ANCHOR DOWN Iquique Chile

Anchor down at  20.12.354 S / 70.09.188 W, Iquique , Chile.  We left Lima Peru after four months of incredible, indelible experiences.  (Peru will be posted at a later date) A fine motor sail of 116 hours, uh, nope, we did get to sail 10.5 hours in the wrong direction.  (I prefer going in straight lines, a sail boat does not give that option when going against wind and current.  Given our chosen itenarary, we will be going against wind and current for many more miles.)   So, we have motor sailed a lot, much more than the average sailor.   Captain Don only really complains when he starts seeing the fuel needle move in front of his eyes in between blinking. 

We called the Port Captain about two miles out and received a rather quick response.  We anchored  amongst the tugs and pilot boats.  Next call was to announce anchor down.  Again a quick response with a few questions ending with a stay put, we will be out in 20 minutes.  We did not time them having become quite familiar with “latin time”,  two very young Navy Personel arrived.  They took copies of crew list, boat documentation, zarpe from Peru, and our passports.  They returned a couple hours later with three more people, the police, agriculture, and health agents.  Spanish flying, stamps exchanging, laughs with Captain Don and his stamp, he didn’t want to be left out, me passing the candy bowl around, all visiting officials love and appreciate some type of treat, more laughs and handshakes, we are now almost in Chile.  Because we arrived on a Sunday we would still need to go to the Armada office the following day to pick up our tourist visas and find out how much we would pay for entry.  They did say we could go ashore if we wanted, but having  arrived after 5 days at sea, we really only wanted to eat a meal we didn’t have to chase on a plate and go to bed.

first look at Iquique sprawling doorway to
 the Atacama desert 

cargo ship we anchored close to

The following day dinghy down, we go to marina and speak with Patricio, the manager of Club de Yates Iquique.  He showed us the slip we would be in and viewed the tide tables as to the best time to come in.  This is a shallow bay with many rocks.  We need at least 6 feet at very minimum.  He pointed to the markers we were to line up with to enter, two red triangle shapes mounted on poles, one next to the street, the other down on the rocks. He said just keep yourself  in line with them and we have no problemo.  An agreed price of 12,500 pesos per day including wi-fi, water, and electricity..  We shake hands and off to the Armada Office, a large yellow building standing at the end of the bay and around the corner from the yacht club.

We asked to speak to Carla, the young woman who was on the boat the previous day.  She handed us our tourist cards, good for 90 days, and bid us another welcome to Chile.  She also said we needed to visit the Aduana’s office and the agriculture office.  She found a friend of her’s to interpret directions to both those places and sent us on our way.  While we waited for Carla, another woman, Veronica, approached us and said she would be calling her boss to find out how much we would pay for entry into Chile.  They have set fees for boats of 25 tons or more that pay for entry into each port around $40 US.  We are only 19 tons so she would have to find out.  We told her we would return with a cell phone number she could reach us at when she got the information.  Away  we go to the Aduana’s.  This particular port has many aduana offices and on the third try we found the right one.  Lucky for us the agriculture,  SAG, office is next door.  The aduana office wasn’t quite sure which papers they needed since not many visiting private yachts come this way.  After much deliberation between co-workers it was decided we needed  clearance for our boat.  (Our spanish listening skills still need work).  Copies of boat documentation, passports handed over and we’re now officially in Chile.  The SAG office said we needed nothing more.

A Chilean cell phone sim chip and lunch would now be our priorities.  The young naval officer that had come to the boat recommended the cell company Entel.  He is from Valdivia and gets good signal where ever he has been in Chile.  Easy enough, the plaza has an Entel office and a variety of lunch spots.  Only, this particular office does not sell chips or prepaid plans.  We were directed around the corner and four blocks up.  Ok, off we go sidetracked only a couple of times with lovely hand carved wooden chime clocks, stands with nuts and dried fruits, sidewalk cafes with beautiful pastry counters and coffee aromas that had me salivating as we continued our search for Entel.  Thankfully it was really just three blocks from the plaza.   The person in charge of handing out a number and a line for you to wait in spoke English.  Lucky at last.  He took us directly to a service person and explained what we wanted.  No problemo. 

Now can we eat?  Awe, but where?  Back in Plaza Prat we stood looking at the Torre Reloj clock tower designed by Eiffel and built in 1877 from wood.  A brief stroll on the wooden sidewalks peeking inside establishments, reading any menus posted outside, we settled on a Croatian place that included a glass of wine with the price of lunch.   I thought desert at lunch was special, this place included appetizer, desert,  and wine at lunch.

Torre Reloj Clock Tower, Plaza Prat

we sat outside at this quaint Croatian restaurant, sipping wine indulging in peach mousse, wow.

We made a quick stop at the Armada office to give Veronica our cell phone number and then onto the marina to confirm time and slip with Patricio.  At 18:30 we would bring Limbo in, med moor, anchor off the bow.  There is a small finger pier with cleats and the dock itself is a floating dock.  Tides here average 4 to 6 feet.  With the time left  we’d get in a short nap.

There was some hesitation with the appointed time. We thought it might be too dark at 18:30, but Patricio assured us not to worry.  Back aboard Limbo, we nap a bit and around 5 p.m. a tender to one of the pilot boats knocks on the hull.  A brief exchange of niceties, conversation ensued regarding tides and our being able to enter the marina.  There were 4 fishing boats rafted together in front of the red triangles we were suppose to line up with.  They say their good-byes and again we’re thinking we should go now even though it’s only 5.  All looks good, we line up doing a small diversion to the port of the fishing vessels, passing them and then back on course.  Captain Don maneuvers Limbo to drop anchor, tighten up and stern to the dock.  Patricio and another person caught lines as we churned the water propelling Limbo in place.  I say all this because it then came to our attention there is a two hour time difference in Chile.  They have daylight savings time.  So when we thought we were eating at 1 p.m. it was 3 and at 5 when we thought we were risking a new bottom job, it was 7.  No Problemo.

marina at Club de Yates Iquique

Local fishing boats adding lots of color to the bay

Note on Peru:

The last posting was of our passage to Peru.  I usually like to keep things chronological but because I'm so far behind in writing I will be posting our 4 months in Peru at a later date.  Until then I will post on travels to Chile and our adventures as they occur.  I'm sorry for the confusion, life and fun has kept me busy.

Stay Tuned Please.

Sincerely,
RB

PASSAGE TO PERU

Bye bye Ecuador and hello Peru!  Excitement unbridled, we were like small children heading to Disneyland. Peru, land of the Inca, Machu Picchu, the Nazca Lines, alpacas, and the upcoming country in the world of gourmet food.  Also one of the countries on my bucket list.  We left Salinas, Ecuador at 11:35 a.m. July 15, 2013.  (yes, I'm still behind in postings)

I will admit to some trepidation because of the direction we would be attempting to sail.  We would have wind and the Humboldt current against us. The plan was to sail the first part as far as we could and then motor in.  We only hold 90 gallons of diesel in the tanks and then carry another 30 gallons in jerry cans on deck.  The trip was suppose to be approximately 708 nautical miles.  This would equate to 6 or 7 days passage time. I had prepared several meals and froze them insuring we'd have plenty to eat regardless of the weather conditions.

The first few days went against our plans requiring us to motor sail much more than intended.  The winds where at a 20 to 27 knots, seas varying from 8 to 12 feet.  At times it seemed we were going backwards! Captain Don had chosen the sailing route because of requirements to check into Peru's maritime vessel traffic controllers, "Tramar". Check in is 24 hours prior to arriving in Peruvian waters, and then two times daily giving position readings until arriving in your port of call.  This is usually done via internet.  We had intended to use SPSMAIL, which is associated with our Iridium Satellite Phone. Awe, the path of good intentions. Our computer crashed making email impossible.  The four phone numbers we had for Tramar, no one answered regardless of time of day or even what day. The only other thing we could do to try and comply was travel close enough to shore to use the VHF radio, channel 16.  Time and time again to no avail, zero response. We continued to call and document the call time with position and station we tried to contact.  We then tried contacting our liaison from Seven Seas Cruising Association to see if he could help with our entry.  Ugh!  He was out of the country.  We did reach his wife and she notified the yacht club of our pending arrival.  This did not give us check in approval for Tramar.  Worry, worry.  There could be heavy fines imposed.  Nothing to do but keep documenting the endless effort of contact.

We are now testimony to why this is a route less traveled.  We ran through unmarked fish nets that extended a mile or more with very small unlit vessels to tend them, which by the way do not show on our radar.  Some of the boats did have a single pole with a red light stuck to the top of an outboard motor, but when the waves are taller than the light, there goes any benefit! We got caught once and spent an hour trying to just float off without damage to their net or tangling Limbo's prop.  The second time I ran right through it, not sure of the damage done to the net, Limbo kept plowing through making use of the favorable night wind.  We now changed watch schedules to every 2 hours.  Dangers do lurk off the northern coast of Peru.  Day three we had no choice but to head out and start tacking to catch some wind and conserve fuel. Again high seas, steady 25 knot winds with gust to 30, (this would not be that bad if it wasn't head winds). We continue tacking, day 4 winds calmer, no more fishing boats.  Dolphins arrived to give a show, leaping with the bow wake, skirting under the boat on the other side, so fast they're but a streaming black color under the blue green sea.

Day 5 we're still tacking.  Time dragging.  Moods waning.  Sea and wind still touch and go.  You would think that with all that free time something wonderful could become of it.  That is not what happens.  On a passage of any length, you read, you play games, you sleep and you eat.  For us, night watch is usually 3 hours.  This of course depends on the weather.  With this trip, a watch was only 2 hours, day and night.  So you're on a sleep deficit.  Even on the days where you can get in a 4 to 6 hour sleep, you're still operating on a deficit.

Day 6, we are really getting concerned about fuel.  We should be closer than we really are.  It seems Lima is getting further away.  It's demoralizing when that happens, but when you tack out to catch the wind, then tack back you are traveling a zig zag line in the ocean not a straight freeway.  This adds more miles. More dolphins come to give us much needed cheer. The weather was changing to a cool crisp feel.  We pulled out the sweatpants and blankets for the nights watch. Winds still hitting 27 knots, waves still rock and roll, pitching us back and forth. Nauseating and annoying.  Around 11 p.m. we heard a snap, actually a bit louder than a snap, we lost the jib. Captain Don made quick work of furling it in hoping for nothing else to happen in those moments.....By 4:30 a.m. winds were acting like they might calm down. Daylight we slowed off the coast outside of Semanco, close to Chimbote, to inspect the damage to the jib. Bad news, the webbing on the head of the sail was ripped.  No can use.  This meant a motor sail with only the main the rest of the way, another 205 nautical miles to go. Fuel rapidly depleting, we crossed our fingers and prayed.

Later with sun setting, a full moon rising, we see the arid shoreline with the Andes towering on our horizon.  It's these moments that answer the quest for adventure.

78 miles left to go, winds down to 17 knots waves down at 8 to 10 feet gently rolling.  A lift and slide, not a pitch and slam.  The passage was  getting better. 46 miles left, waves calmed more, winds down to 14 knots.  6:39 a.m. July 23, 2013 we arrived at Port of Callao, Lima Peru.  We were greeted by a launcha (water taxi) sent out by Yacht Club Peruano.  We have landed after 8 days of one of our toughest sails to date.  It felt good to be here.

BOAT LIFE ON THE HARD

Still in La Libertad, Ecuador with Limbo hauled out receiving some exterior painting and interior woodwork.  The yard we were in was also the yard preferred by the local fishing vessels.  They are mostly wood and look massively heavy.  We had one hauled out next to us and since I couldn't walk with my sprained ankle, I took to spying on the neighbors.

They start with chainsaws and cut huge pieces of the wood hull away.  They move onto sanders that sound like jet engines stripping the paint to bare wood. They send in a professional crew to strip, patch, and paint. Before caulking is done, they use coconut fiber (the hair that covers the interior nut) and twist it into a rope then hammer that in between the new planks.  The wood used is "al camphor" which is brought in as logs that they cut into planks the size needed for replacement. It is amazing that the boats were floating with what they do.  

coming in for a haul out.

weighted down with nets

chain saws finish the removal of rotten planks

making cuts for the chainsaw

no more stern!

twisting coconut fiber

hammering coconut fiber in between the planks

Amazing work and quite fast.  The boat was stripped and repaired within two weeks.  It took a month for ours.  Maybe we should have used a chainsaw.....

For us, living on the hard was a little like living in a house under construction.  There are certain areas that can't be used, and when you only have a few hundred feet every little bit can add up to ALOT of space.  There is dust everywhere, water can't be used because of paint, so you wash dishes in a bucket outside.  Showering and toilets are used elsewhere so you try not to wait too long. And like a house, when the work is finished you can't wait to clean up and move back in to all the new beautiful space.

wood trim for windows, fishing pole rack & table top using the same
camphor wood

Work done, back in the water and ready to leave Ecuador.  Next up in our South American circumnavigation, PERU.

Moving On....

Time to be moving on.  We had been in Bahia, Ecuador since March 9, 2013.  We have traveled inland for several weeks leaving Limbo on a mooring at Puerto Amistad Yacht Club.   We went back to the states for 6 weeks to visit family and buy winter clothing for our journey south.  We still had one more stop to make in Ecuador, La Libertad.  We had heard it was a great place to haul out and get some work done.  We left the mooring lines at Bahia at approximately 12:30 to make the high tide at 2:00 p.m.  It's a rough entrance and exit.  The bay itself where we were moored all that time is also quite rough with as much as a 3 knot current bringing with it treasure trash from the Rio Chone.  It would be nice to be in the ocean and underway again.

Bahia, were Limbo was moored

The depth sounder started acting odd, we hit hard going out, maybe that jarred it out of commission!

In less than 24 hours we were pulling into La Libertad, Puerto Lucia Yacht Club, June 6, 2013. A boat came to greet us, pick up the captain of the vessel and pointed to a temporary anchorage to wait while our papers were processed.  When arriving in a port, custom dictates only the captain goes ashore until the vessel and crew are cleared in.  In a few of the countries we've been to, it is mandatory that you hire an agent that clears you through all the agencies at each port, Ecuador is such a country. Rumors were rampant about La Libertad because of the seemingly unregulated agent in charge. It was said he charged what ever he wanted.  Usual agent fees can be anywhere from $50 to $450.  This agent had been known to charge as much as $1000.  These fees are on top of what the country charges for clearing a vessel in and out.  We had been in contact with him via email letting him know of our anticipated arrival date.  On our way out of Bahia, Trip, the owner of Puerto Amistad phoned us and said that the agent in question had died two days prior.  He had hung himself.  Not knowing what to expect, we kept going.  Come to find out, no one knew what to expect, we were the first private vessel in port since his death.  There were no other agents for private vessels.  The owner of the yard, Marisol, took all our papers, the marina took our credit card, then directed us to a marina slip with that timeless phrase, "don't worry". Good news, we were told we could haul out the next morning for work to begin.

Following morning up and about.  We wanted work to begin on Limbo as soon as possible because we only had one month left on our visas for Ecuador.  We were excited to be getting solar panels, davits, a table, paint job, bottom paint, and sail covers.  New to the list now was the dept sounder. During the work we had planned on finishing our tour of Ecuador, seeing the south end of the country.

First disappointment, the yard manager, Jeremy would be in Florida for a few days which would delay our haul out and placement in the yard.  Not a problem, we would catch up on some much needed cleaning with the fresh water supply offered at the dock.  Also shop in regular grocery stores where the food comes in packages and cans.  You know, the American diet....  I know this probably does not sound very exciting to most of you, but, the word grocery does not have the same meaning in other parts of the world.  Cans, bottles, clean, sterilized, sealed products are not the norm.  Shelves with 20 choices of mayonnaise are not available.  Country of origin for your meat is not really necessary because you can look out the back door and see the food chain grazing on whatever they can find.  When you first encounter this, it is "organic on the cheap". After a few months of it, the thought of a box of fruit loops is salivating.

A week passed, the plans still in play for traveling and the wish list for Limbo growing, we had the most extraordinary experience.  The famed blue footed booby bird of the Galapagos perched himself on the rocks right next to us and a sea turtle surfaced.  I wondered if they were friends that had become lost together.

Blue footed Booby

yep, definitely blue feet

sea turtle

And then the second disappointment, I missed a very small step twisting my ankle.  It looked bad, really bad and hurt.  In hindsight, I should have taken a picture.  This ended the traveling, I would not be able to walk for quite a while and even then it would be a hobble.

Plans continued for the haul out and work on Limbo.  Out of the water and in place with our stern facing the ocean, I at least had a lovely view as I lay in bed watching my ankle change colors. Then the third disappointment, Jeremy, the yard manager informs us that the only way to get bottom paint for an aluminum boat is from the USA.  This was going to be very expensive with the 18% duty Ecuador charges for anything being shipped in, not to mention the time lag because paint has to be sent by boat.  Bottom job now off list.  Searched and searched for aluminum tubing to make davits, no go.  Davits now off the list.  Search for solar panels, no luck.  Same story with the fabric to make new sail covers, special order, long delivery time, import tax.  No new sail covers. We had the paint on board for the hull, so that was done.  The wood work took the entire month. We were concerned that we would have to leave without it.

sunset view

I've always had a passion for rock collecting and the beach here is a fantastic place to add a good variety.  Captain Don found a rock hammer for me and sent me hobbling along.

looks like an agate I had to have it

my first hammer job!  I loved it

Between my ankle and waiting for work on the boat, our adventures were limited to the neighboring beach front, the mall with a Carl's Jr. hamburger stand, and a gringo bar where a number of expats could be found.  They also served black Angus beef steaks on Tuesdays!   During my convalescence I took a few private Spanish lessons hoping to improve my conversational comprehension and Captain Don took some time to fish.  

 All in all, not a bad way to spend your days.

We survived the Amazon

Can you spell HUMIDITY?  I thought I knew of humidity living in East Texas for so many years.  I suppose it did give us some good training for the AMAZON. Our jungle trip started on another 8 hour bus from Quito to a town called Largo Agrio, a border town with not much going for it except the oilfield industry and a hopping point for Amazon trips.  We were let out in an eerie dirt spot on the side of the road.  The building close by was abandoned, chiseled from weathering, and dark. There was an beaten abandoned truck with no windows, even the air seemed to be heavy with dust, no lights except those coming from the bus.  The driver opened the luggage compartment and as soon as bags could be handed out taxis started appearing. People where practically running to snatch them up and get away from where we were. Nope, I don't think this a place to wait for a ride, it was definitely "no wheres-ville".  We caught on quick and flagged down the next available taxi giving him the name of our hotel, the "Hotel D'Mario".  Within minutes there were stop lights, sidewalks with people, stores, restaurants all abuzz.  Why they couldn't have a bus stop in a more populated area seemed a quandary to me.  I was pleased the hotel did not have the same air of mystery since it was where another bus would come for us the following morning and take us on a 3 hour ride to get to a boat that would take us 2 hours downriver to our lodge.  Wow you say, yes, wow.  All that to see some monkeys and the Hoatzin bird I knew nothing about except from a picture on the front of a brochure.   We might also see an anaconda snake (I hoped not) and possibly catch a piranha (I'd hope so).  

Checked in and deciding to dine at the hotel restaurant, our stomachs still a bit twisted, we managed to laugh over dinner about the hair raising bus ride down through the Andes.  Starting at an altitude of 10,000 feet ending at an altitude of only 700 feet.  We were winding down and around, down and around, dodging rocks, cracks in the road, maybe even riding two wheels to make a turn.  (felt like it)  We also had to stop and wait for an avalanche of boulders to be cleared.  This gave us an additional hour of white knuckled fear to our journey.  We were so happy to be soaking up sights and sounds coming from the streets of Lago Agrio talking excitedly about our next days adventure.  

bus station in Quito

lunch / pit stop on our way down the mountains to Largo Agrio

Eight a.m. standing in the front of the hotel waiting on our ride, a very cute young lady approaches and introduces herself as Angelika, our guide.  She was an expat from Switzerland that had a degree in biology.  She had come to Ecuador nearly 8 years ago and never left.  She was quite passionate as she spoke of the Amazon, the way it was when she arrived and the way it is today.   

She quickly informed us that the other people on the tour would be coming by plane and we would have to wait for their arrival.  So off to the airport we go.  Quite happy that it turned out that way, because while we were waiting Captain Don purchased airline tickets back to Quito.  We would not be going back on the bus!  Five stars for Captain Don. 

The others soon arrived, a family from Australia, Susie, Gary, and Matthew.  What a delight they were.  We could tell this was going to be a fun trip.  Introductions made, bags loaded, tour bus rolling, we begin.  

lunch stop waiting for boat

warning sign at park entrance where we boarded boat/canoe

our canoe loaded and waiting for our party of 6

Now entering the jungle

Immediately Angelika was pointing things out about where we were, the animals, the 4 indigenous tribes that still live there, much the way they have always lived.  It was hard to see every thing she was pointing to and even harder to capture on camera.  We have lots of pictures of trees.  

our first monkey caught on camera

There are two seasons in Ecuador, rainy and not. We knew we'd booked this trip during rainy season. I, not fully comprehending what "rainy season" meant was soon to be enlightened as ponchos were handed out. We were already wearing life vest and a bit wet from the humidity, now it was raining and so we covered our wet with rubber to keep from getting soaked. I could feel the fungus growing! As we cruised along, we were entertained by the Aussies, while Angelika tried to tell us all there was to know about the Amazon, pointing here and there at the trees. The boat guides also pointed to animals as they saw them. Names so completely foreign to us, except the basic word like, monkey, bird, snake, spider, bat.  After a lovely ride downriver, we arrived at the Cuyabeno Lodge a secluded compound with thatched roof huts, a hut for the restaurant, one for supplies, and a hut for general meetings. There was also an observation tower that had three levels with a room on each level. Electricity was supplied by solar panels which was limited because, I'll say it again, "it was rainy season." There was only one other group there, a birdwatcher from Germany with his two guides.

We were given an hour or so to see our rooms and freshen up before the first jungle excursion began.  We met in the restaurant where Angelika led us back to the supply room and handed out rubber boots.  We're ready now, we take off for a stroll through the woods.  Oh no, sorry that's what I do at home, this was a hike through the jungle.  Things lurk where you do not see, stuff happens here that you don't want to see, and thank you for these thick knee high rubber boots!

What do you see?

look again-----

We walked in slippery mud and rain, all the while Angelika  telling us what we were looking at.  Every now and then we'd look at each other to confirm what we thought she said.  I can still hear Gary, "I think she said it was some type of bird mate".  He was the official photographer of the group.  Their trip was his birthday present from Susie, an entire month to visit the highlights of Ecuador and Peru.  

Returning at dusk to freshen up for dinner

I forgot to mention the instructions for sleeping.  The rooms have no windows and only a half door for an entrance.  There is a mosquito net draped over the bed.  There are some bamboo blinds to lower over the windows.  There is only one very dim light bulb.  At dinner the first night, Angelika's instructions were to close the toilet seat because frogs like to get in at night, lower the blinds because the bats will fly in and there are vampire bats, tuck the net in under the mattress because ....... I didn't get the rest.   I was stuck on the word vampire.  Then my mind went to frog in the toilet!  Ugg!  Did I forget to mention I don't like camping?  We did have a flashlight so if I needed to get up in the middle of the night.  I had lost my glasses on the trip somewhere so all I had was my contacts.  I didn't take them out because I wanted to be able to see the predators of the night and the frogs because I knew the toilet seat was not going to be down.  I did stop myself from sleeping with my shoes on.  The jungle is very loud at night.  That first night was tough.

At the entrance to the lodge there was a tree that had a nest for the Hoatzin bird.  The brochure I'd seen this on called it the "ancient bird".  It was a species all of its own.  The locals called it the "stinky turkey" because it ate primarily poisonous plants giving it a fowl odor.  All things in the jungle are fair game for food but this bird was left alone.  Both male and female share responsibility of the nest.  The young are born with a claw at the bend of the wing and can stay under water for approximately 2 minutes.  When the nest is threatened they can drop to the water and then use the claw to help them climb back up.  The claw drops off when they're ready to fly.

I was quite taken by these birds and looked forward to seeing them every time we left and entered our lodge.  Susie had wanted very much to see a Toucan in the wild so we were on the lookout. We had time one afternoon for a nap so while everyone was indulging, I went on top of the observation tower to take a peek.  And guess what I saw? That's right, a Toucan.  This did not set too well and the rest of the trip Susie did not want to hear the name Hoatzin.

Lunch and nap over, we headed out to fish for piranha.  This was a bit scary with an adrenaline thrill. I was imagining those little water swirling cannilbalistic monsters portrayed on TV devouring their victims as they thrashed about with no escape.  Angelika had packed some bloody beef to use as bait.  We coasted silently close to the shore line, cane poles baited and hooks in the water.  Minutes, not even minutes, mere moments and the first one caught

Proud as could be, but a bit shocked at the size.

"A bit like catching a perch", says Gary, excited to cross that off his "bucket list".  These fish are quite small but do have teeth.  They also make a clicking sound when they're out of the water and they will bite you or whatever you put in their mouths.  We stayed a bit to allow everyone a fair chance at catching the ill famed piranha.

red bulging eyes, pointy teeth make up for the size

Next on the list was to swim in the very same water we were just fishing in!  A great deal of doubt was running through my head like ticker tape, piranha, white crocodiles, anacondas, pink dolphins, and what else did she say?  I wasn't convinced that swimming would be fun or even a good idea.  We did move from the shore line and go more into the lake where Angelika assured us it was safe and something we all needed to do.  (OK, sometimes I'm such a follower)

sunset in the Amazon

Monkeys of the Amazon

ground monkeys

flying monkeys (look closely)

sleeping monkeys

Trees / plants of the Amazon 

Angelika showing the inside of a coco fruit, the seeds are dried to be coco.  we ate some sucking the jelly like pulp off from around the seed

check out the "Tarzan" vine

one of dozens of orchids

just a cool picture of a palm 

this is a "telephone" tree.  when you knock on it you can hear the sound for a long distance (ha) 

get the scope of how large the trees are with 6'6" Captain Don  next to it

snakes and spiders

some type of boa sleeping 

too creeped to focus, but this was a wicked looking spider carcass

This was a VERY LONG bright yellow and quite awake snake.

Making Yucca Bread

One day we took a ride for another 2 hours down river to a village of one of the 4 indigenous tribes to see how they make bread from the yucca root.

this is yucca tree

ground so moist, Matthew just pulled the roots up with his bare hands

cut off roots you want and put rest back in the ground, there it will grow to maturity again in 8 months

she used this machete like a paring knife to slit the outer skin of the root

peel off skin

grate like cheese into a large hand carved wooden dish

she then took grated yucca and put inside tightly weaved palm leaf sleeve

she hung the weaved sleeve, inserted stick at end and turned it to empty the juice from the yucca into a pan they would use for something later.

she then spread the squeezed dried yucca onto a flat pan over log fire

wa la!  it melted together to make a large flat yucca tortilla.  Angelika had brought mayo and tuna to put on top.  Not an item to put on the everyday menu.

This excursion was filled with experiences that took me from tranquil moments in the early morning hours to the wonders of color the jungle offers all the way to the other end of the scale: wet, dirty and apprehensive over thoughts that there were snakes, bats, and spiders everywhere! 

One More Thing

We crossed the equator again during one of our hikes.  (L to R : Don, Rita, Susie, Matthew, and Gary)