EC-Rider Travels

4.30 kick off, not my finest hour, but sort of ok as I am still on UK time. Headed of with Edwin and the boat, about twenty minutes up stream, followed by a 40 minute walk to the most beautiful lake – where apparently the giant otters hang out. Sadly not today, 🥲 (reason I came to this lodge!) but we saw lots of other wonderful creatures: a family of black caimans, tropical cormorants, capped herons, wattled jacana, the stunning hoatzin bird and beautiful little yellow flycatchers and black and white swallows darting about. And….. endless, endless butterflies everywhere.

We then tried our hand at catching piranha on pieces of steak – I have at last found my skill and landed two unlucky fellows. We were given the option of taking them home for lunch, but decided they may not go too far between us all and, in the interest of sustainability, we should return them – apparently they are very bony.

On our way back we saw a huge troop of squirrel monkeys with a few capuchin monkeys who happily live with them in return for protection.

We returned in time for breakfast and then I have to confess to a little snooze – lovely. After lunch, each group did different things, but Denys was keen to take me on another trek into the forrest. While I was waiting for him I saw the most adorable red squirrel. Much larger and fluffier than ours – Beanz would have died of excitement. Denys has a passion for trees and it was fascinating learning about how they all support each other and symbiotically live side by side. Some of incredible age and growing unbelievably high in their attempt to reach the light. The kapok tree rising to 55m and some apparently 500 years old (if the translation was correct!) were quite awe-inspiring. We did not get lost this time and on our return we saw a pair of black saddleback tamarin monkeys our fifth of seven different species found in the area.

A group of young ‘solo-travellers’ joined us for dinner and very much livened things up – pisco sours all round this evening! And then a siting of a two toed sloth sleeping up a tree just outside the lodge. OMG – they are adorable…. I really hope I see more……