After breakfast this morning, we boarded a boat along with a family with 3 kids and we were off for an all day hike in the forrest. I was committed to put my patient pants on today. They were really well behaved kids, which helped! We drove by small boat about 50k upstream on the river. It was a relaxing smooth ride all the way.
Even though I have slept like a baby since we got to the jungle, for some reason, last night I could not fall asleep. We are in a new room because the A.C. broke in the room next door. I don't know if this was weird for me or what. At any rate I was really tired all day. We arrived at the place where the hike began, many miles from anywhere, even any villages. We had 2 guides, one who has been with us most of the time, "Robbie". Even though he stopped to show us giant spiders and bats along the way, I still rather like the guy! He totally traumatized the little girl with us as he showed us how you can take a bunch of ants, crumble them up in your hand and use it as insect repellent. The little girl hated the ants and it took her mom several minutes to calm her hysterical daughter. Robbie skipped the ants after that!
We hiked about an hour and a half. It was pretty challenging as the mud and hills made it pretty slippery at times. We saw some very cool caves. I continued to get bit by mosquitos, which has been the case much of our time here, even lathered up with probably the most toxic DEET we had. H did not get bit hardly at all. I am very glad I finally found a way to stomach the anti-milaria pills! The guide had frightened me into making that work.. After a brief stop, we started back. The little kids were as strong if not stronger on the trails as we made our way to the boat. Another short ride and were at the "watchtower" to have lunch. We hiked up to the tower after lunch and enjoyed the view over the tops of the forrest canopy.
We saw bats, spiders and ants that freaked the poor kid out that was with us..
Next we hit a "beach" on the river where we were suppose to swim but a squall was brewing above us and even the little ones did not stay in long. H swimmer a bit to wash off the bug juice. We headed back to the Lodge in the rain, I was glad they had taken the "covered boat". I was very happy and relieved to get back, my heart just was not into jungle hiking I guess. The electricity went off throughout the lodge for a bit, this has happened everyday almost usually during cloud cover. Such is life int he jungle-still beats camping any day!
We are scheduled to leave the Amazon tomorrow and head back to Manaus, where we will take another tour there then start the plane odyssey once more. This time we are coming armed with printed sheets regarding the whole luggage issue. We hope it is enough! By tomorrow night, we should be tucked away in a nice hotel in Salvador, Brazil..
No comments:
Post a Comment