Amazon

Coming to the Amazon 'after' going to the Glapagos Islands could be disappointing unless you stop and remember that the opportunities to be exposed to nature in the G.Islands are so unique. The size, variety and the proximity of the animals is almost unbelievable.

So, we flew to the west of Quito to a small 'city' of Coca, took a long boat along the Napo River for 90 mins (at speed), a walk of a couple of kms followed by a dugout canoe for half an hour across a lake to arrive at the eco lodge called Sacha Lodge. The Napo River is a tributary of the Amazon. From here it flows south and west to Iquitos in the very north of Peru, where it joins the Amazon (Matt went into Iquitos and along the Amazon last year). Sacha Lodge has a 1800 Ha reserve of mainly flooded rain forest which is accessed by canals in a dug out canoe. There are also walking trails on 'terra firma' which we have been guided around. The Amazon basin is more about detail than the Galapagos. There are many birds (near and far), insects and spiders (yes, the Tarantula) butterflies, monkeys (we have seen 5 species), and water inhabitants - turtles, Caiman (crocs), piranhas and yesterday we saw an electric eel!!! and a sloth in the distance. We spent four days and nights at Sacha Lodge and with the appointed guide saw most species that we could expect to see. The accommodation was great (raised wooden cabins accessed by walkways from a communal restaurant). Activities involved walks, canoe trips, a forest observation tower and a canopy walkway. Then there was swimming in the lake. Claire and I have given up on that activity after spotting the 2m croc under the point where you launch off from!!!! Not to mention the piranha fish caught at the same spot yesterday!!!

The local lake water is 'black water' from all the surrounding humus that 'taints' the water and this ‘black’ water discourages insects like mosquitoes! J. The Napo River, along with the Amazon is chocolate brown from all the sediment it carries down from its source in the Andes Mts.

From here we return to Quito for a couple of days before flying to Lima, Peru on 30th May.