It was six in the morning and the sun was already shining on the horizon. This was only a good omen that it was promising to be a great day with new Amazonian adventures!
As soon as we finished breakfast, guests were boarding the skiffs ready for our morning adventure in the Pacaya River. Guests were looking slightly different today compared to the previous days, we had on t-shirts and shorts, which were not exactly the regular clothing when we visit this region. An hour and a half away from our ship’s present location, a clear water lagoon has the most inviting settings for swimming, and it was our intention to reach it!
The skiffs can reach an amazing speed and it was nice to simply enjoy the landscape as it went by, as well as the nice morning breeze blowing in our faces. Once in a while we went to a sudden stop to enjoy some of the wildlife that spontaneously appeared along the way.
The Pacaya River is one of the richest wildlife locations in the Pacaya-Samiria Reserve, and that is why it was not surprising for us to find new species foraging within the forest.
First were the hoatzin birds, which by large numbers were found jumping from branch to branch giving us all spectacular views. The howler monkeys were another of the sightings, and their red-colored fur gave them away easily, even in the distance. At some point, a group of “monos negros” or brown capuchin monkeys were also found foraging one of the abundant cannonball trees of the area. This was perhaps one of the most exciting of all the sightings, as brown capuchins rarely stay around once sighted, but these were very relaxed!
Once in the lagoon area, it felt extremely good to jump in the warm waters of the Amazon. The landscape was good enough, but it became even better with the presence of multiple pink dolphins.
Our afternoon was dedicated of the exploration of a different river known as Zapote. This river gets its name by the main village of the area, where we stopped briefly to see their handicrafts.
Colorful birds and the dense foliage of the forest bathed with the afternoon light was the common denominator of the afternoon, and we couldn’t help but feel privileged to be surrounded by the tender arms of our Pacha Mama!
