Day 4- Amazon Basin, Refugio Amazona
5 am came early, but, no one was bitten by a bat or eaten by a jaguar overnight, so I would say it was successful night. After a quick breakfast, we put on our Wellies (high rubber boots) and headed back to the river for a short boat ride and another hike to a clay lick where we hoped to find macaws and parrots. Clay licks are open faces of cliffs of clay that contain essential nutrients for theses birds.
The ride was only about 15 minutes, but then after a steep climb off the river, we hiked roughly an hour and a half to a set of blinds from which we could observe the clay lick. Unfortunately, the birds had other ideas. We sat in the blind and could hear the macaws in the trees directly over us, just tantalizing us. After about an hour flocks of macaws and parrots began to fly into our field of vision, but no-one had any interest in the clay lick. We finally gave up and headed back to the boat. By now (10 ish) we started to feel the effects of the hot steamy jungle. We were completely drenched (I mean wringing drenched) from head to toe by the time we reached the boat. Even Dave and Molly were soaked and complaining of the heat. Florida, at least, has an ocean breeze. There was not a breath of air here. On the boat we had refreshing apparent wind and we all decided that we should put hammocks on the boat and have the driver ride us around all night- Amazon air-conditioning!
Back at the lodge, we all showered. Some of us even had hot water. Poor Dave and Carol had cold showers (they were told that that was just how the plumbing was at the lodge, and a cold shower is refreshing in hot weather. Hmmmm). Then lunch and siesta until 3:30. We met Angel for a hike to a mammal lick. The hike was much easier than the morning's hike (to get to the boat we had to descend, and then climb on the other end, 150 steps). The mammals got the same memo, though, as the birds. The only mammals we saw were 2 bats in the blind. What would a trip be for Jeri without bats?
Hoping for more wildlife tomorrow. After dinner and the 3rd shower of the day (still cold for Dave and Carol), we climbed into our mosquito netted beds and were out like lights.
(finishing the rest later. Off to another clay lick for mammals)
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