It's a Jungle Out Here

So, here we remain, waiting, waiting, waiting. Yesterday, before sunset, Peter and I paddled a cayuko, a traditional dugout canoe through the jungle waterways. It is neither as easy to maneuver nor as comfortable as our kayak, but it was a peaceful experience moving through the water quietly looking at birds and turtles. We spotted one bird we haven't encountered before, a limpkin. This large, speckled wading bird was shuffling through the reeds along the edge of the creek, too well concealed for any photos.

Paddling in a cayuko

Today and yesterday, while hanging out in the pool area, we had better views of the golden mantled howler monkeys. They have black faces and thick dark brown, almost black hair, accented by longer, lighter, cinammon-colored guard hairs running down both sides of their bodies. Their bodies are about two to three feet in length with tails at least that long but sometimes much longer. The tails can support their full body weight, although generally only juveniles use their tails exclusively. Adults usually use at least one other appendage when moving among the branches of the trees. It is quite entertaining to watch them latch on to a branch with their tails and then leap to another one, seeming to free-fall noisily through the leaves. Of all the New World monkeys, howlers are the largest and are the only ones classified as folivores. We watched them carefully select leaves from the top of the canopy. In some cases, they broke off a twig or small branch and consumed the leaves and then casually tossed the wood to the ground. They also eat fruit, nuts and flowers, but we have not yet observed this.

Scowling howler

Upside down howler

Howler climbing down a branch

Meanwhile, as the monkeys enjoy a life of ease and pleasure, it seems, in the jungle, Peter continues to be challenged by the boat. Yesterday, he discovered oil in the engine room bilge and traced it to the  hydraulic pumps which power the auto pilot. We have two, and only one seems to be in need of repair, but they share a lubrication system, so either the broken one must be fixed by a professional or Peter has to reconfigure the system to leave it out of the loop. Right now, he is literally manually struggling to get the bad pump free from its mounting.

I did some minor work on the hull today, but otherwise I have been quite useless and unoccupied. Tomorrow will most likely be the same.