Two Excursions of a Special Kind

Last night, I participated in a “Frog Tour” that Mariano had recommended to me. At first, I was rather reserved, as I could hardly imagine what to expect. However, just after ten minutes, I was completely fascinated. This was largely due to the fact that I was the only participant, and my guide, Geiner, had a notably pleasant way of talking about the rainforest and its inhabitants. His knowledge about the animals and plants we encountered was impressive.

At this point, I want to emphasize: All (!) the photos you see here were taken with my phone camera – we were that close to the animals!

The tour began at a parking lot, thus in immediate proximity to civilization. Therefore, it was all the more amazing how diverse even the green strip between the parking lot and the neighboring property could be. Geiner was equipped with powerful flashlights, laser pointers, and a telescope, and he seemed to have a playful ease in discovering and making visible a variety of animals in the dark.

Today, despite the continuous rain, I took a ride in the surrounding area, which Mariano and his wife promptly joined. Even though we were only moving at a slow pace, my heart skipped a beat a few times. We traversed over sticks and stones, up and down muddy, slippery slopes, and several times through the river, which, due to the heavy rainfall, had so much water that it reached the horses’ bellies.