Hey everyone,
I know it's been a while but I've been meaning to post a few more pictures from the jungle to show everyone some really cool stuff.




For example, monkeys. There were monkeys all over where we stayed~in fact there was a researcher there studying three of the four types of monkeys that hung around our lodge.

One morning, Chris and I were walking to the main lodge for breakfast and we kept hearing some animals making such a loud noise, and believe me, it sounded like daffy duck laughing at the top of his lungs in the middle of the jungle (loud!).

The researcher later told us that that is the sound they make when they are trying to act tough and protect their territory.

One of the highlights of the trip was also climbing up in the towers they have. One is about 100 feet high (30 meters) and there is a telescope that you can look through to see cool birds and stuff. Not an easy feat if you're afraid of heights ~ and some of the students were. While climbing the stairs you just saw the jungle all around you.

Well, my group saw a very cool harpy eagle and a toad that was a living example of co-evolution (see chris' earlier bio-post). The toad kept changing colors to match its surroundings and its under-belly was orange. When a student picked it up it changed colors to match her skin!


The harpy eagle is the largest and most powerful eagle that can be found in central and northern south america. We knew it was not something you see every day because our guide was really, really excited. Here's a picture of it taken through the telescope ~ make sure to click it to enlarge the photo. Our guide told us it eats small monkeys... and small children given the chance!!

The last day we climbed up a different tower (also 100 feet) where you were supposed to strap yourself to a harness and you could walk across little bridges to some look out points. The harness attached to a cable, which I guess was in case the bridge broke (although the guides didn't wear a harness so I think they were pretty secure). Actually there weren't enough harnesses for the guides and adults so chris went without and the students were saying, "Oh, Mr. Vegetarian doesn't need a harness!" very cute (our groups went separately so I didn't know chris went without the harness until after the fact).

On the other hand, I waited for my turn with a harness since I of course, have been warped by seeing all the brain injury and spinal cord injury patients at the hospital and couldn't relax thinking about my rehab potential after plummeting 100 feet to the ground with the nearest hospital a 5-6 hour boat ride away.
It's wonderful and really amazing to be up at the level of the canopy ~ which is the top of the trees.
This was really incredible ~ I don't have that many pictures yet because I didn't have my camera at the top but some of the students took pictures and are giving them to us.




And.. this picture is on the wall outside of our room. There was a little porch area where we would leave our rubber boots (and we were told to check your boots before you put them on for spiders, etc.) And we had seen a gecko somewhere else so chris was shining the flashlight on the wall and we saw not only a gecko but a tarantula on the wall ~ we checked the ceiling of our room with a flashlight before we went to sleep and it was clear.

Well, that's it for now but we're adding a link to a whole bunch of the photos chris has taken since we've gotten here since we just can't post that many in the blog entries.

More news and updates soon ~ hope everyone is enjoying the snow ~ it's been very sunny and warm here.