Midges and Hummingbirds

The rainforest looks like a good mixture of greenhouse and garden centre. It is distinctly different from those two, though, in as much as it has no paved paths to walk through, nor is it over after 25 meters. It reaches in fact as far as one can see - in every possible direction. Y. claims that one can see the Amazon from the field station but if truth be told 'the Amazon' is a grey smirch on the horizon. The scenery before the grey smirch, however, is very sightly.

On this first morning I was marched upwards along the 'main road' past big cow pads (allegedly belonging to big cows), past a waterfall and rivulet, past many orchids, lichens and trees to a particularly dense looking part of the forest which is called 'our plot'. 'Our plot' is somewhat steep and overgrown, and therefore hard to navigate - especially if one is lacking in oxygen as I do at these heights. It is also very damp. But otherwise it is lovely.
It is not a good idea to stand still in it because as soon as one does a swarm of midges descends upon one. Y. claims there are no evil illnesses up here so I have saved my DEET for the plots lower down in which I might encounter the real pests later. So far I have only got two bites, but with time I'm sure they will accumulate.
I was also introduced to V., who will work with me and who carries an english-spanish dictionary - which is good, because mine is in the suitcase and the suitcase is in Lima. But I have said that already.
I don't only work in the plot, I also work at the weather station which is in 'the pampa'. Not only because it is far away, but also because a lot of grass and shrubbery grows there. And midgets and mosquitoes grow there, too. Between weather station and plot is a clearing which looks like an art installation with a little multi-coloured wall and lots of square concrete stumps. I was told those were the beginnings of the fieldstation which got abandoned because of land-use conflicts. Now it is a playground for butterflies and - if one is lucky - for little green hummingbirds or a flock of blue-yellow blackbird-sized chaps.


A lot of the day was sunny and warm and whilst I expected to be too cold and wet up here I came home with a slight sunburn on my nose - because my hat, alas, is in my suitcase and so is my sunblock. L. was supposed to come today with the suitcases from Cuzco - but there is no sign of him and neither the internet nor the radio work so we cannot contact him. It might be the landslide or it might be the customs officers which delay everything.