The next morning we are up before sunrise (5.30am) and pretty much had breakfast and are on the boat ready for the days trekking in the jungle by 6am!! I have my wellies on but they are a bit tight in the leg so my trousers are over the top. Jose Louis takes charge and adjusts my wellies and tucks in my trousers, I realise one of the most important thing is to ensure that nothing goes up your legs... But I'm liking my unique designer wellie look!! So it's long sleeves, long trousers and tucked into your gum boots.
It's early but already scorchio!!! Soooo humid and hot, sunny and I am covered in Deet!!! Determined not to get bitten by the pesky mossies, I have a challenge on my hands I think. I won't bore you with the details but basically the day is fabulous, we boat to the jungle area that we are trekking that leads through to a little lake. So we start heading through the jungle and with all the rain the gum boots are absolutely necessary, it's not long before we are ankle deep in water and mud.... It is at this point I realise I have a leak!!!!!! I can feel the mud and water seeping through the boots and my socks and am praying nothing else is coming with it. Immediately what springs to mind is Neil from the Young Ones TV series when he got a hole in his shoe, and the song he sang.... "all that I knew was the hole in my shoe that was letting in water, letting in water..." now that is stuck in my head for the rest of the day as I step from mud puddle to mud puddle praying I don't develop Trench Foot!!
Despite my footwear predicament I am loving every minute, it's amazing to see so many creatures. We head to our little boat on the lake and notice the rain has it somewhat water logged so Jose and Yuri start the task of bailing out the boat! I'm glad it's not because there is a hole in the boat as well as we are about to cross a piranha infested lake in a tiny little not so steady paddle boat. The lake is fabulous and we are lucky to see lots more wildlife around the edge, including bats and birds.
We continue to trek on the other side of the lake, being given amazing insight into the Eco system of the jungle and the herbal properties and medicines, too much for me to list as I sadly didn't take enough notes but lets just say amazing and I am very impressed by the knowledge of our guide. We have fun with the communication tree, apparently my name is now Alice!! And one tree we can go inside, sadly thats we're the mosses live and immediate I have one hanging off my knuckle.... Little buggers!
Did I mention it was bloody hot, well it is, hot and humid but I am seeing so much and having a great time I hardly notice it. There are amazing butterflies, the erotic tree because the roots look like a penis, lots of colourful mackaws that apparently mate for life we can see them flying around in pairs it's pretty cool, and then on the lake journey back we try to find anaconda and settle for feeding piranha... No, not with the tour members that are a pain (to be honest they are all lovely) but with crackers. It's mad watching them, Bob is brave and puts his finger in the water and then screams.... Everyone jumps, but of course he is just pulling our leg!!
And so the trek is over and we get back to the lodge for a late lunch, all hot an sweaty it's a shower immediately, lunch is of course amazing and filling. Then after lunch it's time to hit the swimming hole... Now we have to be careful as the parasite attracted by urine is in this pool so toilet first!!!! The pool looks very orange, reminds me of the girls in Liverpool at the races.. Haha! But the water is refreshing and just what is needed. Sadly though a few rocks around mean its no long before I have injured myself and heading back to the room for yet another shower!!! In the afternoon we head to a local farmer and try the various produce he plants, and here I have some of the most amazing fruit I have ever tasted Copasu a local plant that tastes like vanilla yoghurt is probably the best, and pomelo a type of grapefruit... To mention just a few. We are hounded during this session by a naughty squirrel monkey that keeps jumping on everyone.
We head back for dinner, yet again another 3 course treat and then it's time for the final adventure, looking for Grand Cayman on the river at night. We are lucky and see a few, I get a couple of pics but one we get so close to it freaks out and splashes the boat and Bob and his camera are soaked!!! All in all a successful day with lots of creatures, it's sad we leave tomorrow as it feels like there is so much more to see and do here but as always its early to bed, shattered after a long days exploring and an early start to our next destination Cuzco and the start of the Inca Trail!
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