We woke up early (6:30) to get a good start to the day. After breakfast, we took off upriver. But not before getting a picture of our lovely guide Hernan.
We weren't following a trail because there was no trail to follow. Instead, we were following the river. We ended up having to boulder hop wearing our flip flops. That was an interesting experience, to say the least.
Early that morning, the other guide had to leave. Patti, a nice Brazilian girl, had asked us if it would be okay to tag along with us. Of course we said yes.
We followed the stream upriver. Hernan had told us that we were going to hike to see a vista. We were happy to follow him across logs and over rocks and through pool of clear water, all while enjoying the awesome scenery:
After about an hour and a half later, we arrived at an awesome waterfall, where we stopped to take a rest.
Little did we know that we weren't there to just look at the pretty waterfall. We were there to scale it. While talking with Hernan, we found out that the trail continued at the top of the waterfall. In order to get to the top of the waterfall, we needed to get ourselves up a nearly vertical cliff, slick with water and moss. When Hernan pointed to our route, we thought he was kidding. But he was dead serious. I kept notes on what we did each day on this trip.
The entry for what follows simply reads, "And then things got crazy."
To start off, we climbed up the hill to the right of the waterfall we had just visited. Although steep, the trail was cakewalk compared with what was to come...
To start off, we climbed up the hill to the right of the waterfall we had just visited. Although steep, the trail was cakewalk compared with what was to come...
The first hurdle came when we needed to leave the trail we were on and go straight up about five feet or so, in order to get ourselves to the base of the cliff Hernan was planning for us to scale. Although it doesn't sound like much, let me tell you that even this first obstacle was very difficult. Hernan found us a "ladder" to help us out, which was really nothing more than a five foot stick with a notch at one end. Not only that, but the platform we had once we did get up the mini cliff was ridiculously small and slick. I kid you not: at one point a scorpion ran out from beneath a rock while we were all trying to get up. Jo did pretty well getting up. I essentially had to be dragged up by sheer force, which resulted in a very muddy, and very worried, Chelsea. If this first part was so difficult, how were we going to make it to the top of the waterfall?
Well, it turns out that we weren't going to make it up to the top of the waterfall. Hernan, to say is plainly, is crazy. In his mind, it was a perfectly sane and reasonable request to ask the three of us to climb up 25-30 feet of slick, vertical cliff, using nothing but a vine hanging off the side of said cliff. No safety ropes, no previous training. Just a foolhardy confidence that 1.) our arm muscles would not give out midway up 2.) the vine does not break and 3.) we wouldn't fall to our deaths trying to get up to the top of the waterfall. Now, I'm a stubborn person who hates giving up, and Jo's the same way, but I know my limits, and this was just crazy. I'm not exaggerating when I say just how insane it would have been to try to make it up this cliff. We tried our best, but I threw up my hands on this one, and we had to turn back.
Soooo, instead of going to the lookout point, we continued on upriver. Luckily, there was a plan B. There was another waterfall Hernan wanted us to see.
The next waterfall ended up being just as beautiful, if not more so, than the first. It was much taller, and had a nice pool of cold water to swim in.
After lounging and swimming and admiring for an hour or so, we headed back to the camp.
We rested for awhile, but Hernan offered to take us on another trip after lunch. Patti stayed behind, but Jo and I were ready for more. So we hiked up the hill behind our campsite...
And then back down the other side...
Until we reached yet another little valley. We followed the river.
Until we forked off into a side canyon, which ended up being full of bats and snakes. (Well, a snake.)
It got narrower and narrower, until we were in a slot canyon of sorts. What was at the end of the slot canyon was what turned out to be the most fantastic waterfall imaginable. It was really dark and the cameras wouldn't pick up the waterfall, but it was like a hidden dream. Absolutely beautiful. Jo couldn't resist getting into the pool at the bottom, so of course I joined him.
Both of us were sad to go. The last waterfall was hands down our favorite, but it was getting late and it was time to head back. So, off we went...
Dinner that night was a use-up-most-of the remaining ingredients dinner. It was our last night in Amboro and we were very sad.
So, we decided to take advantage by going on a night walk to see what sort of creepy critters we could find lurking around in the dark...
A huge walking stick. |
Grasshopper looking thing. |
A net-throwing spider. |
Tiny frog. |
Another grasshopper. |
And this nasty thing with a hundred legs and huge antennaes. |
After an hour or so, we headed back to the tent to get some shut eye. The biggest, nastiest spider ever may or may not have climbed out of my bag and onto my hand, and I may or may not have screamed and insisted Jo find it before I would step foot into the tent again.
That is all.
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