Equitos, Peru : July 4, 2017
After a meeting with our expedition leader, Hector, and a crazy moto taxi journey to the Peruvian Airforce base, we waited 6 hours only to be told the runway at our first location was a safety hazard due to inclement weather. Our flight to the Matses village was cancelled.
Apparently before his North Pole expedition, Paul and his daughter Jade had waited in remote Russia for 2 weeks for a safer runway to be built! This put things into perspective and while I wasn’t complaining, I was actually hoping to spend my 40th birthday deep in the jungle, with my new native friends.
Kane and Paul Hameister
After hauling our equipment and luggage back to Equitos, I passed the time shooting local wildlife from the balcony of the airport, including this vulture, captured with the Lumix and 300mm lens.
Paul and Kane took me to a US/Mexican restaurant where I quietly celebrated my 40th birthday with a burrito and large ice cream sundae! We enjoyed the festivities Equitos had to offer before retiring, hoping that the next day would bring news that we would fly into our first Matses Village.
My 40th Birthday dinner