The crew fit us with rubber boots. We wear long sleeves, long pants, wide-brimmed hats and abundant bug repellent. Skiffs drop us at a rickety pier and we clamber up the muddy bank, take walking sticks, and head into the jungle. Our naturalist warns against touching the foliage that presses in on us, some with barbs, poisonous sap or camouflaged insects. The canopy shades out the sunlight and we see only a few feet into the dense growth.
We gawk at the jungle’s giants and marvel at the designs of the tiniest.
We examine a tarantulla, camouflaged by fallen leaves, next to the path we walk on.
The tiny frogs are adorable. Some
are poisonous,
some merely colorful.
A boa constrictor hangs from a branch at eye level. Our photographer shows us the dent in his camera from a 
boa who snapped at him when he got too close.
And here is a smallish anaconda relaxing, wrapped around a tree. He is motionless as we surround him to take his photo. Good!
Another excursion to a private reserve takes us into the canopy 
on walkways strung from tree to tree. They sway as we walk and we clutch the metal cords that 
keep us high above the jungle floor. One at a time, please!
Local artisans are ready with their wares by the time we get back to the skiffs. We wonder at the knowledge that allows them 
to survive in this harsh (to us) environment where we wouldn’t last a day.
What an adventure!
It’s great to be there with you. Thank you. Jane G.
Thanks for coming along, Jane. Sharon
Grammy,
It was Lucho you showed us the dent in his phone. Jeff was in a different group.
Love you
Dear Amazon Emma – Good for you! Keep an eye on foreign writes to keep it honest. XXXX