Amazon Adventures

Paddling about in canoes

Our introduction to the rainforest was from a small dug-out canoe with 2 paddles – one for Mick and one for Luis whilst I sat like Lady Muck in the middle. The Amazon is the most eco-diverse forest in the world, and there is something to see every few yards – huge buttress roots, vast social spider webs, termite nests, so many trees, flowers, birds, butterflies….. just wonderful.

We also did two night paddles, which we loved – the combination of the excitement of spotting something along the river bank by the strong torchlight and the utter relaxation of sitting in a slow boat listening to the night jungle is simply sublime. My favourite photo is the kingfisher fast asleep with a moth on his eye! But the cream-bellied frog runs him a close second!

Canopy Walk

To experience this at its best, you need to stay one night at Napa and get on to the canopy really early, then you just might see a toucan (we didn’t!). We were up at six, motored to the end of the small river to be picked up by a larger boat from Ceiba with a group of Americans aboard, then it’s a 50 minute ride to the Lodge for breakfast.

Then it’s a 45 min trek to the platforms, so it was about 8.30am by the time we actually climbed up, and most of the birds had long since warbled, fed and vanished!!

We had managed to lose the bigger group, so had the canopies to ourselves and it is great being up there amongst the tree tops and bromeliads and vines. This is the longest un-supported tree-walk in the world (ie, no upright supports from the ground other than the trees themselves) built with great respect for the trees that it encompasses. One bit was rather long and high (tummy turning), but overall, it was terrific

We then took the long way back, via the ACTS camp, which was interesting, especially the guy who was hacking into a rotten tree to find palm bugs – edible!! No thanks!!

And on back to Napa Lodge arriving in time for a short relax and lunch. Here we were introduced to tamarind monkeys, the largest rodents in the world - capybaras, and the most stunning flower I’ve ever seen – a type of ginger plant, surprisingly! AND the most stunning butterfly ever! What a morning!

Shaman

Not far from the Napa camp in another indigenous village, where one of the younger members has taken on the role of Shaman. Aware of the benefit of the tourist dollar, he has set about learning English as well as Spanish, and gives talks on the medicinal properties of the various plants of the area, plus he has a small garden around his hut growing many of them. It was such a good “lecture” – he was charming with a good sense of humour, but obviously knew his stuff too. The most interesting part was his description of the rites involved in becoming a Shaman, including taking several potent hallucinogenics so you can make contact with the dark side, the spirits, your inner being and so on.

After the lecture we were invited to buy samples of the products, but I chickened out on that – I do believe they may be wondrous cures, but I worry how they might interact with our usual pills and diets, so prefer not to risk it. I bought a nice smelly oil for my little burner as a token though. Then the best bit – one of the cures can also make a fine temporary tattoo, fading after 7-10 days and totally safe and painless, so I was able to do something I’ve long wanted to do: