From Cheri this week’s challenge – Atop
…I really felt I was, and my daughter too – in New Zealand and in Norway
.
Hiking
Travel theme: Woman
There are so many women in the world…and they are all important. My choices are still easy to make – the two most important women in my own life: My daughter and my mother. My daughter, some years ago, a summer in our cottage by the sea, and my mother hiking one of the Madeiran trails at the age of 75.
Woman – industrious, hard working, smart, loving, kind, helping, generous, caring…
Travel theme: Paths
Nice company on your path is often welcome…
…family and friends…
But also – alone, reflective…
Stony, hard, tough…
Soft, warm and glorious
I love paths, and I love the memories when I once again look at them, remember them…a little bit of sadness, a little bit of…life gone forever.
These paths belong to the Azores, Spain, Madeira, New Zealand and Sweden.
WPC: The Road Taken
For this week’s challenge, Krista asks us to show something that surprised us on “the road taken.” Many roads taken…but this road over the moors up to Heathcliff’s and Cathy’s Wuthering Heights really surprised me. We walked for hours, and the landscape was just as beautiful and haunting as in the novel…one of the world’s greatest love stories. I almost felt them whispering in the wind, laughing and running, hand in hand.
Cee’s B&W Photo Challenge: Ground
Galápagos – Santa Cruz and Darwin
From the lushness of the Amazon we flew to Galápagos – now in the dry season. We visited 10 of the 19 islands, starting with Santa Cruz and the Charles Darwin Research Station.
I guess most people recognize this gentleman as a Giant Tortoise, but some maybe think of him as the Galápagos Tortoise or the Elephant Tortoise. Length 150 cm and weight up to 250kg, and they can get very old. Of originally 14 subspecies, 10 remains. This gentleman here, might have been alive when Darwin came to the islands 1835 – just reflect upon that…
Lonesome George was very well known over the world as the last existing of his kind. Despite many efforts to save his species – the scientists failed. He died alone in 2012.
In the highland area of Santa Cruz, these giants walk and live. Not very well seen by the local farmers though, as they easily break any fence and eat 40 kg a day…
…but on the other hand they spread the seeds again back onto earth again …
These giants are not very fast…and we saw several of them along – or on – the road. There were even roadsigns to warn drivers about them.
Our guide, Juan, was a tough guy – almost military discipline – but that is needed to protect the islands and its very special wildlife. We were requested to stay in the group, only walk on the signposted paths and not move closer to the animals than 2 metres.
Most species are endemic, that is also why Darwin got easily observed material for his theories. In fact he did not visit the islands for more than 35 days – and from this came…The Origin of Species. Something that was to change the world for ever.
The research institute is very successful in breeding and releasing tortoises, iguanas and finches – among other endemic species. There was this great story of Diego, a tortoise of the hoodensis species, who 1905 was brought from Espagñola island to San Diego Zoo. He never liked it there, but stayed until 1965, when he was brought back to Santa Cruz to save his species from extinction. And he did – almost he alone! Now there are about 2000 of his offspring ”running” around on the islands! He would not be photographed though…turning his back on us all…
There are two distinct carapace shapes: the dome – shaped and in this picture, the saddle – backed tortoise
The saddle – backed have got longer neck and legs…
…when mating, the higher you can raise your head…the better chances the female will accept you
Freedom!
Amazonas – Goodbye and Happy New Year!
The very last shimmering hours at Sacha Lodge, we spent canoeing again – and finally, for the sunset over the Amazon, in a high tree tower up in a giant kapok tree.
Let us start with the canoe ride – full up with fresh food and ready for the last adventure!
Into the forest again, on silent waterways
And the beauty of the dense rainforest
Finally we reached the last path, hiking to the old kapok tree.
Breathtaking views..
…in every direction
Do you hear a loud, cartoonish water-droplet noise? A Russet backed Oropendola! (The oriole family)
Tucans – this one as striped as a bumble bee
Orchids on the heavy branches
Slowly the sun was fading and the light smoothened out both the landscape and the minds of us six friends sitting in the kapok tree. Each one in his own world…knowing this was the last day, the last hours of our great adventure. The Amazon saying its goodbyes…and us contemplating life’s beauty, in this moment in time
No words needed – only the sounds of the rainforest. A sadness and a joy, a thankfulness and a hope for this wonder to survive, to be given to our children and grandchildren.
In the early morning, we left this Paradise. Of course it showed its most glorious face this day – for us to treasure and to keep in our hearts.
Sacha Lodge will go on helping the locals with free water taxi, school supplies and a medical assistance program – and ecotourism to positively influence the course of land management in the area.
On reaching the Napo River again – a tiny, but clear rainbow appeared in the sky –
I want to thank you all, readers, followers, everyone who finds joy in my posts – it is you who make me tick…I hope to see you again next year – 2017. All the best!
Amazonas Day Two – On The Napo River
A foggy morning, but no wind, only the sounds of the rainforest and the river. After a divine breakfast at the lodge by the lake, we started off early heading for the parrot lick.
Unfortunately the traffic on the Napo River also brings long vehicles for the oil business here…They told us that the oil people are building a road across the Amazon forest. We had read about it, but now we could even see the trailers and the flames. This just makes me feel so helpless…Their government had promised not to give in to big business – but money always wins over nature and our life on this beautiful planet. So far. Maybe one day, when everything is dead and gone…
Finally the fog lifted, and we could admire the parakeets using the clay to neutralize the poisonous metals in their food. Notice the one hanging upside down!
Friendly people washing
Great Egret
Spoonbills
Howler monkey
We continued canoeing to a village on the other side of the river. Here a women’s collective worked to inform about the old ways of living, the life of the Amazon indigenous people and of their cooking, art and craft.
Overall view
Cooking was, and mostly is, the mothers’ task. This was made for us – Yucca, fish baked in leaves, sugar canes, roasted nuts and baked banana. Totally Delicious!
Demostrating fishing tools
Fausto Andi was born and raised in the rainforest, and could tell us about everything from his childhood. This wivel he ate fresh…alive and kicking…
…but not curare. The cotton is used to fill up the pipe and give a smooth flight to the thin arrow
He hit the pumpkin – of course!
Goodbye to the shy and gentle ladies!
Back to the lodge for some lunch – and then on to our next adventure!
Thursday Thoughts – To Paradise and Back Again
So, I have been to Paradise – and back again. From Sweden to Amsterdam and then to Quito. After a couple of interesting days in beautiful world heritage, Quito Old Town, we flew down to the Amazon basin, Coca.
From Coca 1 1/2hour by motorized canoe on the Napo River …
Then 30 minutes hiking on jungle boardwalk before the last bit in a paddle canoe.
There was a slight drizzle, but we saw an abundance of flowers and birds already on this short way before reaching the lodge.
At Sacha Lodge we were welcomed by our hosts. The Lodge had rooms for 65 guests, but at the moment we were only 13-14. Lots of space and attention from our excellent guides.
Our own lodge was incredibly fresh and simple, just as in my dreams – but even better!
Spacey and open – in fact no walls on one side, so both shower and bedroom were open to the jungle. The only thing to separate us from the real world was a net, with all the sounds of the rainforest and its inhabitants just two steps away…I tell you, I have never slept better in my entire life. Birds, insects and howler monkeys feasting!
I remember staying in a clay and straw hut in the Nepalese jungle of Chitwan, in 1986, with giant spiders covering the ceiling and lizards and rats owning the mud floor. I did not sleep anything at all…even if I was young and brave.
A short canoe ride on the little lake Pilchicocha – Stinky Turkey, the most typical of the Amazon birds
Getting dark…but oh, the sounds of thousands and the beauty of the water
Back at the lodge for some food
We saw flycatchers and kingfishers among other birds, and in the waters below our breakfast house dwells….a cajman called Lucy!
Tarantula – less adorable
On the night walk we met many animals…many crawlers (millipeeds too), possums and some spiders of gigantic size. One of the The tarantulas was a pink toed giant sitting high up under the roof of the butterfly house. We also saw a wolf spider about the same size…Crickets, grasshoppers and the world’s biggest ant – a bullet ant – who has got the worst bite in the world with terrible pain for 24 hours. ”Watch out where you put your hands” was the advice. They might walk on the same rails or twigs you happen to use…
My favourite was the charming tree frog of course…!
This was our first day at Sacha Lodge – and I just Loved every minute of it. For the next day we were promised parrots, weavers, a women’s collective, curare, arrows and local cooking, canoe through narrow rainforest waterways and maybe…anaconda.
Good night to our extremely initiated and knowledgeable guides, Pablo and Luis.
WPC: Anticipation
What I felt on the canopywalk, 40 metres up in the Amazon jungle – anticipation.
Leya 
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