, no indication). This particular bus was supposed to stop at the market, but in traditional Peruvian fashion, decided not to turn down that road, so we ended up walking. The street were smelly, wet and very crowded. We started out in the fruit and veg section but soon descended into the meat and wildlife area. I was expecting it to be like the wet markets I saw in Vietnam, but mercifully, at least all the animals were dead and past suffering. We saw caiman, armadillos, tortoises, turtles and paca along side streets and streets worth of chicken, beef, pork and fish. There was no way all of it was selling in one day, the greed of humanity is disgusting. We also came across live squirrel monkeys being sold as pets and a couple of parrots. Buying them is not an option as that increases the demand for them and therefore their extraction from the wild. So the only thing to do is either persuade them to give it up for free, or leave it and report it to the government who will hopefully confiscate it, unless bribed otherwise.

Here at RAREC all the monkeys we have are from the illegal pet trade. The reality of the situation is depressing, we have a little woolly monkey here, confiscated from being a pet, who currently has a blockage in his urethra, which as it turns out, may have been exacerbated by the shot pellet lodged in the skin of his penis! Upon an x-ray to investigate the cause of his illness, the vets found a shot pellet in his penis, each knee and very close to his spine. The result of a hunter shooting his mother in order to poach him and sell him as a pet.

For all the exasperating things, I think one of the best things about living here is the little pygmy marmosets hopping about in the trees, I’ve started to recognise their sounds, so can stop and watch for them. But I also saw the tamarins for the first time yesterday! See the video below for them catapulting themselves from one tree to another.

One last little anecdote, I bought something in a shop the other day, and the cashier didn’t have 50 cent change, so she gave me 3 bubblegums instead. Even though I’ve decided I’m coming back for next Christmas, life in England will certainly seem dull compared to here.

I won’t write again before Christmas now, so MERRY CHRISTMAS and HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Lots of Love,

Joss xxx