Sunday 21.9.14 – Panacocha lake.

A whole day out again today. Into the canoes heading for Panacocha (Piranha lake) up the Rio Panayacu.

We cruised up the narrow Pana River for a couple of hours, seeing all these amazing things, which all looked great through the binoculars, but not quite so good in the camera, though Sue has some good shots with the zoom on her little Lumix TZ60.

We saw:

• An excellent white throated Toucan, with a red bum, blue and yellow, with white and black. 
• Beautiful crimson headed woodpecker – looked like he was wearing the ‘Big V’ Victorian footy jumper on backwards and the amazing red head. 
• Squirrel monkeys – lots of them jumping and flying through the trees beside the river. 
• Amazon Forest Dragon 
• Sloths 
• Beautiful blue butterfly 
• Black headed parrot 
• Hoatzin or Stinky Turkey 
• Common Patoo – like our frogmouth.

Grasshopper on a chair on the ship.

Air roots from epiphytes dropping
into the water.

The canoe, with roof folded back for good view of
everything.

Yep, see the monkey shape. Its a squirrel monkey.
They were quick little critters and really too far off
for my lens.

Now, see between the two trees on the right, there is a
blob in the leaves...that was the first sloth we saw.

Here's the second guy we saw.

A really cute face, but very dangerous claws - hence
the name 3 Toed Sloth.

That's him hanging around in the bush again.

The beautiful and still lake.

Common Patoo, heavily disguised as the end
of a palm branch.

We then arrived at Amazon Dolphin Lodge, which is the base for the day. It was a large open area, with hammocks and lounges and dining tables. Had a wander around and saw some:

• Lovely flowers 
• Amazing wasp nests 
• Cool swallow tail butterfly 
• Other butterflies. 

A lodge.

Butterfly.

We then went on an hour jungle hike, got to eat ‘lemon ants’ which are tiny and live in a bulbous bit on a particular plant, which you suck them out of – quite tasty and lemony.

We also saw (thanks to Leani’s eagle eye) a brilliant green Amazon Forest Dragon, which we thought was a chameleon.

Then back for lunch – a bbq kebab and pasta salad and spud, with watermelon and yoghurt.

It got pretty hot today, no idea of temperature, but very sticky and sweaty. Some of the group kayaked and swam, wished I had my togs for a swim. Should’ve gone out in my gear, but I was enjoying a swing in the hammock.

After a little rest time and relax in the hammock, it was home to head back to ship, arriving 8 hours later.

The hammocks, Bruce, Bob and Cherie.

Palm trunk, they use these things as graters etc.

Wasp nest.

Amazon Forest Dragon.

Wasp nest.

Me taking shots at the lodge.

There is a Hoatzin or Stinky Turkey in there.

White Throated Toucan.©Suzie Sloan

Woodpecker ©Suzie Sloan.

Parrot ©Suzie Sloan.

It started raining.

Javier and Freddy keeping their eyes peeled.

A bridge over the river, near the start/end.

A really good day. Amazing to see two sloths and the large bunch of Squirrel monkeys. The birds and butterflies are always around but seeing mammals and the dragon was a real highlight.

The Pana River was a black river and quite narrow in places and tricky for our long canoe to navigate. The drivers do a fantastic job getting us to places, but also manoeuvring the canoe into various positives so 24 of us can see the particular birds and animals. Lots of logs and trees and snags in the river to contend with as well.

Hot and sticky and then storm and it rained on our homeward trip.

Off the canoe to orange and pineapple juice with yucca fritter and hot chilli sauce.

Shower, quick check of photos, plan blog etc then off to dinner at 7pm. (prawns with ceviche sauce, fried calamari and yuca chips, 3 milk cake) After dinner, Mauritio announced with apologies, water problems, an electrical fault it seems. They were hopeful of repair by 6pm tomorrow. Water will be available in 10 minute bursts AND a 5am wake up – off to Sani Warma community and a tower and a lake. Also learnt that we have to be up at 3am to leave on Wednesday.