Day 1.
Arrived at the Resort. All the buildings are on stilts and made of wood. No glass windows just fly screens over very large open areas. Apparently the whole area is under 6 feet of water during the wet season. The stilts are supposed to keep out the snakes. (I hope it works.)
Joze, our personal guide, was at our beck and call for the whole stay.
We walked through the jungle to a reserve for injured animals. The animals are free to roam as they please but seem to like it there so they stay around. We saw anteaters, monkeys, sloth, anaconda, boa constrictor, macaw, toucan and caimen all very close up. The little monkeys were very playful and ran up your leg to sit on you shoulder looking for the bananas we held.
On the way back we called into the nearby village to watch the end of a game of soccer being played by the villagers. The whole village was out to watch - a big day for them and partying at night.
Later that evening we had dinner with the only other people at the resort Nienka and Martin from Holland. There is only enough rooms for 4 couples at the resort.
Day 2.
Took a 5 hour long hike through the secondary jungle looking for medicine plants and bird watching. Joze is very knowledgeable about these things. The area was very swampy and our guide had to hack away the path as we progressed through the jungle. It was very spooky. The swampy areas were quite deep and we had to be careful not to let the water go over the top of our jungle boots (gumboots we bought in Iquitos before we left). He would cut a long stick with his machete and lay it across the swamp which we had to try to balance on as we went along. I was exhausted at the end of it.
In the afternoon we took a boat ride to see the pink and grey freshwater dolphins. We went swimming and watched the sunset over the Amazon from the boat - very theraputic.
We played cards with Nienka and Martin and the guides in the evening for entertainment.
The only power is when they run the generator at night for lighting.
Day 3.
We got up early for bird watching before breakfast.
The morning was spent fishing for piranha. Between us we caught 22 fish, only 3 of them being piranhas. It was great fun and a very relaxing way to spend the morning. We spotted more dolphins too. Out on the boat is the only relatively cool spot to be found.
In the afternoon we went canoeing up the Black river to the primary jungle (untouched jungle because no one lives here and it is left pristine. There are huge trees with buttress roots and lots of vines hanging down, which you have to avoid as you walk.
In the evening we went out night watching for toads, huge spiders, snakes and caimen.
Really good stuff just before you go to bed.
Day 4.
Boated over the Amazon to see the giant water lilies.
In the afternoon we trekked deep into the jungle to a native village. Native drums warned of our approach. We watched the native dancing and saw a blowgun demonstration. They are very good shots. Jose had explained on one of our previus walks how they poison the darts with the sap from certain trees and the skin of a toad.
Arrived at the Resort. All the buildings are on stilts and made of wood. No glass windows just fly screens over very large open areas. Apparently the whole area is under 6 feet of water during the wet season. The stilts are supposed to keep out the snakes. (I hope it works.)
Joze, our personal guide, was at our beck and call for the whole stay.
We walked through the jungle to a reserve for injured animals. The animals are free to roam as they please but seem to like it there so they stay around. We saw anteaters, monkeys, sloth, anaconda, boa constrictor, macaw, toucan and caimen all very close up. The little monkeys were very playful and ran up your leg to sit on you shoulder looking for the bananas we held.
On the way back we called into the nearby village to watch the end of a game of soccer being played by the villagers. The whole village was out to watch - a big day for them and partying at night.
Later that evening we had dinner with the only other people at the resort Nienka and Martin from Holland. There is only enough rooms for 4 couples at the resort.
Day 2.
Took a 5 hour long hike through the secondary jungle looking for medicine plants and bird watching. Joze is very knowledgeable about these things. The area was very swampy and our guide had to hack away the path as we progressed through the jungle. It was very spooky. The swampy areas were quite deep and we had to be careful not to let the water go over the top of our jungle boots (gumboots we bought in Iquitos before we left). He would cut a long stick with his machete and lay it across the swamp which we had to try to balance on as we went along. I was exhausted at the end of it.
In the afternoon we took a boat ride to see the pink and grey freshwater dolphins. We went swimming and watched the sunset over the Amazon from the boat - very theraputic.
We played cards with Nienka and Martin and the guides in the evening for entertainment.
The only power is when they run the generator at night for lighting.
Day 3.
We got up early for bird watching before breakfast.
The morning was spent fishing for piranha. Between us we caught 22 fish, only 3 of them being piranhas. It was great fun and a very relaxing way to spend the morning. We spotted more dolphins too. Out on the boat is the only relatively cool spot to be found.
In the afternoon we went canoeing up the Black river to the primary jungle (untouched jungle because no one lives here and it is left pristine. There are huge trees with buttress roots and lots of vines hanging down, which you have to avoid as you walk.
In the evening we went out night watching for toads, huge spiders, snakes and caimen.
Really good stuff just before you go to bed.
Day 4.
Boated over the Amazon to see the giant water lilies.
In the afternoon we trekked deep into the jungle to a native village. Native drums warned of our approach. We watched the native dancing and saw a blowgun demonstration. They are very good shots. Jose had explained on one of our previus walks how they poison the darts with the sap from certain trees and the skin of a toad.
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