06 April 2008 – 21:54
Jungle
As we were taken into the Tree Tops complex, it was clear that the rainforest had been slightly sanitised. For a little town has sprung around the tourist set up, with some shops, bars, restaurants, and even an internet café. This didn’t seem to really matter much as it wasn’t particularly built up, just a number of buildings dotted around either side of the river on the road leading up the hill to a series of rainforest lodges to house numerous parties of tourists.
Our lodge was set in the trees, with a couple of small office buildings and a shop, and the main building that acted as our main communal area. We would stay in our own huts, usually two to a hut. These huts were raised off the ground on stilts. Some further off the ground than others, but all looked nicely appointed and presented with a little veranda next to the entrance.
Daniel & I shared one such hut (key 103). Ours, closest to the communal building, looked a fairly new structure, and on approach looked very promising. Inside the bedroom was clean with twin beds and a stone floor. There was a fan working hard to keep the room fairly cool, although on closer inspection was actually fixed into one position making the act of cooling the room (and us) more unlikely.
We tossed our bags on our beds, and checked out the room in a little more detail. We counted three mosquitoes in the room, which wasn’t a promising start (the area isn’t listed as a high risk malaria region, but being bitten isn’t fun regardless). We’d worked out that our windows had netting on them, although the netting wasn’t particularly secure. The doors had large gaps underneath too, so we assumed that the doors and windows weren’t particularly secure from bugs, but that wasn’t our biggest problem.
As there was no protection from the little beasties outside, we asked for (and in fairness got) some nets to go over our beds. The nets weren’t new and actually covered in plasters to cover the tears, but they served a purpose (nearly).
Our big problem was when we went into the toilet (technically a wet room). We were horrified by what we saw. We found the toilet broken with yellow water in the cistern. Ants were all over the wall by the open and unprotected window, with several lines of ants marching into the sink, along with at least one other mossie that we could see. I later also spied out a gecko – but he was hiding behind the toilet – presumably sleeping off a meal of ants.
We later took turns taking a shower, but found it useless. I’ve sweated faster than the water that came out of the shower head. We found a hose that was designed to wash the wet room down (much like on the train) on the wall by the toilet and was the only really functioning water source, so even though it was very cold it became our only means of washing!
After a relaxing lunch in the communal area we were invited to go for a trek into the rainforest with a guide. There were various routes open to us, but we all chose a 2km walk up to a waterfall.
We were told to put on proper boots, walking shoes, or trainers as sandals weren’t appropriate, and it was suggested that we put on trousers as well, although because of the heat some didn’t. We later found out why.
Firstly the guide took us to a tree house. Literally a house in a tree, that presumably acted as one of the accommodation huts when the complex first opened, but I guess is now deemed a little unsafe to use. We all climbed inside to take a look, and were surprised at how comfortable the hut actually was!
From the tree house, we moved further up the hill and into the rainforest proper. Much of the trail was well marked and some sections had concrete steps, which slightly spoiled the effect of being in a wild jungle environment, but the jungle came to us nonetheless.
Leeches
Apart from it being incredibly humid, we quickly lost interest in the jungle trek, for we were set upon by leeches! These horrid little brown worm-like invertebrates usually were on the ground with their bodies waving freakishly in the air hoping to latch on to whatever moves close by (such as a foot). Within our first sighting of a leech (and screams from Katie), we sadly paid more attention to our feet and that of the person in front than the incredibly lush and varied vegetation that we were walking through..
We stopped several times when the guide spotted something of interest, such as elephant or boar/pig tracks, camouflaged geckos clinging to leaves or tree bark, and one very poisonous spider.
Halfway along we traversed a rope bridge over the river that flows close to our huts further down the trail, which was very wobbly and a welcome break from leech watching!
The trek, although interesting, was very hard work both in terms of the heat and for concentration levels on leech spotting. A few of us had actually got bitten by leeches, but their bites were painless and had occasionally gone unnoticed – particularly by me. I found two hungrily feeding on my blood, even though I thought I was being vigilant. Stephen, Rob and Adam had also been bitten, but had managed to knock off the leeches fairly quickly, but still required plasters. We later found out that our guide had a number of leeches in his shoe!
Upon our return we all checked for the leeches, and eventually rested with an evening meal and a game of cards. Some of the gang took the opportunity to have their trek fatigue removed by what worked out to be incredibly good and cheap body massages.