so much to do, not enough time!

So the second week that we were here we did alot of lecture and field-based classes. We took a site tour to get a general idea of where we are living, and also got to take a tour of the area to learn about the ecology of the land in terms of tree species with our professor Tim. He showed us some of the different types of forests (re growth, old-growth, etc.). There was alot of damage caused by Cyclone Larry that left a noticeable mark on the land. Parts of the forest that were affected are less populated and do not have as thickly covered / dense forest cover. 

We did night spotting with Siggy, and saw a huge cricket molting, tons of huntsman spiders, caterpillars, a tree possum, a southern boobook (an owl-like bird), and learned of the forbidden strangler fig tree. The trail head was pointed out to us... of course we're going to go explore it!
We've already handed in 2 assignments, and are working diligently towards the completion of another one just for Rohan's class alone. We've written a 500 wd paper, a 1000 wd one, and are working towards a 1500 one and a presentation. For Siggy's class we've already had 1 presentation about scientific writing, and for Tim's class we have two presentations coming up. The schedule here is really rigorous... We wake up every morning to have breakfast at  7:30, and to begin our classes/ begin our day at 8:30. We often end at 5:30 for dinner, and sometimes even go until 9:00 pm. The birds turn on to wake us up at about 5:45am, and the cicadas alert us that it's almost time to end the day at about 6:30 pm. I have been able to sleep through the birds in the morning, though, and often get to sleep in until 6:45! With classes and a schedule (pronounced shedule) like this for six days a week, it becomes difficult to find any free time to think about yourself or do the readings for the next day's class or keep in contact with people from home... I have been making a strong attempt to keep in touch regularly, though! Starting this Thursday we have our first quiz, which is on the birds of the Australian rain forest. We have 25 birds to memorize via their call and picture... how exciting! (ugh). Thursday we also have that presentation for Tim...

By this time, we are all used to checking our beds for spiders and snakes and used to the long walk to the center. My cabin is up a pretty large rocky hill, which hopefully will get me in shape by the end of this trip! We're used to getting leached if ever it rains (it usually stays pretty dry and warm, except for these last couple of days and at night). We spent time in Atherton on friday, where I was able to find a Westpac bank in order to withdraw money without being charged crazy fees, use the internet and buy things like avocados and chocolate... yes, I purchased avocados and chocolate :-p. We have internet at a place called the study shack (aka spider shack), but it's not strong enough to watch videos or upload pictures...We also organized a frisbee game, which I played about the last 25 minutes of and realized how much I missed it! It made me feel good that I understood the game and remembered how to play (lol) and was able to help my team score the last few winning points :). We played with our 2 professors, Tim and Rohan. That was great-- maybe we'll play rugby next week!

I've really been enjoying the random animals and insects that we find here. Last night I saw a giant huntsman spider eating a millipede, the other night we saw a giant Hercules moth at the center (about an 8 inch wing-span), and this morning during class a Lewin's Honeyeater bird flew into the classroom chasing a moth, caught it, and left with it in its mouth! It was funny! There is a poisonous snake living under my cabin (it emerged the other night on the porch only to freak Kenyetta out and send her screaming for help), and today we found a rat in the dashboard of 2 of the vans! I look forward to seeing all sorts of other interesting wildlife around here.

Right now everyone is sort of winding down from the initial excitement of being in a new place. I think there is a bug going around. I've had a wrenching stomach ache for the past 3 days, Jake had a fever today, Sophie was sick the other day, Ali has a cold and Kenyetta has been feeling off... It's just a combination of being run down from so much activity and our bodies finally adjusting to where we are (at least that's what I hope it is!)

Next weekend we're going to Cairns! We're staying in a hostel on Saturday night, and then going diving on Sunday! I cannot wait to see the Great Barrier Reef!

For the past 2 Saturdays we've gone to the Peeramon Pub... We get picked up in the Peeramon Pub bus (which costs $4 round-trip per person), brought to the pub, everyone stares at us because there are 25 of us and like 4 locals, then we get dropped back off at the top of the access road, which is about a 2 km walk (25 mins) back to the cabins. That's a longggggg road at night! I have been getting used to walking alone at night, though when I'm coming home from the center or the study shack. It actually gets pretty peaceful when all you hear is the crumble of the rocks and the trail beneath your feet, and the symphony of cicadas around you and all you can see above are the stars and below is the path lit by the shine of the moon... I've learned not to be afraid of the forest so much, and just to accept all of the sounds that come from within it.