My village is situated in rural Amazonas, Peru, between la sierra (mountain) and la selva (jungle) landscapes. I also live at an elevation of about 8,500 feet. Because of this, the landscape around me is unique; there are many fascinating plants, animals, and natural resources that the people in my town use to sustain their livelihoods. Amazonas is also famous for its mysterious cloud forests, where clouds descend so low sometimes that we actually live above the clouds!
Amazonas, Peru is unique for a lot of reasons. There are plenty of Andean features to the landscape here, such as river valleys that cut into high, striking mountainous terrain. As a gateway to the Amazon basin, my region also features dense forests teeming with wildlife and rare plant species. We also have some of the highest waterfalls in Peru (and in the world!) in my region. The most prominent waterfall is called Catarata Gocta, which is over 2,500 feet tall! What really makes this place special, though, is the way people have adapted to life here.
