Just a short boat ride from the resort is the small village called Labu Aji. Home to a small indigenous population, it’s the starting point for an exhilarating jeep ride into the jungle. Labu Aji is very traditional in make up, only recently having an electricity generator installed. The huts are of a rustic nature built on stilts with day platforms underneath in the shade. Space on the day platforms seems to be a contents between the people and their livestock.
Landcruiser tackles the track
Just through the village is the local football pitch (as it’s just near the end of summer, there’s no grass to be seen anywhere). In a barn at the end of the pitch is where we find the Amanwana transport – two classic landcruisers.
The track heads up from the village at an aggressive angle – no problem for the landcruiser or driver. As the track winds higher and higher, livestock and crops are separated by makeshift wooden fences. Nothing on the way looks permanent or very fertile in the midday heat. Reaching the end of the track, we dismount and start the short trek under the shade of trees. Ten or so minutes up the track we hit the first of several spring fed pools. Assured that better pools are yet to come, we push on. Arriving at the main set of pools, no one needs any encouragement to discard their heavier clothes and dive (or gently lower themselves) into the refreshing pool. Generally around 2 metres in depth, the water is clear and very refreshing.
Limestone waterfall
Lying face up in the water, you realise that you’re not the only ones enjoying the limestone pools. Several macaque monkey sit comfortably in the trees watching their fellow (if not larger) cousins enjoying the cool water.
The reason for their attention becomes clear once we exit the pool and return to the fruit buffet and coconut set out by our guides. Suitably refreshed we set back of down the track to the village.
