Day 285 – Amazon Jungle Day 2
June 16, 2011 19 Comments
Day 285 – Amazon Jungle Day 2 06/02/11 Mileage: o
We were up shortly after 6am and we all slept surprisingly well….all except for Ian that is. It seems there was a malfunction of sorts with his mosquito net on his hammock, because the mosquitoes used his back for a pin cushion. Poor bastard.
Morning everyone….
Here’s a closer look on how the shelter was built…pretty cool…
Packing up camp…
In case you’re wondering what 200 mosquito bites look like….now you know…
After packing up camp we headed back to the natives house for breakfast in our trusty wooden canoe…after we bailed it out of course.
Next on the agenda was a short jungle trek with Antonio pointing out many interesting things about the Amazon jungle. He pointed out trees and plants that were used for everything from medicines for different ailments to poisons for blow darts and even a particular ant that hunters would smear on themselves to mask their scent while hunting.
That is one %#$&% big spider!
He pointed out some monkey’s but they were too high up to get a picture of. After a few hours we arrived back at the canoe and started making our way back towards the base camp. Along the way Antonio spotted a sloth high up in the trees along the river. With a branch Antonio tried to get him to come down…but then with a splash the sloth fell from the tree into the river. Amazingly it just started swimming back towards the trees….who knew sloths could swim?! Antonio picked him up out of the water and we all had a closer look.
He’s a shy fellow for sure and looked ready for a nap despite being roused from his perch. How Antonio saw him up in the tree in beyond me….all I can say is Antonio is the real deal when it comes to jungle guides. Back at base camp we unloaded the canoe and had another nice lunch and were entertained again by the “house” monkey.
We all relaxed for a while as well but soon it was time to head back to Manaus the same way we arrived….first on the small boat back to the van to another boat across the main Amazon River to a car to take us back to town. All in all, it was an amazing experience that I’m glad I didn’t miss. Later that night Ian, John and I ate and drank our body weight in pizza and beer…a nice little capper on two very memorable days in the Amazon. Bucket of beer…yep, that’s for us, gracias…
From Deadhorse Down 
Are you guys taking anti-malarials? That’s a scary mosquito bite crop… Also….Lizelle wants me to let you know she loves your photos…especially these…of the sloth and tarantula! Have fun! Deb
Ian and John were taking anti-malaria pills, but I’m not. My smelly biker aroma is a natural repellent! lol
Safe trip….
Have a safe trip back.
Thanks Carla…with any luck I’ll be back in the US on Sunday!
Wow! What a great post…..this is my new favorite adventure of the trip! Chris and I can’t stop scratching after viewing poor Ian’s back….omg. The sloth is amazing 🙂
That sloth was incredible….I held it for several minutes and it practically fell asleep in my hands like a baby…
Hi Lenny, Who ever heard of a sloth???? Those claws are outrageous and Antonio sure does know the jungle. I would not want to be there without someone like him. It was really an experience that few experience. Great that he speaks all those languages also. Did the natives that you visited speak English???
I cannot believe Ian’s back……was he wearing a shirt?? Almost as bad as the New Jersey mosquitos of years ago. We always took you and Lisa in when they started to come out. Hopefully he didn’t get an infection from them.
Great post and looking forward to more and seeing you soon. Love ya, Mom
We would have not see any of that without a professional guide…save for maybe the dolphins. Antonio is the real deal….
That is so cool….you’ve certainly managed to take in a lifetime of memories and experiences in about 300 days…pretty damn incredible 🙂
Thanks Nanc! That Amazon trek was one of the more memorable experiences for sure!
Lenny,
Megan just had a starring roll as a sloth in a puppet show at school. Pictures are great!!!!
Perfect timing!
Safe Travels!
Jenn
Too funny! Now that’s a coincidence!
You couldn’t pay me to go where those bugs and tarantulas are…are you freaking kidding me? The sloth was great though. Poor Ian…I hope he put some mud on those bites.
Ian got hammered for sure….he’s lucky he was taking anti malaria pills!
how about a medicinal amazon tree or plant to ease up those mosquito bites….that was the most shocking part of your trip so far!….that guy must sleep like a rock….mick
The locals don’t seem to get bit that often…or at all??? The mosquitoes seem to like the thin gringo skin! lol
I am surprised the sloth almost fell asleep in your arms. Maybe you smelled like his mother. Ha, Ha, Ha.
You are too funny. Love ya, Mom
Only if his mother was another smelly biker… 😛