Getting onto our first fast boat to get us 50km along the Rio Napo into the jungle from Coca
Day 49 Tuesday
Jaime our lovely Uber driver was outside just after 06.00, which was a little keen, but he waited. It was then a good journey to the airport, so we were very early, but better that way. We met the man in green from Sacha Lodge who printed out our baggage labels and boarding passes, what service. A light breakfast as all the other ones seemed to have scrambled egg, and I'm quite scrambled egged out. The flight left on time and wasn't even an hour to Coca. On arrival however the power was out, this affected not only the lights in the toilets but the flushing, but also the baggage conveyor. Oh well, it seemed to work absolutely fine to just throw the luggage in through the door. I seem to be getting more neurotic, I'd pretty much packed everything I want for the Amazon in my rucksack, but even so, I was glad to see our bags coming in a second opening, not where Brian was looking!
It was a bit wet both from a rain shower and water spray on the way as Jackies glasses show
Turns out there were 7 of us for Sacha Lodge, so into a little bus and off to their office. Our bags were wrapped in plastic, and we were told we'd next see them in our rooms! Quick snack of banana, high energy drink and cereal bar, and down to the boat and into the rain. Poncho's were handed out which covered us and the hand luggage on our laps, everything except my glasses, and off we sped for an hour and a half on the Rio Napo. We docked, took off our life jackets and had a 20 minute walk. Perhaps my neurosis is getting a bit irritating! It's hot and humid so keep the poncho on or take it off? It's got to be off. Get to a second dock where we get into a smaller canoe, man powered this one, by Geranio who is going to be guide for Brian and I, and a Swiss couple, whose names are beyond us. (Severin and Valerian are as close as I can get). Half an hour down a small channel which opened into a lagoon, across which is our home for 4 nights. Straight to lunch, a welcome drink and a speciality lunch so we were joined by Geranio who explained what we were eating. We were also joined by three giant otters who kept us all entertained for a while. Quick chat by house services and we were off to get wellies fitted before going to our rooms. Hurrah, the AC is on, it's amazing.
Walking from the Napo River towards the lagoon for our hand paddle across the lagoon to the lodge
First meet up at 16.45, back into the little canoe and Geranio is paddling us across the lagoon and down some little channels. What will we see? Birds, butterflies and howler monkeys, fabulous. The mosquitos were a little irritating, so more bug spray required.
The start of the paddle along the navigable inlet to the lagoon
Back for a welcome cocktail and a lecture on indigenous tribes, which was however a bit much. Dinner was good though, after which we quickly went to bed. Well I hadn't slept well, and we had to be in breakfast at 05.00!
Quietly arriving into the lagoon with the main dining building opposite (and from where we're writing this blog now)
Day 50 Wednesday
After an ok sleep (the AC was possibly a little cold!) we were up, showered and in breakfast for 05.00! Into the little canoes, 25 minute walk away and into a big, powered, canoe. Off to the parrot salt lick, where, there were no parrots. Off to the second parrot point, a tree, in someone's back garden, that seemed to serve the same purpose. This was good, parrots, wood peckers, toucan, squirrel monkeys in the distance, not to mention a couple of dogs and tame parrots. As this was someone's back garden we had to pay $10 each to go there, but that was fine.
The otters came to play alongside us as we ate lunch
Back to the big canoe and off to the indigenous village. We left the other 6 here, but fortunately neither us or the Swiss couple wanted to go, so we were taken back to the dock and the walkway. With a little deviation this became a nature walk, rather than just getting from A to B which was good. Millipede, which we now know have two legs per segment, while a centipede has one per body segment. Spiders, leafcutter ants, walking trees... It's true, about 3m every hundred years, as they put out a new root in order to stabilise their weight transfers towards it, and then there's a new root and so on.
That's our dining and relaxing building from the lagoon, all the rooms are along raised walkways in the jungle
Back into our little canoe and on an anaconda hunt. We found 2 in the reeds on the side of the lagoon. Probably about 4m on length each, though it was hard to tell, they were still quite impressive.
That's our room there, air conditioned, big picture windows over the jungle, outside patio with hammocks and a large bathroom with picture window by the shower. A bit disconcerting to shower next to a window, but only the animals can see (we hope!)
Stop off for a quick snack, but we got talking to 2 Indian couples from the States who couldn't believe we'd spent so long in India this year. We were talking for ages, it's now lunch time!
Good lunch and we thought we'd go and look at the butterfly house before returning to the AC in our room.
The outdoor pool in the lagoon, but separated from it by double mesh. They say its to procted the animals, but there are caimen and anaconda close by, so who knows!
15 minutes till meeting for our afternoon trip, and it's just started raining, or has it? Might have stopped again. Better go and put on some more bug spray!
We have seen a lot of birdlife and a few animals. This is commonly known as 'Stinky Turkey' or Hoatzin. Its called stinky turkey as its meat is not only inedible because of its terrible smell and taste, but also because crystals form in the flesh from oxides derived from plants which cause stomach pain and sickness in humans. Its a relic from the age of dinosaurs. There's lost of other interesting facts about them, follow this link to read more: click here
We carefully put the bug spray on all exposed parts, which were fine, however we have both got bites all over our backs through our walking tops. That's depressing with the various mosquito borne diseases against which there is no protection! Our Swiss friends have just lent us their bite away pen, which applies heat at 53° for a few seconds to take the irritation away. Brian laughed at me flinching as he did my back, but I didn't make as much fuss as he did!
These little cuties sitting by the pool are a swallow of some sort
Anyway, we were expecting the three towers, but lots of people were going there, so we were back into the canoe across the lagoon, down a channel a 20 minute walk and taken to the 'baby tower', 26m high . Lots of birds, though we still have yet to see many toucan or any macaws. The different thing here was a sloth, but about a mile away, so really only visible through Geranio's telescope.
On our evening paddle through the jungle. It was amazingly quiet and we kept quiet too hoping to see something
We thought we wouldn't be back to hear the natural medicine/medicinal plants talk, but we had our own version which was interesting in a way, but like the indigenous tribes talk all got a bit weird and mystical about the energy within. It's all a bit odd from a man who went to university in Quito before a scholarship in San Francisco but also professes to be a shamen.
Here's some monkeys having a snack
We came back after dark, which was the plan, this enabled us to see a tarantula (joy) and fireflies as we were in the canoe which were cute. How he navigated in the dark was quite amazing. Back for dinner, I can't say we changed, but we did take off our wellies, shower and sleep.
Followed by a nice sunset and a paddle back in the dark for dinner
Day 51 Thursday
A lie in, breakfast at 05.30! A 40 minute walk to the three towers. 36m high and very impressive looking. Lots of squirrel monkeys in the trees as we took ourselves up. Geranio having to have some private time due to a stomach issue. We were all full of sympathy until he said that it was self inflicted. They all take something to clean out the bacteria about once a month, though he did say he shouldn't still be feeling the effects he was obviously struggling and not really on top of his game. His internal shamanic electricity obviously not running on full power!
I
Next day, off we went down the Rio Napo for the parrot salt lick viewing, which they do each day to help neutralise acids in their stomachs
t was lovely being able to look down on the forest, and the walk across the link way was quite exciting. More birds, but still not the big, bright ones that our friends who'd overtaken us on the middle tower to move to the third saw there. We couldn't wait though, another private moment was called for.
Unfortunately the salt lick was bare, and was still bare later when we returned
The walk out was interesting as we looked at various plants and animals, including one that was good for the stomach (and diabetes, that Valerian has) we all had a little chew, except Geranio who had quite a lot which did seem to perk him up. We had another tarantula encounter, I was quite pleased he couldn't tempt it out of its scarily big hole, seeing it was enough. The highlight though was the owl faced monkey who is nocturnal, so what was he doing awake? A family live in a hole in a tree and take it in turns to be on guard duty. I just hope his shift was nearly over as the poor little thing could barely keep it's eyes open.
Back for a snack at 09.45 so blog before lunch then!
But we did see some sleeping monkeys in the tree next to it
The ugly face of the oil industry and the biggest threat to the local habitat here. They can't build roads to they transport the tankers by barges. We didn't see the area where it is being pumped but we were told its not nice
Further along the river we stopped at the alternative salt lick. This is at a private residence where the owners noticed parrots collecting every morning around an old tree on their property. Apparently the parrots can get the same chemicals from the tree so gather there every day. The enterprising residents charge $10 per person to view and even built a new house further away to give greater access for visitors. The tree won't be there for many more years so they are making the most of it> Here they are gathered in a tree alongside ready to move
Youtube of the parrots on the salt lick
There they are gnawing away at the tree
While we were there Jackie spotted this toucan fly into a hole in the tree and lookout at everyone
And a few monkeys visited
A local fruit that grows on the trees here. We tried it, is has a dark brown seed inside and the edible part looks a bit banana like. It was fairly sweet and quite pleasant. We think its Ecuadorian Guava
Look at these amazing butterflies gathered together on the ground. Our guide thought someone had peed there which is why they were there
Leaf cutter ants
This is a palm tree that can move. It sends out new roots, old ones die off and it moves to a new position, should it get crowded out and wants more light. It apparently can move up to 3m in 100 years (good pub quiz question!)
A castle spider at the bottom of his very large web. Apparently they can work together to eat large prey and have been known to trap and eat hummingbirds
We all had this in our hands, its a harmless centipede, identified by two legs per segment
This was one of two anaconda snakes we found in the grass. Our guide thought this one about 4m long. He took a much better video on Jackies phone and I've been trying to upload it to YouTube but its taking forever, so I'm abandoning it. You'll just have to take our word for it!
Our guide with a leaf hat. He looks about 12 in this photo but he must be older than that as he has a 4 month old son. He's from a local indigenous family and has a degree in Biology from San Fransisco university, so has blended indigenous practisies with scientific knowledge
Evening walk through the jungle to a viewing tower (we came back after dark along here when our guide found he'd forgotten his torch. Mobile torches came in handy!)
There's the tower
Quite a long way down once you're up
But a nice view!
This toucan came in and posed for us, making a right racket until he flew off
This is a three toed sloth that our guide found through his telescope. He estimated it about a mile away and this is the best photo we got. How he found it we don't know
We chatted up there about natural medicine for a long time until after dark, where he realised he'd forgotten his torch. In the last of the daylight we walked back through the jungle and he found this tarantula hiding in a leaf
We found our way back to the boat and were paddled back in darkness save the fireflies that lit our way. Here we are paddling the last bit across the lagoon to our dinner
This mornings outing to the giant suspension bridge to get up above the canopy to see what we could see. But first a stop by this big tree (fig tree?). It's huge and is only estimated to be 200 years old
A little bit further and there, in the middle of nowhere is a giant suspension bridge, 36m up off the ground
On the way up we stopped to watch these monkeys climbing through the trees and make death defying leaps to adjoining trees
Cute little things
Still on our way up. It is very high and our Swiss friends were looking a teeny bit worried at this point and couldn't understand why we weren't bothered
At the top in the morning mist
What can possibly go wrong?
Our Swiss friends trying to look relaxed
What a view!
We saw quite a few birds, these are the pretty ones. This is a turquoise Tanager
I took a really nice video of this one chirping away, but with this wifi there's no chance of uploading it. Its a blue/grey Tanager
Saw a lot of these flying around and they look very striking with the yellow stripe on their black bodies. They are Yellow-Rumped Caciques
He's a beauty with his red eyes. Its a yellow bellied Dacnis
Back down we came across this bridal veil fungus. It apparently only exists for 6 hours before fading away and this one is already on the way out
Jackie found this, not sure how. It's a leaf grasshopper
Just as we were coming back to the hotel our guide set up his telescope and found this unbelievably cute thing hiding in a tree. Its a nocturnal monkey called an Owl or Night monkey and he's on watch. However he needs replacing as he just couldn't keep his eyes open!
