Day Seven: Monkey River

Birds. Monkey River.
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Robert’s Grove arranges a tour for two of the couples and me to Monkey River. The weather is overcast due to a cold front coming in from the north (apparently it has snowed in New Orleans!) and it isn’t a good beach day. We leave in a boat at 8am with our guide from the marina across the street. We cruise through the mangroves and after about 35 minutes reach the mouth of the Monkey River. We stop in the village to order lunch. The choice is baked or fried fish. I order baked. We get back into the boat and head into the river. We see a large variety of bird species (yellow crow night heron, great blue heron, great egret, snowy egret and tiger heron – identified by Jason – the birder), small crocodiles, and turtles. We also see a tree stump covered in small brown bats that blend completely in with the stump. When we land on the shore to take about a 40 minute hike, we see howler monkeys immediately. The guides can get them to scream by slapping a machete on the ground or barking at them. We also saw jaguar foot prints. This is the most mosquito-y place I’ve encountered so far. We cross a log over a very muddy stream. No one falls in. Back out of the river for lunch at our creole restaurant. The fish is excellent. On the way home we see manatees and dolphins.

Bats. Monkey River.
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We return to Robert’s at about 2. I go on a walk down the coast, in the opposite direction I went yesterday. I see some really nice houses, some really run down ones and some abandoned resorts. Again, plastic garbage lines the tide line in front of the unkempt places.

When we land on the shore to take about a 40 minute hike, we see howler monkeys immediately.

Dinner is tequila shrimp appetizer, filet minion and oreo ice cream. I ate alone but chat with my monkey river couples – 2 residents from Colorado and the photographer/othmatologist/birder and his girlfriend from Kentucky. I’m in bed by 10 like most nights.