When a friend said she was going to CICRA, a research station located on the Rio Madre de Dios,I eagerly asked if I could join her. I had been to CICRA 2 years ago with botanist John Janovic, and its like a summer camp for researchers from around the world. The project, a study of bryophytes, would include 5 nights at CICRA and 2 nights at a lodge in the Tambopata Reserve. I extended my travel plans to include 6 nights with my friends at Kapieve in Puerto Maldonado, where I taught 2 yoga classes a day. At CICRA, located 6 hours, by boat, up river from Puerto Maldonado, I was able to hike the maze of trails for hours and not see a single person.