OSAmag78

T h e O l d S t a t i o n e r - N o 7 8
recording parrot activities for 10 minutes at a time at 3
different spots on this island, which is done 5 times a month.
When they'd finished I was asked if I would like to go back
the long way round. "I'm up for anything" I replied. So we
continue on our path instead of retracing our steps. Soon we
reached an edge to the island and started back along the
beach. This soon ran out and we had to clamber up into the
jungle. The Peruvian has a machete and literally hacked his/
our way forward. Twice more we got down onto the beach for
a while and then back up for another good hack. It was hard
work but great fun. The boat driver starts calling on a walkietalkie
as it was being to get dark. Eventually we reached the
boat with just a little daylight left.
Tony, the volunteer, was doing biology post grad studies in the
USA and was something of an entomologist. He showed me
a moth sitting exposed on a leaf This was because a virus has
got into the moth's brain to make it think this is a good idea.
When other moths came close to see why it's there the virus
released spoors to "capture" another moth - and so the world
goes round. Walking back from the boat in the dark we
spotted a line of termites crossing our path. Then I spotted 2
frogs sitting having their dinner! It can't be often that dinner
serves itself! I haven't seen lots of animals (as there were in
Kenya last year) but a lot of the life in the jungle is plant and
insect life. There is a lot of both of those.
SuNDAY
Breakfast was at a "normal" time for a change. I gave Yuri the
morning off so that I could do something I never do at home
- relax. I've a good book, a comfortable hammock (not in my
room) and can watch monkeys, macaws and wild boar, all of
which came quite close because there is so little human
activity. In the afternoon we visited another tower built to be
able to see above the trees. The climb was about 80 feet
vertically with 3 metal rings for safety! It's mostly birds that
can be seen and heard but there were also plenty of butterflies,
even this high.
When we got back Yuri explained that the journey back to
Refugio Lodge the next morning leaves around 10.30 am and
breakfast will be at 4,45. I express some confusion.
His reply was "don't you want to go "the Peruvian equivalent
of jaguar hunting?" I'm up for anything so an early breakfast
it will be.
MoNDAY
We joined another couple and their guide for a 90 minute
boat trip looking for signs of jaguar or occelet (smaller cats).
The river often changes its course over a period oftime
depending on the effects of the rainy season. I am intrigued by
the whole thing.
Eventually we stopped and walked around an area that was
newly formed and will grow into rain forest over the next few
years. There were fresh paw prints but no sightings available.
The TRC is about 800 feet above sea level. The rivers I have
been on flow into Bolivia and on to Brazil; becoming part of
the Rio Madeira and join the Amazon itself East of Manaus.
At this point the Amazon is about 3 miles wide (which is why
it was easy to see from my plane seat).
The journey back to Refugio Lodge was quicker as the current
is with us, but it's still rice in banana leaves for lunch. On
arrival Yuri suggested we visit a farm based across the river.
The old farmer has lived there on his own for 15 years. He had
a generator to create electricity but no TV and thereby no
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