Tuesday 10 January
Woke early and had plenty of time to catch the fishing trip. Walked down to the big puddle near the camp with 10’ long thin bamboo poles and 12’ lines. Surprisingly big hooks to catch piranhas which are only about 4” long – barely worth eating. It was quite good fun and people had a go for up to about 90 minutes. The caimans were the stars of the show – kept intruding on the beach and threatening to come ashore in pursuit of more fish. We threw them the small ones. Back to camp where it was soon 11am – time for lunch. Pedro cleaned and cooked the 10 piranhas and we had them for lunch as well as some very tasty chicken. That leaves a looong hungry spell until dinner at about 8.30.
Helen with fish and very interested friend
Luke teasing the caiman with a fish on the line
Caiman having a closer look at Luke
and then it kept coming ....... Pedro scared it off
Youngens having a ride on the Massey Ferguson
The afternoon outing is a 5 hour safari drive in an open-sided truck almost to the Paraguay and Bolivian borders with Brazil to see what is pretty much the same collection of animals we saw on the river cruise, plus an anaconda and maybe foxes (woohoo). It has been building up to a thunderstorm all afternoon and I(Chris) had no hesitation in opting to sit here with a beer and internet . The roads are all dirt and if it rains heavily there could even be a question of road flooding or bogging – this area is usually under water at this time of year!
J headed off with the rest of the team and we saw; Howler monkeys, armadillo, 2 types of deer, different birds, bush pig and caiman crossing the road, a strange sight. We went through a very heavy rain shower and then into a full blown wet season storm. We were all soaking wet even though most of us had wet weather gear. But we cheerfully stuck it out – it was certainkly a different experience. Pedro stopped on top of a bridge, announced that this is where anaconda live and Tim insisted on going into the swamp to assist. We made the driver go forward and park next a tree to try and lesson the drenching we were getting. It didn’t really help. Then the 2 men came up over the top of the bridge carrying a huge 4metre python. What a sight. Tim was on a huge adrenalin high – so excited that he had helped get hold of this reptile.
Pedro holding the head - Tim has the tail
Exhuberant Tim - with Pedro and Tab
Helen's turn to hold a snake by the tail
Most got off truck in pouring rain to hold the tail for happy snaps. Then we headed back towards warm showers, no one was that interested in staying out waiting for dark so we could spotlight.
Pedro did a very good job as guide over the 3 days and showed quite extraordinary ability to see animals through trees. We happily left him a tip.
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