 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
We take the boat down the canal and then make our way further inland and upland by van and by a tractor-drawn wagon to a solitary spot at Magsasay. We have the place all to ourselves. Except for the animals that continue to wake us at the break of dawn (sometimes before). The “alarm clock” is the hoarse cry of howler monkeys, the crowing of roosters or an enchanting mix of tropical birdsong.
The nights are refreshingly cool, providing quite a relief to the muggy nights at the coast. The days, however, are still very warm but we cool ourselves in a babbling brook. One early morning we don rubber boots for a walk in the rainforest before it gets too hot.
Some of the animals we see are well camouflaged, blending in with the surrounding scenery. We spot a brown frog that looks just like dry, dead leaves. Because he thinks he is more or less invisible, he sits completely still. Unfortunately for the little guy we spot, he has chosen to camp on a bright green lichen-laden tree trunk, so with his brown colour he sticks out like a sore thumb.
Other animals use a different strategy. They advertise themselves with bright colours in psychedelic combinations to warn predators that they are poisonous, such as the charming little “blue jeans frog” – a bright red poisonous frog with blue legs that is often seen hopping underfoot. On our rainforest walk we also spot two green macaws mating.
