Today started with a 0600am 30 minute dip in the freshwater pool. Refreshed I went back to the cabin, showered and we went to breakfast - being out for that half an hour makes for matrimonial harmony as John can have the bathroom to himself for 30 minutes! After breakfast we got ready for our hike around the trails surrounding the lodge.....we left at 8am as did 6 of the group who opted for a day tour of the Mangrove swamps instead. Besides Juan Carlos guiding us we had the lodge gardener with us; he knew all the local plants and wildlife and it was thanks to him we saw a lovely coloured but highly venomous pit viper at the end of the walk - it was curled up on top of a hand of growing bananas....needless to say we admired it with a long lens from a distance! The walk lasted 3 hours and was a good hike - uphill and down dale looking at plants, frogs, dragon flies, large bees and birds -an excellent combination of nature and exercise. As we were hot and steamy when we got back I decided my second stop after our room was another cooling dip in the pool before lunch- which we all dutifully arrived for at 12 noon only to find it was now 1230 ( something about New Year's Day and people needing to recover from celebrating - yet breakfast wasn't back half an hour - logical explanations not required!) The afternoon was relaxing - I spent it researching next Christmas's trip to New Zealand; on others recommendation I was looking at the walk along the Milford Track....if we go we need to book soon. I also watched the bats which live (roost)just behind the bar area and took today's photograph of one of them snoozing amidst the daily bustle of the lounge/bar - clearly it's sonar and hearing were switched off!
Late pm the rain came down as yesterday but cleared for a short while to allow us to go frog hunting with Juan Carlos - we met at 5.45pm and walked through the gardens to a place where he had seen red eyed tree frogs yesterday - we found them - took a few pictures and the heavens opened again making us beat a hasty retreat back to the lodge where we stayed until dinner.
We watched the thunderstorm and heard a small tree crash down behind the lodge.
Some of us had hoped to go on a night walk with a local guide but sadly that was cancelled due to the rain! Bed was the alternative option.....after one of Johns crosswords and listening to the sounds of the rainforest we quickly fell asleep.