Leather boots and large swellings!!
Saturday 2nd December
Had a bit of a lie in today was up at 7.30am rather than 5.00am. Claudio took the jeep this morning (WW2 jeep that is fantastic!) so Greg had to wait for Carlos. There are 2 dorms at the camp with about 8 bunk beds in each. One dorm for the girls and 1 dorm for the boys. One of the rangers stop over just incase of snake/spider/jaguar problems that might arise which I have to say is quite nice to know there is someone there if you have a big girls blouse moment eg, big creepy crawly in the loo. Although I do have to say Im quite impressed with myself. Ive not done any silly make-it-go-away-dances (well not since ive had repellent anyway). There again Ive not seen any spiders..
I decided to go to the Capibara area today after yesterdays sighting of the Toco. By the time I got down there after chatting to Carlos it was about half 9. I then stayed there till half 2. No Toucans in sight anywhere. But I did make a map of the area collected berries and fruits etc. I thought I may have stood a chance when the black clouds started rolling in. Everything in the area started calling then there was a rumble of thunder and then it started..and then it stopped. And that was that. I felt a bit cheated at the lack of rain and then felt very British for thinking that compared to British rain that was very pathetic. So on the afternoon I watched Capuchin monkeys raid birds nests and the Capibara grazing. After a trek back to camp for lunch and a shower I tended to my rapidly growing amount of blisters then back to the swamp. The tour arrived about an hour later but only aricaris today no Tocos. Made it back to camp at dusk with just enough time to go to the loo in the light and get candles sorted and sort out things ill need later eg pjs!
Ive decided that the fridge has died. We have had problems since I got here funnily enough. Sat and watched fireflys or glowbugs they can be quite eerie you just get a glimpse of something out the corner of your eye and its gone. Halfway through a game of patience I thought i had heard a toco distress call..but silence. Then I heard it again,then the lightening started and set everything off. Quite a display I do have to say. The Toco wasn't near but Ive heard that call often enough to know something is wrong. It must have been an hour that the Toco was calling for before it subsided but I wasnt going to go wandering in the jungle on my own looking for it however tempting.
At 11 I got bored of my own company and went to bed. I was slightly concerned at no ranger but thought there may have been a problem at the lodge and they would come later.
OOOhh almost forgot I have my first proper explorers injury. I got bitten on the eyelid so I have a majorly swollen eyelid I can just about open my eye halfway! If you can imagine a really bad black eye but without the bruising its about right. It looks like Ive done 2 rounds with Bonnie from Kickboxing..actually make that 1 round.
Emma Ive found out what that word was we were going to look up and what the leather boots/gaitors are for. The gaitors because of snakes,spiders and other things that bite it gives a bit of protection. And the bug things we were going to look up aren[t nice at all. The fly lands on you and lays eggs under the skin which causes mad itching and a cyst you then end up with a worm growing in it. Then it breaks out. Corinho recently had one in his head and has great delight in showing where and the worm is in a pot in the staff area!!