Zipline - Day 5

Our groups split with one half (Parkies plus Kate, Natali, and Nani) enjoying the zipline canopy experience...

 ...while my group (Eastons plus Brett and Bode) canoed to another lake in search of large black caiman and hoatzin.  The water lettuce was so thick that some routes proved impassable.  I told Wellister I’d never seen him sweat so much. We heard a horned screamer start at our presence and later saw the enormous bird fly overhead.  It took persistence to find a way from the flooded forest into the lake through the thickly vegetated perimeter.  We struck out on the black caiman but could see the paths that marked their passage through the long grass and watched a flock of hoatzin with awe.  The hoatzin truly look pre-historic with claws on their wings and spiky head feathers.  Emily spotted a motionless chick hiding in a tree after the adults scattered at our arrival. Our guide eventually broke his oar trying to muscle through it.  They cut Brett and I branches that we feebly used to assist in paddling. It was scorching out in the sun. 

Over the lunch break Laurie and her kids learned how to wash clothes by hand. (She paid them to let them do their laundry side by side - so Laurie). I had overheaded so much during our canoe trip I used my lunch break to cool down.  I layed on my bed with wet rags on my face and neck.  I was ready for some rain.  In the afternoon the other group learned how to weave crafts from village locals while we did the zipline.  

Natali loved the weaving becuase she was able to speak in Spanish with one of the women and teach her some English.

In route to the zipline we stopped at tree known to host a family of night or owl monkeys.  They seemed to be waiting our arrival and peered down at us with their oversized eyes from the shadow of the hollow.  The first zipline group was eatten alive by ants and mosquitos and endured the intense heat of the day.  Our group lucked out with a bit of rain to cool things down right before our zipline trip started, although the bugs were still relentless.

The zipline was a great break for the kids and provided a new perspective on the forest after we climbed 100 feet up a ladder to the first platform.  Lisa and Bob were hoisted up but the rest of us, including Emily took the slow route.  It wasn’t all that slow as we raced each other against the clock.  Brett won in just about 50 seconds and I was just a few seconds behind.  The breeze felt great and the view was unmatched.  Bob rode with Claudio on the first line and then did the second on her own.  There was a bit of a miscommunication and she ended up holding all of her weight with her arms so she decided to ride with Claudio on the rest of them.  Emily went all on her own!  After the second line I was standing on the platform and holding one of the supporting wires when Brett looked at me and asked if my clip was attached—it wasn’t!  The guides had gotten mixed up on the transfer and I hadn’t noticed!  To reach the last platform we had to walk across a literal canoe bridge in the sky.  After our final dinner we did one last night excursion by boat where the guides told us traditional native stories after we spotted a Great Potoo (nocturnal owl-like bird).  We enjoyed a good view of an Amazon Tree Boa as well.