It was a six monkey morning, and we visited the Jungle Café for breakfast. Ah, but let me explain. It was a lovely cool and cloudy morning as we headed by skiff to Atun Poza, a river and associated lakes. Our “usual” morning of watching wildlife was not usual at all. After our first hour we had seen six different species of monkeys! Squirrel monkeys in large groups impressed us with their speed and long limbs. The little saddle-backed tamarins with short arms, long tails, and white cheeks were equally speedy. Then came the bigger ones—two species of capuchin (brown and white faced), the monk saki with their bushy tail, and finally a quick look at a red howler monkey.
After this it was time for breakfast, and again, not the “usual.” This morning the crew brought breakfast along in the skiffs. We rafted together while our white-gloved naturalists-turned-waiters handed out cloth napkins, plates, and silver. With the sounds of the rain forest around us, we ate our cassava bread, muffins, fruit, juice, coffee, and more. The next time someone asks us if we want to “go out” for breakfast, we will smile and think back to the new meaning of this term.
In the afternoon we arrived at the confluence with the Pacaya River, the furthest point we will go on the Ucayali River and one of the namesakes of this preserve. It is here that we spent our afternoon on an adventure deeper into the Pacaya Samiria Reserve. Along the way we saw large-billed terns fishing in the river, horned screamers, and many egrets as well as howler monkeys. We also had the adventure of going through a couple of “shortcuts.” These shortcuts provided up-close views of water hyacinths and their pretty purple flowers. We even discovered that tarantulas live in the floating mat of vegetation. Our destination, a beautiful lake, was the inspiration for several of us to go swimming. Others, wanting to be supportive, cheered us on while they drank beer or soda and took photos.
