Images of the Amazon Jungle

On February 13, 2018 By Isobar ExpeditionsIn Photo Challenge, South America5 Comments

Spending several days in the Amazon Jungle was one of the most interesting experiences we have ever enjoyed. There wasn’t a day that went by that we didn’t see something truly special, but at times we saw so much that it was overwhelming. If you can imagine, we took well over 1,000 photos while we were in the Amazon, so every time we go through our pictures, we remember something different about the trip. It almost seemed that every hour of the day, which started before dawn and lasted until after the sun would set, offered its own unique experience. Without these photos, we could never truly absorb all that we saw and the feelings that they invoked. Even with all of the pictures that we took, there were still a hundred other memories that couldn’t be photographed, but were still part of the experience. Hearing the howler monkeys in the pre-dawn hours, smelling the musky smell of the river, listening to the rain patter against the trees in the canopy, and the feel of the humid air that surrounded you at all times were all just as much a part of the adventure.

Although there are were several specific excursions that we did with our nature guide, such as climbing above the rainforest canopy, seeing the parrots at the salt licks, and visiting a local indigenous tribe, there were moments in between that were just as memorable. For this week’s Cee’s Fun Foto Challenge, anything with the letter Z, we have selected several photos that exemplify those unexpected surprises in the Amazon. Obviously, it is still just a sampling of what we saw during such an amazing trip.

Can You Predict the Future?

On October 26, 2017 By Isobar ExpeditionsIn Photo Challenge, South America14 Comments

Whether or not you believe that certain people have a sixth sense, we are firm believers that people should trust their gut feelings. There have been times in our lives when we have had a sense that something had occurred and found out that those were true. Sometimes it isn’t anything magical, it is just a matter of using a little common sense, life experience, and trusting your senses. If you are in a strange city and get off of the main streets at night and get the feeling that someone is watching you, it isn’t a stretch to think that something bad might happen to you and that you should turn around and try to get to a more populated area. Traveling puts you on edge as it is, so it isn’t uncommon to get that nagging feeling that something is going to go wrong. A flight will be delayed and you will miss your connection. The taxi driver isn’t taking you to where they are supposed to or they are purposely taking a longer route to run up the bill. These feelings aren’t a bad thing, they make you more aware of your surroundings, make you plan for unexpected changes, and will ultimately make you a more confident traveler.

When we were in the Amazon Jungle, there was definitely no telling what we would see every time we rounded the next bend of the river or trail. Obviously, we were with experienced guides, so that definitely gave us confidence. All the same, we knew that we could come across anaconda snakes, caiman, poisonous frogs, snakes, spiders, and other insects. This week’s Cee’s Fun Foto Challenge is things that start with the letter J and are at least six letters long. We have chosen photos from the Jungle from both our trip to Bolivia last year as well as our trip to Ecuador this year.

Getting Above It All

On October 10, 2017 By Isobar ExpeditionsIn South America4 Comments

One of the favorite things that we did during our time in Ecuador was to climb up a twelve story tower in the rainforest to watch for wildlife. Like most days that we spent at the Napo Wildlife Center in the Amazon, we were woken up at 4:30 am to have a quick breakfast and jump into a canoe to paddle to our destination. Obviously, the best times to see wildlife anyplace is at dusk and dawn when animals are most active and the same is true of animals in the jungle.

Once we beached our canoe, it was a relatively short hike through the forest to reach the observation tower. Standing at the bottom of the tower will certainly test any potential fear of heights, but it was an easier climb up the stairs than we had at first anticipated. We climbed up through the tree tops as well as the fog and arrived to see an amazing view of the jungle below us. It didn’t take long for the group to start spotting birds. The goal was to act as a team, each of us looking through binoculars and zoom lenses searching for motion that might be from an animal. Once someone saw something, our guides would point their telescopes at it and determine what we were looking at.

We were able to see so many amazing animals from macaws, toucans, and various monkeys. Overall, during our time in the jungle, we saw over 52 types of birds, 5 different monkeys, 2 tree sloths, as well as caimans. We weren’t able to take photos of everything because of the denseness of the forest, but we will treasure our memories of seeing them forever. We had several wonderful adventures during our time in Ecuador, but this day was definitely one that was extremely memorable.