La Cordillera Oriental

A gorgeous morning once again. We had planned installing one last camera trap near Stus property, the Orchid trail where we began our epic hike some days previous. It is too far to walk though so we will take Big Blue. Unfortunately this isnt going to work and just as we are packed and ready to take off with the students the car dies, or more appropriately never woke up. The engine wont turn over. Coral and I popped the hood and readjusted the battery wire connection stripping the cables. Then we tightened the screws, still nothing. Soon Romero comes over to help, in pity for us I can only assume, of course he has a million better things to do than help Los Gringos locos con el coche gran abuelo. Our great grandfather of a car I always tell him. He restrips more wires and tightens more connections then we take all the spark plugs out and wash them in gasoline cleaning them off and then reinstalling. Still nothing. I feel so embarrassed and frustrated, meanwhile the students are waiting atop the hill. Coral and I improvising the best we can, the usual. Finally we realize Big Blue is bone dry on oil. Perhaps this is the problem and as there is no extra oil to be found here we leave it at that for now.

Alternative plan. Return to our huge Podocarpus giant and go on a natural history hike through the cloud forest and tree climbing adventure. So it goes, me in the back going slow behind the last student Alex, who inches along slowly intermediately doubling over in horrible coughing fits. He assures us he is fine aside from this cough though I worry about him. Meanwhile we have nicknamed him Thunder Cough, most appropriate. We are all getting nicknames now it seems though I am yet to be dubbed.

Exploring that old Podocarpus giant was tedious and dangerous but the students loved it. Again we could not get the tie rope over the upper boughs obscured in vegetation and so Coral climbed the slippery roughs without a backup tie to throw one over a nearer branch far above. From there many rope ins and scurrying patient climbs up to the little tree house above while I belayed below. It must have been three or four stories and the view of the vegetation up in the branches was little different than the myriad assemblage of orchids, ferns, mosses, and bromeliads down here but it is another world. The entire forest festooned in this living sweater. A kinkajous eye view of the cloud forest!

Improvising another beautiful day.