From Belém, I took the weekly flight to Cayenne, French Guiana. Trying to get around there without a car was almost impossible, especially since the country's only bird guide was unavailable at the time, but I found the lovely little Amazone Nature Lodge, slap bang in the jungle, who were able to offer a package including transfer from and back to the airport. This is more of a research station with little information available about what I could see there, so I was pleased to discover a lek of White-bearded Manakins, of which I'd only ever seen females before.
I had a lovely cabin with a view of nesting Red-rumped Caciques and Orange-winged Parrot, and spent a lot of time just sitting on the veranda soaking up the sights and sounds. Bathroom visits were a bit of an adventure sit it was located in a little outhouse, complete with a Giant Broad-headed Treefrog living under the rim of my toilet!
A Black Curassow was in the big tree next to my cabin one morning and walks in the forest provided brief views of both Harpy Eagle and the ultra-shy Grey-winged Trumpeter, which I even managed to photograph through the foliage. It took me until my final morning to finally see a stunning Golden-headed Manakin, one of my main targets, and I noticed this beautiful Thereus sp right in the lodge clearing just as I was about to leave.
My stay there was far too short and the cuisine was phenomenal so I'd love to go back and can strongly recommend staying there should you ever visit French Guiana.
