The Amazon

August 6th I wake up early take a taxi to the river front, have some breakfast and head off down the Napo River. After a 6 hour boat ride I get off in Pañacocha. There I meet my guide Manuel hang out for a bit then take another 45 minute boat ride up the Pañacocha river to the lodge.
The boat pulls up to a large open roofed deck. This is the kitchen eating area. There are 2 other decks like this on the river, one with hammocks and the other chairs and tables to hang out in.
Up on the lawn are about 5 small cabins. Since Daniel had to work he wasn´t able to come with me and some of the people who live there were gone for the week so it was just me and Manuel hanging out. Within 5 minutes I saw some amazing birds. Had an early dinner and went to bed early. There´s no electricity here so reading and writing by candle light gets tiring.
5am the rooster crows. At 6am the the sun rises.
August 7th - We go for a 4 hour hike in the jungle. Saw lots of bugs, one very big black centerpede thingy. Caught sight of a humming bird and heard more wiz by my head like some fighter pilot. Quietly wound through trails and heard more birds and monkeys in the distance.
When we arrived back at the lodge for lunch there was a group of small tucans in the tree aross the river.
After lunch and a seista we took a canoe ride in this very tiny dug out canoe. If you breathe to hard it rocks. It was so beautiful and tranquil gliding along the river. The edge of the jungle spilling into the river. Sometimes plants just growing out of it. In this one lagoon area the water changed to a black color and became still. The edges of the bank had these tall palms that have spikes all over. It even seemed like it became quite. The movie Creature from the Black Lagoon came to mind. Later on I found out the lagoon is were paraña, electric eels, sting rays and other goodies live.
On the ride back we saw more tucans, squirrel monkyes and little bats that blended in with the tree trunk sticking out of the water. I also realized..... I´m in the amazon jungle, pretty cool!
August 8th - We canoe around to a few lagoons. Crazy beautiful butterlies flit by. Tree limbs hanging over the water with vines growing into it. Red passion flowers stand out from the many hues of green.The seeds from the Alodon tree that are like huge dandelion tuffs float down from the top canopy into the river and the fish snatch them up.
We saw a large troop of squirrel monkeys by the edge of the river and paddled through bayous to take short cuts back to the lodge. I got a good look at some Hoatzin birds which are prehistoric and the lodge is named after. They are beautiful and very clumsy.
At night we went for a short canoe ride and was lucky to have a clear night. The pitch black of the jungle outlined a strip above of a million stars. It was breath taking.
We found a small crocodile and it stayed motionless while we held the flash light on it and glided right up to it. it stayed still until Manuel tried to grab it, rocked the boat and I screamed like a little girl :)
August 9th - After breakfast we went out walking in the jungle again, which I thought would be a hike but it was worm hunting.
Think of a worm, now think monster worm. Manuel dug deep to reveal 1 inch or more diameter holes. You can hear a wooshing sound as the worm disend. Then he got one. A foot and a half long. He said it was small. But these worms are good bait for fishing paraña. So after getting 2 we head back hop in the canoe and go fishing. Yes , that´s right I caught a paraña and had it for dinner. I have the jaw to prove it.
By the way this is the same river I´ve been swimming in.





August 10th - The jungle gives me strange dreams.
There is constant noise in the jungle. You´d think peace and quite of nature but nature is its own city and the noises change at night. Crickets, frogs, bugs, birds and animals all making noises.
The jungle is in constant movement. At a glance things seems still even stagnint but when you look closely everything is moving.
There is a gentle breeze that puts leaves and palms in a gentle sway. The falling of a leaf from the canopy top sets a ripple of movement as it falls. A bird flys to a new branch setting it in movement. The slow growth of the flora, a butterfly flutters past catching your eye with its splended color among the vast hues of green. It is collosal. There is so much that it is easy to see nothing.
Nature has crafted her art of camoflouge.
I entice a big hairy spider out of it´s ground layer.
August 11th - Back to Pañacocha then another 6 hour boat ride back to Coca.
So far in Ecuador before I leave a place a hummingbird stops by to say good-bye. The Amazon was no different.