28th September – Mayuna lodge - bed time.

We have just dined on fresh river piranha. They are not very meaty and reminded me a little of white bait on a much larger scale with much larger, sharper teeth. They were red bellied piranha which we caught on a fishing trip this afternoon. We went to an area just a few kms upriver from our lodge that Naycer called the ‘pond’. It was still the same river, but here is where the majority of the piranha’s hang out apparently. We stopped our boats and were given a quick lesson on line fishing. I couldn’t help noticing that two dogs were swimming across the river, but then I’ve learnt now – if Naycer doesn’t look worried, I don’t either – and I know he loves animals so he’d never let them come to any harm. Back to the job in hand then. I’ve only ever fished once - it was in England with my boyfriend and some of his work mates. It was nice to spend the day on the boat, but it was very smelly and I kept on pricking my fingers with the fish hooks. I also felt sorry for the fish. Silly I know – ok if I eat them but can’t do the dirty work. I wondered whether I’d find myself feeling sorry for the piranhas. I think we all know the answer to that. Anyway, every single time any one of us put our lines in the water there was a massive tug within 2 seconds. Most of the time the little shits just ran away with the bait (which by the way was raw pork - aren’t humans supposed to taste a little like pork?) Tim caught two and was scaring the life out of me because he insisted on taking the fish off the hook himself, while everybody else was sensibly leaving it up to Naycer. You have to see these things’ razor teeth chomping away while you are trying to take a hook out of their mouths to be able to appreciate the very real fear of losing the top of your finger. Anyway after a million tries I finally caught two. The first one I am currently digesting and the second one got put back in, because he was just a baby.

I’m sat at the little desk in our cabin. It’s way too early to sleep – even though we have been getting up at 6am each morning to go bird watching. If you are a light sleeper I would not recommend the jungle. Throughout the day there are all sorts of wonderful noises. Some of them we have learnt to recognize, but it's at night as the sun sets when the party really gets going. The moment night falls an orchestra begins to play and does not stop all night long. I allow my imagination to run wild and imagine them having wild parties in the trees. I wonder what kind of Amazonian Ecstasy they are all on. I want some. I wish I had a DAT with me. I tried to record the sounds on my mobile but only got hiss.

The loudest sound is the hissing. I think from grasshoppers and crickets and cicadas. Then there's the beep, beep, beep that you often hear in southern Europe from the fire flies. Then there's a constant squeaking sound. Do you remember having a plastic squeaking toy? That's exactly what it sounds like – no idea whether it’s insect or bird. Then there is the chirping of a million birds. There's something that whistles in a low, hollow tone for 8 beats and then stops for 10 seconds before sounding again. There are the horn screamers - they sound like a cross between a donkey and a goose. I laugh every time I hear them. They are amazing birds, huge black creatures - the largest bird species in this area. There is something that sounds a little like a seagull only it goes eeup and then eeoo in a lower tone. As soon as it sounds it is followed by what sounds like a bird laughing...ah ah ah ah. Then there is another sound - I think from a bird - that is a bit like a wolf whistle or someone saying wow wee. Another goes weeuw, weeuw and another bird (I assume) that goes diup di up up up up, di up, di upupupup. Percussion accompaniment is performed by the frogs. Many croak like normal frogs. There are five different types, all croaking in unison but all with their own distinct sound. Others sound like wooden pegs being racked with a baton. I absolutely adore that sound. Apparently the smaller the frog the louder the sound it makes. Add to that monkeys screeching every now and again and you really do have a deafening silence. It is so bloody loud. Of all the amazing things I have seen I think it is the night time sounds that I'll remember most. Three weeks ago I was trying to sleep to the sound of traffic and drunks on Haverstock Hill. Now I’m sleeping soundly in the middle of a Discovery Channel documentary. Sweet dreams.