Have camera will travel

Breakfast was the same big table lots of talk and those that didn’t wait up to see about the gear celebrated.
Organized and reorganized for the next plane ride. We all squeezed into the bus – same as yesterday only 1 more person and all the bags. It was a tight squeeze. Security at the airport was totally. The owner of the Tapir Lodge checked us all in and then handed out the boarding passes at the first check. No one had the right pass so it was find the person with your name. Then through the X-ray and we could take our water bottles that we brought from the hotel. Then sit and wait for 1/2 hr. Onto a bus and out to the plane. The trip was only 3/4 hr long. We saw the Andes peaking through the clouds. At Lagos Agria airport there was a military presence-all had machine guns. Lineup for the bathroom. One of our group was shocked that a guy went into the ladies. I said you might as well get use to it. She said no and went outside to find another one. That was ok with me, as I was the next in line. I asked the guy that used the ladies if he peed on the seat. He looked embarrassed and said no!
Onto the next bus with all our gear piled around us. And away we go. We stopped a the markets to pick up fresh fruit – plantains and coconuts. They had a guy chop into a few coconuts and cut a hole do we could drink the fresh milk. We were there for about 20 minutes and us tourists with cameras running all over the place taking photos.
Back on the bus and an hour ride with a crazy driver – Pedro. They use their breaks and horns a lot. Good thing I took gravol.
We stopped in a small town to get some eggs and melons and for a pee break but the bathroom was closed.
Back on the bus and through the jungle to the river and a small lunch. A quick little intro tour and into the boats. They were not dugouts as advertised. They are running out of trees to build them from, so they use fibreglass.
Almost 3 hours going down the river. We saw 3 species of monkeys and lots of different birds. And a couple of lizards and snakes. We had buzzards flying around us at one point.
Finally at the lodge. Neat place, very ecological place. They run on solar power and a backup generator. Got our room, on the bottom floor – nice after walking up 3 flights at 9000ft for 4 days. Except we wanted higher, but the rest of the group wanted there too. And we are Canadians, so we took the lower floor.
The jungle is alive with sounds. Think of a warm summer night with all the crickets and frog chirping and then add water bird sounds and then magnify it by about 5 times. The dawn is supposed to be louder.
We were greeted with popcorn and fried bananas. There is popcorn everywhere in this country.
We wandered back to the lodge using the raised walkways. I had a beer. A bit of a mistake, as I haven’t eaten much today, and it was a 22 oz bottle. It tasted really good. The rest of the group meandered in and we sat down for supper. Soup made with onions, cabbage and plantains. Very good. Then chicken in gravy and veggies including Potatoes and a salad of mostly peppers and a little lettuce. A fresh watermelon for desert. There wasn’t much talking as everyone dug in. O so good.
Kurt explained what was happening tomorrow – late breakfast – 8:00, and a hike in the jungle afterwards. Tonight a walk in the dark if anyone wants to go. Not too many are going. We are pooped from the long travel day and so much to see.
The temp here was around 24, but the humidity is probably around 100.
At 10:00 PM the jungle is noisier than it was at 6:00PM