Mostly from deep in the rainforest

Howler monkeys, Nariva swamp.
Blue/green macaws, Nariva
Deep in the mangrove swamp, Nariva
The "Usual Suspects" Nariva. Lto R Pat and Mike from El Lobo, Dick, Pam and Jim from Delicado
A white faced capuchin monkey...better photos to follow soon!
Oh boy is it starting to get HOT here! Yesterday’s forecast gave 102degF and I think it may have reached that temperature really early….a day to stay inside the air conditioned boat and sort out stores and charts etc. I’m so glad the day before was gentler as this was the big “day out”; the long trip to the South of the island and the Nariva swamp, a conservation area where we went to see macaws and monkeys and anything else that may have passed our way…caiman, manatees, toucans, anacondas for example…. we didn’t see these elusive creatures or there would be photographic evidence!! Still, I’m sure we passed some by quite closely in the very dense mangrove……..

We had set off in the taxi bus at 5am to catch the tide in the mangrove swamp (and the animals and birds while they were active before the day got too hot) and it was well worth the long tiring ride there and back as you can see in the photos.

We saw scarlet bellied macaws and the blue/green macaws (which are well known as pets) flying overhead in pairs and screeching loudly. We also saw lots of other birds which I now have in the life list in my head and which I have tried to photograph badly but which might not be of much interest to non birders! Among our group of the “usual suspects” on this trip is a very keen birdwatcher, Aussie Dan (with Yolande) from yacht Jacana. He has a notebook in which he writes down each new species and I think most of us have now started to watch closely as we pass through anywhere and everywhere we go. Trinidad has an unbelievable variety of birds and animals. The dawn chorus here in the boatyard is wonderful.

As well as the birds, we got incredibly close to the white faced capuchin monkeys who were gorging themselves on the mangoes and throwing twigs down to us. One of them, a young one, was extra bold and playing a game of dare to get as close as possible. We all managed to get some great photos,(even me!) though the best shots here are down to Jim from Delicado….Thanks again Jim!

After the capuchins, we trekked deeper into the rainforest to find the howler monkeys. They live all around us here in Chaguaramas and we can hear them bellowing away high up in the trees but they are almost impossible to see. In the Nariva Swamp however it was possible to get right up underneath them….the noise is incredible. They were basically yelling at us to go away which we eventually did of course. Apart from birds and monkeys, there were many very large and brilliantly coloured butterflies….. I shall have to look them up when I’m in Guernsey I think.

I’m hoping to do another trip before flying back to Guernsey next week, this time to see the turtles egg laying and/or the hatchlings making their bid for the ocean. It’ll be another long trip, this time at night. We’ll see…..

We have a good social life here in Chaguaramas as many boats stay here for some time for the hurricane season and so crews get to know each other. There is something going on just about every evening….BBQs, trips to the cinema, etc and very cheap day trips to shopping malls and supermarkets. The prices are good too, still the lowest so far in the Caribbean I’ve seen. I think the pound may be improving slightly too against the dollar though I have hardly any idea what is going on in the outside world these days……. I hadn’t heard about Michael Jackson until the news was at least 24 hours old!!

Today is slightly cooler than yesterday at 91degF and it looks as though it may rain later. We are going to a BBQ later so I hope it stays dry and also because the rain brings out the biting beasties especially in the evenings…..I’m only just getting over last week’s attack by a squadron of mosquitoes……I have used up all the seriously strong insect repellent bought in St Lucia and am on the hunt for anything with an extra high DEET content as it’s the only one that works….ebay here I come!!!