Amazon Cruise

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Geo: -0.460702, -76.9884

LAN A320 to Coca, 30min flight landed at 1045. All very efficient, our Quito guide handed us over to the Anakonda rep at Quito airport and we were met coming off the plane and driven a short way to the wharf. After a briefing we boarded a large fibreglass canoe and motored downstream for 90min to the vessel.

We have two local guides whose English is understandable, and only 8 passengers - 4 from Ecuador, an older American couple and us. So we are rattling around in the 18-cabin riverboat. We cruised downstream till about 1830. This covered half of the 240km distance of the cruise, over the next few days we will spend time going into lagoons and up tributaries to spot wildlife. Downstream the boat makes about 12 knots, and 6+ knots going upstream.

First night Rob and I were the only takers for a jungle walk. Avel took us along a vehicle track then into the jungle following an abandoned community track for about an hour. We saw frogs, spiders, stick insects, an owl, a giant butterfly and a small colony of bats in a culvert. Avel also caught a couple of small freshwater fish with his hands that he plans to use as bait to fish for catfish.

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