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What was supposed to be the Jungle Creek river at Caves Branch is now a dry riverbed in the absence of rain. Ian Anderson showed us a photograph of the river: it's at least ten feet deep and you can swing from the ropes and jump into the water. The inhabitants of the jungle interior, both animal and otherwise, desperately await the rain. After unpacking and settling in, we decided to take a dip at the Blue Hole. The afternoon was jungle hot and humid. A swim was in order. A short walk across the highway, we followed the signs to the Blue Hole which is inside a closed park. We didn't expect the Blue Hole to be so...blue. We thought it was just a name. The water was cold and refreshing. Several small fish swam at our feet. We were content to have the Blue Hole to ourselves for the last hour before sunset. (Would you believe me if I told you I saw my first hummingbird? Ah, to grow up in New York City.) Dinner at Caves Branch is buffet-style. All of the Caves Branch guests report back to the main lodge at 6:30pm for dinner. We dined on some soup and vegetables, rice, potatoes, shrimps and pork ribs. We signed up for the Jungle Hike After Dark tour after dinner. At 9pm, we meet with Augustine, our guide for the hike. He equipped us with head lamps and bottles of water. The hike lasted for about three hours, Augustine and our head lamps showing us the way. The canopy is so thick that the stars are hidden from view. Our objective is to spot some of the nocturnal wildlife. So we keep the talking to a minimum. Though we arenīt vocal the animals clearly are. We are far from stealthy as the dry undergrowth snaps under our feet. Every so often we pause and sweep the surroundings with our lamps; bats glide overhead drawn to the insects that are in turn drawn to our lamps. Augustine grew up in the jungles of Guatemala and has been a guide at Caves Branch for a few years. He is clearly at ease and familiar with the terrain. He points out different animals along the way: tarantulas, toads, sleeping rats, roosting pigeons, jesus lizards that are otherwise camouflaged against the twigs and tree bark. But the best discovery was made by the boy -- he whispers for us to stop when he spots two red orbs high in the tree tops. We are told that they are the eyes of whatīs called a gingkachu, a nocturnal fruit-eating mammal. I wasn't too lucky: all I could find were moths.