j - wild life viewing........

Ok - so here we are, many days into a trip that is just absolutely amazing.  We have seen so much, learned so much, seen birds and animals, views and vistas that I only ever thought we would see on tv........ and again, I am sitting in my bed with the ocean spread outside my window, cruising along at a good old clip back up on our way to re-cross over the equator - twice tonight.

 

For many days we have seen amazing things and yet the more mundane and sometimes equally amazing things are the people we have shared this journey with so far.  I dont intend to be mean to anyone at all, just writing down how I see things from my sometimes weird and always whacky perspective......... so here goes.

 

 When the old passengers left the boat and the new got on, we were much more comfortable with our surroundings and could spend more time seeing things other than the blue footed boobies and frigates flying by and we started noticing the other wild life - the people.  In our group of the last passenger load, we had a good many younger people - not the flippy young folks of the late teens and really early twenties, but those that were still in the, what I will call, the 'flippy butt' years.  There was one rather well built guy of about 30 years old that wore the tightest of white shirts with the tightest of short shorts - yes he had an incredible tan and we always found him draped languidly over a bar stool somewhere on the ship.  No, not drunk, but apparently heavily involved with his cell phone that never seemed to have a signal.  His dark mop of curly hair gave him a cap to peer out of at the flippy butt girls that would miraculously be positioned somewhere in front of him, either stretching up or down to pick up something or simply being louder than at other times.  He, the real cool cucumber dude, always kept this very slight smile on his face, not encouraging and not quite dismissing - and it was interesting to see that neither he nor the girls ever actually approaced each other and the girls seemed to leave the area with a slightly miffed expression. 

 

Two of the new women on board have earned the title of Estranged Mermaids.....they wander the decks restlessly in long sleeve shirts and loose fitting long pants, one looking a bit like a very tired Farrah Fawcett with her long curly blond hair.  They dont seem to be totally at home out of the water and seem to try to get as much liquid inside as possible, in the form of beers, which just adds to the vagueness of their expressions.  They have huge floppy hats and kinda float around, not talking to anyone really at all, but wearing weak smiles that seem to float right by your ear as one gets closer..  Then we have the Sri Lankans who are in our group - the Albatros group.  All the passengers are divided up into different groups, as I think I told you earlier, and we are the Albatros group.  Anyway - we were the only 'survivors' of the last group and so we have all new members.....all very nice people again.  But the Sri Lankan group are very very enthusiastic.. Two of the ladies have a way of walking that is like a penguin - feet slightly turned out and a clomp-clomp style of walking with the knees also slightly pointed outwards, which helps the feet connect with each and every rock and stone that is higher than 2mm - each and every one!  This, in turn, makes for a stumbling action and some very fast and fancy penguin-like footwork to maintain balance, and then back to the standard clomp-clomp for the next few steps.  It's not easy walking behind this type of walker as I am constantly expecting the crash - especially when they walk like this with their video camera held out in fully extended arms with ever so slightly outward bent elbows,' in front of them being waved from left to right rather like a metal detector capturing each and every leaf and stone around.  I often catch something they say that is not in english and I wonder how bad a cuss word it is. 

 

They are full of wonder and enthusiasm which is just great and again, I am not knocking them but heck, this morning got a bit much....both Frank and I had a hard time stifling our giggles..  Here we all are, walking in single file down this rocky path - fully expecting at least one of them to fall flat, (there are 6 of them in our group) when a mocking bird is spotted. Again, For the 5th time today:

There's a mocking bird!

Rrrreaaallly

Where?!

There!

Ooooh- thats a mocking bird? 

yes, yes........ its a mocking bird

its a mocking bird.....aaaaaah.

Where's the mocking bird? I cant see it!

There's the mocking bird - in the tree.....

oooooh, a mocking bird!

Really?

Yes yes!  Its a mocking bird!!!

Vy is a mocking bird called a mocking bird?

 

And so it goes, up and down the line - until the whole issue is complicated by a yellow warbler flying into the same tree.......

Is that also a mocking bird?

No no - dats a little yellow bird

A little yellow bird?

Where??

there, there, next to the mocking bird...

Oh there.

Its not a mocking bird?

no no - the mocking bird is........vell, he vent avay!

He did?  Vere?

 

and boy, you should have heard it when a nest was found!  It's totally hilarious listening to the talk going up and down the line of us and the video cameras are all zoomed into full zoom.  And yes, it all starts over again at the next mocking bird! I just love the enthusiasm, but after a hike of two hours it gets to a point where I find myself praying that all mocking birds as well as LYB's (little yellow birds) disappear for good!  Maybe thats why our guide is almost bald...

 

And then there was a guy from the UK who wore a hat with pointy ears.  The only reason I think he did this was because he could.  He wandered around telling everyone that he could get to stand still for longer than 3 seconds, how impressed he was with something or other totally irrelevant to what we had seen for the day. He wore bright pink shorts had a perpetual smile with lovely round chubby cheeks.  He was a total hoot - one of those guys who was obviously kind and a softie, but who was straightforward as an arrow too.  One evening at the briefing for the next day, the guide asked our very tired group why we thought an albatross would want to come back to land if it could fly and glide for days at a time..... there was this fog of silence as everyone cranked their brains to remember what we had been told earlier - and into this silence he yells very loudly 'sex!'  Oh boy - talk about drinks squirting out of mouths, and screaming laughter - the meeting nearly ended right there as everyone packed up laughing.  Of course he was right and no one else had dared to say it as straightforwardly as he had.  But the best was the surprise on his face as he saw what a stir he had caused.  And another beer was ordered  in celebration.

 

There are the people that talk endlessly about themselves and you always find them with new people at their table, for one meal, and then those people find somewhere else to go... and then you find a group like we did when we first came on board... a group of eight who have done a lot of travelling together and have a wonderful sense of humor and a lovely way of looking at life. They gave us many tips and tricks of the boat and were a great group to share out meals with.  Now we are at a different and much smaller table - only four of us.  The other couple are not in a tour group either and we get along very well.  They are also off to Macchu Picchu after this, but not on the same schedule as we are.

 

It's like a whole world on this little ship - people of all different cultures, languages, habits and most of them very well travelled.  Some seem to be on the ship just to be able to say they have been here, as they show little enthusiasm for anything much at all apart from the food.  Others want to be in the front of every line, and stay there, which stops the others from getting a good view at times of whatever it is we are all stopped for.  I dont think they do this on purpose, its just that they want to soak up as much of what is here, which is what its really all about.

 

And then there are the other two ladies that, for me,  stand out in this group of people.... one is an exact duplicate of a friend of mine, Tilda..... everything!  She walks like Tilda, has the same facial expressions, the same elegance, hand movements and all - its very spooky in a way, but at least she reminds me of someone I like!  And then there is a lady who just finished her last chemo treatment on Monday and joined the ship on Wednesday - she carries the biggest smile of everyone, the quickest to hold out a hand to help someone from falling, she laughs with a laugh that comes from her toes and the twinkle in her eye is better than the glorious sunset we had tonight.  

 

It amazes us that some people did not know what a manatee is, have never seen a pelican, literally jump up and down in absolute ecstacy at the sight of a tortoise - I am serious........but it makes me so incredibly grateful for the things I have been able to see, the things I have grown up knowing, learning about and experiencing.

 

So, the wild life viewing is not just about the birds and animals of the Galapagos at all, its all happening right here on board too.  I wonder how others see Frank and I?

 

And now - with a pitch black night outside, the stars very bright in the sky and the gentle rocking of the boat as we head off into the northern hemisphere again, I am going to end the day.

 

Love and light
Annie

http://galapagobaggs.blogspot.com
http://s761.photobucket.com/albums/xx257/GalapagoBaggs/

i - Wingspans....and so much more.

Today we covereed Espanola and Christobel Island....they are so incredibly different in so many ways.  We started off on Espanola Island and were met with thousands of Sally Lightfoot crabs all over the pitch black lava rocks.  The mature crabs are brilliant red with blue and black markings, the young ones are pitch black and are only easy to see when they scuttle off if we get too close.  Pelicans were diving right there off the end of the jetty and a miriad of other birds whirled screaming obsceneties at us all.  The sealions lay sleeping on the benches and a good few of us almost stepped on them.  The big males kind of bark if we get too close and we have no issues staying well away from them - they are totally solid!

 

There are little paths along the islands that lead us from one part of the island to the other and back again.  We are not allowed to wander far off on our own but each group has a maximum of 16 people so its not too bad and we have learned to stretch out for a good long distance.  Anyway, it was soon after getting off the zodiaks that we came upon a little beach just littered with baby seals playing.  One mama and baby spent all the time barking at each other - it was a relatively new born so was probably getting a bunch of life lessons right there.  They were not afraid of us at all but mama did move between us and baby......  We watched the little ones play for a good while - one set was in the water and the others on the rocks and sand. They really are very sweet and all covered in sand as they chase each other around.

 

Further down the path we came across an albatross sitting on a nest.  It just sat there and looked at us.  Its very weird that they dont move away or fly off especially as we were probably no further away than 8 feet.  A short distance away was a huge flat rocky area liberally dotted with the ugliest chicks.  They looks like a wet feather pillow turned inside out, with eyes and a beak.  These chicks soon turn into the elegant albatross, but it was totally weird seeing just how ugly their start in life is.  They also were not bugged at lal by us being there.........

 

And so the walk went on for a good long way - many birds and colorful iguanas to see - the marine iguanas have different colors, red being the prominent one and we have to be careful not to step on them as we walk around.  Some of them are really big - as in an easy 4 foot from tail tip to smiling snout.  They all look as if they have a smile or smirk on their face and their claws look as if they really could do some damage if they wanted to, but mostly they just lay there, waiting for one to pass by.  They sometiems seem to congregate in huge groups, all crawling over each other without seeming to mind much.  Even the seallions crawl over them and bite at their tails without much of a response from the iguanas.

 

The most beautiful set of cliffs waited for us right around the corner - the waves turning from deep blue to turquoise with huge white frothy frills right before crashing onto the dark black cliffs!  Pelicans, frigates, albatross and a good many other birds wheeled around, diving and riding the airwaves as the constant crash of the waves kept us all quiet and in awe of the power below us.  There were baby albatross perched right at the edge of the cliffs and mama birds seemed to keep a beady eye on us all, but again, they are not concerned about us thing there.  There is a humongeous blowhole there and every 30 seconds or so, we could hear this explosion building and the water would be forced out of the hole in an incredible display - just lovely!

 

As we walked further along, there were many blue footed boobies, albatross and other birds nesting in the weirdest of places.  the boobies make a circle of guano/bird poop and its here that they lay their egg and the chick apparently knows not to cross the poop line.  It certainly seems to work.  The rocks along this path have lost their black lava look and are all white from years of being home to all these birds.  One can definitely smell it, but its not too bad at all.  Its rather like walking in a different world where we are definitely not in charge at all.  There, in the middle of all these now white rocks and nesting birds, lay a sealion that had a huge chunck bitten out of its back by a shark.  The guide said that he would survive as it looked as if it had started healing already..... poor sea lion.

 

The islands are very differerent and I want to say different from what I expected, but then i dont really know what I expected in the first place.  Its lovely with the ocean and the breeze and the birds wheeling all over the place, and very different from anything we have seen before.

 

In the afternoon we went to the highlands of Christobel Island..... we were taken to shore then all boarded a bus for the 30 minute ride up into the mist and hills.  Oh my, what a ride that was...  That poor motor screamed and chocked and chugged and coughed all the way on incredibly small roads where each corner was a blind one and kept us heading way way up.  I did not look out of the front window at all - figured that if I could not see where or how we were going, then it would be much more relaxing - and it was.  Frank spent some time looking forward and I could tell whenever a curve was coming up - he would tense up and hold his breath!  Anyway - we got there safely as I am sure most of the busses do.  And then off for a walk in the area where they breed the giant tortoises.  We quickly came across one almost jogging along the path - he was not slow at all, but after some determined people caught up with him, he withdrew into his shell and hissed loudly at us.  We saw a good few of them either slowly plodding along or with their heads firmly planted deep in their shells trying had to ignore us all........and then went to see the little bitty baby ones...... boy do they start off small and have a lot of growin to do.  Then it was back on to the bus for the ride down the hill again.  Unfortunately most of the view was cut off by the mist - or maybe that was fortunate that we could not see much at all.... dunno.  Anyway, about half way down we got a flat tire and the poor driver was watched by all 17 of us as he used a rock for a jack and changed that tire in 10 minutes flat. 

 

Most of the passengers were leaving the boat the next day, so it was back to the island of Baltra for their morning flight to the mainland.  We had become friendly with the group at our table and it was sad to see them all leave.  They had a great sense of humor and had been on the boat for a week already.  So, early on Wednesday morning, there was the opportunity for anyone to snorkel again, but it was way too cloudy and cold for us, so we stayed on board and enjoyed a slow breakfast. Soon after that the boat became a teeming mass of people with luggage, final bills, lost property and swapping contact numbers and emails...  there were hugs all around and also a good many laughs floating around.  And then they were all gone.  We watched from the top deck as they all loaded onto the zodiacs for their final ferry to the shore - and yes, I got pictures of the waving and shouting goodbyes.  The boat was gloriously quiet for a few minutes and then it was announced that if any of us remaining passengers - all six of us - wanted to go snorkeling or walking on the beach we could.  So Frank and I quickly headed for the next zodiac and went to the beach where we walked in the beautiful silence in crystal clear water - all by ourselves for the first time in weeks, it seemed. On the way there we saw a pair of huge sea turtles swimming and an "endemic penguin" as well as the 'endemic lava seagull'.  It was not too long before we saw the airplane bringing in the new crowds and we headed back to the boat again... but it was a good break.

 

The 'newbies' came on board, all bright-eyed and busy tailed with excitement and expectation and lots of confusion too...... It was good to see what we looked like just a few days ago - that seems to be largely replaced by sheer exhaustion much of the time. nice, but really tiring.  We had the decks to ourselves as they all has their briefing about rules of the boat, general stuff and an evacuation drill.  We had started motoring again and it was just wonderful to be on the deck as the Galapagos Legend plowed her way through the water... just lovely!.

 

The afternoon promised another opportunity to snorkel and also a climb to the top of Bartolome Island for a magnificant view.  I have been feeling a bit cruddy with a sore throat for the last few days and did not want to push it, so again, we did not snorkel or swim.  Instead we went to the one end of the beach to sit and relax and watch the sealions play and the time go by....... but the mozzies had a different idea and a simply great feast!  There were clouds of them hovering over each and every persons head, shoulders, legs and arms - worse than the the tundra in Alaska!  The little buggers bit with a sting too and soon the beach was filled with hopping, squeaking and slapping tourists some of them even breathing mozzies through their snorkels!  It was rather funny - but only after every open space on our legs and arms were already bitten..  So there we had all been awed by the wingspan of the albatross and were now all being literally moved by the mozzie - possibly the smallest windspan on the islands...

 

Then we headed up those 365 steps to the top of Bartolome Island for one really incredible view.  The sun was setting and every 100 steps or so there was a staging place that we could stop and and pretend to take pictures and admire the view, all the while huffing and puffing as quietly as we could, trying desperately to catch our breath for the next 100....  Seriously, it was lovely...... very other-wordly with lava everywhere and small lava tunnels and openings where the lava once spat itself out and covered the land.  I almost expected to see one of those flying dinosaurs that I cannot spell but that always seem to start with a 'p' or something.... lovely.  There are some cactus that grow here that make soil by cracking the rocks they grow on - very weird stuff.  There was not much else living on this island, just some lava lizards and, of course, all those mozzies at the beach.

 

On all the islands where there are many little beaches, one male sea lion lays claim to that area and almost constantly barks his possession of this space.  A good many female sea lions lay around or swim , all assured of their protection by the Main Man of the area.  We stay pretty much clear of this male as he is normally quite large and sometimes does a semi charge towards anyone getting too close.  There are also a good many little birds all over the place.  After the Amazon cruise, we have given up on naming them and they are now commonly known to us as LBB's = little brown/black birds or LYB's = little yellow birds...That works for us.

 

Today on the way back from Urbina Bay on Isabela Island, we saw some rather big fish jumping and a good many birds going after them and also the smaller fish around there..... someone asked what sort of fish it was and before I could stop myself, I answered "it's a SBF!".  It's a what??!!  A SBF - Stupid Big Fish........  Everyone laughed.  Well, why on earth would a fish want to jump right there where the birds that would eat it are flying?

 

This afternoon Frank and I decided to go awol from the shore excursion...... so we had a good few very quiet hours wandering around on deck, caught a good snooze a great shower and generally relaxed for the first time since leaving home.  We have been so on the go all this time, trying to absorb so much, see so much, not miss anything that I think it was necessary to stop for a few hours.  It was just what we needed.  So now, its only a few minutes till the passengers all get back on board, we feel rested and generally recharged.  It's cloudy outside and for supper we have a bbq on the back deck again.  Tonight we well be moving north again around Isabela island, back over the equator and down to Rabida Island for the morning.  The ocean is much rougher around the northern islands and its lovely watching the bow wave glowing at night and the birds cruising past our window being lit up in some of the running lights on board.  I really love it when they open the motors wide open and we rock and roll throguh the night - also funny to see a good few green and very tired faces the next morning. ok, so maby that was mean, but still.

 

Now off to shower and off to the bbq.  More tomorrow.

love and light

Annie

 

http://galapagobaggs.blogspot.com
http://s761.photobucket.com/albums/xx257/GalapagoBaggs/

h - Catching up......from the Galapagos islands!

Here I am, sitting in the pitch dark of our cabin, with Frank gently snoring next to me and the lights all off so I can see the nothingness outside..... Well, not really nothinigness at all.  The stars are out and the huge wake from the Galapagos Legend sends ligh into the utter darkness out here.  The boat is rocking away beautifully, up and down, side to side and the wake is making that lovely swishing noise.  We have huge windows in our cabin and no walkway on the outside, so the curtains stay open at night too - pretty much all the time.

 

I really dont know how to describe these past few days - we are exhausted, but in a good way.  There is so much to do, so much to see and so much we just refuse to miss out on, that we fall exhausted into bed before I can even try to write it all down.

 

The two days in Quito before we came here to the islands, was just amazing.  If any one of you ever want to come to Ecuador, please ask for Gustavo - he is an excellent guide and really gave us two amazing days.  We went to Otavalo Market on Saturday which was just amazing.  He left us there alone to wander through the colors and smells, weave through the indigenous people and soak up some of the culture here.  What a lovely time that was....... open sacks with spices, dead chickens with their feet still on, pork cooked whole and smelling delicious - but still looking at us which prevented any thoughts of eating them!  We found guavas and happily bought 4 to munch on right there and then.  It was such a happy time just wandering around and finding small little treasures.  There were tons of tourist things, but this was also a market for the locals and it was very well used too.

 

There are a good many "social programs" going on here to help the locals - one of them was that we pick up one of the girls selling beautiful cloths, (they know the guides already) and take her a few miles down the road to another market area where she would catch the bus back to place one again. The point of this?  Well, along the way, this 15 year old indigenous girl sang songs to us that brought tears to my eyes.  There she sat in the back seat and gave us something that no money could really buy - it was just totally awesome. Christina was simply beautiful and it strikes me now that she probably had a different name and I never asked.  And then we looked at the cloth she was selling - so soft, vibrant colors and just irristable, and we bought 4 of them.  Just lovely.

 

After the market, we went for a simply delicious lunch at a 300 year old building that .......well, it had something to do with the wine making many years ago - no wait, not wine... Oh hell, so much information in so little time has me all befuddled.  I will think about it and hopefully will find the right thing sometime - but it was a beautful place to sit and have lunch.  Another good choice, Gustavo!

 

And then up to the Sacred Waterfall in the area. There was not too much water in it, but it was still beautiful.  Apparently the locals come here to the ceremonial masks blessed before ceremonies and such.  Yes, this still goes on here.  Life here is so very different from the USA.  Its much more basic and closer to the real roots of life.  Herbal medicine is well used and well combined with modern medicine as well.  Not everything is pre-packaged, safe or perfect by a long way.  Walking around from the hotel at the end of the day was lovely - we would wander down the road in search of somewhere that we could buy fresh fruit and bread - we were always way too full up after lunch to want a full supper.  We never felt anything but totally safe.  Of course one is careful but there was no need to take off my earrings as someone suggested.  It's lovely here, really lovely.

 

On Sunday we headed out early again - this time to Mindo.  We went to see the hummingbirds and also the butterflies. We had heard that this drive was about a 2 hour drive - "depending on how brave your guide is".......... We took just over and hour and a half, winding our way through the most incredible scenery.  The hills towered waaaay above us, filled with a mess of different plants and trees, all placed perfectly by mother nature.  It was just amazing.  The traffic on the way there was not too bad, so passing on a solid white line on a blind curve was not too bad...but on the way back - well that was different.  No, seriously - I was not worried for a single moment, give or take a few, but the driving in this country is definitely something different.  Gustavo was excellent, but I just know that there is absolutely no way that I would ever be able to drive here and live to talk about it - Frank neither!

 

Anyway - off we went to see the hummingbirds......and they gave us a simply beautiful showing.  There were so many of them that I could literally just point in the same place and happily click away and know that I would get some really good shots - and thats how it worked.  This allowed me also to look at the whole picture, not only through the camera lens.  And then we went for a walk through the Cloud Forest. 

 

It's called the Cloud Forest because the clouds come from the coast, hit this range of mountains and go no further.  The forest is lush and green and filled with many different birds.  We huffed and puffed our way up high into some hills, seeing a stunning toucan along the way, many flowers and some really amazing scenery.  We used many stops to catch our breath.  I know, the elevation cannot take all the blame for our short windedness........

 

And then we met up with the crowd from the Manatee Amazon cruise!  There they were, all gazing in expectation high into some or other tree and when I yelled hello, a good many sets of binoculars left the trees and were focussed on us. It was so good to see them again!  We hung with them for a few minutes and then moved on down teh road..Funny how accustomed one becomes to people after just a week, and how easy it is to miss them afterwards.

 

Then it was off to the butterfly place.. I really wanted to see some transparent butterflies.  I had told a friend of mine that I was going to photograph on just for her, but she passed away just before we got here.... but I was still determined to get one for her.  And we did!  We saw the most beautiful butterflies - blue morphos, transparent ones and other really pretty butterflies... Its so quiet in that area where they are..... The butterflies are being bred there and then most of them released into the wild.  Many hummingbirds whirred around as well as we sat and had lunch.  Just a magic time.

 

And then, with all three of us really tired, we headed home to the hotel in Quito again...  We had planned on going to a resturant where they had a show planned for the evening, but neither of us could do more than a short walk to the local store again.  We did go up and have a glass of wine in the hotel lounge where we could look out over those magic city lights again.  Then off to pack and fall exhausted into bed.

 

And so now we are here, miles and miles away from the mainland in an incredible place.  The seas here are picking up, and when I look out of my window I can see the moon shining through some fairly weak clouds, but casting a simply beautiful silver road across the ocean right to my window......  This is just glorious.

 

We left Quito at around 6am on Monday morning, flew via Guayaquil, which is further south in Ecuador, and then out to Baltra airport on the gALAPAGOS ISLANDS.  iT WAS CLOUDS MOST OF THE WAY, BUT WE MANAGED TO SEE SOME SIMPLY AWESOME VIEWS OF THE ISLANDS RIGHT AS WE GOT REALLY CLOsE IN.  tHE PEOPLE ON THE BOAT SAID THEY WATCHED OUT PLANE COME IN AND SAID THAT IT LOOKED LIKE "AN INTERESTING RIDE"... HMMMMM.  i REMEMBER THINKING THAT WE BANKED A BIT STEEPLY AND CHOSE NOT TO ASK FOR ANY MORE DETAILS.  wE LANDED SAFELY AND WITH MUCH EXCITEMENT.

 

Ok, I have just noticed the caps - but you get it like that - its dark in the cabin and I have the lid of the laptop pulled almost on to my fingers so that I can look outside at the ocean going by without too much light disturbance.... So I am no9t going to correct all those caps - but I was not shouting... just in awe of the fact that we are here and that it is totally amazing.

 

Anyway - after landing, we had a short bus ride to the jetty where we got about the pangas/zodiacs that would take us to the cruiseship.  We had a welcoming party of a few sealions lying on the bences there, all sleeping way and not bugged by us at all. Then off to the Galapagos Legend where we were shown to a lovely cabin with two HUGE windows with a never ending perfect view.

 

Its a whole lot different on this big boat, especially coming from the Manatee where everything is  a whole lot more personal.  The Galapagos Legend is not too big to be impersonal and we quickly learned to recognise faces and after day two, we feel quite at ease.

 

Anyway - we have been on a good few walks, have seen frigates, frigates with that huge red baloon under their beaks, baby frigates that are all fluffy and white and quite happy to have us so close,  The blue boobies are really odd with really blue blue feet and sharp eyes that just sit and look at you with no fear at all.  They fly by really close and dont worry when we are close to their nests at all.  There are many different little birds all over, the bright yellow finches are the most colorful.  And the Iguanas!  Oh my - those really look like dragons!  Some of then are absolutely hugs with yellow skins and spiky deals sticking up on thier backs.  All over the place are the drag marks from their tails and holes in the ground that are their nests.  They dont run from us at all and if we are in the way and they want to pass  - its us that moves!  Quite amazing.  Some have this strange orange color to them, others are pitch black, some huge and then others as small as our standard house lizard.  And all the time the figrates just hang in the air above us.  I have to say that I keep hoping that they have not yet had thier meal of the day!

 

Today we saw manta rays, sharks, pink flamingoes and more birds. Seeing the pink flamingoes against a backdrop of black lava is quite amazing.  Also the Sally Lightfoot crabs are incredibly colorful on those black rocks.  The island we walked on this afternoon delivered a stunning view of asure blue waters with distant islands dotting the horizon - just delicious!  And then after the walk, we went snorkeling.  Frank and I got all togged up, but did not stay in long at all.  It was the end of a long day and the water and air had cooled off qite a bit and .well.... it was just too blasted cold!  So out we got again and found that it was not long before even those with full wetsuits came shivering their way onto the beach again.  The underwater camera did a good job, but there was nothing to see.  Maybe next time.

 

After getting back to the ship, we quickly showered and headed to the back deck to a good BBQ.  We all sat out on deck with the moon shining on the waters, eating a lovely meal cooked right there in front of us all.  And this brings me to where I started - the moon shine (no no, not moonshine!) in the water right outside my window, the boat bouncing its way to San Christobel Island where we will be in the morning and me just loving it too much to get some much needed sleep!

 

We are both tired, very tired and know that we should probably have spaced this vacation out a bit - but are still enjoying it all tremendously.  The food on board it great and it almost feels as if we are constantly eating.  Both of us are finding our clothing a tad loose, so many all the walking is doing something good to our waist lines, despite the endless good food.  Each night after supper, we get a briefing to let us know what is in store for the next day.... I fell asleep in tonights briefing, but am sure that I will not be left behind.

 

Tomorrow we will see the giant tortoise as well as the the albatross.  We will be in the town on Christobel Island for a while too and will have the chance to buy some local goodies too.

 

Now off to bed with two very tired eyes, a fully brain and a smile planted firmly around my face.  This is just wonderful, Ilove the movement of the ship and bet its going to rock me to sleep like nothing before.

 

Love and light

Annie

 

http://galapagobaggs.blogspot.com
http://s761.photobucket.com/albums/xx257/GalapagoBaggs/

Little Blue Loo

 

http://s761.photobucket.com/albums/xx257/GalapagoBaggs/

g- Parrots, Caymen and goodbyes....

Today started with me only waking up when we were already headed down the river some way! I know I got up, had breakfast, chatted with others and boarded the canoe... but I only really woke up on the river somewhere, to another lovely day. We headed just a little way down before seeing a clay lick filled with green parrots feasting away noisily. We hung out in silence, bobbing on the river just watching as more and more of these parrots arrived to get their go at the clay lick. They apparently need something that is in that clay for their diet and there are a good few spots like this around. There are three in this area that are easily accessible and apparently there is also a place the hummingbirds go to for this - now that should be something to see too.

After a while of watching these birds, they all suddenly, as one, squawked loudly and flew off, screaming loudly from the trees. Once they are in the trees, there is no way you can see them but they definitely made themselves heard... They were not going to come back again so we headed off to the official clay lick that we could sit in a hide and watch the parrots from a good deal closer. We walked up that walkway in silence but not hearing anything at all - no birds. So after about 15 minutes we left there as we were told that there had recently been anacondas there and the birds were probably not ready to come back yet. There is a place that they, the parrots, go to to drink water and we headed that way. Success..... there they were - in screaming glory. Hundreds and hundreds of them hopping around tree trunks, flying in and out of the small cave where there was water lying and generally creating a beautiful display. The tips of their winds are blue and sometimes there was a splash of orange too. We did not have strong binoculars at all, but looked through a telescope of one of the guides. What beautiful birds those are!

After a a good long while of watching this display, these birds also all flew off screaming into the trees and it was time again for us to head back home again for lunch, a rest and then off to see the alligators and many more birds.

Frank and I are not really into birds and especially when all we see is a black dot either flying way high in the sky, or perched obscurely on a branch in a nightmare tangle of camoflague green leaves. Occasionally a bird was close enough for us to see and enjoy, but mostly we just enjoyed the quiet as all the birdwatches had their binoculars glued to their eyes as they either hunted that bird that was definitely somewhere 'up that tall tree to the left', or gazed at it trying to decide what it was. Some of the birds were really lovely and many of them were really glad to see them. We just enjoyed being out on the water, bobbing gently and looking at the stunning scenery.

After our last lunch on board the Manatee, we all boarded the canoe again for the short ride to the main shoreline where we were going to be picked up and taken by road to Lemon Lake - its called that because of its color although it did not look green to us in the light at that time of day. This lake is not accessible by boat as the river leading to it is way to small and narrow for the canoe so we had to rely on the locals to get us to the lake and also to use their canoe for the exploration of the lake.

When we first got to the shoreline, there was no transport so we waited for a while, and soon after two pickup trucks/bakkies and a car pitched up. Frank and I quickly jumped into the back of one of them, sitting on the wheel wells and looking forward to this ride! Others piled inside the car and the pickups and off we all headed in loose convoy to the lake. The drive was only about 15 minutes but it was simply lovely! The bakkie bounced crazily as the driver screamed down the road, taking for granted that we would hold on tight. There was a short way of paved road, but most was a dirt road filled with potholes. The dust flew and it was not long before the other bakkie passed us by, giving us a dirt bath for the rest of the way.

The canoe was tiny by comparison and we all realised that we have been very spoiled with our canoe and its relatively comfortable seats all week long. These seats were small and the cushions not really filled with much padding at all. We were all a bit skittish about the ease that the canoe seemed to dip to one side and the other and there were many sharp gasps as we all leaned in the opposite direction to correct the balance. At least we all worked well as a team, even though it was not really necessary.

We saw many birds and some monkeys and mostly just hung out near the shoreline looking at birds and waiting for the sunset to arrive...... And as it got darker, we could see the glow worms everywhere, lighting up the waters along the shoreline and teh fireflies dancing in the darkness. And then the guides found some Cayman eyes! We all sat very quietly watching those eyes watch us in the ever deepening darkness. The moon was bright and full and those cayman just hung there as still as can be, and then just slid quietly without even a ripple, back under the water. The one that we watched for the longest was about 9 foot long, according to the Raol, the guide in front of the canoe. It was really interesting to see that eye just watching us and I wondered what would happen if we all tipped into that water right then! I bet we would all have made enough noise to scare them away for a long long time!

After enjoying the fairylike lights from the lightening bugs and fireflies, it was once again time to gead back to the Manatee........and we zipped across that lake in the darkness and quiet just knowing that there were a good many eyes watching and ears listening.

Back into the bakkies we climbed with huge smiles and headed back along the road to the canoe. About half way there I realised that the guides were all still waiting for their ride, and only us tourists were in these bakkies bouncing crazily along a road that was no long visible in the night and not being able to speak the language..... It was quite a thought, even though none of us were at all worried in any way whatsoever, it made me even more determined to learn Spanish when we get home again......besides, it was just plain fun.. The ride to the Manatee was also in total darkness - it was a perfect ending to the day. I must say that the best part of the day for me was those rides in the back of the bakkies.. that crazy bouning along the roads, the dust, the smells and .......well, it was all so raw and basic and just wonderful.

We had a late dinner on board - our last, settled the onboard bills and were then presented with a lovely slideshow of pictures taken by the guides during our week with them.. it was simply wonderful! We laughed at each other, remembered so many good times and started the slide towards the inevitable goodbyes. But it was late and we had a 5am wake up call in the morning in order to make the 2 hour canoe ride back to Coca and our flights back to Quito.

We slept like logs, all woke up on time, had a quick breakfast, took more photos and started the ride away from a totally wonderful week.

The people we met were just great. I particularly got on well with a lovely lady by the name of Ann and we shared many laughs. She and her honey of a husband, Keith, got some sad news about her brother while on river, but kept on going as there really was no alternative. We shared many laughs along the way and my memories of the river cruise will always be tightly woven with her. Thanks Ann! All the others were just wonderful too and we all got on very easily without any problems at all even though we were not a part of their bird watching tour.

The crew was totally amazing..... the cook did a stupendous job as did those that brought us those fabulous cooked meals at night and made sure there was enough beer and wine to go around.... Jose, your singing in the bar at night when you thought no one could hear, was lovely - yes, we could hear you from our cabin and it always made us smile. The captain was friendly and very capable and always had a smile for us all.

The guides, Raol, Ernesto, Marco and Ian were incredible. They shared so much knowledge along the way that it was impossible to retain it all. They showed a total love for the area and the wildlife as well as a genuine concern for the people who live along the rivers and a want to better the lives of the children particularly.. Each of them kept us going with laughter and fun, information and help along the slippery paths when we walked. A huge thank you to all of you - you made this a really tremendous week for us - one that touched me deeply in many ways and that I will never forget. Muchos, muchos Gracias!

And so we found ourselves at Coca airport after making sure that it was not a picture of The Chippendales on the side of the Airplane Resturant on the banks of the river..... I really should look closely at the photos as when some looked through the binoculars at that picture, there were a good few "oh my!"s :) We boarded the plane for the short ride back to Quito - its only about 25 minutes as we hopped over the Andes Mountains again. Those mountains are just beautiful and some of the volcano's have snow on the tops still - just lovely. After landing and getting our baggage, the final goodbyes were said and we headed off on our own again. They will stay in a group together in a different hotel and leave Quito on Monday for home again. We might bump into them on Sunday at MIndo Cloud Forest, but our goodbyes are done, email addresses exchanged and each one of them, their smiles and laughter and sparkle in their eyes will be a part of me from now on.

We are back in Quito again now, in the same hotel room as before. We had left some of our luggage here and now need to sort it all out again for the Galapagos leg. But first we have two days here - Saturday we will spend at the Otavalo Market outside of Quito and Sunday at Mindo and then off to Galapagos very early on Monday morning - the flight is at 5.45am - go ahead, laugh at me Lisa! I wish this on you one day - on you all!

I will try to get some more photos up tomorrow evening again as well as an email about this weekend. I dont believe that we will have any internet while on the ship at Galapagos, so all will probably be quiet from us until we get to Lima, Peru around the 13th October.

This has been a truely incredible week that will live with me for a long time. When we are home again, I will be able to sift properly through the photos and memories and relive it all - after a few days of lots of sleep and rest. We had some concerns about travelling in an organised fashion like this as we had always gone where and when we wanted to - but this has been so easy and so good....

So, with a huge smile and a million memories, we say goodbye to the jungle - for now. I miss it already.

love and light
Annie


http://galapagobaggs.blogspot.com
http://s761.photobucket.com/albums/xx257/GalapagoBaggs/

f - Reflections and more...

Its Thursday already and time is running out on this leg of the trip......... We started the day with the captain running the Manatee up on a sandbank so that they could change out the props that had got horribly bent from hitting submerged trees.  It was an interesting feeling the purposefully run up on that sand and lovely to watch as a good many kids came peeking out of the jungle to see what was happening.  There they stood in their crisp little uniforms, keeping their backpacks on their back and looking with huge eyes as this huge boat ran aground..  And then there must have been some silent signal as they all turned as one and ran back into the jungle - no doubt to school as the time was about right.

 

Today we were to have lunch at a communal house in the jungle, take a walk to see what we could see and also another swim.....  And so we started with another fun run down the Napo river to the Panayacu River, or Piranha River. This was a much narrower little river and the motorised canoe could only just fit across it in most places...  The reflections in this river were just stunning! The water was so still and the sunlight just perfect - so many photos are coming home with us.  We saw monkeys, a sloth, many birds, some fish that skipped across the top of the water.  There was a huge lizard lying on one of the small 'beaches' along the way, but he skuttled off as we came closer.  And then we pulled up to the very small landing place where we were going to unload for lunch.  This was a huge room up on stilts and with a roof and partial walls make of woven leaves.  There was also mosquito netting all around as this is a well used place and best to keep the bugs out of the food.  There was a part of this room partitioned off as the kitchen and after the guides and cooks unloaded everything, we were divided into two groups for the jungle walk.  We got to go for a short ride in the canoe again and I was very happy - those reflections called me loudly. And then we started the walk which was just lovely.  We saw lizards and birds, bugs and strange pink wine glass shaped mushroom type things and other really lovely orange patterned lichen.  There was a big black spitting beetle on some of these and we all respectfully kept our distance while photographing him at the same time.  There were beautiful flame like flowers and many odd little things to keep me clicking all the way. 

 

There were Tarzan and Jane vines and a couple of people swung on them while giving the required whooop as they desperately hung on as they swung a short distance........ it looked like fun, but there is absolutely no ways that this could ever be a mode of transport through the jungle - its way too thick a mess of trees, shrubs and plants.  But the idea is fun.

 

We saw a beautiful green lizard on a leaf and it sat and posed for us, only blinking once or twice in all the time we stood around admiring him.  Then we were led through a really sucky mud puddle where the mud very nearly came to the top of our boots and we had to walk really carefully so as not to fall in the muck.  As I started into this puddle, I heard the voice of the guy behind me, ahead of me!  It did not totally click, but I had to let it go and concentrate on not getting my camera near that mud.  And then the hand that was held out to help me out, was that guide and I knew we had just been conned!  There was a path around the mud.  It was an interesting experience and made us all laugh, but I am so glad I did not fall!

 

And then right as the walk was at its end, the guide who had been with the other group came back to show us that they had found a boa constrictor... oh joy!  It was only about 3 foot long and curled up tightly behind a log - but not for long.  Our guide found a long stick and gently picked it up so that we could all get a good look at him.  And was he just beautiful!  He sat perched at the end of that stick in full warning pose, threatening to strike out at anyone that came close.  The designs on this snake were just lovely and clear - I will put a photo up soon.

 

Then lunch called and we headed that way to be met by a beautifully laid out table in this house on stilts.....even decorated with huge boquets all made from jungle leaves and flowers and the place mats were made from leaves cut into an oblong. The food was delicious once again, the company was great, the beer was cold and it was was perfect.

 

So with full stomachs and happy smiles we headed back to the canoe and Piranha River.... headed further up the river to Piranha Lake.  And again those glorious reflections met us around every corner, stunning my camera finger into constant clicking..... until the rain started.  We quickly closed the roof of the canoe and kept on going in a very heavy downpour.  The driver of the canoe really had a rough time avoiding the branches almost everywhere and spent much of his time lifting the motors out of the water to avoid bent props on those engines as well.   As we came to the lake, the rain let up a bit and we jumped into the water again!  Oh it was lovely....... there were definitely more cold spots in this river, but it was all welcome after the hot and sweaty walk through the jungle earlier on..  We hung around there for a good while as some in the boat said the dolphins and fish were jumping all around..... This lake is called Piranha Lake for a reason, but that did not bug us.  One person said they felt something nudge them, but never found out what it was..

 

And then the ride back to the Manatee started... It took quite a while and was a slow ride as we scooted slowly through the branches, watched more monkeys and birds and enjoyed those reflections again...  I just could not get over how beautiful this little river was and could easily spend a lot more time messing around there.  We finally got back out into the Napo River and the driver must have already been very tired.  The sun was setting, casting a totally glorious pink all up and down the river and making it very difficult to see where the branches or sandbanks were.  We connected with some branches a few times and ran aground a sandbank just once, but we all literally rocked the boat and we got off in no time at all.

 

We got back to the Manatee when it was pretty much dark - the sun always sets here at 6pm and rises at 6am, always.  The lights on the Manatee threw beautiful reflections on the water that danced in the ripples she created as she moved along slowly, looking for the tie up place for the night.  Just beautiful.

 

After supper, it was decided that there would be a short night walk - and I immediately signed up.  I was exhausted by this time, but how could I miss a night walk in the jungle?  Frank gave it a miss and it was a very small group of five that headed out with flashlights and raincoats.  We saw some bugs, small frogs, a stick insect or two, leaf cutter ants as well as those really horrible Congo ants!  The best for me was when all the flashlights were turned off and we listened to the noise of the jungle.  That pitch black dark is totally incredible and I am not sure that I would enjoy it for very long at all.  We did not stay out for long as it started raining again, it was late and we were all very tired. 

 

And so another day ended with me falling into bed, totally happy, totally exhausted and with a huge smile on my face, in anticipation of the parrot licks and a night visit with the caymans scheduled for tomorrow.

 

Till then

love and light

Annie

 

http://galapagobaggs.blogspot.com
http://s761.photobucket.com/albums/xx257/GalapagoBaggs/

a few pics

 

 

Jungle school and a glorious sunset

First let me tell you that I have managed to put up some photos - not too many, but its a start.  This laptop is really tiny and .........well, I will do more again soon.

 

This morning was not too much of an early start - we had to give the kids a chance to get to school so that we could visit them and see how the schools work here.  So we had a relaxed breakfast and only left the Manatee at around 8am, heading upriver to pick a school to stop at.  The first school we stopped at, we could not visit as the teacher had gone to town for the day to do paperwork.  Yes, The Teacher, as in one teacher.  Many of teh schools only have one teacher for all the kids.  They dont have grades like we have in our schools, but have units to finish....... 56 of them, if I remember correctly.  Anyway, we scooted downriver and found one where the teacher was also away, but a committee member was there, could show us around and accept the gifts of pencils, paper and other supplies that were brought to them. 

 

The canoe could not get all the way up to the river bank as there was a sandbank in the way, so we all piled out with our wellies on and, much to the utter amusement of the kids watching us, we trudged through the wet sand, mud and water to reach the steps.  Now steps here are not always like steps that we know - most times they are simply steps cut out into the sand of the rivers edge.  Sometimes its a good 15 feet and higher to get to the top......and its always muddy, always slippery and always worse going down than up!  By the time we reached these steps the kids were all openly laughing and it really did not help when one of us.....well, she did not fall, she kinda just sat down on one of the steps to stop herself from falling...  No, it was not me.

 

The community center consisted of a few buildings, the school building, the outside toilet and meeting rooms for the parent meetings and other community get togethers.  When you picture all this - you have got to put aside any thoughts of windows or heat and air - well, there is plenty of air - there are just no windows to keep it out.  The school room was not very big and had eight double desks in it - half facing towards a board on the back of the room and half facing forward to a different board on the front of the room that held different lessons.  There were fractions on the one board and we all agreed that these were part of that stuff that one forgets about 6 minutes after passing the tests!  They had some books that were really beautifully illustrated and very well taken care of.  There were a few kids in the classroom with us and they sat quietly, looking at us as we chatted and asked questions.  Of course they could not understand us, but our guides translated and asked them some questions.  They were really shy, as all kids around that age are.... They are pretty petite for their age by comparison to the American kids and they all have perfect teeth and bright and interested eyes. 

 

Instead of glass in the windows, one of the main walls has huge openings for windows, but there was a very attractive grating, so when sitting at the desks we could see straight out into the jungle.  I wondered how often the monkeys came to visit.  There were butterflies all over the place outside, lining the walls and flying in a frenzied flapping cloud as we walked near them.  The toilet is a separate building outside and, as with the other buildings, up on stilts to stp flooding when the river rises over the banks, which must happen often enough to warrant almost all the houses and buildings being up on stilts - sometimes a good eight feet up!  The roofs of these buildings are all made from the leaves of various palm trees and do an amazing job at keeping the rain out - it also looks lovely.

 

When we signed up for this river boat cruise, we were told that part of the fee was to help support the community - I have to admit that I did not really ask too much about it - but here was where some of that money went to.  The governments supplies the backpacks and uniforms for the kids - yes, uniforms in the jungle and they all looked neat and clean!  They also supply some of the needed things for day to day teaching, but once that initial lot has been used up, its up to the teachers to use their money to get what the kids need, like pencils, more paper, chalk, marker pens and the many things that make teaching easier and learning more attractive.  The teachers do not earn a whole lot and the communities are not always able to supply what is needed, so most times, these schools go undersupplied and the kids lose out on many opportunities.  There is a great need for a little cash injection into these schools - the education is at the grass roots level of development here - they need so much and in so many cases, just a little bit will go a really long way to really getting a good few kids a better chance.

 

Because the communities are all spread out along the banks of the Napo River, some of the kids have a really long way to walk to school...... some walk 2 hours there in the morning and two hours back home.  And no, there is no pickup lane, no parents to fetch them - the kids, some really little, walk all these hours by themselves through and alongside the rivers edge, all in their little white shirts, blue pants and government issued backpacks.  At some schools we saw some smaller canoes, so they probably use that mode of transport too.  Other communities had a canoe service that would pick up some of the kids in a communal canoe and bring them in, but still - many walked each and every day.  The 11 year old that was in the room said he walked about one and a half hours each way.

 

The only running water available is that in the river and the electricity is sometimes available for about 2 hours a night - you should see the wiring - gives me the heebie jeebies!  But it works.  When the girls reach eight or 10 years old, that is considered old enough to take care of the babies, feed them, change them, carry them around and take over all aspects of being mama, while their parents work the cash crop fields.  The boys learn fishing really young too and so although it looks like an idyllic life for kids - there are many really tough and responsible chores to do.  The girls are considered to be old enough to be wives at 12 to 14 years old.  And so the cycle continues.

 

After visiting the school, we were allowed in to one of the houses.  this house was up on very high stilts - easily 12 foot up and there really was nothing inside but a few benches around the walls.  And I say walls very loosely... there are no walls, but rather railings and sometimes some palm fronds woven into a design, but they are all open with the woven parts only seemingly to be for decoration.  There was a walkway across into other parts of the house like the bedroom and the kitchen, but we did not impose and go in there.  The lady of the house make necklaces out of all totally natural stuff - and they are beautiful!  We all bought some and when hung together also make for lovely windchimes.  The seeds used are black and red, so they are really bright and pretty.

 

And then we went for a short walk through the jungle.  One of the little kids shadowed us, not really wanting to join in, but also throwing stones or something deep into the jungle and giggling behind his hand with really button -bright eyes when we reacted with surprise each time.  It was cute.  We found some really interesting little insects, but mostly I just loved the denseness, the utter chaos of different plants, greenery and the rustling of leaves as the little frogs jump around and the rain drips in its endless fall to earth.  We often made sure we were behind everyone else and let them get a little ahead of us so that we could stand alone in the jungle in total silence - its wonderful!

 

 And then, right after we got back into our canoe for the ride back to the Manatee - the heavens opened up and everything pretty much disappeared into a typical and very heavy Amazonian Downpour.  It was just glorious!  The air is already so clean and clear and the rain just makes the sunlight touch everything with a light glow - just lovely.

 

After lunch and a good few hours rest time, in which I took a nap!  I could hardly believe it myself, but I slept while we were cruising down the river. I must have been really tired.  At around 3.30pm we boarded the canoe again and headed to another river island to see what there was to see.  We all had the option of taking the afternoon off and staying on board to watch a napkin-folding display or go walking on the island....... everyone boarded the canoe!  We were all very tired by this time of the trip, but no one wanted to miss out on anything.  This was bigger island than before and had many more animal prints on it - we were told many of them were cabybara and some other things that I really dont remember.  Frank and I walked off in the opposite direction to the rest as they are all bird-watchers and pretty much wanted to look for birds, we just wanted to enjoy the walk and whatever else there was... So we walked, found some mud, Frank got stuck in it and we thought he might lose his boot!  It took some serious pulling to get his leg out of there!  The patterns in the sand were just glorious and in other places the top layer of the sand was dried up and curled up creating lovely patterns too.  We walked right along the edge of the jungle growth, hearing many birds and creatures inside, but not able or wanting to go in there.  Its like a solid wall of plants in places and stunning to see how many different types.  Most of the time while on the island, we could not see the others, nor hear them and it was gloriously quiet and totally peaceful and it was lovely to be there barefoot in the sand with the constant swish of the river flowing by.

 

And so we headed back to the Manatee again and were handed a simply glorious sunset!  It was a beautiful orange  and the different shades seemed to dance along the ripples in the water as the sun got lower and lower and changed shades along the way. The morning had started with a few of us on our knees on the top deck, taking photos of some or other bug, and ended with us all still smiling and still happily clicking away.

 

And so the day ended for me with many thoughts swirling around my mind about life out here.  It all looks so simple and worry free, but its not.  The job of working on a boat like the Manatee looks all great and wonderful and I am sure that they all have loads of fun.  But most of the crew have family and youngish kids that they have to leave for a good length of time. It seems as if most of them work 20 on and 10 off.  Thats a lot of time away from home and kids and family!  So its not all fun and roses working out here as is the first impression on getting here.  It was interesting and lovely to see how the crew were happy to leave the boat at the end of the trip and head home to their families.   And the jungle people..... they have everything they need to survive, but who of us is content with that? They bathe and wash dishes in the river, they deal with the endless bugs, the downpours and many of the issues we all deal with - but just out in the jungle with very little communication, very little money and big changes coming.  The oil companies are trying their darndest to get into this area as it is incredibly rich in oil.  They already have a good sized foothold in too much of the area and I am sure that they will get more and more as the time goes by.  With this 'progress' come all the changes that eventually lead to the crime rates they already have in town and the breakdown of the family units.  The erosion of the river banks has got dramatically worse with the increase of the speed boats taking many to work at the already established oil companies along the way.... we could literally see it falling away as the boats passed at high speed - and its only going to get worse.  I can almost already see the Napo river all under lock and dam and the riverside communities all but destroyed - all this because of money and our need for more comfort, more convienience and more luxuries - all wrapped in plastics.  It's all so clear when out here, just how the 'progressed world' is breaking down these beautiful places.  And its very sad.  So, dont only recycle your trash - use less, less of everything.  Make a difference - it really does count out here in the middle of the jungle, you really will make a difference by using less plastics, by being less wasteful.  I know this sounds weird, but when I see the bright eyes of that barefoot school child - I just know that by making small changes, I can really help save his/her community and way of life and the life of this jungle.  Its so worth saving - all of it!

 

 

Till next time.

love and light

Annie

 

http://galapagobaggs.blogspot.com
http://s761.photobucket.com/albums/xx257/GalapagoBaggs/

Photos - or lack thereof....

Sorry everyone waiting for photos (Suzieq too :)) - I will only be able to put up photos on this weekend coming..  The connection from this far in the jungle is just not good enough to upload any pics...  You wont have to join photobucket when they are up there, just clicking on the link will take you right to them.

Soon - I promise - 4 more sleeps till photos

love and light

Annie

 

http://galapagobaggs.blogspot.com
http://s761.photobucket.com/albums/xx257/GalapagoBaggs/

d - Sunrises and butterflies

The music gently woke us up at 5.30am again this morning and we were quickly all ready to head out for the next few hours...... but first came the most glorious sunrise..... Sunrise in the Jungle!  Oh that almost brings tears to my eyes just thinking about where we are and how awesome it is!  By now, everyone seems to know that I will take a bunch of photos and one guy kinda 'guess-tamates' and then asks me later with a grin all over his face.... cheecky sod he is, I will have to set him straight somewhere along the way.

 

There are 4 tour guides on the boat... Ian, the cheeky sod, is only on his second run but the others have been doing this for years.  They have so much knowledge and are so keen to share it in a way that makes it all seem real and touchable.  They really are a great group of guys and all come along on our trips each day, so we all get the benefit of their combined knowledge.  We are not divided into groups at all, it all just flows naturally when we walk around places and when we are in the motorized canoe we all take different seats each day so there is no clique-forming like that.  It's good to see how everyone on here gets on well together - no nonsense and no drama at all.

 

Every night after supper we have a 'briefing' where one of the guides will go over what we have done that day, shows us on a map where we have been and where we will go the next day.  Some days require wellies/rubber boots and others, just casual shoes - so we get all this information every evening.  And thats when they tell us what time is wake up call.  I really would not mind a 4am wake up call if it is so that we could see more of this place - and that really says something :)  Tomorrow we are going to visit a school and in the briefing we are told things like not to take photos of the people or their kids until specifically told that its ok to do so.  I can imagine that it must be quite horrible to get a group of people coming into your community, happily snapping photos as if you are in a zoo.  So this meeting each night is important to retain the dignity of the people as well as the fauna and flora of the area.

 

Yesterday we walked at the eastern most point of Ecuador......the Peruvian border was just across the river - and today we passed a place where the flagpoles of the two countries stand side by side, guide ropes even overlapping, on the same side of one of the tributaries.  Of course, according to the guides, the Ecuadorian Flag was prettier and in much better conditon  - it definately was!   We are still really close to Peru and despite what we were warned about by a few people before coming here, there are absolutely no safety issues here any different from at home.  Be aware, be careful and be sensible and most of all, respect the inhabitants.

 

We went into the Yasuni National Park today which is on a small river - the Yasuni river, that runs off the Napo river.  Again we had to check in with them, give our passport numbers and get permission to go on through.  The smaller rivers, the tributaries off the Napo River, are just glorious.  There we sit in this long canoe, four people wide, but only two on each bench, slowly and gently winding our way down these awesome places.  Around each corner the view changes, the trees and shrubs are different and the reflections are just stunning.  There is much gentle talking amongst everyone and the guides have a phenomenal way of spotting birds and other wildlife.  I have to say that we dont see much other than birds here - its too thick to walk far into the jungle apart from on set paths and the birds even are pretty shy about sticking around to be photographed. But sitting there in that canoe, gently bobbing around while listening to the monkeys and birds chatter away and very often spotting them up in the trees, is just beyond anything I have known. 

 

Today there were thousands of butterflies and dragonflies all around - my favorite is still that Blue Morpho that wafts its way magically across the greenery - there is no way to miss it at all.  There were a good many places along the Yasuni River that the butterflies collected in huge flocks, seeming to bounce around in a delegated area.  Apparently they feed of the moisture of the eyes of the terrapins, but they - the terrapins - quickly disappear when they hear us, leaving the butterflies bouncing around not sure what the heck happened!  It was quite amazing to see that time and time again.  For all of this morning we could look in any direction and we would see a good many butterflies, some seeming to race us in the canoe, other just wafting across to see who and what we were and then heading off again - but all very beautiful.

 

And at the end of this river is a lake - its official name is something that I cannot begin to spell but it means "Big Lake", and it was.  We were fortunate enough that the floating islands did not block our path to the lake as it apparently does - but we had enough space to squeeze through.  These floating islands move quite a bit apparently and there are a few newly growing ones around there too.  Anyway, so in we squeezed and were almost instantly met by more pink dolphins.....they can manoever all up and down these rivers with no problem, but tend to stay in the lakes - cant say I blame them at all.   We meandered around this huge open space, almost stunned as to just how fast the thick jungle growth and tall trees had been replaced by green floating grass, the occasional tree dotted here and there and water everywhere..... We also saw some rare bird that is near extinction and it has a horn on it head - and not a short one either - a good many inches apparently.. I must look at it again tomorrow,

 

We pulled off again to a solid ground spot and the guys got the poop-tent out again and in a short time the little blue house was ready.  I just could not bring myself to use it and had to laugh at even the fact that I would feel uncomfortable using it.   I did not go wandering off in the wrong direction again today but stayed near the river's edge and then noticed a clump of butterflies bouncing around an old fireplace....... so I got a good many photos of those - alone with that screamingly funny little blue poop house...

 

The level of the water had fallen in the lake and it was only 6 foot deep and we were told that it was not a good idea to swim as there would be a lot of the muck kicked up from the bottom and that was not good.... so we headed back to the Manatee again.   I really love being out and seeing the new places, but there is also something about it when that canoe is kicked into a higher gear, when that glorious smile appears on the drivers face and the spray from the bow reaches high as we lean this way and that way, zigzagging across the river on our way back home.  It's cooler, its fun and its really great.  There is no straight path on the river as there are way too many trees and shallow areas, so its a constant zigzagging across all the rivers we go on - big and small.  I love it.

 

We got back to the boat to an absolutely glorious lunch today - out on the upper deck outside with a totally open view of the river.... the food was delicious and the weather played along just perfectly. The captain came to sit at our table  - its really very casual and he does the rounds, or just grabs a chair wherever there is a spare one.  We had true Ecuadorian food and a good and cold Pilsner beer to go along with it.  And then back to the cabin where we each snoozed for almost two hours!  Now that was fantastic and also the first time that I have not been outside with my camera while it has been light.

 

Then off we went to a river island for a walkaround on the sandy beaches there.  This was a good sized island with very young vegetation. The capybaras apparently come across to feed on the tender plants and there are some birds that only live on these islands and not in the 'old forests''.  We saw a good many footprints of deer and capybara and probably some pigs too, but not much in the way of wildlife at all.  The bird-people saw a few birds but not too many and will try again tomorrow on a different island down the river somewhere.  It was lovely to walk barefoot in the sand and Frank headed out to find a stick to walk with - funny how he always does that, often picking up, trying, discarding and trying other sticks until the right one just fits. I dont know that he even realises that he is looking for the perfect one until it just happens along... then off he goes with that ever present smile.  And so it was today. We walked in the water but were told to be careful of the stingrays, so we headed to the grassed section to see what we could see and then back on the sandy parts.  There were tadpoles in the river - bunches of them!  Its been ages since I have seen tadpoles and these were really good and healthy looking ones too.

 

All the while, the storm clouds were buiding, giving a beautiful thunderous blue to the sky and a richness and light to the green everywhere that just lit it all up - absolutely lovely for photos.  Just beautiful.  the quiet on that island was total.  We could hear just the water as it brushed up against the edge of the sand....  And then we were given a beautiful full rainbow, all the way across the sky.  We could even see where it stopped right in the water!  I wished aloud that the Manatee Amazon Explorer would catch up with us and head right through that rainbow...... but everyone agreed that Photoshop would have to work its magic and that I would have to 'make it happen' on the computer instead.  Well - the rainbow got stronger, and yes!  There came the Manatee around the corner!  There was this collection of gasps as everyone realized what I was doing as I set off at a run to get the right angle and a few joined in, trying to get there first..... a good moment.  And so it all came together.... the rainbow, the river and the Manatee..... By then, everyone had found their place and the cameras clicked away so much that there was much laughter.  My camera and lens setup is a baby by comparison to some of these here and there are some truly magnificant photos being born around here.  That was really one of the lovely moments of the trip.

 

Right before all this came together, the rain set in so everyone hauled out their standard black issued ponchos with hoods, and quickly covered themselves and their camera and telescopes up.  I had a special plastic bag for my camera and Frank and I had decided that we would not carry the ponchos with us as it was a short excusion and they are heavy, so we yanked out our standard jackets, me holding mine over the camera, even with the plastic bag and we walked in the rain!  Oh it was just wonderful and we got totally soaked by a genuine  Ecuadorian Amazonian Rainstorm.. does that not just sound awesome or what??....And then I looked up and saw this crowd of about 20 people, all with black cloaks and pointy hoods on, milling around in one spot a good way away from us..... they looked like  huge bats!  More pictures, more laughs.

 

And then it was time to catch up with the Manatee again for supper and some relaxing time... I just love reconnecting with the Manatee - its kind of like refuelling in the air for airplanes - no need to stop, just hook up, watch you step and go on your way to a cleaned cabin, cooked food, cold beer, good company and a continual great view.....The day ended with another totally beautiful sunset over the jungle, with us tied up to a tree alongside the banks again, a small tug boat behind us - thats another story - and the sounds of the jungle nightlife right ourside our window - I mean literally about 8 feet away!  Its just awesome..

 

Tomorrow is the school and community visit and an optional river island visit again... I know where we are going :)

 

Till then

love and light

Annie

 

 

 

 

 

http://galapagobaggs.blogspot.com
http://s761.photobucket.com/albums/xx257/GalapagoBaggs/