El Oriente (jungle) 12 September 2006

We have arrived safely in Manta and are staying with Hazels family who are really nice. I have just spent the past hour talking to Sylvia the mother who does not speak English so we have had an amusing conversation with a surprising amount understood.

For the past four days we have been in the El Oriente – in the jungle. It has been an amazing experience. The tour group Draecana have been friendly and well organised. We were two groups comprising 6 and 8 people. We were the only English speakers with most people from Germany, Belgium or Spain.

The trip began with a 4 1/2 hour dugout canoe trip down the river in humid conditions. The boat was about 14 metres long and with 14 tourist , 2 guides, the boatman as well as a passenger – not to mention the luggage plus all the fuel supplies and food supplies for four days- it was fairly packed to the gunnels.

The camping spot comprised of a large raised platform with kitchen/dining area, toilets/showers and mosquito tented sleeping areas. It was all open plan and covered by a very steep thatched roof.

The first night started with the first of many great meals prepared in the most basic of kitchens. The general meal comprised of juice (In the morning freshly squeezed fruit juice), soup, a main course usually comprising of a mound of rice and a small portion of meat/chicken/fish with a partially cooked vegetable salad. Dessert was something light and fruity.

The bathroom area was across a short bridge and standing here you could see numerous bats flying after insects. In the bathroom a resident frog clung to the thatched sides.

After dinner it was off for a jungle walk. First stop was directly under the dining area where a tarantula lived in it´s burrow! Then a wander around the garden bush where we spotted lizards and numerous insects. Into the bush where we saw spiders and a snake. A great introduction to the jungle. The biting insects were not a problem at all for our entire stay.

Each day was packed full of new and interesting activities. On the first morning we headed in the boat a wee way up the river for our bush walk. En route we spotted toucans overhead and manatee prints in the sand. We saw a grey and a pink dolphin frolicking in one area. The thre hour walk was punctuated with stops to observe the insects and animals. The leaf cutting ants were amazing. There was a 20 cm wide path with the ants carrying small portions of cut leaves. The path went for quite a way and we followed it to the nest which was a bare mud/dirt patch. The ants took the leaf portion to the entrance where it was handed to an ant to take into the nest.

We also saw numerous birds and animal prints including a tapir print, ocelot and also a huge puma print close to our camp. At a small lagoon we saw resting turtles that had been released as part of the local village programme. The other highlight of the day was when we came across a tree of macaws. With the binoculars we were able to see them feeding on the seed heads of the palms. Their colours were amazing. About an hour before we arrived at the camp the thunder began and we spent the last half hour walking in a torrential downpour.

This was no problemo as we had our trusty friend the ponchos and gumboots which we took everywhere. The sudden onset and intensity of the rain was amazing but it was never cold.

After lunch we headed up to a lagoon in very tippy small dugout boats. We had seven in ours and if anyone leant on the sides it felt as if you were going to tip out. Along the sides of the waterway were huge asparagus like tips (about 20cms in diameter) and you had the impression that they took only a matter of days to emerge out of the water. We weren’t able to make it all the way to the lagoon as the water level was too low. However we saw numerous birds including the stinky turkey and the Wellington bird as Hazel calls it because of the Black and yellow colouring. On the way back our lovely native guide Rita lunged into the water and caught a small turtle to show us. I’m surprised that the canoe that she was in didn´t tip up.

After dinner we went on a Cayman hunt. With torches illuminating the river banks we motored our way in the dark. The purpose was to spot the eyes. After about an hour the boat stopped near the edge and the guides and boat driver hopped out and in bare feed started fossicking in the riverside bush. Suddenly the driver lunged and emerged with a Cayman held with a firm grasp around it’s throat. He then proceeded to walk barefoot along the side of the boat to show us the Cayman up close and for us to feel the skin and legs. The Cayman looked none to happen. It was probably about a metre long and later (as we suspected) this was the first time that the guides had actually done this. I´m not sure just what the national park would feel about this.

The first night in our mosquito tents was a neat experience with the jungle noises (plus a sole snorer) to lull us to sleep. So ended our first action packed day.

We were woken at 5.30 am for a bird watching expedition. A low mist shrouded the river and we motored slowly stopping frequently to observe the birds and monkeys. We saw toucans, , white faced monkeys, king eagle, other monkeys, iridescent blue butterflies. At the end of the lagoon we scrambled up the bank with Rita giving us a good pull (one very strong lady who incidentally handled a machete with panache) which just about tossed us onto the bank. We climbed an eight story viewing platform ( definitely not certifiable by DOC standards) It was built

To be continued