roldan
THE MAN, THE MYTH, THE LEGEND
KATE MCHUGH
Roldan Hidalgo: The kindest,
strongest, funniest, most generous, loving, curious, influential man we have ever met. The impact he had on each of us is something we will never forget. He helped us embrace Peru for everything it is and taught us what true passion really looks like.
Roldan was born in the village
of Timicuro Grande along the
Amazon River. His wife Mary
and his daughter Melanie are
his strongest supporters and
the two most important people
in his life. Roldan has been a
guide for Explorama Lodges for 30 years. He loves exploring and teaching students about different Amazonian cultures, plants, and animals, especially fish and insects. He taught us what it means to live in the Amazon and how beautiful the
rainforest truly is.
Throughout the week we were
with Roldan, we experienced
life in ways we never thought
were possible. From visiting
different villages, to piranha
fishing, to our jungle night
walks, we lived and breathed
the Amazon. He explained to us
the importance of nature in
Peru and how the different
villages benefited from it. He
taught us about different
insects, fish, birds, sloths,
monkeys, trees, plants, and
food. Roldan gave us the
opportunity to connect on a
deeper level with not only the
people of Peru, but the Amazon
as a whole. His passion for the
rainforest was very apparent in
everything he did, and he
taught us more about life than
anyone ever has.
Roldan is a man who loves and
loves hard. Every town we went
to, every village we worked
with, any person we spoke to,
he somehow had a strong bond