Quick repack into one bag for the trip to the rain forest. Onto the bus to Quito domestic terminal and onto to the TAME flight to Coca. Short half hour flight, seemed to climb to the height of the Antisana volcano, and then descended through the cloud and prepared to land at the oil town of Coca. The landing approach was over a town of corrugated iron roofs.

Quick pick up, and transfer to the Sacha Lodge terminal by the river where we had a sandwich lunch and a quick briefing before boarding the 3 outboard motorised glass fibre canoe. The canoe sat three abreast and was covered to protect from the sun. The trip down the river Napa was fast and fun, though for Stephen a tad on the damp side with the spray. The river was over 500 meters wide, and with odd islands and sand banks. The boy racer driver swerved from side to side keeping to the currents and avoiding debris to get us to our destination in well under 2 hours. On the trip we saw several river side villages and docks for the importation of oil drilling equipment. There was one oil well with a gas flare close to the river.

On arrival at the Sacha Lodge landing stage we walked on a board walk away from river for about 30 minutes to a small oxbow lake called Pilchicocha. On the walk we spotted our first monkeys, Red Howlers, difficult to photograph, but I do have face shot in the forest canopy.

On reaching the oxbow lake we boarded small canoes to be transported to the lodge. We were welcomed at the lodge with a drink and an introduction to our guides. We were then taken to our rooms, thatched wooden buildings on stilts. Our luggage was all ready in our rooms when we got there. The rooms were double bedded, with open windows netted against the mosquitoes. Bathroom with hot water. Veranda with hammock.

The activities on the first day were limited, we met our guide for a tour of the butterfly farm just before dusk. Here they breed butterflies, sending the larva around the world by DHL.

In the evening we had a few beers and dinner, sitting in small groups with our naturalist guide.  Dinner was an excellent 3 course affair with plenty of choice.