Final thoughts

This was a fabulous experience and we both would take the trip again, as we would like to see the River during the dry season after seeing it during a record setting wet season.  However, there are many other places we would like to visit before we would return to the Amazon.   Regent provided an enjoyable experience and the Navigator is a small comfortable home for extended traveling.  Some on the ship were very ready to get off at the end of 25 days, but we both are willing to try an even longer cruise.

One thing that made the trip so enjoyable were the lectures offered by Michael Scott from the Smithsonian.  A Scotsman who wore his kilt on formal nights, he introduced us to each port and provided both history and context for what we were going to see. A botanist by education, he is married to a marine biologist.  His stories of her work on the remote island of Tristan da Cunha were every fascinating.  Michael will be the lecturer on the segment of the 2018 world cruise scheduled to visit Tristan da Cunha.

Also contributing to our enjoyment were our fellow passengers.  There were a good number of folks from Canada, Australia and New Zealand.  Most have traveled extensively and this made for good dinner conversation.  On Regent ships, you do not have a set dinner time or table.  When you wish to eat, you go any restaurant.  You will be asked if you want a private table or want to share a table.  We almost always ask to share and dine with new travelers every evening.

Since we last traveled on the Navigator, there were a few changes that were disappointing.  One was the timing of the nightly shows.  Most were scheduled to begin at 9:30pm.  Due to the late hour, we only attended one show.  We also missed the cheese trolley.  If you are unfamiliar with this practice, it is a cart with an array of cheeses that is brought to your table, usually for dessert.  You pick the cheeses you want and the server prepares a plate with your selections.  It was one of my favorite things from our Alaskan cruise but, alas, it is no more on the Navigator.

If you travel to a hot, humid location and travel with a camera, be prepared for your lens to fog up.  Taking a camera from an air conditioned room to the outside resulted in a 20-30 minute delay before we could take a picture.  We missed serval great photo ops due to this issue.  By the end of the trip, the first one up was responsible for placing the cameras on our balcony so they could acclimate.

We hope you have enjoyed the blog and pictures as much as we have enjoyed doing it.  If you want additional information regarding our trip, please feel free to post using the comments.  We will periodically check the blog over the next few months and respond.  Our future plans include making a book of this trip and researching where to go next.

Link to photos:

6/15/17 Final days

Our final frontier....Barbados, Antigua, & Puerto Rico (6/12-14/17)

The last few days of our cruise were filled with sun, food and relaxing.  Because we have visited our last three stops many times, we only scheduled tours on catamarans.  It was grueling, but we survived!

In Bridgetown, Barbados, we took a four-hour sail that included both snorkeling and swimming stops.  It is a tour we have taken before and each time we have loved the experience.   During the second stop, the crew grilled lunch and, during the sail back, we enjoyed a buffet lunch, rum punch and good music.  Our only concern for the day was to make sure we had applied enough sunscreen!

During a previous trip to Barbados, we experienced a noticeable earthquake.  We had stopped for a brief swim at a beach, when the open air bus we were traveling in, began to shake.  We asked the guide if Barbados frequently had earthquakes and he assured us they did not.  As we made our way back to the ship, we passed schools and government buildings that had been evacuated with everyone standing outside.  Unfortunately, all of the local craft shops at the pier were also closed.

Our stop in St John’s, Antigua, was a repeat of Barbados, only a little longer.  For a total of six hours, we sailed, bobbed in the water and again enjoyed a freshly grilled lunch.  Once again, we were careful to avoid sunburns.  Not everyone on the sail was as careful.  Some of the folks on today’s sail were with us the day before and some should have used a little more sunscreen.  Many did not realize that medication they were still taking to protect them from malaria in the Amazon made them more susceptible to sunburn.

We did not leave the ship in San Juan.  We were scheduled to take an excursion that included a rum tasting, a fort visit and a walking tour of old town San Juan.  Unfortunately, we both were catching a cold and the weather forecast for high heat and humidity influenced our decision to cancel.  The rum tasting would be the only new experience and the prison tour and old town were a lot of walking with no shade.  We heard from others that took the tour that the group voted to skip the fort due to the heat and go shopping instead.  They also came back very wet due to a pop up rainstorm!  I guess we made a good choice.

We did actually get off the ship, as everyone on board was required to pass through immigrations in San Juan.  Passports in hand, we queued up in the terminal to have our documents reviewed.   Once cleared, we planned on reboarding the ship directly.  However, US immigrations would not allow anyone, including the captain, to re-board until everyone was cleared and there was a discrepancy of seven passengers.  After about 30 minutes, they found the error and back on board we went.  Well almost, just as they gave the all clear, an ambulance arrived to pick up a passenger from the sick bay.  This briefly closed the gangway again.

Link to photos:

Barbados, Antigua, Puerto Rico (6/12-14/17)

Crossing the line...The Equator (6/9/17)

Although we actually crossed the equator for the first time earlier in our trip, we did not celebrate in the traditional manner until today.  Documentation of equator crossing ceremonies can been traced back to the 1500’s.  The festivities themselves help to break up the monotony of being at sea as well as testing a sailor’s seaworthiness and endurance. 

A historical reference from 1784 describes enduring intense midday heat and cruel and demanding tasks (walking the plank, eating raw eggs and live fish, being smeared with tar and grease and water immersion.)  As usual, the Regent cruise ship version is much less demanding and only requires passengers to watch.  However, a large of amount of water is required to “clean up” both the pool and the participants.  Since we needed to conserve water while actually on the Amazon, the ceremony was delayed until our first sea day once back in the Atlantic Ocean. 

So, at 3:15pm, we headed to the pool deck, ordered a glass of champagne and waited for the show to begin.  The ceremony is focused on “pollywogs”, crew members crossing the equator for the first time, and “King Neptune”, the captain of the Navigator.   After a parade down the pool deck, each Pollywog stood to hear their “crime”.  Following the reading, the passengers announced their verdict, always guilty, and the Master at Arms initiated the punishment.  Each Pollywog kissed a live fish, was covered in raw eggs and a slimy goo (really icing), and pushed into the pool.  Once this rite of passage has been completed, crew members are referred to as Shellbacks.

There are elite levels within those that have crossed the equator.  A Golden Shellback is one who has crossed the equator at the 180^th meridian, better known as the International dateline.  The rarest of all Shellbacks is one that crossed the equator at Prime meridian, known as 0 degrees Greenwich meridian.  This sailor is known as a Royal Diamond or Emerald Shellback.

Link to photos:

Crossing the Equator (6/9/17)

There is NO escape...Devil's Island (6/10/17)

Ile du Diable (Devil’s Island) is actually one of three small islands called Iles du Salut located just off the shore of French Guiana in South America.  The island we visited is actually Ile Royal, the largest of the three islands.  There is no way for a ship’s tender to actually land on Devil’s Island, so you can only actually view it from the ship or Ile Royal.  Discovered in 1503, and still considered part of France, it is best known for its’ use as a penal colony from 1852 through 1946.  It is part of the European Union, using the Euro, and is the most prosperous territory in South American with the GDP per capita.

There were no organized tours today, as the island is not really developed.  After a short tender ride, we decided on one of the three paths available to the top of the island where most of the old prison buildings are located.  We opted for the longest, least strenuous path.  Although we have crossed back to the northern hemisphere, it is still very hot and humid as the islands are only about 4-degrees north latitude.  As we leisurely made our way along the path, really an access road, we spotted our first wildlife, an Agouti.  Really, a large rodent, reaching 2 feet in length, it raced across the road in front of us and into the thick vegetation.  Little did we know that we did not need to rush to get a picture, as we would be encountering several more through the day.

The highlights of our walk to the top were the small monkeys that were everywhere.  As we rounded a curve, several other passengers were gathered in a small group on the path.  Two squirrel monkeys were sitting on a branch very close to the road.  They appeared to be posing.  As we drew closer, they hopped to a different branch and then began to play what seemed to be the equivalent of tag.  Every 10-20 yards, they entertained us for the remainder of our hike to the top.

Also on the path, we passed at what is called the children’s cemetery.  I was curious as to why children would be at a penal colony.  The reason lies in fact that the guards were also permanent residents of the islands and therefore lived there with their families.   Being at Devil’s Island was a harsh life for not only the convicts, but also for the guards.  Disease killed almost 85% of the convicts before they completed their sentences.  Even today, Yellow Fever is still rampant, although we did not encounter any mosquitoes on our visit to the island.

Life at Devil’s Island was known for its harsh treatment of mostly political prisoners.  It is thought to be escape-proof, due primarily to being so remote, but the guards would also throw meat into the surrounding waters to ensure that the waters would be shark infested.  Henri Charriere, a former prisoner that claimed to have escaped, published a memoir of his time there.  However, prison records indicate that he was never on Devil’s Island, but actually served time on the mainland.  The book was later made into a movie, Papillion, which was available for us to watch in our cabins during the cruise.

Once we made our way to the top, we explored the mostly abandoned buildings.  A chapel was being renovated and the original reception building has been converted to a guesthouse, with a small coffee shop.  A few of the old cellblocks are currently used as housing for those that work at the Guiana space tracking station located on the island.  French Guiana has been the equatorial launch site for the European Union since 1964 and is found on the mainland a couple of miles away.

The area around the old buildings provides additional wildlife sightings.  An old quarry held turtles, lizards and even a black caiman.  We spotted lots of the Agouties, free-range peacocks and Macaws.  We opted for the same path back to the tender launch as several people reported that the steps on the other paths were very slippery and a few passengers had already fallen.  The island was much more interesting than I expected and those we talked with were very glad that it was on our itinerary.  We were also lucky to actually make it ashore, as the channel where we anchored is quite narrow and usually too rough to use the ship’s tenders.

Link to today's photos:

Devil's Island photos (6/10/17)

Wedding of the Waters...Santarem, Brazil (6/7/17)

Our original itinerary had us visiting Santarem on our way up the Amazon, but we skipped the port due to the currents and the amount of time we spent at the technical stop in Macapa.  It was moved to the downriver segment of the trip and we skipped Alter da Chao.  The heat and humidity are not as bad as we make our way to Atlantic and the mouth of the Amazon.

Home to the Wedding of the Waters, as opposed to the Meeting of the Waters by Manaus, Santarem was settled by the Portuguese in 1661.  The area was also home to the Tapajos Indians and the Portuguese named the nearby river after them calling it Rio Tapajos.  It the confluence of the Tapajos and the Amazon that creates the Wedding of the Waters.  After missing the Meeting of the Waters, we arose quite early this morning, as we did not want to miss our last chance to experience this unique phenomenon.  We were not disappointed.  For several minutes, we viewed the two different colored waters as they ran side by side with a sharp line delineating the two.  Soon we observed a swirling of the colors and then only the uniform color of the Amazon.

Santarem, a city of over 300,000, has an agricultural economy.  Although Henry Ford attempted to produce rubber here, it was a failure.  However, he did build several large plantations that today are used to grow coffee and soybeans.  Cargill has a large granary here and ships soybeans around the world from Santarem.

We did not visit the city of Santarem, but instead opted for a River Tour and Maica Lake by riverboat.  The three-hour excursion travelled along the waterfront of the Santarem, down a river and into the lake.  The trip offered some of the best bird watching opportunities of the trip so far.  Many are included in today’s pictures, but we could only see some others, as they were too quick to photograph.  During the cruise, we finally saw a three toed sloth!  She also appeared to have a baby sloth clinging to her, but we could not be sure.  The trip included another stop to fish for piranha.  We opted out this time, choosing to be entertained by the lively parrots that were singing and flying from tree to tree.

Everywhere we travelled, it was evident that the river level was very high.  Most of the homes were underwater or only the second floor was usable.   Most homes do not have electricity or running water.  We saw buffalo in a fenced in pasture, but you could only see the heads.  The locals refer to the people who live here as River people.  They travel everywhere by boat, but mostly needed services come to them; Medical and dental services are provided from a floating clinic, a yellow boat picks up children to take them school, they even have floating gas stations that make their way up and down the river.

Fishing is a very import part of the local diet.  We saw people fishing with poles, but we also saw nets for larger fish and cages used for catching shrimp.  The chef has prepared a feast of local fish dish each day we have been on the Amazon.  Our time on the river is almost over, which means will be crossing the equator again and back to the northern hemisphere and, more importantly, the ship will be able to make fresh water again.

Link to photos below:
Santarem, Brazil photos 6/7/2017

This town is full of bull...Parintins, Brazil (6/6/17)

Located on the island of Tupinambarana in the Amazon River, the city of Parintins has a little over 100,000 inhabitants.  For locals, it is a 25 hour riverboat ride from Manaus, but, in 2006, they joined the 21^st century when the Intel World Ahead Program introduced computers and satellite broadband to the community.

Parintins also hosts the second largest annual festival in Brazil, Festival Boi-Bumba, also known as Festival Folclorico de Parintins and Bumba Meu Boi.  Carnival in Rio de Janeiro is the largest.  During the last weekend is June, the town population doubles, with many visitors sleeping on riverboats due to the lack of hotel rooms.

The festival centers around a legend based on a resurrected bull and combines Brazil’s Portuguese and indigenous heritages.  The community has built a U-shaped stadium called the Bumbodromo that holds 35,000 people.  Two local groups plan and practice year round for the lively and brightly colored competition between the Boi Capirchoso (Blue team) and Boi Garantido (Red team).  Each team has about 4000 members including musicians and dancers.  Teams are judged based on costumes, choreography, rhythm and music.  References to the teams, festival, and competition can be seen everywhere in the town.  During our time in Parintins, the city hosted a mini Boi-Bumba show for the passengers of the Navigator.  It was enjoyed by all who attended. 

We walked the town, but found that most shops were closed from noon to 2pm.  We found a few open air food vendors and enjoyed looking at the local vegetables.  We also noticed a chicken coop located in the middle of the street at a busy intersection and made a lot of KFC drive through jokes.  We purchased a couple of t-shirts, mandatory on all cruises, and a couple of trivets that were painted by a local artist while you watched.

Link to photos:

Parintins photos 6/6/17

Lions & Tigers & Bears, Oh my; NO it's Monkeys & Sloths & Toucans!...Manaus & EcoLodge (6/4-5/17)

This is the most anticipated part of the trip.  It is the reason we sprayed our clothing with Permethrin, purchased ankle high waterproof hiking boots and spent the previous day drinking lots of water.  It is the reason we called our blog the Amazon ADVENTURE 2017.

Our trek started at 8:15am, as we were the first ones off the ship.  Our small group of eleven boarded our tour bus and met our guide Edi; she is Caboclo and will accompany our group until we return to the ship.  Our ride to the pier, where we boarded a boat, took us through the city of Manaus.

Manaus is the capital of the Brazilian state of Amazonas.  Located 900 miles from the mouth of the Amazon, it is considered the “Paris of the Jungle”.  With more than 2.1 million inhabitants, it is located at the confluence of the Rio Negro River and the Solimoes section of the Amazon.  Here you will find the famed “Meeting of the Waters” or where the black colored Rio Negro River joins the milky coffee colored Amazon.  The two rivers move at different speeds and have very different acidity.  This causes them to flow side by side until the Rio Negro commingles with the Amazon.  Unfortunately, we did get to see this as, when we passed it on our way into Manaus the sun was not yet up.  On our way out, the ship held a mandatory Life Boat drill refresher during the time it was visible.

We did have an excellent view of the Rio Negro Bridge.  A very modern structure, it is over two miles in length and can accommodate larger cargo ships, allowing improved access to cities further up the river.  We docked at a unique floating pier.  Because the height of the Amazon varies widely between the wet and dry sessions, Manaus has a pier that floats and can adjust to the current river level.  The current river level is 29 meters, tying an all-time record and, due to the recent rains and is expected to rise even further and set a new record.  After seeing the river at its highest, we would love to return and experience the dry season.

We arrived at the EcoPark after our high-speed boat ride.  We enjoyed a welcome beverage, dropped our luggage at the reception desk, and immediately boarded a small boat.  The boats are narrow and very shallow to enable navigation in the small tributaries of the many river branches.  Entering the boat itself was activity we would repeat multiple times and it required both balance and nimbleness.  First, you stepped on the bow of the boat and then down to the “deck”.  The journey continued as you stepped over each row of seats heading towards the stern.  Once you found your row, you raised the seat back of the last row you climbed over, so the next person could sit in that row.  To exit the boat, the entire process was reversed.  Of note, stepping over each row was not easy for those of us who are vertically challenged.   Those that are blessed with long legs had their own issue as the boat also had a top that did not allow one to stand.

Once we were loaded up, we traveled down several channels adjacent to the park.  This afforded us an opportunity to see the jungle up close.  Since the water level is at its peak, much of what we were seeing was usually high up in the tree canopy.  The diversity of the dense vegetation was overwhelming.  In terms of wildlife, we mostly saw birds (Crested Caracara and a Flycatcher among them) during this outing as most of the jungle comes awake at night.  We went a little deeper into the jungle on the last channel we visited.  Here our guide turned off the small outboard motor and we experienced the quiet of our environment.  This silence would be very different from the sounds of the jungle at night.

Our “resort” is located close to a monkey island, so we headed there next; this is a sanctuary that works with monkeys that need rehabbing or have been orphaned.  We unloaded from the boat and made our way up to a viewing area.  The monkeys are free to roam all of the large sanctuary, but several times a day, fresh fruit is put out - allowing visitors to view the monkeys in their natural environment.  Here we saw a female Bald Uakari, a red-faced monkey.  Unfortunately, she is believed to be the last of her kind.  The sanctuary had a mating couple, but the alpha male from a different species killed the male Uakari.  We also were able to see Common Squirrel Monkeys and Woolly Monkeys, including one female with her baby hanging on tightly riding piggyback.

Leaving the sanctuary, we returned to the lodge, checked in and had lunch.  We had been warned that the accommodations would be minimal, so we were not surprised by our room (no TV, a more than firm bed, and definitely no internet access).  The room was air conditioned, but that was the only oasis from the heat and humidity.  If you have ever been in a steam room fully clothed, you might have some idea of the experience.  Although our bedroom was air conditioned, our bathroom was not!  Have you ever tried to dry off in 100% humidity?  We ate all our meals at the open-air dining room; the reception area and bar were also outside, including an area with a pool table.

The EcoPark grounds themselves provide wildlife-viewing opportunities.  Before our next excursion, we had an hour or so to walk the grounds. We observed a monkey in the treetops and several species of birds, including a Scarlet Macaw who liked to frequent both the reception and dining areas.  The park usually has a large beach area, but due to the high water, very little was visible.  We did see some other guests swimming at the “beach”, though this was a bit frightening considering the fact that other guests were fishing for piranha off the dock less than 200 feet away! This did not deter another Crested Caracara from sunning himself on the beach.  A few in our group spotted a Sloth resting in a tree, but he had moved on when we tried to find him.

Mid-afternoon, we climbed back into the boats to visit a Caboclo home.  As mentioned in a previous post, these locals are the descendants of the union of Portuguese men and native Amazonian Indian women.  The home had many display areas and we moved from one to the next as Edi provided commentary.  We learned about the medicinal value of jungle plants, how vegetables are turned into a grain-like product (Yucca is grated, the water is rung out, then it the cooked over an open fire) and how vulcanized rubber was produced by the natives during the rubber boom.

The rubber boom began in Manaus following the discovery of the vulcanization process by Charles Goodyear.  The Amazon area provided the rubber trees and the local population provided the labor for the highly labor intensive process.  Under the direction of sometimes-brutal rubber barons, the locals were exposed to hard work and working conditions.  However, the mostly Portuguese barons thrived and used their vast resources to bring in the best that Europe had to offer to Manaus.  The center of Manaus is home to the famed Opera House.  Completed in 1897, it is built almost entirely of stone imported from Europe, took over 30 year to complete at a cost of $10 million.  Many buildings in Manaus were built using stone brought from Europe; once the rubber cargo exported from Brazil was offloaded, the ships needed ballast for the return trip, so stone was used – then used for the building boom that was underway in Manaus!

Rubber production declined rapidly in the early part of the 1900’s as seeds were taken to England, where they were germinated and then exported to Sri Lanka and other suitable lands held by the United Kingdom.  England then became the primary producer of rubber in the world and by the 1940’s, Brazil contributed less than 1%, contributing to the decline of the Manaus economy.

Next up on our excursion list was Piranha fishing.  Danny (a local that drove our boat), baited our bamboo poles with a little beef and we learned how to tap the water with the tips of the pole and to pull swiftly up when we felt a tug on the line.  We were not terribly successful, even though we tried two different “fishing” spots.  Most of us just lost our bait.  One “fisherman” in a nearby boat was successful.  We did have more success in the bird sights; over looking our fishing spot was a Channel-billed Toucan.  Our afternoon outing concluded and we had a few hours to walk the grounds or cool off in our room.  I bought a beer at the alfresco bar and headed to the air- conditioned room!  One must stay hydrated in the jungle.

As sunset approached, we gathered by the dock and once again maneuvered our way onto the small boats.  It was time to go Caiman hunting!  This consisted of a guide standing at the bow of the boat and, as we worked our way into one of the channels, he would shine a bright light along the “riverbank” which, due to the extremely high water level, consisted mostly of dense trees and vegetation.  We were looking for the eyes of the Caiman which will reflect the bright light.  Now, I do not want to impugn the voracity of the event, but I do believe this entire scenario was staged.  Although several times we believe we saw those shiny eyes, we passed right on by them.  Suddenly the boat turned into a little cove and the guide flashed his light into the area, however no eyes did we ever see.  Danny (our local boy driving the boat), suddenly slipped into the water, put a small flashlight in his mouth and off into the dense greenery he went.  We were told not to take any flash photos during this time.  After a few words spoken in the local language and little thrashing of water, Danny emerged with a Caiman complete with his mouth tied shut.  A very impressive feat while treading water and holding a flashlight in your mouth!  The little fellow was brought aboard for all to touch and photograph.  Just as we finished, another boat pulled up alongside.  So far, their hunting experience was not successful, so they were happy to take the “trophy” off our hands.

Then, back at the Park, we gathered for dinner and to discuss the day’s events.  Most headed to their rooms, a cool shower and hopefully a good night’s rest.  Some folks tried to turn off the AC in their rooms, only to find the heat and humidity too unbearable for sleeping.  Even with the AC running, we could still hear the jungle come alive.  We heard a variety of birds and other unidentifiable noises all night long.  Not the best night of sleep we have ever had, but enough to prepare us for the morning excursion.

Ah, morning in the jungle….already hot and sticky.  Not sure I want that cup of joe this morning, decided to go with water (you can never drink enough here).   Most of us were waiting when the buffet opened at 7am.  We enjoyed the great selection of fresh fruit, cold cuts, cheeses, hard-boiled eggs and baked goods.  Then back to the room to gather our belongings and soak up a little more air conditioning as this morning we are heading out on our “jungle trek".  At least we do not need to climb into those little wooden boats again.

About 8am, we headed off.  Just behind the last cabin in the back section of the EcoLodge was a path that led into the jungle.  For the next two hours, we stepped over fallen trees, twisted tree roots, and slippery layers of decaying leaves, walked single file and stopped to hear about various plants, trees and insects.  For the first 30 minutes or so, the density of jungle grew as the trees became closer together and the greenery moved higher up as the vegetation reached upward seeking sunlight.

The variety of plant life was amazing.  So many different leaf shapes; different types of trees, and unidentifiable but colorful fungi.  We did not spot any wildlife, but we did not expect to.  The large mammals are sleeping and most birds remain in the tree-tops which are not visible due to the height and density of the jungle.  However, we did see and learn a lot about insects and, more specifically, ants.  These creatures do not seem to mind the heat and humidity, and continued the work at hand.  We saw leaf cutting ants, termites, and army ants.  We learned about Giant Hunting Ants.  They are used during a right-of-passage in some native Indian cultures.  The ants are placed on teen age boys who must endure the painful bites the ants inflict.

Unfortunately, some of our group had their own to close encounter with some ants.  As we gathered around a fallen tree to learn about a specific plant, some of the group suddenly complained of being bitten.  Apparently, several trekkers had brushed up against some ants as we stepped over a fallen tree a few yards back.  It turns out they were Burchell’s Army Ants.  These little guys come in two types, the minima worker and the soldier.  It seems we had stumbled upon the Soldier type “equipped” with very impressive mandibles.  They do not inject venom of any kind, but do attach themselves with a painful pinch.  Once they “let go” the pain goes away, and there is no bite mark or discomfort.  The trick is to get them to let go!  Although we were all wearing long pants and long sleeved shirts, none of us had tucked our pant legs into our socks (a recommendation made by Edi a little too late).  For most in the group, the ants had climbed up the inside of their pant legs making it difficult to make them “let go” and remove the offender.  We had a mini striptease moment as a few in the group had to “drop their drawers” to get the little buggers off!

Throughout the hike, our guide’s assistant, Danny, of Caiman catching fame, showed off some of his jungle skills.  He made a wreath out of long vine-like branches, wrapped it around his ankles and climbed  50-60 feet straight up a tree.  Natives would use this method to reach various nuts and seeds or to hunt.  Just like most activities in the jungle, hunting takes place at night.  Danny also showed us a large tree with a unique root structure.  It created hollow openings that can hide a grown man.  More importantly, when struck sharply with a stick, it produces a loud sound that can be heard for quite a distance.  This method was used to communicate with to ask for help if lost in the jungle.

After making our way back to civilization, we gathered our belongings, checked out, ate one last open-air meal and boarded a riverboat for the ride back to our bus and rejoining the ship.  Following a shower, the day ended early as we fell exhausted into bed.

Link to photos:

6/4-5/17 Ecolodge photos