Our second excursion involved a very long and steep day hike to one of the most well-known spots in the park, the Cachoeira da Fumaça, a very tall waterfall and the second highest in the country. It's kind of strange little waterfall in that it's so high that the wind sprays most of the water into a mist before it actually reaches the ground.
This day we were placed with a new guide and several new tourists including a German student, a Japanese student, a British student and a Brazilian guy from São Paulo. The first part of the hike was straight up which was made a little more challenging by the hot temperatures and the strength of the sun. I was sucking on my camel back water pack like crazy and the other tourists were fascinated by it - they had never seen anything like it before which surprised me. The Japanese student admitted to thinking that I was taking supplemental oxygen instead of what I was doing which was just drinking water through a plastic hose.
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| Peeking over the steep edge to see the waterfall |
After lots of picture taking and lunch at the top we started back down. The descent back to the van was made much more enjoyable by a few stops to purchase homemade fruit popsicles by vendors on the side of the trail. There was also a little bit of drama when a cobra crossed right in front of us on the trail. Our guide said that cobras are the most common snake in the park and that they aren't too dangerous unless they are antagonized or afraid. He also said that everyone in the area has access to the anti-venom which was also comforting to hear.
When we were dropped back off at our hostel we all decided to go out even though we were tired. Erica and I met with the Dutch girls for dinner and drinks and it was fun to hear about their day and their future travel plans.
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| An agouti sighting |
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| Looking for some interesting nightlife with new friends |
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