Can you imagine eating sand with every meal while paddling down wild rapids for eight days? Or pitching your tent in a remote canyon, only to find a spider inside? No? Well, let me tell you about it.
I spent eight days travelling 145 km down the Marañón River, part of a two-week journey in Peru dedicated to learning why the Marañón should remain free-flowing. Beginning in Cajamarca, we learned about the biodiversity around and within the river. Then we travelled to Balsas. It was here that we had our first sandy meal; the wind really gave us a true taste of the Marañón. The following days, we disconnected from our phones, trading scrolling Instagram for paddling against the wind.
We were also lucky to meet with communities that live alongside the river. The stories we heard were truly inspirational. Both the communities of Mendan and Tupen Grande fought together against the construction of Chadin II, a dam project that would have flooded their homes. The trip opened our eyes to the reality behind dam construction, giving participants from all backgrounds a deeper understanding of the social impacts than they had ever gained in school.
Our journey did more than educate us on the importance of free-flowing rivers; it brought together a group of people and gave them an experience they could never forget, at least one I definitely won’t. What an honour to help organise something so meaningful. And I would do it again in a heartbeat, yes, even with the sandy food and the spider in my tent.
