Las Guacamayas I - Hiking in the Rain Forest.

We spent two nights and part of three days in Guacamayas - living on the edge of this huge protected selva - rainforest. Only a wide, steady, chocolate brown river separated us. From our "centro ecoturistico" we took a 2 hour hike through the jungle guided by a Guatemalteco named Cesar. Really nice, well informed, and interesting in sharing and learning. We saw tons of ants (of course, they are everywhere!), howler monkeys (saw and heard), saw the prints of javelin (which can attack when provoked - climbing wet slippery, smooth, branchless, completely vertical trees was our escape route. Fortunately we didn't need one on this hike), tracks of rare, endangered jaguar (!!!), stickbugs, butterflies, and of course, tons of plants and trees, some of them enormous.

One night at Guacamayas was interrupted by howler monkeys, just outside our window, reminding us all that this is really their territory - not ours. The males and females apparently both roar. If you didn't know it was a monkey, you might think that it was a jaguar or perhaps a dinosaur.  Very loud, very deep, very aggressive (sounding), and, frankly, a little intimidating. That said, the monkeys are not aggressive at all toward humans.

Our other night was interrupted by a wild tormenta - an electrical storm lasting several hours and delivering a biblical deluge of ray. Our electricity went out almost immediately (which meant our fan stopped). The thunder was at times very close, literally gut-shaking, and continuous - at times we heard thunder rolling across the forest without interruption for minutes at a time. Though safe and dry, the flashes and thunder was still a little harrowing.

This was home for a few days - palm-leaf roofed palapas, raised on stilts, mosquito-netting on the inside (!!), with our door opening to the river.

Lots of neighbors - this is a giant grasshopper.

This was a GREAT place for birding - parrots, macaws, tanagers, eastern meadowlarks, flycatchers, grackles (of course, they are everywhere), hawks, etc.

So these are the scarlet macaws (our little camera did them little justice. They were the original inspiration for developing this camp - to protect a dwindling population. The local people applied to the government to set up a protection/restoration program and asked for funding. Today, the guacamayas, or scarlet macaws were easy to see, usually flying in pairs between the big trees. These birds are stunning, especially in flight - vibrant reds, blues, and yellows that burst out against the green landscape. Truly fantastic, almost dreamlike.

I grabbed these two photos off the web, just to give you an idea of how magnificent these birds are. Large, bold, loud.

L and J investigating un arbol de canela - a cinnamon tree in a reforestation plot.

The nose piercing is an ancient Mayan custom. You know, "when in Rome..."

This is Jeremiah's belly - we figured belly piercings were probably de moda in Mayan times as well.

Butterflies were everywhere in Chiapas, often very colorful, sometimes in dozens at a time.

 OK, so these next images are from our 2 hour walk in the forest.  Our guide was Cesar, a Guatamalan. Super interested, interesting, knowledgeable. He wore short-sleeves and no bug repellent, and jeans. The bugs didn't bug him anymore. He said they wouldn't both us either after 3-4 months living here. We also emerged from our walk soaked, mostly as a result of the heat and humidity. Cesar emerged from our walk without a mark of perspiration. He assured us that would change for us too, if we stayed for a while. I am not convinced.

This is a sign that listed a bunch of the animals that live in la selva.

Ant hills. Ants are absolutely everywhere, working all the time. Their paths cut visibly to the soil across lawns, forest floors, etc. Some, as Liesl will tell you with great annoyance, have quite a bite...Despite our efforts to reassure her of all the important roles in the world ants play, she remains their sworn enemy.

A large forest butterfly. This one had a 6 inch wingspan.

We are at the base of a Ceiba tree with Cesar. Huge trees, sacred to the Maya as a connector of the two worlds - earth and sky.

Fungus-amungus I.

II.

III.

We were accompanied on our walk by vigilant howler monkeys. They seemed rather annoyed by our presence. At times, they got quite agitated - shaking the branches, throwing down sticks and leaves. They even pee-ed and pooped in our vicinity, which Cesar confirmed was a form of intimidation and insult.

More monkeys.

This is very hard to see in the photo, but this is the jaguar print! Jaguars have been revered for centuries, but today are endangered due to habitat loss mostly...

Palm fruit.

Palm flowers that preceded it.

Liesl found this scorpion on the forest floor (while she was scanning for ants of course). Cesar grabbed it and allowed it wander on his arm.

Cesar showed us how to grab the scorpion safely by the tail. JB was the only practitioner. So the next time your house becomes infested with scorpions, you know who to call.

This is a test. Find the stickbug!

These types of termite nests were all over Mexico.