Amazonas Trip - Day 2

Day 2 started early - in fact at 5am, when our personal guide, Paty, knocked on our doors - well on the door frame, as we didn't have any doors. She had asked us to acknowledge so that she knew that we were awake. I was already up anyway, as I didn't want to miss out on anything.

(Left - the lookout tower)

We assembled in the main foyer, traded our boots for the hotel supplied gumboots - try finding two gumboots of the same size!- and then we set off with torches along one of the jungle paths to the lookout point.

(Right - the sun comes up on another day in the jungle)

The lookout point was some 20 min walk from the main building, and is a 30 metre steel tower set in a small clearing in the jungle. This height takes it above most of the surrounding treel line. We climbed to the top, and waited for the sunrise. (I did note that the tower is braced with about 8-10 sets of cables on each side.) Once at the top, the guide cloesd the trapdoor through which we had just climbed. There were 10 of us including the guide, and that was quite jammed.

(Left - we headed off along another jungle path back to the river, where our ferry man was waiting)

After about an hour we headed back to the lodge for breakfast, and then our next venture starting at 9.30am

(Right - Erin and Courtney start to negotiate the tricky part of boarding)

The main problem with all this boat travel was the poor facilities to enable one to get onto the boats. There are no jetties, and boarding requires negotiating the slippery boarding plank (actually the bottom of some departed boat!!), then steeping onto the small ramp that lead up to the boat. This was generally canted at and angle, and the mud on the bottom of ones shoes made it quite hazardous)

(Left - our guide, Paty, explains with a dust drawing about farming in the area. The local people gain a piece of land, and then clear one quarter for planting. The following year the first plot lies fallow, and a second quarter is cleared for further crops)

(Right - bananas are one of the big crops in the area. The farmer sells to the river taxis, that buy the produce and carry it down river to the markets. Naturally the farmer gets a pittance of what the end man gets)

(Left - Paty shows us another of the fruits grown here. Once peeled the flesh inside is very soft and tastes a bit like custard apple)

(Right - whilst at the farm a passing butterfly takes a little rest on Courtney's shoe)

(Left - meanwhile back at the lodge lunch is being served - buffet style - simple but sufficient - and when you consider there ius no electric power for lighting - they do make an exception each day from 12 - 1 and 5.30 - 9.30 when they have some power generation for those of us who need to recharge camera or phone batteries)

(Right - after lunch, and a siesta, we were off again, on another walk to a nearby lake where we boarded a small canoe. My biggest concern was that with five of us on board there was some 4 inches free board, which made me quite nervous. In addition whilst we were made to wear life jackets on the river trip up, there was no compulsion here)

(Left - on the lake we saw a number of small bats clinging to a partly submerged loog)

(Right - we left the boats and walked into the jungle on the other side. Paty showed us some large trees, which hold religious sugnificane to the local people. This is a large white kapok tree which the Shamuns visit regularly, as it is said to contain good spirits. The Shamuns also visit a nearby red kapok tree - these latter contain the bad spirits - but you have to keep the bad spirits on nside too.)

(Left - for good measure Erin and Courtney stand inside the roors of another very large tree.

(Right - some of the trees in this area are very big)





(Left - after our tree viewing we returned to the boat, and I held my breath as we steadily made our way bacj across the lake to the original side)

(Right - we were however treated to a lovely sunset)