Today started with an early wake-up call. After our trip last night, we agreed on heading to Lake Sandoval, one of the “level two” difficulty outings. After some rain recently, we were warned that this was somewhere around a two-kilometer hike, but it wasn’t easy going and we’d need muck boots, good balance, and fortitude to make the trip. Being young and eager, we agreed, and the Australians, along with Jen and I, followed the guide into the boat. The hike to the lake seemed to go on for a while (I don’t think it’s a secret that I’m fat, and walking two miles a day in preparation was not nearly enough for this trip) and about the time I was going to jokingly ask our guide if we were about halfway (while secretly thinking we must be getting close) our guide told us the halfway point was “just a bit further on”. If I haven’t mentioned it yet, or if you don’t know about it already, the Amazon is just as hot and humid as everyone has told you it is. Remember that part on Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride where it gets really steamy and hot and smells terrible? I can’t remember if that’s supposed to represent “hell” on the ride, or the Amazon, but either way that’s how it feels here all the time. I could wear one layer, or eight, and soon I would sweat through it all anyway. It’s gross, and I have a feeling I’ll be sweaty, sticky, and stinky all the time for the entirety of this part of the trip, but the walk was good overall I suppose and we all made to the lake without incident.
This part of the trail was the relatively dry part
We took a boat trip, and saw a lot of birds and one family of otters. Knowing the hike was a long one, you’ll only see pictures of these guys on my phone, I had elected not to bring my bigger camera due to the nature of the hike. We spent about an hour and a half on the water, our guide giving us fruit and cool towels to help us deal with the heat (I put mind under my hat, Jen thought it looked funny but it sure cooled me down fast!). Jen and I were the designated rowers when the guide needed help, and we put some good elbow grease into the excursion as well.
Amazonian lily pads!
The hike back from the lake seemed to take less time, though it may have been that most of us (not Jen, she lives for this stuff) had decided not to hop around the mud and hike up small ledges anymore but just to trek right through the puddles carefully instead. This was all well and good until I found a hole deeper than my muck boot. I didn’t fall in the water so much as I caught myself with my hand… but it still wasn’t pleasant! There’s mud on my jeans up past the knee, and I have no way to clean it or wear different pants on this trip right now. I was lucky I didn’t get hurt, though, or fall in completely, so all it all it was a win for the experience and the pictures. We piled in the boat quickly, grabbed a beer from the boatman (the only time we were offered his services as a bar), and celebrated our conquering the trail. I can safely say I have now trekked into the Amazon! The trail was mostly mud, but we ran into trees, bugs (fire ants, army ants, tarantulas, etc..), and a lot of different plant life along the way.
I was at the front of the boat.
After the lake, it was time for lunch and a nap. The second excursion, a canopy tour, was made up of a total of seven rope bridges spanning some 800 meters of treetops. It wasn’t scary really, I knew as we were walking on the bridges that Inkaterra probably tested them constantly, but the sway of the trees did move the walkways and the movement of the bridge-sides could send your heart jumping from time to time. We were somewhere around 100 feet in the air, walking on very thin boards with only a few guide ropes/wires to ensure we kept our balance. I never felt scared or unsafe, but it was thrilling for sure. We took some pictures, I’m sure I was sweaty in all of them, but I’ll be glad to post a few of me walking across a rope-bridge anyway. It’s not like you get to do that everyday! We finished up, and headed back to the lodge. The canopy tour is about a half-mile outside of the lodge itself, so we had walked there in the height of the day’s heat, and walked back. Our guide told us we had a nighttime jungle walk that evening, and we thanked him and headed to our room.
The beginning of the canopy tour
Not terribly high, I enjoyed the bridge walks!
I’m all sweaty, but I’m putting this picture up here anyway because I’m 100 feet in the air in the middle of the Amazon!
After two outings where I was covered in sweat, and after a shower I ended up declining a nighttime jungle adventure, and headed to the bar to write this blog. I met up with our new friends from Australia who were also at the bar, and wished them good luck as this was their last night. They wanted me to join them for a drink, but shortly after ordering my first one and sitting down to write a bit my cough began an all-out assault and soon I was making apologies and heading back to the room. I met Jen some time later, she had *not* had a good nighttime jungle walk and wanted dinner. By then, water had my coughing under control and back we went to have another great meal before heading to bed. Tomorrow was our last full day in the Amazon, and we had a lot to get ready for.
We also saw some monkeys on our way back from the canopy tour!
