Napo River    Click on the images below to see an enlargement

Reaching La Selva Jungle Lodge was readily accomplished with a 2.5 hour motorised canoe ride. A picnic lunch was served during the journey and plenty of cool water was available. The 3 hour return trip to Coca, at the end of our stay, included a picnic breakfast and a quick stop to pick up a local family wanting a lift to Coca.

Barges being pushed along by dedicated tugs can be seen regularly on the Napo (which becomes the Amazon and goes all the way to the eastern coast of Brazil) and are indicative of some of the pressure on this environment by oil industry activities and encroaching colonists.

Due to unusually dry weather during this winter, the Napo was lower than usual, necessitating the use of a temporary landing (and an extra 25 minute walk, carrying gear, towards the normal lodge access).

Our daily excursions included several crossings of the Napo during our 3 attempt to find parakeets and macaws at the clay licks on the other side.

Coca, an uncharming frontier town.	Heading down the Rio Napo	Rio Napo
Some signs of the oil industry	A local "hitch-hiker"		The temporary La Selva landing
	Is it a monster?	Returning from a clay lick		Last morning sunrise
Heading back up the Napo