In the Jungle...

I spent the last six days in a jungle lodge 140km upstream (3 hours by speed boat) from Iquitos on the Yanayacu River, one of the tributaries of the Amazon. Quite simply these were some of the most amazing days I've had in my life. I've been interested in rainforest conservation since I was, oh I don't know, 10 years old? However, all the articles I've read, the pictures I've seen and the documentaries I've watched simply don't compare to being there.

Anyhow here is a brief diary style description of my trip:

Day 1
I walked the few blocks down to the lodge office from the hostel this morning. I had to walk an extra two blocks to avoid the main square where the weekly flag raising cerimony takes place. Marcus, the guy from the office, was saying that the government still saw Iquitos as a war zone from the war with Ecuador and the weekly pompous cerimony was to warn any stray Ecudorians that Peru was ready to fight them.

It took three hours by speed boat to get to the lodge, so we got there about lunch time. The lodge is a series of rooms on stilts, bungalow style connected by walkways. The rooms are all mosquito netted, though looking at the number of midges around the kerosene lamps I am writing by this evening I am not sure how effective they are. It's rather pretty at night with the way it is lit up, little burners on the walkway give it a Ewok Village type look.

After settling in and having lunch we (myself, Carlos the guide and a couple from Lima, who are the only other guests here for the moment) went for a walk through the rainforest to a village up the river and watched a soccer game. It rained so the ground was really muddy, the sort of step in it and sink in over your ankles muddy, but the walk was great! Heaps of different plants and everything is so lush, green and alive. And there were bugs, like centipedes, spiders and different types
of ants.

Also got to swing on a vine and look at some really huge trees. Most interesting plant was one that has fruit that is spikey on the outside like a rumbutan, but has red berries on the inside used for face painting and food colouring.

We took a boat back from the village and had dinner. After dinner we went out on the boat again and caught a cayman (white nosed alligator). This involved Carlos leaning out of the boat reaching into the water and grabbing him. He was about 7 months old and we took some pics before putting him back in the river. We also went out and looked for bugs. Saw some pink toed tarantulas and a scorpion that were nifty.

There's a great Sesame Street song with Kermit the Frog singing about why his pond is so great and quiet and he mentions different noises of the pond at night. It ends with him going "This is the loudest quiet I’ve ever listened to!" Anyhow I thought of this whilst trying to get to sleep where the number of insects, owls and other night critters did not give one "peace and quiet". They were fabulous though.

Day 2
We woke early this morning and went back out on the boat to look for different types of birds. There was a slight mist on the water and it was all very pretty in the morning light. Lots of different birds, vultures, herrons, hawks and many kingfishers to name the ones I can remember. Came back for breakfast, the back on the boat downstream to the Amazon. We watched the birds and insects, including dragonflies, butterflies and these rather nifty bugs that scooted across the water
surface. Also got to see some prianhas and other fish. On our way back up the river we stopped by a farm where they grew bananas and peanuts and a few other things. Most of the farming is subsistance with a little bit of excess being traded with other people on the river. The farmer happened to catch a yellow anaconda who was trying to roll a pig when we were there. It was rather impressive, over 4 metres long. Farmers who catch snakes like this generally keep them for a few days and then let them go back in the jungle. We also saw some monkeys from the boat who were neat.

Day 3
Had a bit of a lie in today (no early boat trip in other words) and headed into the forest at about 8am for a walk. Managed to spot some squirrel monkeys. Then we went out on the river and mangaed to see some marmosets and found a sloth who was rather happy to be sitting at the top of the tree and wasn't all that interested when Carlos tried to get him to move. There were heaps of birds as well. We went back to the lodge not long after that and had lunch and then the couple from Lima
left, so I'm the only tourist here now. Had a relaxing afternoon in the hammock before all of us (the cook, the guide, the tourist and the manager) went out to get some catfish from the people in the next house over. Alot of people keep prehistoric catfish in nets in the river, they are a hardy fish and can live for hours out of water and in shallow water also. I also watched the sunset from the river. After dinner we went spotlighting on the boat again, but didn't catch anyone. Oh and the
night sky was somewhat clearer tonight- the stars are gorgeous without the light pollution.

Day 4
Myself and Carlos went out early this morning in the tiny canoe. Part of my spent the entire time hopping we wouldn't capsise! It was really good though we got to see lots more birds and some monkeys too. It rained for most of the later part of the morning so we stayed in. I must say it was kinda nice curled up by myself listening to the rain on the thatched roof. Oh and we now have running water (still from the river though). Two guys from the Neatherlands came today and we went out the the swampy area of the forest where we saw the sloth yesterday this afternoon. Saw
some more birds and got some pictures of the lake too. The next house over had an anaconda that Carlos showed us, only a little one though. Because of the rain this morning it's not too hot, interestingly we saw some of the river plants floating upriver which means the Amazon has had a downpour which is pretty nifty. On our walk we also found two pink eggs, about the size of a chickens egg that Carlos said was from a local bird that was about the size of a hen.

Day 5
So it's my last full day here in the jungle, we went out early again this morning and saw some birds, though not too many as we were in the motorboat rather than the canoe. After breakfast we went out to the lake that we couldn't get to before because it has rained a fair bit and the water level has risen we could get through. I was rather pleased to see a pair of toucans (given I had asked about them the previous afternoon) though they were too quick for me and flew off by the time I got my camera out. We also saw a dolphin in the lake which was pretty neat too.
I no longer even try to film dolphins they are just too fast. Took heaps of photos today- over and entire roll. Not sure how some of them will turn out. Also saw some squirrel monkeys. After lunch and a rest we went for another walk in the jungle which was good, saw some marmosets. On our way back form the lake we stopped in at the village where we saw the soccer match a few days ago. We got to visit the shaman (medicine man) who gave us a drink of herbs mixed with what tasted like rum. It is
supposed to help with coughs, colds and promote general well being. He also showed us a skull from a big alligator that he caught a few years ago which was rather impressive. We also ate some fruit today which has a pulpy inside but is about the
size of a orange. The texture is rather gummy and it was sticky but sweet. Difficult to explain the flavour though. Also chewed on a swall flower thqat turned out to be a natural anesthetic. Tasted gross but left my mouth feeling tingly and numb.

Day 6
It hasn't stopped raining all morning! This is my last day (well half day) here at the jungle lodge and I haven't been able to go out because of the weather. I'm currently in the hammock room looking out at the river and the rain. It is impressive the amount that the river has risen over the past few hours and it appears from the way the water plants and floating (up rather than down stream) that the Amazon is filling up again. On the other side of where I am is the garden here which has mostly flowering plants in particular red hybiscus. There are a few
butterflies out too. Which is something I didn't expect in the rain. Also saw a humming bird flittering about. The hummingbirds here are different to the ones in Olinda, they are a dark colour whilst the Brazillian ones are a metalic bright green. Took the boat back to Iquitos later in the afternoon. It's weird to be around things like running water and electricty again. The trip was great :)

Hehe, so there we go, oh and a list of the animals I had the priviledge
of seeing:
marmosets, squirrel monkeys, a white nosed aligator, pink toed tarantulas, scorpions, red belly prianha, crabs, prehistoric catfish, toucans, pygmy kingfishers, greater kingfishers, black headed vultures, red headed vultures, dark hummingbirds, pink river dolphins, a three toed sloth, brown collar hawk, prehistoric centipides, giant mosquitos, regular mosquitoes, yellow anacondas, a green frog, common great egret, river gulls, yellow headed carcacara hawk, white necked herron. Also several types of bats, flycatchers, butterflies, dragonflies, ants, birds and bugs I didn't get the names of.

There are over 90 photos. And they still didn't catch alot of the more interesting creatures due to speed and lighting (such as the monkeys, dolphins and the toucans). Yes, Adam I will show them to you.

I would also have to thank TGVITS who ensured that when I asked about a creature we usually saw them the next day. Carlos thought this was rather amusing.
M: "Carlos, are there sloths around here?"
C: "Yes, but they are difficult to spot"
*later*
C: "There's the sloth you were asking about"

Oh and it seems that there is also a local fish that has the same name as me, which was something one small boy found hillarious. But the if I met someone called Trout or Snapper I'm sure I'd have a giggle too.

Regards to the fish, hey?