Thursday, September 26th

Written by Carter Ries

It was raining when we woke up at 6AM, so instead of birding and drone-flying, we started gathering our scattered belongings and packing our tents. Callie’s black Pelican case was to be sent home early with the morning team of porters, so we had to make hard decisions about what camera equipment to do without for the day. We had been able to partially charge one drone battery using our solar panels, so we snuck in one last drone flight when the rain stopped.

We thought our photography in camp was done, but mid-morning, the mammal team returned with some exciting news: they had caught one live rat in a trap, and they wanted us to photograph it. They brought it over to a shaded area where Javier set up a photo booth, and Callie began taking pictures. She had to capture the necessary photos quickly so the rat wouldn’t become too stressed before it was released back into the wild.

By the end of the photo session, it was close to four o’clock and most of the team had left. We grabbed our gear and began our three-to-four hour hike back toward civilization. Clouds had gathered in the sky, and it looked as though it might rain, so we hurried in an attempt to outrun it. We were about halfway through the hike when the ground got muddier and muddier, to the point where it was almost impossible to walk normally.

For the most part, we all did quite well, but toward the end of the muddy path, I got slightly unlucky. I stepped forward and I could feel the mud slowly separating beneath my boot, sinking deeper and deeper. I stepped forward with my right foot to try to pull my left foot out. I tried over and over, but I was almost knee-deep in mud. Finally, I felt the mud give, and I stepped forward triumphantly only to realize that I had left my boot behind. I was now calf-deep in mud … with only my sock on.

I looked back to see if anyone had seen it. Sure enough, Callie had her phone out, and was already recording me. I struggled over to a nearby ledge to sit down and take my muddy sock off. I recovered the boot, put it back on, and rinsed the sock in a nearby puddle. Feeling defeated, I decided to just carry it back.

We finally reached the end of the hike, where our cars were waiting for us. It was a relief to put our gear down after the long slog. We jumped in the back of one of our vehicles to take one big group photo before some of the team dispersed. I know that you can’t smell people through a picture, but you can smell all of us through the one we took.

The second we arrived back at Casa Dracula, I sprinted for the nearest shower. The only issue was that it was freezing cold. Nevertheless, I got in and tried my hardest to scrub off all the dirt, but it was almost as if I had been stained by the mud. It appeared that this cleaning process would take multiple days.

(1. Arriving to our car after a long hike. 2. Even through tall, rubber boots, the mud prevails. 3. Some of our support team. 4. Leaving the area, Javier identifies a nearby plot of rainforest that has been cleared for naranjilla farming. Photos by Callie Broaddus.)

As the night crept in, we went downstairs where soup, rice, and vegetables were waiting for us. It was warm food, which is exactly what we needed. Later, I stayed downstairs to watch the expedition herpetologist, Mario Yánez, document the new species of frogs and lizards using a light box that he had not brought to the field.  

I looked over and saw another team member, Juan Pablo, also photographing frogs. He had created a natural scene using large leaves, and his subjects seemed happy to pose there. Once he had finished, I decided to give it a try, using a super-macro lens that Callie had brought to capture the smallest orchids. It was a difficult lens to use, but this was the perfect time to practice.

(Photos by Carter Ries.)

They were the most gorgeous frogs I had ever seen. One had a tan circle on the top of its head, and another had extremely vibrant blue eyes. I had a blast taking their pictures. In the meantime, Callie and Lucy had set up a second makeshift studio on the other side of the room. When I was finished, they asked Daniel and me to make sure the frog they were photographing couldn’t escape. It was a small, brown frog, and its ability to jump long distances was impressive.

After documenting many frogs, several salamanders, and even a tarantula wasp, we packed away our camera gear and headed to bed. It was nice to be in a real bed, and not have to worry about bugs crawling around me. All I can remember after getting in bed was saying goodnight to Daniel, and within two seconds of my head hitting the pillow, I was out. I am sure I talked a lot that night.