Southern California Girl in a European World

We ended our Peruvian adventure in the Amazon. The scenery and weather were perfect, but my trip to the Amazon did fill me with a slight sense of despondency. One question kept popping into my head: is it possible to experience something like the Amazon authentically?

The Amazon is never quiet. The birds, the cicadas, the river boats are always making noise during the day, and are replaced at night by a horde of nocturnal animals. Everything is green and the sky goes in and out of white and blue. There are bugs seemingly everywhere, and no amount of bug spray will ensure that you will come out bite free.

One factor which determines how one’s experience plays out is the location one decides to stay at during their stay. I opted to stay at a lodge since I was at the end of my trip and wanted some comfort. The lodge provided a balance between luxury and scraping by, but was it authentic? Can anyone create an authentic experience of the Amazon? Does an authentic experience even exist?

Depending on the way a person travels and what he or she wishes to get out of the experience, the answers vary. For many who come to the Amazon (read: older couples), the lodge was their speed. While I do not mind a nice bed and mosquito netting, the slow paced tours seemed the be lacking.

In order for the experience to be considered authentic, expectations have to be managed. After seeing how the natives live, eating a vegetarian and gluten free option from the lodge’s restaurant seemed American. Having completed a portion of the Inca Trail, walking slowly through the Amazonian trails seemed like I was missing out on something more found deeper within the jungle.

Seeing Green Acouchys meander through brush, having a tapir knock on my door and discovering jaguar footprints while on a trail were all very real things that happened in the Amazon. While there, I had time to think about the various comforts I have and how I have taken them for granted (I will now always praise any sort of Internet connection, regardless of speed); who is to say my trip was not authentic just because I stayed in a lodge? Or because I ate vegetarian?

I will never forget the Amazon. It truly was a fantastic end to our time in Peru because we were forced to get away from any sort of technology and enjoy the nature surrounding us. Whether it was authentic or not, traveling to the Amazon was amazing; just be sure to manage your expectations before arriving.