Rich saw a Tapir!

Hi everyone!! Sorry, know its been a while since we emailed, but we have been SOOO busy!! Well, some GREAT news..rich finally saw a Tapir!!!!!!!!! So he is really happy..so now the competition is on for the Jaguar!! We also got great views of a new type of sloth called a Hoffmans two-toed sloth..it was hanging in some vines right above one of the rooms here at the hotel in PM. It is really hairy like a normal two-toed sloth, but it is much lighter in colour. Some other news..the president came to town (to PM)!!! Well, three presidents to be exact!!! The presidents of brazil, bolivia and peru...PM was in a state of a bit of chaos..the school kids all lined the streets with flags and the army was doing parades etc..rich and i were waiting at the airport to fetch our new guests when the presidents all arrived in their private jets and then they drove right past the wasai truck..all three of them standing together out in the open on the back of a bakkie!!! What a target for a bomber!!!! Anyway, they were all coming to PM cos there is a new highway that is going to be built across the continent..right from the atlantic ocean through brazil and bolivia and all the way through PM, here in peru and then to the pacific ocean..which means that coming from cusco to PM wont be a 32hr bus ride anymore ..like we had to do!!!! But it is only going to be completed in about 5 yrs. Some other news..rich and i went with guests to visit the jaguar park here in PM..a place where they keep injured or abandoned wild animals..basically a zoo. But it was HORRIBLE...three or 4 monkeys in a small cage, 2 tapirs in nothing but a large pigpen, a young puma on a small running lead, and perhaps the worst of all..two jaguars in a huge pen about 30m by 20m if that. If was so sad to see, but i suppose its something that you would expect to see in a country like peru where there is not much money. And the worst thing is that they only charge tourists 3soles entrance.thats R6!!!!!!! But anyway, if anything, we finally got to see a jaguar..although not under the best of circumstances!! It really is an amazing animal!! Jorge got to see a jaguar the other day..on his way to the national park on the edge of the river..so he has spent the last couple of days boasting..really rubbing it in!! But someone also saw a jaguar on the walk in to lake sandoval..so i think our chances are getting better,,they say september is a good month for seeing jaguars..so hold thumbs!!! They also saw a giant anteater there the other day too! Otherwise the groups have been ok..my last group was two 26 yr old american girls..recently qualified lawyers..really nice people. And richs last group was a father and his two 30 something year old daughters who couldnt stop talking!!!!! Both richs and my group went to look for caimen on the river the one night..and rich really gave them some entertainment by jumping off the canoe and trying to pounce on an unsuspecting kapybara to catch it for them!!! He didnt manage to catch it though..it gave a loud BARK and dived into the water! He also entertained them by trying to scale a 5m bank to try and catch a snake to show them!!! The father kept on saying.."So they are crazy in africa!!!!"!!!!!!But it was really fun i must admit! Today rich has gone back upriver to with a young couple from france and germany...i have a day off so i am going back to my room to watch some cable TV with some rooibos tea that i still have left!! It is freezing again in PM today..(yesterday we almost died from the heat though!). I have to give Wilfredo an english lesson again this afternoon..rich and i have swopped assitents..mirian is now following him and wilfredo is with me. Its better that way cos mirian is always playing around, laughing ang giggling and worrying guests by getting in their way etc (and she cant paddle a boat to save her life!) and sometimes it gives the guests a bad impression, so i have given her to rich to give me a break!!! Wilfredo is much more helpful and he never gives me attitude when i ask him to do things, so i prefer having him around! But Mirian almost died when i told her she had to follow rich..she put her hand over her mouth and said in her best english "no hayley, I am scared!"..although it came out as "i are scarred!"..but i understood anyway!! Cos everyone here knows that rich really takes his guiding seriously, he wont stand for anyone who steps out of line!!! So thats going to fun to see how that turns out! Mirian is really full of herself though..she has told rosa (the boss) that she wants to guide IN ENGLISH at the end of this month..i had to laugh cos she cant even tell the difference between "who" and "why"!!!! That is also going to be fun to see!! Anyway, we are tyring our best to train the two of them, but it is just SO hard when they dont understand what u r talking to your guests about cos they dont speak english!! Anyway, i have to run, have to go and fetch my laundry quick before it closes for lunch!! Hope evryone is well! Sorry there is not much news from this side!! Maybe next time we will have seen a jaguar!!! Chow for now! LOTS OF LOVE, US

Jaguar park