Ecuador's Amazon Basin Adventure Dispatch
December 19, 2008 – A Full Day of New Explorations and Animals
We “slept in” this morning. Our wake up call came at 6:00 AM, the latest one yet. In the cool morning light we started paddling along the lake toward a new stream that we had not yet explored. Once we started down stream we saw three Hoatzins on a branch above the water. These pheasant like birds are known as “stinky turkeys” because their natural defense from predators is reputed to be bad taste and smell.
A lone Cayman swims quietly by
Mornings have become our favorite time in the jungle. We love cruising the still waters as our local guides skillfully paddle and watch for wildlife. They have amazing eyes, often spotting things from a distance as we paddle by that we can barely see when we stop and go up close for a look.
We saw a Cayman in daylight this morning. The first that we’d spotted without the aid of having their eyes show up in the dark.
In the afternoon our chief local guide, Sixto came around to demonstrate one of the animal traps that he builds quickly and adeptly on the spot. Sixto always carries a machete and some twine made from local plants. In a few moments time he can fashion a trap for small mammals and he loves to explain how he can also trap bigger ones given the right location and materials.
Magnificent view from our canoe shows the lush green vegetation of the Amazon
Hoatzin (also known as “stinky turkeys) can be found here in the Amazon. They got their nickname from their manure-like odor which is caused by the digestive system
Returning to our lodge from such an eventful day
Sixto explains how one of his animals traps work