I thought I might have trouble sleeping here, there is such a wild sound to the place. Buzzing insects, frogs, birds, and who knows what else? I followed the "tropical health & safety guidelines by ensuring that the bed netting was tucked under the mattress, as much to keep any lurking spiders out of my bed as to keep out the mosquitoes. It felt kind of harem-like to be sleeping in a big 4 poster bed cocooned by netting.
I actually slept like a log... not a single mosquito bothered me and the symphony of sound was quite comforting. The oxygen rich air didn't hurt either.
However the flying cockroach in the bathroom took me by surprise, and as it sailed past me I was quite sure it must have been 5 inches or more. Once my heart rate settled and I got a closer inspection, I'm thinking probably 2.
Up for early AM boat ride - 2 hours to the research station. How they found it beats me. I got lost after the first "shortcut" through the dense jungle. Oh who am I kidding... of course I got lost. This is the Amazonian Jungle for heavens sake!
My question is this: If the land/floor/lake is always changing with the rise and fall of seasonal waters, how do they know where they are going? How to keep track of where they have been? With a the river rising up to 9 meters in the wet season, what kind of markers can they follow?
I am the only "guest" at the lodge for a couple of days. This is fine by me, lots of privacy and opportunity to observe. I expect it will be very quiet.
I do wish I had followed through on the impulse I had to grab something to read off the shelf in the main lodge to bring with me. There is nothing to read and no cards etc. to pass "down time" with. The food is good - real veggies and lentils at lunch. I just may be able to gain back a bit of the weight I have lost since the beginning of my great adventure.
After lunch it was hopping back into a canoe to find "terra firma", or high ground. Not such an easy feat in the middle of rainy season. Once there I find myself winding my way through big trees, massive vines and lots of mud. There are Rubber trees with scarring still visible from the"boom" time, when tapping the trees was a major industry in the Amazon.
Along with the mud and mosquitoes I saw a couple of interesting birds & animal tracks. The monkeys are off playing somewhere else apparently.
Me, in the jungle, up to my knees in water / mug, surrounded by clouds of screaming mosquitoes. Never have I sweated like this. Very Cool.
On my return to the station, I watched pink dolphins feeding in the river in front of my room. So graceful and full of fun. I also met the pet "caymans" - babies really. Pepe and Edgar. Wonder how big they have to get before cute becomes dangerous. I discover a small lizard / gecko in my room... good!.. they eat spiders and mosquitoes. It is camouflaged to match the silvered wood of the room. This is much different than the lizards we found during our walk in the woods, which were bright green with black stripes.
The weather today has been hot, sunny and humid. No sign of rain. Calling this the "rainy season" is kind of misnomer. It doesn't rain much more than the rest of the year, but the waters rise as the rains in the mountains across the country are carried down raging rivers into the basin enroute, eventually, to Brazil and the Atlantic Ocean.
The air is saturated though, so much so that I can actually put my arm out and watch the moisture accumulate and bead on my skin.
After a very cold shower I slapped on more mosquito repellent in preparation for sundown.
Note: 30% Deet repellent does about an hour, then watch out! 50% would be better. Too bad you can't buy it in Canada. Best bet though is to make sure you bring and wear long sleeved shirts and long pants. Lightweight of course.
I lent Gerlo my long sleeve pink shirt because I just couldn't stand to see him being eaten alive while he sat in front of me in the canoe. He looked adorable and got razzed like crazy by the other guys here. Hey, it is a "Mens" shirt...
As darkness fell, once again I was gifted with incredible insect sounds, frog calls and bird symphonies. Sitting safe in my screened in room it feels romantic... not sure I would feel that way out in the night sitting like bait for the creatures of the wild world I am visiting.
Another night with no electricity. The lights in the lodge consist of kerosene lamps along the walkways and flashlights in the room. Very glad to have the headlamp, and it is an adventure trying to sort my way in the dark.
It is a clear night, so we head out to look for Caymans on the river. How fabulous... boating at night with a swath of shining stars overhead and the shadows of trees/bushes in relief all around us against the sky . I breath deeply to create a memory of the scents around me. I never want to forget this.
A cayman's eyes look red when caught by light apparently, so we kept our eyes peeled. We didn't have much luck which I am told is is common with the waters so high. They can go deep into the flooded forest for cover and food.
So far this is not the jungle from Indiana Jones. We are not hacking our way through massive vines and ferns, and I haven't been attacked by roving bands of evil spiders.
All in all, a great day. One for the books.
