From John

This morning we got up again about daybreak. Nancy had gotten bitten by a spider when putting on her boots this morning, so we had a little bit of a medical adventure. We ate breakfast at about 8:00 AM and I decided that I would head out with Segundo and try to do the outer trail. I managed about 15-16 km and decided that the trail has new name - John's Falls for the number of times I slipped down and fell on my tail on the way. There were parts of the trail that Segundo had to clear before we could see the trail at all. Along the way we spotted a number of frogs and photographed them and some monkeys. Segundo stepped in a wasp nest, agitated them and I got stung by several. In any event, I made it back to the base camp area about 1:00 PM. I'm going to take a quick shower and a long siesta. The hike was like walking with a wet suit on as much as I was sweating. A very interesting hike.

David and David spent the morning photographing stuff. I also got as close as I ever want to be to a fer-de-lance (about a foot from it), today. Hopefully tonite we will get David or Devon or somebody more knowledgeable about what we have collected to discuss the various species at the conference.

From Janelle

Today was an experience. I spent the morning in a kayak and went up river a ways and floated back. I turned into a cove, parked in a bush and sat there for the longest time. Birds get very curious if you are still for any length of time so I had some very nosy visitors. I saw yellow-rumped cacique, masked scarlet tanagers, hummingbirds, belted kingfishers, tiger heron, a yellow blackbird looking thing, a woodcreeper, a very large and beautiful woodpecker, and some lizard we cannot identify. It looks like an agamid lizard with squared-off face, orange dots down its side, and orange striping in its long toes. There were two of them so I know I did not imagine it. They were laying on a log sticking out into the water. The children brought us a baby fer-de-lance this a.m. Dave and David are going to try to photograph it a little while. That will provide my entertainment for the afternoon. David would just as soon they kill it and wire it in order to pose it. He also offered to shoot it with his 1000 mm lens. Should provide a lot of fun.

Last night we took the skif to a creek not far from here. We saw all kinds of frogs, even a leopard patterned one that looks like a giraffe. We also saw a baby fer-de-lance laying on a pile of vegetation in a raft of water lettuce. Needless to say, we did not stay there long. We got back about 11:00 and the sky was beautiful. There were so many stars out and not many clouds. This was the first night it had not rained since we got here and this morning was cool but right now it is hot. Maybe I am just full from lunch.

Yesterday we went to Paucarillo, about 1.5 hours up river from Madre Selva. We left at breakfast and ate on the boat. We got threre at about 10:00 and took a walk into the forest. The terrain there is more hilly so it is more difficult to walk. I collected some ferns and spend a long time by myself on the trail. Devon, Dave and Nancy were ahead and David was behind - way behind. At one point I became aware that Hernon (the boat captain) was behind me but if i stopped to look at something, he would become almost invisible. He would turn and look some other direction like he wasn't following me. I was glad he was there because in the primary rain forest, the trail is difficult to see and I could still be lost if I had wandered off the trail. When we got back, I went swimming in the river. The very same river that Dave caught piranha from later in the day. The water was so cold it took my breath away but it sure did feel good after being so hot and sweaty from the walk. Lunch was barbequed chicken and was a very festive meal. The table was decorated with banana leaves and the food was delicious. We lounged around the rest of the afternoon and then started back about 4:00. Clouds made the river beautiful as I sat in my nest just in front of the captain.

For Shirley at hvtx1@aol.com I WENT SWIMMING IN THE RIVER YESTERDAY WITH PIRANHAS AND STILL HAVE ALL MY TOES AND FINGERS. Had to. There was no other way to cool off quickly after walking in the forest for hours. I have become Amazon woman, even paddling a kayak up river to birdwatch. I think I have a new hobby.

Guess what. John said we have all fallen into roles on this trip. Dave is the identifyer of fish, Devon is our fearless leader, John is the techno wiz, David our photographer, Nancy the teacher and I am the MORAL OFFICER. Imagine that. I bet you never thought you would ever hear anyone accuse me of that, huh?

Do not want to go home. I still have much to see and do here. We will go to a Yagua village tomorrow to trade for stuff. I cannot think of a thing that I want to take home that will summarize this trip. It has been the best thing I have ever done.

For Winston - reptiles@airmail.net I AM NOT COMING HOME. JUST FORWARD MY MAIL TO HERE AND I WILL BE GLAD TO RESPOND IN A YEAR OR SO.

I am bringing home a baby fer de lance the children caught for us. I figure it will be a good alarm system for my luggage.

We also caught a color pattern of frog you all have not seen yet. It was the giraffe frog. Dave S. got pictures.

Then there is swimming with piranha................

for Jeff @ texasboy@ix.ixnet.com

BEER HAS NEVER TASTED BETTER. And I think I understand the definition of sweltering because yesterday I was there.

The one thing I do know is that now I know what it means to live in the moment. I have found me and I like her. I have redeemed my soul from the devil.

From David Schleser

Yesterday's visit to the Paucarillo Preserve proved wonderful for all. The cathedral-like quality of this virgin primary forest can not be explained in words, but must be experienced first hand.

Or incredible cook prepared us a special lunch of chicken grilled over a wood fire, fried yucca, and a salad very intricately decorated with designs made from chopped yellow and white of ehhs, radishes, and other colorful veggies. All was washed down with the excellent Peruvian beer.

If you think that this day's experiences could not be topped, you are mistaken. After dinner we boarded a long wooden skiff with the totally Amazonian name of the Boa Negro, and motored about 1/2 hour downstream to a wide and sluggish marshy creek to see what we could find. As soon as we entered the creek we were greeted with the mating calls of numerous species of frogs and toads. Soon we started spotting many of them. The list includes the huge, and misnamed Marine toad, and several rainbow-hued species of small tree frogs. One - the red-spotted tree frog is lime green washed with pink and covered with red spots!!!! Another (Hyla triangulum) is a bright yellow critter with brown bands along its sides, and pink feet, while a third resembled a translucent green jelly bean in the shape of a frog. Everyone was in awe. A number of specimens were collected for photography today, and then released unharmed. We even spotted a young fer-de-lance, one of the few really deadly venomous snakes of the area, sitting on a pile of decaying vegetation. All during this outing we were seranaded by the calls of night birds and the staccatto notes of the Kona-kona, otherwise known as the Amazonian bamboo rat.

As I said, the photographers in our group spent this AM photographing last night's catch. Others went kayaking and bird watching on the river, or took hikes of various lengths through the forest.

I must not forget to mention that here at the preserve we are constantly being visited by adults and children that live nearby along the river. Knowing that we are nature and photography nuts, they bring us all sorts of strange and beautiful insects, lizards, frogs, and snakes. They preferred to be rewarded for these in either t-shirts or "D" size batteries. It is a good deal for all, and gives all of us the opportunity to interact with the gracious, and wonderfully kind people of the region.

Tomorrow will begin with a visit to the nearby small village of Comandancia, but that will be tomorrow's story!

Signing off,
Dave Schleser trip leader

From Devon

Back at the keyboard again. At the moment it is raining out, a (probably) short, but heavy afternoon shower. Just enough to get things good and drippy. Yesterday's fishing at Paucarillo was quite productive. John and I sampled a small stream (which dead-ended a short distance from where we started fishing) which wound through tall primary forest. We got quite a nice selection of fish, including Apistogramma agassizi and eunotus, Biotodoma cupido, various small tetras including a couple of neon tetras, Pyrrulina sp, bumblebee catfish, porthole catfish, marbled hatchetfish, banded knifefish, plain knifefish, and several other species of critter. The day was beautiful. A hike through tall forest finished off the morning after the boat trip from Madre Selva to Paucarillo, and the afternoon was the fishing in the creek, as well as a couple of seine pulls along the river bank. The seining wasn't too productive. Mostly a few Bourhourkina cichlids. Rod and reel turned up three different species of piranha, however, and cast nets added some silver dollars and a pike cichlid (Crenicichla cincta).

The evening trip back to Madre Selva was beautiful. The skies were quite dramatic, even though they weren't that colorful, but looking at the reflection of the sunset in the dark water was even more spectacular than looking at the sunset itself. We arrived back at Madre Selva after dark (with a large shooting star along the way for good measure), had supper, and then headed out in the wooden skiff to go look for frogs and whatever else we might find. I laid down in the bottom of the skiff part of the trip and just looked at the half full moon, the scattered clouds, and the brighter stars that were shining through. Very relaxing and peaceful. No rain during the night, but slept very well anyway. I did use a blanket again to keep warm. Most of the rest were contented with sheets, but I guess I'm cold-blooded.

Today was pretty relaxing - had a late breakfast, then everyone sort of split up and did their own thing. I wandered around the woods a bit, taking pictures of plants and vegetation. The big discovery was a rubber tree not far from the main clearing. I noticed the seedlings first, and then tracked down the parent tree. I hadn't thought that there were any rubber trees at the Madre Selva station, at least not any close to the buildings. Learn something new every day!

Well, the rain has already stopped, so guess I'll go and check on everyone else and see what they are up to.

Signing out!
Devon