|
Back to: Sachamama Programme El Mundo Magico Journeys to Sachamama Ethnobotanical Garden
TRAVEL TIPS A passing by boat on the Amazon river
Insect repellents and other tips... Bring along plenty of insect repellent (Premier has a reputation for being the most effective available locally, in Peru) and consider also taking some mosquito coils (espirales) with you, to keep insects away at night, though you may buy them from drugstores in Iquitos. Locally, people prepare a natural insect repellent made with camphor, water, alcohol and tobacco. It's pretty strong, refreshing on the skin and with some cooling and anti-inflammatory properties (which come from camphor and mapacho). It may keep insects at distance, however not always. No matter what you try on, be prepared to surrender some parts of your skin to the mosquitoes at some point of the day! There is also some evidence that the ingestion of vitamin B1 (consult a chemist or your doctor for the right dosage) might work - in some cases - as insect repellent. Termites are probably the most efficient natural mosquito repellents fund in nature. Local people snatch termites from their nest with their bare hands, and rub the little creatures over their skin. In the process...the termites emanate a fragrance that works exceptionally well to keep the mosquitoes away. Among the insect repellents, DEET-based products are usually considered to be the most efficient, though toxic at certain levels. They may be employed both on clothes and textiles (concentration up to 100%) or directly on the skin (20%-50% concentration). Avoid spraying directly on the face and avoid contact with the eyes. Anti-inflammatory, itch-relief and anti-biotic creams will be a good companion in the jungle, together with tincture of iodine (did you know that this last is extracted from an Amazonian tree, the 'iodine tree'?!!). LINDANE - available under prescription in the U.S.A. (though now banned in the State of California) - might be useful in the eventuality of chiggers' bites, to kill the mites. This is, basically, an insecticide and - no wonder - it's toxic. It must be used only if strictly necessary - i.e. in the event of having been bitten by the mites - and very sparingly (few drops at a time, applied on the spot to treat). Lindane will not work as prevention. It is a far better idea to minimize the risk of having the tiny creatures attached to your skin, by treating your boots/shoes, both inside (especially the area under the socks, at the bottom, where the skin of the plantar is more pressed against the boots) and outside (including the gap-area where the trousers begin to fold inside the boots), with DEET-based repellents (DEET may cause discoloration of plastic or varnished surfaces, but the advantage of using it is far greater than aesthetic counter-effects!) . Wearing high rubber boots (up to the knee) also protect better than wearing normal shoes. The effect of DEET lasts for a few hours (up to 8, usually), though excessive sweating or rain may shorten the time range of its activity. The effect of Permethrin-based repellents, on the other hand, last for several days. Permethrin is also toxic and may only be applied to clothing (to be soaked into a solution of water and Permethrin) and never directly to the skin. Avoid walking through high grass areas, especially where chickens roam free. A rule of thumb after an excursion in the jungle is to leave all your clothes and boots/shoes/sandals outside the dormitory/bungalow and have a good bath in the stream before entering in the communal/sleeping areas. This precaution will minimize the risk of contracting/spreading parasites and insects possibly collected during a trek. The Anopheles mosquitoes (potential vectors of malaria) are active between dusk and dawn, so it's pretty important to use repellents during that time on exposed parts of the skin, and to wear long sleeved shirts and trousers to minimize the risk of being bitten. Sleep inside the mosquito net at night time. For extra safety, spray your mosquito net with a DEET based repellent (concentration 100%).
• A good flashlight, may be two, with refills of alkaline batteries. The night falls suddenly in the rainforest, it's deep and dark and it lasts a good 12 hours. • Long-burning candles (it's an optional, depending on how accustomed you are to live without electricity - bear in mind, though, that they attract scores of insects at night, so citronella imbued candles may just be a bit more useful. In Iquitos it's hard to find good quality, long-burning candles). • Sun-glasses. • Travel journal. • Day pack. • Sun-block (high potency) and after-sun lotion. • Medical & dental emergency kit. • Toothpaste, toothbrush, eco-friendly soap & shampoo, personal hygiene items. • T-shirts; long sleeved shirts; light, strong and quick-dry trousers (Gore-Tex or hi-tech fibres, mix of cotton and synthetic materials, will do better than 100% cotton); shorts; socks. • Tight swimming suit, bath towel and flip-flops. • Rubber boots (for muddy areas, or excursions, or wet weather), sandals (for the good weather) and shoes (preferably not leather, as this material is easily decomposed with the wet climate). • Jumper/Sweater and a warm blanket (it is important to keep the body warm when drinking the ayahuasca, as body temperature may fell considerably after the intake of the medicine, regardless of external temperature). • Rain-poncho or a waterproof Gore-Tex coat (especially if going during the wet season; generally, rainwear is also useful during the dry season!) • Zip-lock bags (to protect cameras, films, or other objects from humidity). • A roll of toilet paper. This rather essential item seems to be always lacking from the toilets of Lima and Iquitos airports! • Regalia for don Francisco: a painting kit and/or painting tools (brushes, etc.) will be very well received! • Regalia for the workers of Sachamama: T-shirts, trousers, torches, batteries, sunglasses, a nice and cheap camera, or a watch will make them happy. Thing you don't need to bring with you... • Water purifying tablets.
• Please take back to your country of origin your exhausted batteries...
In the Amazon temperature remains consistent throughout the year, with an average of 27° C (80° F) during the day (with peaks that may reach 30° C, or 86° F), and 21° C (70° F) during the evening, making it enjoyable to travel all year round. Occasionally, during June and July, Antarctic cold fronts (called friajes) make their way to the southern Peruvian Amazon, triggering - for a few days - a drop of temperature which may get as low as 13° C (55° F). In the Amazon lowlands it rains about 250 days a year, with a greater rainfall rate between January and March. However, you should note that even during the wet season it seldomly rains all day, with an average pattern of sunny mornings and afternoon showers (though rainy mornings and nights with sunny afternoons are not uncommon either). Water levels reach their peak during April and May, with their lowest point in August and September.
Copyright © El Mundo Magico 2000-2007 | All rights reserved
| REGISTERED N. |
