AMAZON RAINFOREST WORKSHOP
Questions and Answers

WHY HAVE WE CHOSEN THE PERUVIAN AMAZON FOR OUR PROGRAM?

It provides easy access to primary rainforest areas, has political stability and a friendly culture, and provides unparalleled learning opportunities for educators and students alike. Students experience a third world region firsthand and without the disruptive influence of major tourist development. They meet indigenous people living their daily lives in harmony with their rainforest environment. Also, our participants have the opportunity to see the canopy layer of the rainforest on the Canopy Walkway at the Amazon Conservatory of Tropical Studies. ACTS is a science, education, and tourism facility located on a wilderness area encompassing 250,000 acres of primary rainforest.

WHAT IS THE CLIMATE?

The Iquitos, Peru area is located only 3 south of the Equator, so the daily temperatures are about the same throughout the year. The temperatures vary from the high 80s F during the day to the low 70s F at night. We are mostly in shade while in the forest, though while on the river in open boats or on the Canopy Walkway, we'll feel more of the warm tropical sun. When rain falls, it typically is not accompanied by blowing winds, but comes straight down, and usually for brief periods in the afternoon or night. The humidity is very high due to the evaporation from the dense jungle foliage. A unique feature of the rainforest surrounding Iquitos is its lack of a specific rainy or dry season. There is a high water period from December through May which is caused by the melting of snow in the mountains as the Andean summer begins and from the rainy season in the upper jungle. The low water period begins in June and ends in November.

WHAT TRAVEL DOCUMENTS ARE REQUIRED?

A U.S. passport valid six months beyond your anticipated date of return to the U.S. is essential. Currently no visas are required. Those with non-U.S. passports should contact the Peruvian Consulate for details.

IS THIS EXPEDITION PHYSICALLY DEMANDING?

Although the expedition is not physically strenuous, with only a moderate amount of hiking, the heat and humidity make it more taxing. We suggest that travelers prepare both mentally and physically to get the most out of their expedition program.

IS THERE ELECTRICITY?

In the middle of the jungle? (Don't count on it!) There are no phones or electric lights there. At the three Amazon lodges, individual rooms and covered walkways are lit by kerosene lights at night. Generators (110v) operate a part of the day, and can be used to recharge camera batteries at Explorama Lodge, ExplorNapo, and ACTS. At Ceiba Tops Resort, there is electricity, hot showers, flush toilets, and air conditioning.

IS THE WATER SAFE TO DRINK?

Plenty of bottled water for brushing your teeth and drinking is available from convenient water dispensers at all the lodge facilities in the Amazon. We recommend that everyone refill their personal water bottles often and drink lots of water.

WHAT WILL OUR BATHROOMS BE LIKE?

The bathrooms at the lodges are in separate buildings adjacent to our accommodations. They are outdoor latrines, cleaned and inspected daily, and private. Showers are also private and gravity fed, using pumped, filtered water from Amazon tributaries.

WHAT LANGUAGE WILL WE NEED TO KNOW TO COMMUNICATE?

We are traveling to a Spanish speaking country, however all of our service providers, guides, and presenters will speak English. Our Peruvian partners work primarily with English speaking clients, so their goal is to make English speakers comfortable. Once you are in Lima, you will always be with someone who speaks both English and Spanish. Also, airline, hotel, lodge, and other transfer services all have bilingual employees. We encourage all of our participants to learn some Spanish. Your efforts will be well received by our Peruvian hosts and it doubles the fun of the workshop experience.

WHAT ABOUT SAFETY ONSITE?

Personal safety is a priority. Common sense rules are outlined for students and enforced. Each student has a life jacket when traveling on transfer boats. The Canopy Walkway is carefully maintained and checked daily. The Missouri Botanical Gardens is also involved to regularly examine each of the Walkway's platform trees. The Walkway is constructed to help everyone feel secure. Netting is stretched chest-high on either side of the walkway and there is always something for you to hold on to for balance. Experiencing the walkway is, of course, optional. But most find success in trying, even the most acrophobic.

POLITICALLY, IS IT SAFE?

Yes! Peru is a democracy with a democratically elected president. The area around Iquitos, Peru is peaceful and a traditionally stable part of the country. Iquitos and the rainforests of the upper Amazon are relatively remote and the workshop facilities are secluded in the rainforest. Students, teachers, naturalists, and other travelers have been visiting this area over the last dozen years without incident. Explorama Tours, our Peruvian travel partner, has been hosting travelers in the upper Amazon basin for over 40 years without disruption of their travel services.

WHAT IS THE PLAN FOR EMERGENCY COMMUNICATIONS?

For each program, we distribute a contact sheet with emergency phone numbers should any parent need to contact a group leader during the workshop expedition. Each Amazon lodge facility is in radio communication with the headquarters office of Explorama Tours in Iquitos. Daily boats carry supplies and documents between lodge facilities. Should your group leader need to communicate with a parent during the expedition, the message could be faxed, emailed, or conveyed by phone from the Iquitos office.

WHAT ABOUT PREVENTIVE MEDICINE?

With up-to-date tetanus, vaccinations for Yellow Fever & Hepatitis, and pills to prevent Malaria are worth considering. Though no immunizations are required at this time to enter Peru, it is advisable that you consult your local travel clinic or physician. Environmental Expeditions is not qualified to make medical recommendations. We distribute a letter from the physician in residence in the Amazon and strongly recommend that you contact the Center for Disease Control in Atlanta at 888-232-3228 (for information over the phone) or 888-232-3299 (for fax info). Also, the CDC website www.cdc.gov is excellent.

WHAT ABOUT MEDICAL CARE WHILE TRAVELING?

Dr. Linnea Smith's medical clinic is central to the our facilities in the Amazon and available to travelers with health concerns or need for emergency care. Explorama Tours administrators are also experienced with emergency medical procedures should a traveler need to be transported for more specialized care to the Seventh Day Adventist Hospital, a private facility in Iquitos, giving priority care to Explorama passengers and staff.