Carol's Travels

After breakfast we wore our rubber boots and took our walking sticks to the canoes. We left the camp and our guides paddled 4-passenger canoes. We walked along the muddy trail then later transferred to smaller canoes.

We walked around a section where there was wildlife found only in this area. Several beautiful Hoatzin birds lives here. We were told that these birds smell like manure. We saw the Capybara, the largest ident in the world. We saw heron, kite, and tanager birds. Spider monkeys were swinging though the tree branches. A Blue Morpho Butterfly fluttered ahead of the canoes. We saw armies of Leaf Ants carrying their pieces of leaf across the path on their way to the huge ant hills. Delphin showed us a Striped Poison Dart Frog and a small toad. He is so knowledgeable! We also fished for piraña. I caught one, but lost it as I raised it out of the water.

Most of the morning was clear except for an occasional mist. As we returned to camp, it developed into a light rain.

We had spaghetti and garlic bread for lunch which was quite tasty. They served a sliced root vegetable as a side dish which I passed up because it tasted like turnips. I also passed on the platter of peas. The slice of fresh pineapple for dessert was delicious.

At 3:00 we went into the lodge to make chocolate. First everyone hulled the cacao beans. I didn’t seem to have the knack for getting the chocolate out in one piece, so I watched the others do it. When the job was complete, we took turns grinding it. The chocolate is ground three times. Each time it becomes creamier. I tasted it, and it is very bitter without sugar added. The cook will surprise us with a chocolate dessert tonight.

Delphin spotted some more wildlife that we could see from the lodge. We watched an Agouti, Tamarin Monkeys on some bananas, and more birds. Suddenly he spotted more Spider Monkeys in the trees behind our cabanas, and we all watched them play in the branches.

At 6:00 we went out in the big motorized canoe, then transferred to the small canoes again to watch wildlife at night. Delphin made some bird calls which brought them closer to us. We saw some lightning bug larvae and a young caiman in the water. We have been very lucky to have had such good weather. The temperature was moderate and it only drizzled occasionally.

. Shelling cacao beans

. Young caiman sighted in the night canoe trip

. Delphin putting beans into the top of the grinder while I grind them

After a breakfast of a cheese omelet, chicken sausage, and hot chocolate, we pulled on our borrowed mud boots. We traveled via our motorized canoe down the river then disembarked to start walking. Delphin pointed out the plants and many birds. We trudged through squishy mud, and I was really glad that I was wearing the boots provided by the lodge.

Soon we came to the one-room elementary school we would visit. The male teacher and his wife were helping the kids individually when we walked into the building. He answered any questions that we asked. A first year teacher’s salary is under $400 per month. We then split into two groups and took turns drawing pictures on the white board then writing the English word for it. The kids would write the Spanish word.

Then we all got in a circle and sang the Hokey Pokey. Cha-Cha-Cha sang “Me llamo Cha-Cha-Cha” in Spanish then English. Next we presented the picture book, THIS LAND IS YOUR LAND, and sang the chorus in Spanish. Everyone on the tour sang the chorus with us in English. Then the whole group gave their gifts of school supplies and games to the teacher.

We continued to slosh through the muddy path as Delphin and a local guide pointed out birds, trees, and other plants. They demonstrated how they put the leaves together to make a thatched roof. We stopped at a private home on stilts. We had a cooking lesson. She demonstrate how to wrap a fresh tilapia fish in a giant leaf, then four members of our groups each wrapped a fish the same way.

Then another one of these tied leaves was passed around. We were told to listen to the bundle. I heard some clicking sounds, and I guessed that it was filled with millipedes. As it turned out, about ten fat weaver big larvae (about two inches long and half inch diameter) were wriggling around. Delphin popped one into his mouth, chewed, and swallowed it. I volunteered to smash the head with my thumb then skewered three of them on a bamboo stick to grill.

For lunch, we each placed half a fish, some plantain, and yuca on our leaf plate. Of course, I ate one of the roasted weaver larva too. We ate with our fingers, and I even ate the fish cheeks and one of the eyes. For dessert we had sliced fresh watermelon. I bought a bracelet made of local berries and reeds and Paul bought a carved ironwood knife. We then thanked our hosts.

Out front of the house Delphin demonstrated how to make darts for a long straight blowgun with a reed with kapok wrapped around it. He blew a dart through his long straight blowgun and hit the center. We each got a chance to shoot. Both Paul and I hit the target! 

Then we walked a short distance to the river where out canoe was waiting for us. On the way back they stopped the boat so we could see the caiman lizard on a tree leaf. When we arrived back in camp, we rested for two hours.

We next went for a two-hour walk in the jungle near the camp with three guides. One gave us explanations of the plants in Spanish, then Delphin gave us the information in English. When we were almost at the end of the loop trail, we had to turn around and retrace our steps because water on the trail was waist deep. One of the ladies accidentally slipped and fell into the water. Luckily, she had put her camera in the case, so it didn’t get wet!

Just before dinner showed a PowerPoint presentation about the Amazon Basin. After dinner we walked back to our cabana under a clear starry sky.

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I gave the teacher the picture book with all of the words, so Cha-Cha-Cha sang “This Land Is Your Land” in English and Spanish into the teacher’s phone to get the tune right.

. Delphin showed us a millipede

Our sleeping cabanas

We boarded the bus at 7:00 A.M. for our eight-hour drive over a 13,860 feet Andes Mountain pass to Coca. We stopped several times for bathroom breaks and other surprises. It rained periodically during the day. We we’re lucky that the rain let up when we stopped at Guongo Lodge. Many hummingbirds were feeding on the feeders hanging from the low tree branches along the walkway to the front door of the lodge. We all took many pictures. I think I got one that I liked. We could serve ourselves hot beverages inside the lodge. It started raining harder so I walked back to the bus. There are many bird watching opportunities at this lodge. Toucans and tanagers are two of the birds that can also be seen in this cloud forest region. The next time we stopped, we had the opportunity to visit the home of a local subsistence farmer’s family. We each were given a wooden broomstick (walking stick) to help us walk down the stone steps from the road, then along the slippery hard muddy path, across a bridge, then more path to the front door. The people who lived there also offered their hands to help us. The lady of the house held my hand during the most slippery part. She offered us tree tomato slices to eat. By selling the milk from their seven cows, it allows them to buy flour, rice, and other things they don’t grow. They raise chickens and guinea pigs, and they have a vegetable garden. We sat in her living room while she answered questions. Delphin translated for her since she doesn’t speak English. She let us tour her kitchen too which was rather primitive. The next stop was lunch. I had trout in garlic sauce, deep fried plantain, rice, tree tomato juice, and bananas with chocolate sauce. Later we stopped to see a waterfall. Finally, we arrived in Coca. We were fitted with high rubber boots for the Amazon. These boots will be safer walking in the jungle. Then we rode about forty minutes in a motorized covered canoe to Yarina Lodge. Upon arrival, we were assigned to cabin 16 which is closest to the dining room. For dinner we ate soup with popcorn sprinkled on top, steak wrapped in bacon, rice, beans, tomato and broccoli salad, and fresh papaya for dessert. Right now I am listening to the sounds of the jungle.