Amazon Rainforest

After a good night's sleep, in spite of the jungle noises and snoring,  I awoke refreshed and ready for breakfast at 5:00 am.  I was soon to learn this would quickly become a routine.  To acclimatize to the high heat and humidity, we started off with a short 3 km trek  to the lake and a nap in the afternoon (at least I chose to nap).

This area is rich in bird and aquatic life.  There were sightings of toucans, parrots and macaws.  Unfortunately, I was rarely able to spot anything no matter how many people assured me "you can't miss it.... it's RIGHT over THERE!!!).

 Obviously Al has a better eye!

 As you can see, we had to wear rubber boots, or "Wellington's" because of the mud.  This made trekking even more challenging!!

 Although I was dismal at spotting birds or monkeys, I could spot these leaf cutter ants. 

 Al's video will demonstrate how much foliage they can move over a long distance in a short time.  

 I was also able to capture these bats, the fact they were sleeping does not dampen my sense of accomplishment.

 The number and variety of orchids was amazing.

That evening we boarded the boats and went caiman spotting along the river.  The ability of these guides to spot these well camouflaged and at times small animals was uncanny.  In fact some of us began to joke that these animals must have been rigged ahead of time.  It was difficult for us to get good shots in the dark with our cameras.

Tomorrow will be a big day when Carlos will test our ability and determination!