- Walk to the observation platform at the Lehmlecke early in the morning and wait
- Watch a pair of yellow-breasted macaws and later over a hundred whiskered peccaries
- Handicraft workshop for indigenous jewelry at Camp Berraco del Madidi
The breakfast buffet is waiting at 6 a.m. and then you can start another jungle tour. This morning we should go to the nearby clay lick, a popular meeting place for all kinds of wild animals. Due to the indiscriminate consumption of fruits, many forest dwellers have to neutralize their stomachs with minerals. Constant companions are initially the deafening calls of the male howler monkeys. We see a specimen briefly in the canopy of leaves 40 meters above our heads. The animal tracks at the smaller mud hole are unmistakable. A little further there is the larger open area, where the Observation platform stands.
We climb the platform at a height of about 4 meters and begin to wait. Some Yellow-breasted Macaws shorten the waiting time. In the distance, Sandro repeatedly makes the sounds of Whiskered peccaries out. The clay lick is also a meeting point for wonderful butterflies in a wide variety of colors. The huge, blue morpho butterfly.
When, after waiting three hours, we want to start our way back slowly, the peccaries come after all. And what a group! The big area is after hours of silence suddenly full of wild boar. An unbelievable one, though not odorless Experience! And more and more peccaries are coming! Sandro has over 80 adults, plus numerous young animals and other pack members who are only just arriving. Overall, the imposing group of around 150 animals be big. A horde, which dangerous even for a jaguar can be. Speaking of jaguar, on our way to the clay lick we have fresh scratch marks discovered what Sandro's estimate must have been made in the course of yesterday afternoon or evening.
The stinky pigs wallow with relish in the mud without noticing our presence. A few times a group panic breaks out and everyone runs into the thicket. After a while the pigs move on and we make our way back.
Back at the camp there is another celebratory meal followed by a siesta. Alain is on his way back to Rurrenabaque. Incidentally, he is said to have seen two giant otters on the way back! We use the time to shower, write a diary and read.
At 3:30 p.m. stands Craft lesson at. Sandro leads us into that local craftsmanship a. While he is one for us traditional necklace manufactures, Niki and I are with the Grinding a finger ring busy from hard palm nut. With different thicknesses of sandpaper, the rough surface can be turned into a beautiful, shiny black wooden ring. The chain also consists of a palm nut and different colored seeds.
Soon it will be time for the evening feast. We'll talk to Sandro a little longer before going to bed early.
