Day 3-- Arrival at Tambopata Research Station

When at last we arrived at TRC, the sun was low in the sky; thus, our trek up the wooden stairs on the river’s muddy bank and through the dark jungle seemed all the more mysterious. After about 15 to 20 minutes, we emerged in a clearing facing the front porch of the lodge. Behind the scenes, staff had harnessed themselves to two-wheel carts and hauled our large luggage to the lodge. 

Macaw's- eye view of the compound

Porch and staging area. these pix were taking so long to open that i compressed them--a little too much so they are blurry

The guys and cart used to wheel our luggage to the research site

Kerosene lamps were lit, as well as candle chandeliers made of polished branches supporting brazil nut candle cups.

After washing our boots at the boot washing station and putting on our lodge shoes (Teva sandals in my case), we gathered on the porch and met Sally Láurente who was in charge of the lodge and its staff.

My muddy boots and the boot washing station

Sally explained the rules and layout and then gave us our room assignments:  Dean was in Room #1 with a single bed . . . #1 being closest to the dining area and farthest from the bathrooms/showers. Kathy Schroer and I were assigned Room #2. Joan and Diana were assigned to Room #3; Alice and Sheila were in #4, and Alan was in in room #5. We were paired according to age from oldest (Dean at 74) to youngest (Alice at 31), though Alan may have been younger than that. He’d been married only 6 months. Our guides roomed with the researchers (Adrián Sánchez and his nest climbers) in the far end of the lodge.

Sally Laurente, lodge keeper and Jhin Solis, naturalist

My room, first on the right, a loong way to the bathrooms; note the lanterns in the b.r. windows . . . one for each of us. Your lantern is lit in the morning when you have 4:30 research station; the person with the unlit lantern gets to sleep in until afternoon duty 

My bed and the foot of Kathy's bed; no screens

Though our bathrooms and showers were grouped at the end of a hall, they were similar to the ones at Posada Amazonas. Only cold water for showers, which none of us would have minded if the showerhead had not been about 7 feet up directly above the small square shower basin. There was no place to get out of the cold water or gradually ease in, so the first gush was a breathtaker.

After a fine dinner at 7:30 p.m., we had a study session re taking clay lick (colpa) data, even submitting for Alan’s perusal several test sheets of data based on written scenarios. We finally got to bed at about 10:30 p.m., steeling ourselves to the fact that each time our headlamps illuminated our suitcases, shelves, or walls, we caused la cucurachas to scurry.