Of Forest Hikes and Fishing Trips

The next morning, we had our usual heavy breakfast, packed some cereal bars, fruits, and loads of water for the forest hike. Tip: Wear full sleeves and long pants to avoid getting scratched by trees and bushes and eaten up by mosquitoes. We started at about 9 am. It was an enjoyable 2 hr walk, where we got a feel for the rainforest. On the right is the natural swimming pool (Piscina: don't ask why its called that!), leading into the forest.

Into the rainforest. Photo credit: Rahul

Trees whose barks are burnt to produce incense.

 

Our guide walked us, a group of 10 or so people, with a local, who gave interesting explanations of the natural flora.  For instance we came across parasitic trees, various types of coloured mushrooms and hollow trees that when hit produce such a loud noise that they are used by people who have lost their way.

After this not so intense trail, we made our way back for lunch. A trip to see Brazilian monkeys awaited us in the afternoon, followed by a fishing trip. 

The fishing trip was fun, I got a little bored waiting around, so I mostly took captured Rahul, Kamala and Kannu catching (or attempting to catch) fish. Kamala caught her first one then 

Our guide was a pro, he caught about 7-8 Piranhas in the 1 hr that we were there! We didn't want the fish, so we let them all go...No wonder the fish (in the left) looks so pissed off!

The sunset was spectacular...crystal clear waters, reflecting the pure serene beauty of the sky. 

The day ended with a thrilling adventure trip to see the cayman. It was a hit and miss the previous night, when we attempted to approach them. This time, fingers crossed, we ventured out in full sleeved shirts and long pants to escape the bugs. The best part of this trip was the little canoe which would move side-to-side even if you sneeze. There was drop dead silence, with the occasional mosquito kills and eerie night insect sounds. I loved the suspense, when finally our local guide caught a lady cayman. She was a beauty! I think she pretended to be dead, she was so still. We stroked her and several times, then sensed she would like to go back home. We saw her teeth in full glory and after about 5 minutes of learning about all her body parts (our guide insisted upon teaching us), we let her go. We headed back home satisfied at coming up so close with a Cayman.

Tomorrow, we sail to Manaus, then catch a flight to Rio...Goodbye Amazon!