Up at the crack of dawn – well, really, before dawn. Ate breakfast at 5:30 am and met our guide at the canoe landing at 6 am. We paddled back down to the Welcome Center. Didn’t see much on our way.
We transferred to the motorized canoe and went back on the Napo River for about 20 minutes to a parrot clay lick. There were cobalt-winged parakeets and parrots – hundreds of them – in the trees waiting for the appropriate time to gather on a large clay bank. The clay has nutrients, minerals in particular, that the birds need so they gather each day between 6 and 10 am at this particular lick. Several cobalt-winged parakeets were courageous enough to land, followed by some parrots but apparently they sensed some kind of predator near them so they flew away. We were several hundred feet from them in the canoe so it wasn’t that easy to see them, and it was a little disappointing.
From there, we motored up the river to the Anangu community that owns and operates the Napo Wildlife Centre where we’re staying. Anangu means ant, and they cooperate as does the community. We learned about their political structure, which is democratic. They elect a president and other officials to represent them and do what is best for the community. They had a “parliament” building, a “computer” building, a high school and elementary school, a clinic where there is a practicing doctor (Western) and dentist.
We went to the interpretative center where several women were gathered with their little ones. Women are in charge. Maria, a woman about 30 years old, told us about some of the cultural traditions including food preparation, hunting with a blow gun, cloth they used to use to clothe themselves that is made from tree bark. They showed us how the smoke leaves for tea and served us some. They showed us a drum made from a tree, and a how to make noise on a turtle shell. There were several other younger women who showed us a thank you dance, Maria played a drum. We were invited to dance to become honorary members of the tribe.
All the while, there were several women tending a fire on which were several food items unfamiliar to us. Then they served us: heart of palm, roasted plaintain, a roasted coca bean (not the kind that makes cocao) and the piece de resistance was a weevil larvae – smoked. We were encouraged to eat it, and we did. Actually, the larvae wasn’t that bad. It kind of tasted like bacon. Two of our cohorts then ate live larvae, and they reported that it wiggled in their mouths a little but tasted like unsalted butter.
That was Scott and Sebastian, two members of the family with which we’ve been paired. They’re from Lansing, Michigan. Scott is the dad, Toni is the mom, Sebastian is a sophomore in high school and his brother, Sullivan, just graduated from high school, and this trip is his graduation trip.
We then were invited into another hut to view (and possibly buy) things made the women in the community. And you will NOT believe it – but there was only one armadillo (clay) and so I got it for my armadillo collection. They have giant armadillos here but they’re nocturnal. Our guide said they are very difficult to find but sometimes they are around the lodge. We saw a burrow of one, and it was at least a foot and half wide.
Next, we motored over to another parrot clay lick but this one was a hike, at least a mile, into the jungle. Beth and I took much longer than everyone else, as I had to frequently stop to rest my hip. But no worries – the end of the trail was what I would call a blind but it seated probably 50 or so people (there were only 8 of us). In front of the building was another clay lick. We waited and waited, and the parakeets eventually came and began feeding on the dirt.
But THEN- a scarlet macaw showed up. He jumped from tree to tree screeching before it took to the lick. The parakeets were respectful and left. But THEN another macaw showed up and THEN another macaw showed and THEN another macaw showed up. There were six scarlet macaw in total. It was so totally awesome to see these beautiful birds. The guide did a video on my phone so I’ll show it to anyone who wants to see it when I return. My apologies for the photo I’m posting – it’s not sharp – but I have some on my camera that are pretty awesome!
On the way out of the jungle, we moved slower and another guide stopped frequently to tell us about some of the trees (like a tree that eats other trees – it wraps itself around the tree and eventually strangulates it) and one in particular that the indigenous people use to communicate. It’s broad at the base and hollow so you can pound a stone on it to send a message.
We did not get into the motorized canoe but hiked to the Welcome Centre where we had a lovely lunch of chicken, fish, rice, potato, broccoli and carrots. A fruit cocktail and a heavy cake finished it off.
We climbed back into the canoe for the trip home (takes about two hours), and this is what we saw on the way back to the center: a bunch of different monkeys (red howler monkey, a white-fronted capuchin monkey and a squirrel monkeys and their babies) jumping from tree to tree across the river; a baby anaconda curled up in weeds (we saw maybe the tail), and three-toed sloth and a bunch of giant river otters. A caiman was in the lake that we paddled by on our way to the landing.
The day was absolutely gorgeous (well, the sun was out and it was rather hot/humid), and I thought it would last but nodda. We were about 30 minutes from the lodge when it started raining – well, it was pouring. We donned ponchos but that didn’t keep us that dry. There is a reason they call it a rain forest.
A shower never felt so good. We both showered then eventually laid down for a nap. We awoke to another pouring rain. In fact, it rained from 3 pm until now – which is 8:30 pm.
Supper was served early – the food here is really, really good. We got an orientation i.e. all the staff, chefs, etc. were introduced then our guide told us what to expect tomorrow: breakfast at 6:30 am, we join him at 7 pm on the landing and we’ll canoe around the perimeter of the lake to see what we can see, back for lunch then around 2:45 pm, we put on our wellies and go to an observation tower the community has built to see the birds in the canopy. He said it’s about a 15-minute to the tower, then I’m sure there are tons of steps so I’m going to forego that particular activity but Beth will participate. Gotta say that even Beth today said the activities were difficult for her. It’s been very physically demanding but we’re doing it!
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