Caraca Part III

Dec. 9
I woke up this morning feel like a bag of shit. Headache, bodyache, head congestion and possible slight fever. I wasn't even that hungry but ate some breakfast. I cooked my own eggs over the wood stove. Even though I felt like crap I wasn't going to let it ruin my whole day. I still got ready and hit the trail for 2 hours. I walked slow and didn't go far, I just felt too terrible. I got hungry later and ate lunch and then lied back down. I slept for a bit but woke up and didn't feel any better. I indeed had a fever of 100F. I needed something so I got up to go find someone. I asked a guy who I thought was a priest. He was the right guy to ask. He took me to the 'pharmacy' down the hall and gave me 4 pills, 2 now, 2 before bed. I took them and read and relaxed in my room. By dinner time at 6.30 I was feeling loads better. I hung out for the nightly feeding and then went to sleep. I wondered what was wrong with me. I never get this sick this early in a trip.

Dec. 10
I woke feeling 10 times better than yesterday. Whatever I had was basically gone. I was hungry and wanted to get back out on the trail. I hit the trail at 9.30. I was on a 6km long trail to a cascatona, a large waterfall. Paola and Deborah had gone this way yesterday. They said it took them 3 hours each way and they saw monkeys on the way. I wasn't quite up for an epic 6 hour hike, especially after having a fever yesterday but I wanted to look for monkeys. I limited myself to hiking 1.5 hours one way and then return to be back in time for lunch. It also looked like rain again, which it has been doing off and on. The trail was nice and it was through forest the whole time. I turned around after an hour and a half and made it back to Caraca at 12.30. I didn't see any monkeys but I did see some cool flowers.
   At lunch, just like yesterday, there was a huge group of school kids here. Thankfully they only eat and then leave. They don't stay the night or hike the trails. In fact it seemed like only Deborah, Paolo and I were hiking the trails. I didn't see a single soul out in the bush. I loved this, it was like I had the whole park to myself. After lunch I took a short trail that climbed a hill for a view of the park. The top was rocky and steep and crawling with lizards. I set my pack down and tried for some photos. I sat still and was trying to photograph one lizard when to my disbelief, he started coming closer! Most lizards are skittish at best, staying still for a short time and then scattering quickly if you try to come close. Not this guy. I stayed still and he kept coming. He was literally right underneath me! This was so cool. I must stress, this never happens. Only one other time did I have a lizard approach me. I remember it clearly because of how rare an event it is. This first time was also in a transition forest in southern Madagascar. I was sitting on some rocks in my swimming suit drying off after a swim. A largish iguana, maybe 30cm long kept coming close to me. I shoed him away at first but then thought, let's see what happens if I don't move. He came right up to me, actually on top of my bare foot and was eating the flies I was attracting! I thought this was the coolest thing in the whole world. I could feel his little claws on me. I will never forget that moment. It's not often that any wild animal approaches a human. They must know the wrong human can be bad news for them.
    I could hear monkeys calling loudly to each other in the forest not far from here. I climbed down and went in that direction. I took a wide flat trail that lead to a small lake. There was a small trail up the hillside through the forest in the direction of the monkeys so I took it. The trail petered out at the top of the hill but it was shady so I took off my pack and hat and had a rest. I thought I would wait here and listen for the monkeys to call again.  I saw an interesting hairy red and yellow flower. I got into a cramped position to take a good photo of it. While I was doing this I was hearing a bit of movement in the trees but didn't look up because it was only subtle movement. When I did look up I saw there were 3 monkeys right over me! They were looking at me! I stayed still and tried to get photos. There were insects everywhere around me. Mosquitos, black flies, small flies, big flies and other things I didn't know what they were but I stayed still to get the shot. Finally it was too much and I had to move to put on my hat. This didn't bother the monkeys. Something even painfully bit me in the ass! I was itchy all over my upper body. The monkeys moved on so I followed them. They crossed the trail and so did I. The little trail I was on led into the forest just below them. I was following them cautiously when suddenly I walked into some thing painful that stopped me dead. I walked into a shin high barbed wire fence. Ouch! I later learned that there was cattle in the area and this was probably to stop them. Still it hurt. I stepped over the fence and followed the monkeys. I was able to get some decent photos and look at them with my binoculars. They had black faces surrounded by black fur but the rest of their body was lighter brown. All their fur was thick to protect against the cold winter nights. They still didn't appeared bothered by me crashing through the undergrowth beneath them. They occasionally looked at me but that was it. I didn't influence their behaviour one bit. I liked that. Obviously these monkeys haven't been hunted in a long time or ever for that matter.
    It's so funny. This morning I walk for hours away from Caraca looking for monkeys and now I see them within view of the pousada. I walk back after my encounter and take a shower to help with the bug bites. It's sunny so I wash with clothes with the hope they will dry before the sun sets.
It's friday night now and there are more people here. I don't like the nightly feeding as much now that there is 20 people here. They treat the wolf with no respect. I'm glad I'm leaving tomorrow.