Tiputini... Almost

Birds were calling very early this morning and the hotel was quite as I walked around the grounds. Common Squirrel monkeys were around the hotel no doubt waiting for the breakfast food to be handed out.

Saddle-backed Tamarin

Along with the monkeys these were also frequent that morning:
Smooth-billed Ani
Spotted Sandpiper
Blue and White Swallows
Wren sp.
Snowy Egret

Great Egret

Great Egret
Saddle-backed Tamarin

The boat for the research station arrived and walking down the stairs to the boat my mother missed a step and her ankle dislocated and broke. People were very helpful and leaving our bags at the hotel we got into an ambulance and went to the hospital in Coca. This was definitely an experience to say the least. I think I know enough Spanish to get by in other countries but when I needed it most (because nobody spoke a word of English) it all disappeared from memory. After multiple X-rays an army doctor comes in. He is very nice and tries very hard to communicate with actions and simple words. He pops the dislocated ankle back into place and more X-rays show that the break is serious and needs surgery. They can't do it in Coca and say the only place is Quito but she will not be able to move for a month and couldn't fly out for at least a few weeks. We opt to take a tonne of last minute flights to get back to Ottawa for the surgery. Seven flights later we are home and I am glad she is having the surgery in a hospital with running water.

We never got to Tiputini Research Station but we will be back to finish our trip some day.