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Another early start, we walked from lodge to the canopy tower which is 32 metres tall so we were same level as tree tops, spent an hour up there watching macaws fly across. They are such beautiful birds and fly so beautifully as well. The tower looked so large and sturdy from the ground but at the top is really quite small, there was 6 of us and just enough room.
We then walked further on as we heading to mammal clay lick, along the way Pedro sighted a Harp Eagle nest, so we stopped and watched her through the telescope feeding her chick which was a ball of white fluffy feathers, quite large - even the chick looked like it could do some damage, certainly no desire to go near it.
Again in a small hut at the clay lick, waited for an hour and saw squirrel and red deer. Fascinating watching the deer as they so sensitive to any sound, extremely cautious.
Along the trails the different fungi growing is also fascinating, some are like fine tulle and we also spotting different frogs and snakes along the way as well discussions on various flora. Brazil nut trees are very common in Peru as well but because Brazil exported them first they called Brazil nuts, there is an official request in to change the name to Amazon nut.
Lunch and siesta - living this whole siesta thing (Matt, we need to maybe look into incorporating this into the work day, certain I will be far more productive).
3pm and to boat to head across river to a farm that grows various fruits and medicinal plants. Oranges, limes, mandarins, plantains, star fruit, sweet pepino, lucuma, camu camu, cherimoya and loads more. And we got to sample quite a few as well, so delicious. The medicinal plants were also fascinating, there was tree called Sangre de Grado which means "blood of the dragon", that they cut the trunk of tree to get sap which is used to heal wounds, it runs red like blood and when is rubbed on skin turns to a cream, later it dried to a waterproof film over skin.
Back to lodge for dinner and tonight's activity - YAY were going out after dinner to look for spiders!! Pedro, 2 other and I headed out armed with our torches, what is wrong with me??? I will admit I was a little scared, did not want anything touching me, YUCK!! Within in first 10 metres there sat on a leaf a giant pink-footed tarantula - it was so ugly and hairy - I got within 30cm to take a photo, actually a few photos as the first couple had serious camera shake, not sure how that happened.....
We also found a net-casting spider that knits a web net which it casts over its prey, spent a few minutes watching that one as it was very cool to see. We continued on along paths there were not really paths, climbing over fallen trees and squeezing in between foliage, the whole time I had a little mantra "no spiders on me! No spiders on me! Please, please, please!!" Serious heeby jeebies. Saw various other spiders, cicadas and frogs, oh and some bloody giant ants that would be almost the same size as my pinky finger, very nasty and painful bite apparently.
Surprisingly I slept really well, after I triple checked my bed and made sure my net was tucked super tight around mattress.
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Chandra Amazing adventures Tammy! Totally agree with the siesta ... :0)