Yes we did manage to drag ourselves out of bed at 5am for a 5.30 am punt in a dugout canoe around the local mangrove swamps. No idea why as neither of us are that keen on birdlife but is the No 1 attraction in Montericco – says a lot really! It was pitch black when we left as we stumbled to find Mundo the guide and then walk through sleepy country tracks dodging dogs, pigs and chickens to arrive at the small dock where our punt was waiting. Gill was horrified at how small this thing was but in for a penny, in for a punt…… Cambridge it was not! But it was really good to see the sun rise as we glided silently along the mirror smooth waters strewn with water lilies. Red and white mangroves lined the route and our Spanish came into it’s own again as we understood we were seeing green herons, blue herons, a bird with a “pica amarillo” and the rare grey collared bottle bird. We saw four eyed fish skimming across the water as if we were playing the stone skimming game.. No sign of any Caymans though – they hide away in the middle of the mangroves themselves. It was fascinating to still be able to see, 75kms as the crow flies in the distance, the volcanoes that we had become so familiar with in Antigua – all outlined in the mist as the perfect backdrop as they appeared slowly as the sun rose. Our “punter” took us through really narrow waterways, pushing the boat through thick water weeds – Gill said she felt like Katherine Hepburn in the African Queen! After such an early start the rest of the day has been spent testing the comfort of our hammocks – they pass the test.
