2011 | Day 4 - May 20th

Today was an exhausting day full of jungle trekking.  We traveled by boat for about an hour and a half and arrived at our hiking destination.  The boat pulled up to a local house where there used to be a cattle farm.  Due to the jaguars living in the jungle and the high cost to transport the cattle to Manaus, the cattle farmers could not continue cattle farming.  Now a hired family tends the land and house.  This family allows others to visit their land.  A pleasant surprise to all of us was the family’s pet monkey, Flora.  Normally, the locals do not take in wild animals as pets however, Flora was orphaned.  We learned that this is one way that wild animals become pets. 

                Our hike today was much more intense than our previous one.  We spent about four hours in the jungle spotting new creatures.  The trail was full of obstacles we had to overcome by working together.  We encountered fallen trees, roots, water, boulders, and mud.  Leandro showed us some survival tips such as how to roast a giant caterpillar.  Chico, our second Amazonian guide, started a fire using steel wool, a rock, and his machete as Leandro skewered the caterpillars.  To our surprise, the caterpillars did not taste too bad. 

                As we continued our hike, Leandro spotted an insect he had never seen before.  It looked similar to a ladybug however it was yellow with black spots and had red legs that resembled a spider’s.  Leandro asked us to give this new creature a name as he thought it had not yet been discovered.  We decided on “Laser,” our school mascot.  The end of our journey brought us to rock formations that made cave like paths.  Small streams and waterfalls ran through the paths and were refreshing after our long hike.  Two rock formations resembled a male and female hippo.  We learned that these rock formations, although home to creatures such as bats, can make excellent shelters if you were to get lost in the jungle. 

                We finished our adventure with lunch in a gazebo overlooking the Rio Negro.  In order to get to this gazebo, we had to climb a steep hill.  The climb was well worth it because of the beautiful view that could be seen from the top.  Leandro told us stories from his village while we ate.  It was interesting to hear his stories because they told about their faith system, myths, legends, and some of his personal experiences.  One of his experiences explained what motivated him to work with ecotourism.  When he lived in his village, he did not respect nature and was punished by the spirits.  After being taught a lesson by his tribe, he has been devoted to the environment ever since.  After filling up on sandwiches, we returned to the lodge.  It was an exhausting but incredibly rewarding day.