This morning we had the "luxury" of sleeping in until 6 a.m., when we were woken for breakfast and soon after departed by skiff for our first adventure of the day. We had the opportunity to enter a private reserve called Amazon Natural Park, where we climbed into "catamarans" (two wooden boats lashed together) for a leisurely paddle across a quiet lake. Several bats were spotted on the underside of a branch, along with some interesting birds.
Once we reached the far shore we began a hike through the forest. Many exciting insects and spiders were found, as well as poison dart frogs and a few birds. We also got to see rubber trees and learn about their history in the area. At last we reached the highlight of the walk: a series of suspension bridges. Several bridges spanned an area that used to be flooded by the river before it changed course, and we enjoyed a bouncy planked canopy stroll through the trees. A few blue morpho butterflies were spotted, as well as fish in a marshy area below. We retraced our steps to the beginning of our journey, paddled across the lake, and headed back to the ship after a brief shopping excursion to the locally-made goods laid out for our benefit.
Following lunch we relaxed for a short siesta, and photography enthusiasts attended a photo presentation and hands-on camera session. The afternoon activity featured a wonderful skiff ride to Piraña caño, a narrow waterway surrounded by vegetation and wildlife. We managed to see some terrific birds, including the bizarre-looking hoatzin, as well as a few different groups of squirrel monkeys chattering in the trees. A mother and baby sloth were spotted, and when the skiffs sailed into the floating mats of water lettuce there were many interesting spiders and insects. The skiff ride concluded with a sunset stop to watch (and listen to) thousands of white-winged parakeets flying into their nightly resting place. A storm blew in after we returned to the ship, and after a pisco sour class at the bar, a delicious dinner finished off the day.
