-awoke moderately early for a hot breakfast...mostlystarches like fried donuts and pancakes with jelly and "dulce de leche" (like caramel spread)...tea and fresh orange juice.-we all took 5 minutes trying to figure out what size rain boots would fit...Smallest boots of my life! This was right about the time when the howler monkeys came out to greet us.
-the boots were for our voyage through the flooded grasslands to a seasonal island in hopes of spotting an anaconda and or other wildlife...really just the anaconda was of concern...our guide Choco said it had been three months since he had last see one...the dry season! Funny cause I couldn´t have been more confident that we would find one...he assured me it wasn´t that easy...I smiled!
"Law of attraction Choco"...
"¿Que?"...
"never mind :)"
-we said goodbye to the howler monkeys overhead and got into the boat and headed up stream, passing the little cottage where we had beers at sunset the night before (mosquito-ville!)...the grasslands were really shallow and Choco would have us rock the boat side to side and shift our body weight around so as not to get stuck and have to walk the rest of the way...sounds of the engine revving from Choco lifting the prop out of the water to rid the weeds!
-I spotted a group of 5 eggs on a lilly pad...no idea what they were and Choco couldn´t stop or we would have gotten stuck...
-we made it!
-ok get out and start searching for anything...the boots just kept us out of the mud for we (well the guides and I were) were waist deep looking in tree holes, up into the canopy, through the grass...I was just waiting to bit attacked by a croc or some deadly serpent...-First thing spotted was a "Dung Beetle"
-Then lizards
-All of a sudden we heard shouting on the other side of the tiny island...
-ANACONDA!!!!!!! really a much lighter color than I was expecting, a white undedrbelly, and yellow and green back with less obvious spots than I imagined..."law of attraction"-it was chilling out in the tree on the canopy overhanging the water...a mass surrounded the area...next thing we know...a guide starts up the base of the small tree...climbing through spider webs, dry and dead debris, scratching his way out to the end of the limbs...wack! one hand on the tail and the Anaconda tries for the water...all of the commotion and loud noise from the onlookers startled a wasps nest and we all darted, leaving the guide to fend for himself...the snake disappeared into the water...Choco was glad though, because all of the sunscreen and mosquito repellent on our hands is bad for the animals and the noise and stress is quite a lot for the snake...It was amazing none the least!
-then an Owl-a Toucan
-and another snake...supposedly a Green Mamba..I´m skeptic on that classification, though it was a green snake...whether it´s poisonous or not is another story.
-after the island fun, we arrived back home for a ready-lunch and lemonade! We took a short "ciesta" and then headed back into the boat...
-we went for a long leisurely ride to go catch Piranha and spot birds on the way!
-Birds of Paradise!!!
-two types of toucans!-lots and lots of wildlife...
-we eventually got a narrow set of linking passages off the river but in well flooded areas...made a U-Turn and posted up next a to a grassy wetland that was the mouth flowing into the river...meaning there was a nice current coming from behind us...
-we unraveled our wooden handle with line and a hook attached...placed raw chunks of steak on the hooks and threw the line over the edge no more than 10 feet away...non-stop bites for everyone...but you have to be quick, using your supporting hand to feel the tension and strike of the Piranhas...
-We ended up catching 14, two types the red and blue (big) Piranhas (my two weren´t as big as Choco´s but hey, he´s a veteran!)...a healthy loot for non-guaranteed activity..."law of attraction" baby!! -we headed back for a sunset bird-watching ride and eventually stopping at a different river bar with a great two story "mirador" for a beer and sunset photos!
-Dinner
-fireflies and croc eyes for desert... We went hunting for baby crocs too...and of course we caught them...what´s that law again?
-sleepy time!
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