It also rained, as it should in every good rain forest. The problem with the rain was that the leeches came out the next day. Our faithful guide book had warned us about this, but I didn't see how leeches could really be a threat. But now I know. They stuck their heads up looking for my blood. As we fled through the forest, they crawled on our shoes and we flicked them off as we went.

When we finally got to the stream and took our socks and shoes, I discovered one on my sock, and Zac had one under his sock, already bloating with the fresh blood. Zac went and asked a nearby boat guide for his cigarette lighter to get the leech off. When that didn't have an immediate affect, the guide put his cigarette ash on the leech, and it quickly let go. So we are now survivors of a leech attack. Don't underestimate the threat.